The walls were filled with artwork of women with horns and large white wings.
The first bringers of magic onto this world and the origin of all sin.
The Primordial Witches.
Hate for witches was especially prevalent during the dark ages due to their association with demons.
Due to the witch hunt, only a few thousand witches are alive today.
"These shelves are really pissing me off".
Neila stared up at the shelves filled with messy stuff, photos and decorations were scattered randomly.
"You all care so much for such trivial matters, how pathetic".
Sarah stared at her with a stern look in her eyes.
"Who the hell do you think you are"? Neila immediately started to organize the shelf, her teeth grinded against each other.
Sarah crossed her legs as she laid back in the soft cushions of the bed, her eyes staring up at the blank white ceiling.
"I ask myself the same question everyday".
"I don't like you at all".
Neila's eyes narrowed as she stared at the girl in front of her, gripping onto one of the glass cups tightly.
"You remind me of someone".
"Oh"? Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Really"?
"Yea, don't try to pry into it, I won't budge".
"What are you two talking about"?
It was a high voice, the sound of someone soft and quiet but not quiet enough for Neila to not hear him.
Sarah crossed her arms and looked towards the young boy sitting down on the desk, his body looked physically weak but his smile was unnerving.
Neila slightly flinched from the sound of his voice as she looked back, staring him in the eye.
"I was sure I locked the door, how did the youngest Mirlo manage to sneak into our room"?
The small boy pulled out a keychain.
"I got in through the front door".
"You didn't see him"?
Within's Sarah's hand, a bag of chips materialized from thin air.
"He's been watching you this entire time".
"Hey, brat".
Neila had one hand in her pocket as she stared down at him like he was a bug.
"Is that how you should be addressing your superior? The small boy crossed his legs as a calm smile spread across his face. "You were supposedly tasked to protect me, you know"?
"Anyways, what do you want"?
"Father sent us a message that we should get to know each other".
"Hmm". Neila leaned against the wall as she let out a sigh of exhaustion, she rubbed her temples like she was about to do something draining.
"I don't really care about someone like you".
The child's voice stayed eerily calm.
"How discourteous of you to say such a thing, you truly have no shame for a tool".
Neila's pupils sharpened like knives as her fist clenched tighter around the glass cup.
"Tsk".
[If there is one thing I don't like, it's children]
Sarah's gaze flickered towards her with a mild curiosity, a slow crunch coming from her mouth as she bit into the potato chip.
"Looks like he's really getting to you, my dear little human".
The boy smiled.
"I was just saying hi".
"Hey brat, I have a question about your sister".
"What is it"?
"What's up with that sister of yours"?
She didn't blink.
Instead, he slightly tilted his head, like a cat looking up out of curiosity.
"My sister"? He stopped suddenly, then he quickly exhaled. "What about her"?
Neila narrowed her eyes, gauging his very essence.
"She just sits there. Doing absolutely jack shit".
"Do you always speak so crudely about people you don't understand?"
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, chin resting on laced fingers.
"You know, if you insult her again, I might have to start thinking you're not qualified for this job."
"You're getting defensive now". She smiled.
"I thought you hated witches"?
Her eyes widened from a hidden excitement rushing through her veins, a weakness for her to poke at.
The child's smile slightly wavered.
"That's none of your concern".
"Really"? She got closer to his face, her blue eyes glowing a deep aquamarine. "It became my concern the moment your psychopathic brother threw a knife at my face".
Sarah was standing up, peering through the window.
"Speaking of that human, he's down there hitting one of your friends with a wooden sword".
Sarah yanked the curtain aside.
Neila crossed her arms and stared down with a calm demeanor.
Down in the training courtyard, the oldest Mirlo sibling—Adrian—was swinging his wooden practice sword like it was a real blade, striking someone over and over.
And on the other side, stood a boy with maroon hair, his arms were skinny and was barely managing to parry the hits.
"What is Edward doing"?
Neila leaned against the frame of the window, looking down at the duel below.
The youngest boy spoke with a flippant tone, his eyes unmoving.
"Elder brother has always been like this, he forces them not to use their magic so he can beat them down in a duel".
"Come on, witch!! Try harder"!!!
Adrian kept swinging his sword, each strike stronger than the last yet all Edward could do was barely block the attacks.
Edward lifted his sword, his arms shaking as he swung down with all the force he had yet Adrian moved to the side barely dodging the attack with a smile on his face.
Hoshimi sat there on the sidelines, sitting down on the bench as his fists clenched yet his face stared deeply at the duel right in front of him.
He held his chest as his breathing started to calm down.
[What's up with this useless sense of justice, this isn't in my character. But I can't just stand by and watch this]
Adrian shifted his ankle, swinging his sword from down below, striking Edward straight in the ribs as he flinched.
"Aren't you witches supposed to be stronger than humans? What the hell happened"?
Adrian kicked him in the chest, launching him straight into a wall.
