Chapter 294 - A Demigod

Earlier…

The morning came and everything seemed to be peaceful, that was until one grown man woke up with a start and yelled.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

The woman next to him also woke up, startled by the sound, and automatically placed a hand on the man's shoulder to calm him down from whatever was agitating him – well, at least until she also remembered where she was and why she was there. Her eyes widened in horror as she too let out a scream.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

The image of the three pairs of huge eyes set on bird-like faces flashed in their minds as last night's events came flooding back in their memories. They scrambled to their feet as they tried to run, but the servants had already been alarmed by their screams and had opened the screen to check up on them even before they reached the door.

Aki and Chiaki held each other as they eyed the servants warily at first, but got confused right after.

"Good morning Master Aki, Miss Chiaki," they greeted, making the couple stop and exchange looks.

By this time, they had calmed down significantly since the servants looked normal. They now questioned whether what they saw the night before was real or not. Aki even wondered if they inhaled something to make them hallucinate. Or was it stress?

"Er… Good morning," they greeted back awkwardly as they let go of each other.

The servants smiled at them kindly and bowed. "Please follow us to the dining hall for breakfast Master Aki, Miss Chiaki. The Young Master Gin and Miss Emi are already there, waiting," one of them said, and they guided them to the place.

As soon as they stepped in the dining hall, Gin's gorgeous visual welcomed them. They had already noted the changes in his appearance last night, but he totally looked so much better at daylight. Homura International's CEO was already very popular for his good looks, but his appearance and the atmosphere since the night before was scandalously much better, that his golden coloring was blinding like the sun.

Aki couldn't help but remember what Ara called him a month ago. "Bling-bling," he muttered under his breath as they entered the hall to join Gin and Emi at the table. The Young Master introduced Emi to them as his fiancée as well, and they all sat as the food was delivered.

"Big bro, are you okay now?" Gin greeted them with a boyish grin, making Aki falter in his steps.

"Er…" He had no idea what to tell the other since he totally believed that he and Chiaki hallucinated the night before and fainted. "I honestly don't know."

Gin studied him and Chiaki for a while before sighing. "I sure hope you two are not dismissing last night's event as a dream," he suddenly said, making Aki and Chiaki pause and then exchange looks.

"L-last night…" Chiaki started, her face confused. But unlike Aki, she was more inclined to believe the supernatural as she's from a superstitious background that believed in gods and spirits. "Last night… you said," she hesitated as she held Aki's hand tight. "You said you're not humans."

"Ah, it's a good thing you found a very smart and reasonable wife, Big Bro," Gin told Aki who stiffened. "Yes, most of us are not entirely human in this place. I am a deity, while Emi and the others have celestial blood in them, at least even a drop of it."

"You mean… it's real?" the older Suzuki's expression was incredulous.

"Do you want to see the harpies again?" Gin asked, as he pointed at his golden eyes and both Aki and Chiaki shuddered, remembering the three pairs of eyes last night and shook their heads.

By this time, Aki had no choice to accept this truth. Still, he wanted some explanations. "What about my sister?"

Gin inclined his head as he gestured for them to start eating which they did, albeit slowly. Emi helped the two, serving them plates and food with a smile. She touched Chiaki's hand gently as if to tell her it's going to be alright before resuming her seat next to Gin.

"Did Ara tell you something very weird lately?" Gin asked as he popped one eggroll in his mouth.

Aki thought for a moment, and then his eyes widened upon remembering something. Ara did say something strange the other day – the night before her marriage registration to Ryuu.

"What will you do if I tell you I'm not your sister?" Aki repeated Ara's question to him out loud and Gin nodded.

However, the older Suzuki couldn't accept this. "That's impossible. I was with her the whole time at the hospital. I even gave her my blood. She couldn't be a fake. She's my sister!"

Chiaki anchored her arm in Aki's as the latter looked and sounded agitated. She then turned to Gin with a frown.

"Relax," Gin told them as he raised his hand as if to say 'chill'. "Ara is your sister," he said which made Aki's tension decrease, and he breathed again. "At least, her body."

"What do you mean?"

"Her soul belonged to a demigod's – she's the daughter of the King of Heaven, Perun, and the wife of the Flame Emperor, Kresnik."

Aki and Chiaki of course still thought that this conversation was absurd. However, the facts were glaring, and so, they listened as Gin told them the story of the star-crossed lovers who had been following each other across time to defeat the curse. The couple listened carefully as the story progressed.

Gin didn't hold back or mince his words. He told them everything even the descent of Perun and his twin to finally break the curse this lifetime, and that Ara was that girl and Kresnik was no other than Ryuu. When Gin finally stopped talking, Aki and Chiaki looked exhausted as if they used up all their energy to absorb the information.

"Emi," Gin called out softly and the former Makura leaned over to touch both Aki's and Chiaki's hands, and watched as they seemed to recover.

"What… was that?" the couple asked as they looked at Emi with wonder.

"I… I'm originally from an Earth caster family before I came here to the Cedar Palace. I have a small ability to heal, but only minor conditions," she told them shyly, before looking at Gin whose soft gaze was fixated on her with an approving smile.

With this, the couple finally believed everything and they finished their meal in silence.

"So Ara's a complete soul now?" Aki asked afterwards and Gin nodded again. "And you're… You're really her uncle?"

The last question was delivered with a funny expression that Gin finally guffawed. "Yes! I'm the one who helped raised that brat in heavens as she lost her mother very early," he told them as he gestured for them to stand.

"She's probably going to wake up soon. But considering what happened, she'll probably be very livid as well. It'll help if you're there when she wakes up. Ryuu will need your help, Big Bro."

All four of them trudged the length of the corridors going back to the private area where Ara and Ryuu stayed. They were almost there when Gin suddenly stopped and turned to everyone with wild eyes.

"STEP BACK!"

As soon as he yelled, the ground shook followed by an explosion.

BOOOM!

Everyone ducked but their eyes widened as they saw the wall explode with Ryuu flying out of the room. He still hadn't landed on the courtyard when Ara stepped out of the hole, looking like the Goddess of Fury with her eyes lit and her body wrapped in sizzling electricity. She jumped so high and far, following Ryuu with her hand raised as if ready to punch her husband.

Ryuu landed on his feet, but immediately jumped away, avoiding Ara's fist, and so she hit the ground instead, and another explosion erupted.

BOOOM!

"W-what's that?" Aki asked as he and everyone else gaped at the three to four-meter wide crater on the ground that she created.

"Er…"Gin smiled sheepishly. "Domestic violence at its finest?"