The Moonlight Swordsman

As Cerberus regained its footing, Aizel observed the two members fixating their gaze on the group of four. Tension hung in the air.

 [Master, Wveryns, and Dragons]

That's what I thought, but we should pay attention to the dog first."

*Roar* *Roar* *Roar*

The three-headed Cerberus let forth a loud roar. Suddenly, the horns on its head blazed with glow, and across the entire colosseum, enormous fireballs—each the size of a house—materialized.

The platform began to fracture from the extreme heat, and the atmosphere changed suddenly.

The fireballs fell in rapid succession, rushing towards Aizel and the others. They maneuvered in zigzags, desperately attempting to evade the impending danger.

Massive explosions caused by the fireballs quickly caused the entire platform to crumble.

Quickly evading the barrage of flames, Aizel tried to manipulate the projectiles on Cerberus, but the monster's tremendous strength was too great for him to control.

Aizel watched the four men as they squared off against the Cerberus, fighting hand-to-hand without weapons.

The squad showed excellent synchronization as they progressively dealt heavy damage to the monster, who was attacking with a never-ending barrage of flames, fireballs, and tail blows.

Aizel couldn't help but notice that their hands had changed into what looked like dragon claws as they continued to rip into the Cerberus from time to time.

In no time at all, the quartet demonstrated their superior ability to face and defeat the monster on their own, absolutely shocking the spectators.

Suddenly, everything around them became hazy and changed, bringing the party right back to the room of the cavern they had explored earlier.

A tense exchange of hostile looks emerged as they shed their cloaks.

"How dare you enter our region?" The two dragons asked and growled.

"Look who is talking, dragons catching the beast fairies, how ironic," One of the Wveryns from the four group members replied.

"Oye, you removed your cloak." One of them spoke toward Aizel.

[What should we do, Master? Should we fight?]

No, fighting inside the cave with illusions going on is too dangerous. Let's just take this easy for now."

Unveiling his face, Aizel revealed a human countenance that temporarily startled them.

"A Human!"

"What is he doing here…"

"A Strong human…"

They started to murmur around.

It doesn't seem like they know; that's nice," AIzel thought.

"I am not going to fight here. But this region belongs to us. If you love your life, I will give you a chance to leave this place right now."One of the dragons spoke.

"Oye oye, don't act like you are the strongest. We are four, and you are only two. The one who should leave is you and that human." One of the Wveryns.

In the midst of their arguments, Aizel separated himself and returned to the cave in search of the fairies by the other exit.

"Oye, who gave you the permission to leave,"

"You know you guys can fight with each other once we leave the cave, right? It's better to tackle illusions for now and catch the fairies." Aizel replied.

"This human has a point…"

"I don't like these smart people,"

"Yes, we will fight once we leave the place.."

Everyone seemed to agree, and all together they started to leave the room.

They continued their search for fairies in the cave.

"Hey human, have you come here before?" One of the wveryn asked.

"No, this is my first time," Aizel replied.

"You dragons must be coming here frequently, right? How much more do we have to walk?"

"It's our first time too."

"Swear to Lezir," Wveryn asked.

"I swear on Lezir, this is our first adventure," The dragon replied.

Who the fuck is Lezir?" Meanwhile, Aizel thought.

Nearby, a gentle presence drew the attention of all. The Beast Fairy, the fairy they had come to find, became visible as they approached.

"Beautiful…

"In the name of Lezir, it's gorgeous,"

They started to appreciate its beauty while Aizel was having some trouble with his expression.

That's the fairy? Who the hell named it fairy, it's so hideous. Even the goblins look better than this,"

[Hahahaha, never seen something this ugly in my life. This is even uglier than that bitch princess]

Little more than an arm's length, the fairy was a small being. Its four wings jutted out from its back, giving it the appearance of a fat little man.

Its face was more hideous than a goblin's, and it had a few thin hairs on top of its head.

Beads of saliva dripped down from its mouth, which had two sharp teeth that had yellowed with age.