Hoshimi stood up, grabbing a wooden sword from the nearby stand, the cold air rushed down his neck as his breath started becoming a whitish warmth.
"I'll sub in, I'll be your practice dummy Adrian Mirlo".
Hoshimi's violet soul peered through his eyes, glowing like an iridescent sky.
He stared down at the wooden handle of his weapon, his hands slightly shook.
[This sword, I've never once handled this weapon before yet I feel like I've used it my whole life, like it's an extension of my own body]
He held his sword to the right, close to his chest as his eyes shifted into an aquamarine that glowed like the bright blue sea.
Hoshimi's sword glowed with an invisible energy unlike that of mana.
Adrain grabbed onto his sword with one hand and point it towards his face.
"Another one wants to challenge me"?
Kira watched nervously as she twiddled her thumbs, sweat ran down her cheek.
A sudden memory of Reina flashed through Hoshimi's mind.
[Unless you have the strength of Heracles, swords are impractical, heavy and large. Something like a handgun is usually more effective and easier to conceal]
Hoshimi thrusted his sword towards Adrian as if it were an extension of his arm.
Adrian's eyes immediately widened at the speed of his repeated thrusts, barely blocking the attacks with his sword.
"What did you say about witches again"?
Adrian's hands shook with every strike he blocked, the raw pressure behind his thrusts forcing him to step back one pace at a time.
Each movement was fluid, precise and effective.
Hoshimi's voice was calm and his eyes even calmer, like he was sizing up his prey with his cold blue eyes.
"Even if you may be hiring us, you can't be doing this".
Adrian snarled, regaining composure, his amber eyes flashing. "You're all witches, who the hell cares"!?
He lifted his sword up into the air, aiming to slam it down directly onto Hoshimi.
But Hoshimi didn't block.
He moved three steps to the left in a flash.
Hoshimi kicked his leg in the back, knocking him to the floor. Adrian winced as he stumbled back, trying to regain footing.
Hoshimi walked up to him.
"I don't like fighting, let's get this over with quickly".
Kira gasped quietly, clutching her jacket.
"I thought you were supposed to be a witch"!
Hoshimi stared at his own hands, rough and callused from the decade of training with Reina.
"A witch should always know the basics of close combat, no matter the situation".
"I don't want to hear your blabbering"!
Adrian's brows furrowed as he immediately pounced onto him.
Hoshimi stepped forwards and swiped upward in a rising arc. Adrian barely managed to block it, the force reverberating through his bones like a truck was pressing onto his body.
Adrian went on a counterattack, his sword coming from the side aimed towards his neck.
Hoshimi ducked under it and smashed the hilt of the wooden sword into his chest, the air knocked clean out of his lungs as he keeled over.
Kira walked down the stairs and straight towards Edward, staring him down with a stern look on her face.
"You look pathetic".
She had her hands in her pockets and had no intention of helping him up.
"You don't have to tell me that".
Edward grabbed onto the bench as the grass rustled beneath his feet, hoisting himself up.
His face and arms were covered in bruises, from the repeated strikes.
"Here".
Neila threw him a bag of bandages.
Edward caught the bag, wrapping himself as he rapidly coughed.
"For being such a bitch, you can actually be nice sometimes".
Neila turned her back to him, waving her hand dismissively.
"Be glad I'm not beating you up for calling me a bitch".
She softly hit his shoulder with the back of his hand.
"Remember when you, me and Dominic used to play together"?
"What does that have to do with anything"?
Edward kept wrapping the bandages on his arms.
"Something's off with him, like his other soul is taking away more and more of him".
From the upper floor window, Sarah leaned further out, chips in her hand.
"That human's good, I don't even think he's even using mana".
The youngest child spoke up in a soft tone.
"I'm surprised a beginner can beat him that easily, he's a 3 time regional champion, Y'know"?
"Good for him".
Sarah turned around and towards the door, as she walked through the hallways, they were empty, eerily empty.
Large paintings of beautiful women with large wings passed by her.
"I don't like this, I really need some way to regain what I lost".
From behind her, a voice came out.
"Anyway I can help you"?
A well built man with dark blue hair and bright blue eyes.
"You're that human, Dominic Walker".
He had one hand on his chest as he bowed before her.
"For someone of your caliber to remember my name, I thank your majesty. But Dominic isn't in control right now, he's napping, I'll be in control for a while".
His eyes glowed a deep and eerie blue.
Sarah raised an eyebrow.
"You know who I am"?
Dominic got onto one knee and bowed beneath her feet.
"How could I mistake you for anyone else? Your divine presence is unmistakable, Lord Rouge".
Sarah bent over staring straight into his eyes.
"Well then, I have a task for you, I want you to kill as many witches as you possibly can and bring their bodies to me. I would prefer if they were on the weaker side, witches with stronger mana are harder to control".
Dominic stared down, unable to look at her divine face.
"Of course your majesty, I shall do whatever you ask me to do".