Beast Knights 23 - Seventh

Standard disclaimer applies. You are warned that the characters might not be in their usual selves (in other words, possible OOCness).

xxxxxx

Chapter 23 - Seventh

The seventh Beast Spirit? The other Mazoku looked at each other as they recalled the things that Yozak once mentioned to them before they left Shin Makoku to head to Esovia.

"So it did exist… even back then…" Günter uttered as he and the others continued to listen to the conversation happening in front of them.

"So even back then, they wanted to claim it for themselves, huh?" Shinou muttered and chuckled rather bitterly.

The three Knights could only look at each other with sad smiles on their faces. The soldiers noticed it, which confused them, of course. But they didn't probe further as they wanted the discussion to unfold as it should.

"Has the entity ever made another appearance after the first time the Beast Knights summoned it?"

But Chie shook her head, which made Shinou frown.

"What do you mean?"

A heavy sigh came from Mari before turning her head to face Yuri. Without a doubt, the young Maoh was confused at the gesture. Especially upon seeing the serious expression on her face.

A few moments more, the said Beast Knight faced the first Maoh with a hardened expression.

"None of the Maoh you chose over the four millennia that passed by had met the criteria of Esovia's progenitors that they had placed for the succeeding Beast Knights to use. Unfortunate as it was, but that's the truth. Well, that might change now if what I noticed since knowing you chose Yuri to be the Maoh would remain as it is."

Only the two Knights understood what Mari meant and soon enough, they saw Shinou smiled, as well, as if he also understood the riddled words of the black-haired woman.

Yuri and Murata couldn't help but look at each other while it was happening, especially when they heard Mari mention the young man's name. It was frustrating that they couldn't discern what the Beast Knights and Shinou were talking about. But it seemed to be a secret that only those four people understood since it had something to do with what happened 4,000 years ago.

"Then it looks like I was able to fulfill Yunsoo's last request for me, then," Shinou said, which made the Knight frown.

"Lady Yunsoo's last request?"

The blonde former king nodded and handed over the gold journal to Rina, since she was standing the closest to Shinou. The sandy brown-haired girl took it and opened to the anticipated first page of the journal.

"This is the life I chose for the sake of my people, despite the curse that will kill us because of turning our backs on Shinou. My brother, I hope you'll be able to forgive me someday. If this would reach you or your retainers somehow, please remember these words I'm going to utter on my deathbed."

With that last statement, Rina looked at her friends before continuing to read the rest of what was written on the first page.

"The Beast Spirit that only obeys the true king chosen by the Beast Knights can save the world from impending destruction that all of us had feared since we obtained these powers. Choose the strongest king, my brother. Choose the rightful king who will save you and the other warriors from the dreadful curse that bound you all to ultimate darkness. I, Yunsoo of the Min clan, will do what it takes in my remaining life to make it all happen. We can't let it all end as mere legends…"

After that, silence fell in that sacred room. The only sound that echoed was when Rina closed the journal and faced Mari.

"That means, since His Majesty Shinou exists here and now in some way even after dealing with the curse that Soushu had instilled, the first part of the request that Lady Yunsoo made was fulfilled. And Yuri-kun did it…" Chie said and faced the said young king.

The other two Knights also faced Yuri which startled him and made him smile a little, though it looked awkward.

"But what about the second part? Do you think Yuri can help us with it?"

This time, Yuri didn't want to remain silent anymore and approached the three Knights.

"What does Rina-san mean? Help you with what?"

Mari closed her eyes for a few moments, as if thinking, and then sighed before opening them again and faced Yuri.

"Remember the curse I mentioned to you before we arrived here? About the curse that every generation of chosen Beast Knights deal with since it all started?"

Yuri nodded, but still frowning.

"They are the curse that usually takes effect on the Knights during the full moon — regardless if it is day time or night time. It is a type of curse brought about that could put us in peril and hinder us in battle since it affects us physically and sometimes, magically, as well."

"And now that we read the first page of Lady Yunsoo's journal, it seems that she already knew that only one person's aid to us Beast Knights can undo that several millennia long curse once and for all. The strongest king that Shinou had chosen would be the key to it all… since that chosen king would also be the one other person who the elusive seventh Beast Spirit could choose to form a contract with," Chie explained.

"You mean…"

Mari nodded. "The seventh Beast Knight is the Maoh, and he's the only person whom the seventh Beast Spirit will answer to. Of course, as long as the other six Beast Knights of that generation had actually deemed that person worthy of even seeing the entity and using its powers personally."

All of them couldn't believe it! So the existence of the seventh Beast Spirit was confirmed. And the possibility that Yuri could actually use its powers was still incomprehensible, even to the Daikenja. That was when Murata recalled something and faced Shinou.

"The incident where you saved the Beast Knights during the later stages of constructing the Blood Pledge Castle… When you went to the newly established Esovia to aid them in the battle that nearly killed them… Could it be that it was related to the summoning of the seventh Beast Spirit? Were you the first and the only one so far who had seen and used the powers of that entity?"

In the other's opinion, that inquiry couldn't have come at a better time. But the recollection of the information that Yozak had mentioned before, and now the current Knights mentioning about the original Beast Knights nearly dying half a century after Shinou's death…

Does it have a connection to the first and last appearance of the seventh Beast Spirit?

One nod from Shinou was all that it took to shock almost everyone in that room. Around that time, however, a fierce knocking interrupted them.

"Ulrike-sama! There's bad news!" One priestess entered and announced.

When asked, one female soldier also entered the shrine and bowed.

"Your Majesty, there is news of another Phantasma attack. This time… it's in the village near the capital! And it's approaching the capital!"