From its jerky motions and infrequent wing flapping, it was clear that the beast had trouble flying. While it hung precariously in the air, trying to keep its equilibrium, the fairy's strange charisma shone through despite its repulsive look.

"Is that the beast fairy?" Aizel asked, as he still couldn't believe it.

"Yes, isn't this the most beautiful thing?" The dragon replied, looking a little proud while saying it.

Aizel looked towards him awkwardly and stared at the beast once again.

[Master, what are you waiting for? Go and catch it first]

Oh right,"

While the others were appreciating its beauty Aizel was about to make a move.

The beast fairy's amber pupils locked onto Aizel and his companions before he could move. Its eyes emitted a dim light that abruptly faded away.

Gradually, the creature, along with the entire cave, began to fade away into nothingness.

Yo yo yo, we are trapped in illusion."

…"

Sekkiii…"

Can you hear me…"

Damn it…"

Aizel swam aimlessly in the darkness, cut off from all others. A strange emptiness overcame him as he lost all feeling of mana.

Is it an illusion, or am I trapped in some kind of space power?"

Once again, the landscape changed, and Aizel found himself in the middle of rough mountains.

Nearby, he spotted a figure crawling on the ground.

Aizel approached the individual, observing tattered clothing, numerous scars, and wounds adorning the body.

Strikingly, the face appeared featureless, devoid of expression, yet Aizel could discern the silent words.

I….will…kill them….

I will….kill them al…

I will….destroy everything…

Every living being…will…pay for it…

Who the fuck is he, and what the hell should I do now?" AIzel thought, looking very confused at the situation.

This seems like a mental and emotional based illusion, I can't even use my defenses without the mana, fuck"

He ended up back on Earth after another environmental shift. Suspended in mid-air, memories from his teenage years flooded back, replaying moments of bullying and adversity.

I don't even care about these things now."

Another change took place, as predicted, reawakening long-lost memories of Irene.

You gotta try better, you ugly fairy."

Suddenly, the beast fairy appeared right in front of him, taking him by surprise. Its beetle-like eyes locked onto Aizel.

Your petty tricks won't work on me."

Hearing that, the beast fairy showed his wide grin and dirty yellow teeth with saliva.

There was another change of scenery, and Aizel found himself shackled and naked in a prison.

The savage marks of whiplash were visible all over his body.

Before him, Daisy was also shackled. The dead bodies of Shelly, Vespara, and the kids lay close by as he looked around.

Didn't I tell you before? I will make you mine anyhow." Suddenly, he heard the voice and saw the Queen of Theodora walking towards Daisy.

Emotions welled up inside Aizel, causing his eyes to flush. But with his eyes closed tightly, he started to whisper a mantra. "This is not real; this is not real."

I wish I hadn't met you… Because of you… my kids died. You ruined everything…" Suddenly he heard Daisy talk.

"Yes, isn't that right? Didn't I offer the peaceful solution before, but how arrogantly he refused me in front of you? You see, this is not my mistake." The Queen spoke as her hand reached towards Daisy's neck.

"Open your eyes, coward," With that, she started to choke Daisy.

Daisy fought desperately to escape the queen's clutches, but Aizel remained silent, repeating his chant in a hushed voice.

"She is dead,"

Aizel opened one eye and saw Daisy not responding as her neck hung down.

"This is not real,"

The queen raised brows, as she started to walk towards him.

"Do you know something, you might think this is not real, but it will be soon.

"What happened when you stepped your first foot in the Marsh?"

Aizel looked confused after hearing that.

"You were already trapped in the illusion. Everything you experienced was just an illusion. Many don't understand our abilities.

"The things that we show under the full moon power will become true in the future," the Queen explained with a smile.

Aizel suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he tried to break the chains.

I tried to give you more past trauma, but it seems my power was still not enough. You won this time, but you will lose soon, hahahahahaha..."

In an instant, everything turned blank.

After a while, Aizel opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on the muddy marsh, the same place he had entered.

The beast fairy, who appeared to be unconscious, lying next to him.

[Master what happened, suddenly everything went blank and I wasn't able to feel or hear anything]

However Aizel didn't replied and just sat down there like a lost person.