Chapter Text
182 years.
182 years had passed since that field trip to the ruined city of Rana.
182 years had passed since that cursed mirror pulled its unfortunate victim in.
182 years have passed since the Sword of Darkness found it's new heir.
182 years had passed since Rune Lord was awakened from his slumber and passed on his dark magic.
182 years.
Time for generations of societies, families, and magic itself to evolve. Time for humans to die and be born.
182 years…
Time… that to a certain Wizard, seemed to run without him.
182…
Schezo Wegey had lost count.
~~~~~
Chapter 1
The Dark Wizard who 'Defiled the Gods' knew nothing of time. Nearly two centuries had passed, yet the man looked barely 20 years old. Skin and hair as white as snow, haunting blue eyes that reflected like ice, he certainly wasn't unconventionally attractive by many others. Yet, just like he knew nothing of time, he knew nothing of romance. Honestly, the one thing he did know of was power. And everyone else was aware of that; exceedingly so. His name even came second to his reputation; common knowledge dictated that he was simply a power-hungry dark wizard who sucked the magic dry from any unfortunate victim. Well, that and a perverse magician, a title which he loathed. It had only begun to rise in popularity because of her.
Her.
The only one who managed to escape his grasp. The only one who's magic didn't just feel like meaningless sustenance. The only one who managed to nearly kill him, and decapitate his head in the process as well as destroying his test body. The only one who seemed to both mock and elude him at the same time. The only one that he'd come to know by name.
Arle Nadja.
Short, fluffy brunette hair tied by a silk ribbon, warmly tanned skin that shone against the sun, armor glistening like sapphire jewels against a dress as deep as the blue sea… Arle had become famous not just from her looks, but for her dedication in becoming a Master Sorcerer. Hell, she somehow had the owner of the Rubelcrack be at her beck and call as if it were a pet. Her command over the elements was majestic; basic magic, all things considered, but there was a reason why a nickname known as the 'Electrifying Dancer of Flames' rapidly surfaced when she recently turned 18.
That magic was enticing to the Dark Wizard… exceedingly so. Arle had become a near obsession for him; he would end up following her like a hawk, or sending his pet cat Lynx to try and lead her somewhere like the first time the two have met. At first, it seemed to work, with their meetings each resulting in battles against the two mages. Each one allowed him to get more morsels of her magical energy each time, although she'd end up recovering it by the end of them all. But now, she'd figure out his tendencies, and usually ended up setting him or Lynx on fire as a result. Yet he'd always try again. For as long as he lived, which was eternity due to him being the next heir for the Sword of Darkness.
He would keep trying. And he would find a way to capture her.
~~~~~
Arle Nadja gave a barely audible sigh.
It had been merely days following the duel with the Phantom God and her retrieving the Serpharim Orb. Of course, only she knew of the entire incident; her wish with the coveted treasure was to erase everyone's memory involving its existence. That fateful day, far exceeding her planned final test for becoming a Master Sorcerer, was where everything in her world was flipped on its head. In a way, she'd end up becoming more than just a Master of Magic. She'd end up keeping one of the most powerful treasures - and secrets - to herself. Ironically enough, the whole event happened on her 18th birthday. Her coming of age accompanied by a battle against one of the most powerful beings in the realm of magic was definitely unique to her.
Would the Serpharim Orb be considered her present?
Not really, as there was no use in keeping it. She had no use of it, for she had no desire for that level of power. In her eyes, she was just a normal girl, who wanted to travel and have adventures with Carbuncle at her side. The last thing she wanted was to become a living goddess. She was happy where she was now, budding with Rulue and having friendly spars with her childhood friend Camus, running around while exploring ruins, caves, and temples for anything she could find… but there was a distraction.
Schezo would not leave her be.
Part of her wish was for the perverted magician to be resurrected, keeping everything back to the way it was before the incident, but she was starting to have second thoughts about it with how many times he kept chasing after her. The guy really was endless in every sense of the word, even showing up at that time Rulue dragged her around in finding the 'perfect' ingredients for the 'Mystifying Curry', which was another excuse for her to get close to Satan. At least she also had an excuse to kick Schezo in the face, which was Arle's much needed stress reliever for how much he pestered her.
Brushing her thoughts of the Dark Wizard aside, she grabbed her satchel and called for Carbuncle to hop on her shoulder. "C'mon, Kaa-Kun. I know you've been hungry, and we need to do some shopping and jobs anyways." Once the yellow rabbit nestled her neck, she made her way outside.
--End of Chapter 1--