PHASE 53 - MY PEDO-FRIEND IS ON FIRE

“W-What was that transformation sequence? Did I really do that embarrassing pose? What happened to Key!?”

These are all Heushac’s words as he was surprised by his newly discovered power.

“This is my second Gate Guardian Ability, .” It was Key’s voice! She seems to be magically talking from Heushac’s mecha helmet! “I can aid any Guardian by converting all my prana into this exoskeleton suit.”

“Cool!” Heushac exclaimed. “I should have shouted ‘It’s Henshin Time!’ or something.”

“Oh my hero, please help me~” I exclaimed with sarcasm, acting like a damsel in distress. Right now, I’m getting pinned by the gigantic boar’s tusks! All I can do is to push its nose forward so that I could stay alive! I switched to a pissed face. “Stop yanking and do me a favor here!”

“R-Right!” Heushac scratched his head and flew straight to my direction. “I suddenly feel that tremendous amount of energy and information are being injected into my brain!”

Heushac boosted forward to the giant pig. He raised his broadsword in just one hand and charged it with flames!

“!!!” In a blink of an eye, a shockwave of flames brushed the enemy sidewards, completely releasing me from its tusks. The boar rolled two times and managed to get back on its feet.

The boar didn’t let any moment slip, as it charged multiple dark orbs from its snout and made a shooting barrage to my mecha-friend!

“!!!”

The moment when the dark orb projectiles hit Heushac, his body was converted into glitters of light, as if he split himself quantumly to evade the attack! When the barrage ended, all the particles gathered around and reformed it back to Heushac’s mecha form!

“Let’s finish this, Key!” Heushac shouted.

“Accepted.”

Heushac raised his sword up high. A glowing photon beam emerged from his sword which shaped into a gigantic laser saber! “!!!” He shouted as his boosters opened and gave him a lightning-fast speed to make his gigantic slash!

The boar was cut symmetrically into two, and the flesh that was sliced left a burnt residue! The Eidolon never had the chance to cry as it already converted into ashes that evaporated into the wind. All that’s left of the monster is the floating Quintessence.

“Woohoo!” Heushac celebrated by flying in circles with his jet-like wings and hot boosters. “This is so cool, Key!”

“Low Power. Deactivating ” Key said.

“Eh?”

Heushac couldn’t help but mutter those words as his armor became nothing but balls of light, and reformed itself into an unconscious white-haired girl. Then they will have a hard crash to the earth.

Of course, I was fast enough to catch Key in my arms. But I didn’t bother saving Heushac at all. Now his face is buried in the ground.

Concluding that we’re done here, I opened a Gate which transported us back to the Earth Realm. There, Amy and Tiara were waiting for us.

“Oh. The concert already finished?” I asked Tiara.

“We just got here. Our concert ended thirty minutes ago.” Tiara made a sorry smile. “It took us a lot of time to remove Necchan’s catsuit, that’s why we’re late.”

Amy nodded and then turned her face away from me as if she’s disappointed. “I-I’ll never wear that tight suit again… U-Unless you b-beg me to…”

“Fine.” I said with a hint of smile on my face. I know she secretly likes to cosplay that lewd thing.

The two girls brushed the silver bangs of Key, who was peacefully sleeping on my arms. Then we three started to depart.

“Hey!” Heushac exclaimed. He just lifted his face from the wet soul, and now he looks like a hobo. “Aren’t you guys going to check on me? I’m a Gate Guardian now!”

“NO.” Amy and I answered in unison but Tiara just made a silent guilty smile. Then I roasted my friend immediately. “You’re too much trouble to deal with!”

<>

When we returned home, we regrouped in the living room as we wait for Key to wake up. I told the two girls what really happened. About the creepy man possessed by an Eidolon, about Heushac being baptized, and about his awesome transformation for kissing a minor.

The two were both shocked upon knowing that Key’s second Guardian Ability was activated by a lips-to-lips kiss.

“T-T-That’s an f-f-forbidden love, Mister Heushac!” Tiara exclaimed as she had her face red. “Y-You know that, right!?”

“She’s the one who kissed me!” Heushac reasoned out.

“B-But still… that kind of l-l-l-love…” Tiara muttered.

Suddenly, Amy raised her phone. “I’m calling the police.”

“W-W-Wait! I didn’t even have the slightest intention to a kid! I just wanted to be baptized, that’s all! I didn’t even think about kissing her!” Heushac protested.

Amy continued to dial a number. While watching this farce, I made a smirk. I would love to burst out laughing right now, but Heushac focused all his anger towards me. His face is even red!

“Ric, help me, dammit! You’re the sole eyewitness here! You’re supposed to prove that I’m innocent!”

“You better find a good lawyer, Pedo-boy.” I leered.

“Y-You!” Heushac lost it.

Suddenly, somebody picked up Amy’s call. When Heushac noticed it, he tried snatching the phone from the blonde runt’s hand, but Amy keep evading his attacks! Then finally Heushac groveled to the ground, begging for forgiveness.

“P-Please don’t call the police! I’m innocent! I swear!”

“I’m just kidding, silly!” Amy answered irritatingly. “I’m just going to talk to my parents about our class field trip this coming Sunday.”

Then Amy left the living room and probably went to the backyard to talk to her parents privately. Heushac made a deep relieving sigh upon knowing that he will not be sleeping behind bars for the rest of his life.

Somehow, I’m quite skeptical about Amy’s actions. I had a glance on her phone and she’s calling her father. She would never call her father at all since she’s in bad terms with him. Amy’s father considers her an abnormal rebel, even more irregular than most teenagers nowadays. Honestly, I do think so too.

So I decided to sneak in and follow her.

<>

It was already ten in the evening, but the backyard lamp is so bright. It abled Amy to have a video call with her father on her phone. I hid near the door to listen to their conversation.

“Oh, Jeannette. What made you call this late at night.”

“N-Nothing,” Amy said in a trembling voice. She even sniffed two times.

“Are you crying? Did you finally confess to Alaric and got rejected?”

“I-It’s not like that!” Amy cried. “I-I just want to talk to you... Since I don’t know what might happen to me in this past few weeks.”

“Oh.” Her father sighed. “The Black Cross Legion gave you a really dangerous assignment. You already lost a member, so I know you’re scared, my daughter. If only I can fight again, I would gladly take your place.”

“Mmm, mmm…” Amy shook her head. “I accepted the mission in my own conviction. The New Order is targeting Ric and Tiara, so we’ll get in a messy battlefield against those Cursed Guardians anyway. I have to protect my friends with all my might.”

“I know that none of my words will let you change your mind. Just promise me that you will go home safe.”

“Y-Yes.” Amy is already sniveling. “Father… even if I’m a stubborn child… please always remember… that I love you. Please tell Mom that I love her too.”

“Gotcha.” Her father replied. “I love you too, Jeannette. I know that your Mom loves you more than I do. She’ll say it herself to you once she wakes up from her coma.”

Then their call ended.

What makes it sadder is that Amy’s mother has been comatose for five years, and the only thing that’s keeping her alive is the life support machine. Doctors said that she was already brain dead, so it will take more than a miracle to make her wake up.

When I was in junior high, I was told that her mother got hit by a car. But now that I’m a Gate Guardian, I already know the truth that Amy’s mother was badly injured during an Eidolon fight. Amy blamed her father for failing to protect her mother, that’s why their relationship became sour. Since then, Amy became a rebel to the eyes of her father.

Suddenly, Amy fell on her knees and her forehead bumped on the bermuda grass. She wept silently, holding her aching heart as her tears fall to the earth. She stayed like that for more or less ten minutes.

I turned away silently and wiped my own watery eyes.