The mayor immediately came running up to us and sang our praises. It was nice of him, but we didn't have time for anything else. Our unknown adversary was still hiding in the shadows of the unconscious.

  "Please stay for dinner. "The mayor begged.

  "But what about your daughter?" I asked.

  "Don't worry, Iruka. We'll find her, but it'll be dark soon and we won't be looking for her at night. To everything we have to question them. So don't worry sir, we are still thinking about your daughter, but for now let us accept your offer." Fuyu replied gallantly. I just rolled my eyes and walked over to Kenji.

  "Thank you for thinking of me like that. Okay. I'll have the cooks prepare some authentic gruzvits cuisine then. Now, one last round of applause for our saviors!" He roared the last sentence solemnly and a huge applause rang through the village.

  I looked around at all the nice people. There was no more fear and despair in their eyes. There was joy, humility and above all hope. Perhaps we could give them back some of their dignity and self-confidence. If this is the way of the true wizard, I never want to do anything else.

  People started to disperse when a little boy came running up to me and hugged me. I didn't know what to do, let alone say. But the little guy beat me to it.

  "When I grow up, I want to be a wizard like you."

  "Hanatashi! Come here."

  His mother pulled him away from me in a reprimanding tone.

  "Excuse me, sir. He's always so eager." And she bowed to me.

  "No. It's okay." The lady bowed again and left with her son.

  "Wait!" I caught up with them.

  I knelt down next to the black man and smiled at him.

  "I believe you will become them. You just have to believe in yourself. There you go. I hope when I see you, you'll show me what a great mage you are."

  I fumbled in my bag and pulled out my lucky bead bracelet. It's from Momo-san. M Dala when I was just a few months old at the orphanage. She used to tell me how it was magical and made dreams come true. That she got it once to make her dream come true, so she gave it to me. But I don't need it anymore. My dream has come true. I help people who want my help and are grateful for it. The boy put it on while I was wandering in my memories, and he got toothy.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Thank you."

  "You're welcome." I ruffled his hair.

  I stood up and smiled at my mother. She smiled back and we said goodbye. I'll never get that touching moment out of my head now, and I hope he doesn't either. He is now one of the dream team.

  ???????????????????

  I was sitting under artificial candlelight. It was dark everywhere, and all you could hear was the mooing of the cows. I offered to go to the interrogation with Aki. I think it's logical that he went, although Fuyu could have done it too, but after all, he doesn't have the patience that Aki does. Aki had remarkable abilities. I mean, not only is he a vampire, but he's also very skilled at mind control and manipulation. I think even I, compared to those ungulates, have better stamina to retain my thoughts. Aki chuckled stifledly.

  "I would doubt that much, Iruka. The only thoughts so far are yours. These ungulates, as you called them, have their thoughts blocked on purpose. Someone seems to have blocked their minds on purpose."

  "Tsk. Damn it." I hissed.

  Aki just smiled and glanced fleetingly over his shoulder at me before turning back to the monsters. I got up from the skeletal chair and walked over to him. The minotaurs started to rake their hooves a little. They were pretty uncomfortable.

  "Can you handle it?" I asked him a little embarrassed.

  "Of course. I just have to find the weakest one. They can't all have such a resilient barrier. Some of them have to be weaker. Everyone has a weakness. Like you and your thoughts. If they could do that, they could read them. "

  He put on his sly smile again.

  "And would they even see the way you almost bit Kenji?" I replied bitingly.

  Aki paused and thought for a moment. His face showed both joy and fear mingled together. I don't know what happened that night. We didn't talk much about it, but it was probably just as wild as Fuy and I were. I mean... Well... You know what I mean.

  "I got him." Aki said coldly, shaking his head.

  It was one of the back row. He already looked weak from the looks of him. His body wasn't as worked out as his comrades. He had a lot of scars on him, which must have weakened him a lot. That's an advantage for us. Aki closed his eyes to concentrate fully. He was probably strong too, but not so strong that Aki couldn't find out what we needed. The boy next to me was still twitching the corners of his mouth and blinking rapidly for a moment when he stopped and his lips took on a creepy smile. After a while, he started talking:

  "The desert. Orange rocks. That's where their base is. It's not here... It's Sichi... Not Nichi...Nichisankoku... Planet Nichisankoku. He's transforming them there. They chase them there and then do strange experiments on them. "

  "Who's doing this, Aki?" I ask him eagerly.

  The truth is at hand. We can't let happiness leave us now. Please make it work. Aki struggled with his minotaur thoughts for a while longer.

  "Some magician. No. A druid. Yes it is a druid. He's hooded, I can't see his face. He's giving everyone orders. I hear his voice, but I don't know who he is... Wait a minute... One of the commanders is running... He's shouting his name... It's Aza... Aza... Azazel. Yes, Azazel. That's his name."

  So the druid Azazel. Looks like we have to go to Nichisankoku, wherever that is.

  "Well done Aki. Let's go tell the others. I need to talk to Mr. Azazel urgently." I said almost devilishly and he smiled stupidly to boot.

  Our mission isn't over.