Taiyari kisi jung jaisi thi. Main apne kamre mein taiyar ho raha tha, par Hina aur Yumi mujhse chipki hui thi. Mahol kafi ajeeb tha; unki aankhon mein mere liye fikar bhi thi aur ek tarah ka haq bhi. Maine unse request ki ki mujhe thoda waqt dein, aur phir hum Mahal ke Grand Hall ki taraf nikal pade.
Hall mein kadam rakhte hi swagat dhamakedar tha. Noble logon ka mela laga tha, aur hawa mein high-level mana ki garmi thi. Sabki nazrein sirf mujh par thi. Maine Princess se kaha tha ki mujhe Rank 1 se lekar Rank 5 tak ke saare log yahan chahiye, aur woh sab wahan maujood the.
Maine mann hi mann hasna shuru kiya.
"Kya hua? Pagal ho gaya hai kya?" Night ne dimaag mein pucha.
"Is baar galti nahi hogi, partner," maine jawab diya. "Dushman mere thik samne hai. Taiyar rehna, tumhari zaroorat padegi."
Night khilkhila kar hasa. "Pehli baar mujhe 'partner' bol raha hai... chal dekhte hain tera khel."
Bacche ki Masoomiyat aur Hina-Yumi ka Gussa
Hall mein meri mulaqat ek grey balon wale Noble aur uske parivaar se hui. Us Gentleman Noble ki beti, ek chhoti si bacchi, mujhe dekhte hi mujhse aakar chipak gayi.
"Main aapko bahut pasand karti hoon!" usne masoomiyat se kaha.
Wahan ka mahol ek dum se badal gaya. Maine dekha ki Hina aur Yumi apne chehre par kabu paane ki koshish kar rahi thi, par unki jalan (jealousy) saaf dikh rahi thi. Unhe ek bacchi se bhi khatra mehsoos ho raha tha.
Iske baad meri mulaqat us Knight group ki leader se hui jiska naam maine 'Kaelith' (ya jo aapne socha ho) rakha tha. Woh aur uska group kafi khubsurat aur khatarnak aura wala tha. Maine dawat ki ek drink uthayi.
"Night, ismein zeher hai kya? Main marunga toh nahi?"
"Zeher ka asar mujh par mamuli hota hai, par agar koi khas jadui zeher hua toh maut pakki hai," Night ne chetavani di.
Maine drink ek baar mein gatak li. Jab talwaren mujhe nahi maar payin, toh ye zeher kya cheez hai? Night ne tana mara, "Bade bol bol raha hai, pichli baar toh halat kharab ho gayi thi." Main bas has diya.
Master Plan aur Seraphina ka Blush
Dawat se pehle, maine apna jaal bichana shuru kiya. Sabse pehle main Yumi ke paas gaya. Uska hath pakad kar maine pucha, "Yumi, kya tum barrier ke shape ko control kar sakti ho? Mere liye ye bahut zaroori hai."
Yumi ka chehra laal ho gaya, woh sharmate hue boli, "Haan, main poori koshish karungi."
Phir maine Hina ka hath pakada. "Hina, kya tum party mein Yumi aur baki sabki raksha karogi jab tak main na aaun?" Woh bhi sharma gayi aur usne wada kiya ki woh apni jaan laga degi.
Lekin sabse bada daanv maine Lady Knight Seraphina par khela. Main uske paas gaya aur usey seedha gale laga liya (Night ki body ki takat aur charm ka istemal karte hue).
"Aap ye kya kar rahe hain, Night-ji?" woh buri tarah blush karne lagi.
"Mujhe sirf aap par bharosa hai," maine uske kaan mein kaha. "Mujhe Demon Army ki jankari chahiye."
Usne bataya ki 100 saalon se Demons ne insano par hamla nahi kiya tha, is baar ka hamla ajeeb hai. Unke 4 Elite Generals hain. Maine uska hath zor se pakada aur kaha, "Ek aur madad kijiye. Mahal ke piche wale gupt darwaze par nazar rakhiye. Bas dekhna hai ki kaun nikal raha hai, ladna nahi hai. Mujhe aapki chinta hai." Woh meri aankhon mein dekh kar pighal gayi aur maan gayi.
The Unmasking: Dhamaka!
Ab waqt tha asli dushman ka. Main First aur Second Rank ke heroes ke paas gaya. First Rank wale hero ke baigani (purple) baal the aur uska aura bhayanak tha, uska naam maine 'Vex' rakha.
Main Second Rank wale hero ke paas gaya. Usne kaha ki woh rajya ke liye jankari dhund raha hai. Maine uske kandhe par hath rakha aur muskura kar pucha, "Kya jankari mili? Humein bhi bataiye."
Sabki nazrein hum par thin. Maine dimaag mein Night ko order diya, "Night, apna poora aura release kar do... abhi!"
"Itni party mein?" Night ne pucha.
"Haan, mujh par bharosa rakho."
Achanak, hall mein ek bhayanak kaali urja (Black Aura) phat padi. Kamzor nobles ghutnon ke bal baith gaye, kanch tootne lage. Princess chillayi, "Hero! Ye kya kar rahe ho aap?"
Lekin main us Second Rank hero ke ekdum kareeb gaya aur uske kaan mein phusphusaya, "Tumse demons ki sarrti hui mehak aa rahi hai... Tum Demon Army ka hissa ho na?"
Abhi woh kuch bol pata, usse pehle hi ek jordar DHAMAKA hua!
Dhuan aur maut ka sannata hall mein phel gaya. Maine muskura kar socha—sab kuch mere plan ke hisab se ho raha ha