The Tyrant's Pet

"Your Majesty, it's a trap!"

Abel straightened his back and looked around while the witch laughed wickedly. A frown dominated his face as he couldn't move from his spot, hearing the chanting grew louder along with the old witch's laughter. The wind had also grown stronger.

"Hah..." the witch grinned triumphantly as she sized him up. "We already knew an Original dared step into our territory. Thus, we came prepared."

"You..." Abel raised his hand when he caught Isaiah raising a hand to counter the spell. His eyes remained on the witch and the witches still chanting under their breath.

"Don't, Isaiah," he ordered. "Countering it will simply seal me altogether."

"What..." Isaiah's usual poker face slowly broke as his eyes dilated. How could that be?

"Your Majesty! Stop joking!" Conan yelled in irritation as this prank was not funny. But deep in his heart, he knew Abel never joked about these things.

Just who were these witches to know such a spell to contain an Original like him?

"I'm not joking, Conan." Abel laughed in amusement, gazing at the old witch in astonishment. "They're interesting."

"As expected from an Original," praised the witch, nodding in satisfaction. "This spell can barely restrict your movements. If this were others, they would have been squirming on the ground."

Abel chuckled with his lips closed. "This spell... is quite rare. Which makes me wonder, beldame, who taught you this?"

"An old friend of mine." The witch shrugged.

"An old friend of yours...?" he narrowed his eyes and licked his lips. "Which of my sister was it?"

Her smile stiffened as his eyes glowed with amusement. The chanting grew louder when Abel took a step forward.

"How —" the witch took a step back while her eyes went round as he walked towards her without a problem. She was about to take a step back once again but froze. Her breath hitched when Abel outstretched his hand and grabbed her by the neck. The chanting stopped as all witches gazed at him in horror.

It didn't work.

"Who is this old friend of yours, Beldame?" he asked, lifting her up with his one hand. The spell that was supposed to trap a powerful evil creature like him only piqued his interest. Instead of subduing him, it forced him out of his box of nonchalance.

Abel tilted his head as he hummed a tune, studying the old witch in his grip. "Let me guess... I don't think it's that girl, since she will never leave the house and meet people unless you entered that place." His lips stretched broader as his eyes gleamed with delight.

"Was it Ameria?" he guessed with raised brows, getting his answer from her shocked expression. "Pfft--! Marsella?"

Abel laughed out loud, which resonated in the air. Even Isaiah and Conan looked at each other in confusion before setting their eyes back on Abel. It had been a while since they had seen Abel laugh so hard and out of pure joy as if he just heard the greatest joke of all time.

"Oh, beldame." His face had turned red as he whistled, looking at the terrified witch. "Of all Originals... why did you fall for that nut case?"

"What --"

He laughed once again, seeing the horror dominate the witch. Abel shook his head as he sort of felt sorry for them after the spell they tried to pull off.

"It was a joke! Oh, poor you!" Abel laughed, glossing his eyes over the witches. "That spell, I mean. It's a joke she left — maybe she knew I would be here someday. Oh, Her. What a way to greet the great me."

Her lips quivered, but no words came out. That was the only spell they knew to subdue someone like him. Other spells... they would mean nothing to him and they would simply exhaust themselves. How did things turn out like this?

"Pity." He sighed as he studied her face before he let her go, which caused her to collapse on the damped ground. Abel took a step back with his hand on his hips, studying the covens of witches who came to kill him. He shook his head in disappointment, thinking he had hoped for them to suppress him when he stepped foot in the invisible magic circle.

Turned out that he raised his hopes up and overestimated them.

"Are you all curious what the spell was?" he asked and snickered as he pointed his chin at the ground. His action forced everyone to follow where he pointed out.

Right before their eyes, a line of grass withered, revealing a message. Their eyes dilated in shock as soon as the message appeared as the withered grass left lines. It says;

<strong>[ You're still alive? Wow... crazy. ]</strong>

Abel laughed as he stared at the ground before he raised his head at them. Their faces told him they didn't expect that. Truly a sight to behold, giving him a good laugh and lifting his mood.

"Well, the spell she taught you will definitely turn Conan into a real frog." He snapped everyone back from their trance, pointing his thumb over his shoulder and to Conan. "But not an Original. If they can kill me, I would've begged them long ago, Beldame. You should know that, but well... you're quite young and foolish. I won't blame the youth."

"It will turn me into a frog?!" Conan yelled from his spot with a gasp. "Your Majesty, you know such a spell?!"

Abel cocked his head back. "Mhm. I forgot I do, but now I remembered." He smiled smugly, watching Conan's face grow blank in horror.

"Don't look at me like that!" Conan yelled as he knew Abel, while the latter laughed before setting his attention back on the coven of witches.

"You witches are far too young, and yet you meddle with human affairs with your witchcraft." Abel cleared his throat as he studied them. "I'll let this slide, though, since you are her friends. However, meddle with our affairs in this empire and I'll raze you all to the ground."

His lips curled up, giving them mercy for the sole reason they knew this spell. Meaning, that his sister saw them as 'friends.' Whatever friends mean to her.

"And lastly, Maleficent is mine." He smirked. "Get near her and you will decay before you reach her. Not just your mortal body, but even your soul."

He turned around, still bearing a triumphant smirk, waving. "Don't take my mercy for granted. It's rare." He then stopped and turned around. "One more thing, help Isaiah fix everyone in here. It'll be too much for him to do all the work."