Your wish

The deal is more valuable then money

What is happiness?

In money? In deeds?

Or maybe just

keeping promises…

The “Lines” and the Hounds were sitting at a richly laid table, continuing to gobble up both cheeks.

“Actually, since we’re talking about the world, okay, I’ll tell you,” Zander frowned. “We elves have lived with dinosaurs. In short, in three thousand and seventy-four there was the Third World War. The cause of the war was the United States of America and Russia. The Russian Federation finally has a normal president, and under him the country began to prosper. The United States, as “the main peddler of democracy throughout the world,” began to rudely interfere in Russian politics. The President of the Russian Federation issued a warning, after which the United States, having set France, Great Britain, Italy and Canada against Russia, struck the first blow. The United States could not stand when someone goes against them. Russia was supported by Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, Poland, Belarus and Japan. China immediately took neutrality and so far has not interfered in the war. The war began in favor of Russia. America has warned that it will use nuclear weapons. Then Iraq, together with Japan, launched a hydrogen bomb into the United States of America, which hit a military plant for the manufacture of atomic bombs. It went well, everyone got it. Planet Earth was doomed, but…

Zander paused, drank some wine, and continued. They listened to him with interest.

– Earth Spirit Gaia put up a barrier.

Does Gaia exist? Melaine didn’t believe it.

– Yes. This is the High Angel who protects the planet. Well, the past has been lost. Now at the court there are strange machines called computers, televisions and Kalashnikovs. Everything in the world was mixed up and divided at the same time. Humans and non-humans live without hiding, but all living beings are divided into clans. There are too many ninjas these days. But not everyone is proficient in this art. It is impossible not to remember about ordinary people. The moral of the story is this: if there is to be a Fourth War, it will be the last. And now the elves predict that a girl, the daughter of the Devil and the bride of the son of the Devil, “came out” into our world. I was sent to find her. Frankly, I have serious doubts that Necroline is your sister. The Haya clan does not have violet eyes. Melaine, tell us about Necroline.

Zander smiled amiably.

– What specifically interests you? Melania nodded. She was interested in talking to the elf. Such a case rarely falls, so you need to use it.

– How did you get it? – Zander thought about it, about to add something, but said nothing.

– I don’t know where it came from. At the age of ten, I returned home (I visited my grandmother for a year and a half), and they told me that I had a sister, Necroline, who was already four years old at that time. She was too independent back then. She thought a lot. Nobody wanted to be friends with her. Every time I saw her sitting on the swing and just looking at the children who were having fun playing football. There was always such sadness in her eyes, but not resentment. I suggested that she learn the art of ninja. She turned out to be a capable student, – Melaine sighed. She had problems with her friends at school. Caroline was always with her. Then we fought with the Hounds and Shinigami. Necroline led three special ninja squads, and all returned alive and unharmed, and most importantly, having coped with their task. She then became friends with Emperor Tatsumi. Although, I think he just fell in love with her. By the way, she used to have incredibly long beautiful white hair, but that guy doomed her to eternal disgrace by cutting her hair with a magic sword.

– The one with which he mutilated his legs?! For some reason, Takasaki clarified.

“Yes,” Meline nodded ruefully. “I don’t know, but I think Necroline knows a lot more than he’s letting on. Recently, I notice that she is beginning to be afraid of something, but she does not say what and diligently hides it. She is very similar to her parents in appearance, but did not inherit any of their character traits, which seems somewhat strange to me. She has a lot of honor and pride. She always keeps her word and always keeps her promises.

“Tell me about that guy,” Takasaki asked.

Recently, he was very interested in the question: why Necroline did not kill that guy.

– His name is Kir. He is the strongest in our clan. He fell in love with Necroline, and it was mutual of her. But when he almost lost his legs… Cyrus became too embittered. I don’t know what happened then. I came home and saw Necroline sitting on the floor. Her legs were all in terrible wounds. She tried to stop the bleeding. I helped her. Since then, she has not removed the bandages. The main problem is that I don’t know what Necroline thinks and feels, and her face is impenetrable, – Melania sighed.

Following her example, everyone sighed in unison, and everyone went deep into their thoughts. No one thought to condemn or blame Necroline for anything.

“We’ll be teleporting soon,” Takasaki suddenly said.

“We don’t know how,” everyone was indignant in unison.

– We have an old man who teleports you all, – laughed Kaname.

They sat still, talked about plans for the near future, about a peace treaty between the Haya clans and the Hounds. Kaname ran after the old man, and he teleported everyone in the blink of an eye, wishing everyone good luck and more whole bones. The most dangerous thing in this competition was that the ninja could die or remain crippled for life. Those who were lucky died quickly, respectively, those who were unlucky were left with serious injuries.

***

Necroline stood next to the imperial throne. Tatsumi was on the jury. He made the final decision.

The battlefield was quite spacious and round. It was about three hundred meters in diameter. On the site itself there was nothing but a dirt cover. The site was surrounded by a high wall with spectator stands at a height of ten meters from the ground. There were many spectators.

The point of the Strongest Ninja competition was that everyone is paired up and they fight to the death or until one side admits defeat. All known jutsu (combat magic techniques) can be used. Everyone fights for a new title and a new access to knowledge, as well as to be taken by the best teachers in the world.

At this point, all the ninja were standing and warming up. Among them were Caroline, Takasaki, and… Kir. Necroline thought she was imagining things, but her eyes didn’t deceive her.

It was cloudy weather. It was raining lightly. I wanted to spit on everything and go home to a cozy warm hearth. Around the rain and cold, evoking melancholy and frightening hopelessness. Terrible silence. This silence is unusual. It’s like unrelenting noise. This silence is also well audible. All this evoked thoughts about eternity.

The first fight between Takasaki and Shirano from the Bayayanaya clan was announced. Takasaki demonstrated excellent mastery of the Jutsu-Non-Contact Fighting technique. He immobilized the enemy with one glance, for which he was immediately recognized as the winner. Caroline was less fortunate. She was put against the Shinigami. There were seven enemies. The problem is that they bet as much as came from this clan. Of the Haya clan, Caroline was the only one. The girl actively fought back with a spear, but did not attack, which was already bad.

Necroline looked at her friend with mixed feelings.

“The winner will meet Takasaki, and there will be one more fight with Kir,” Tatsumi said, knowing full well WHAT would follow.

Necroline didn’t seem to react at all. She saw that Caroline was already barely on her feet and she was about to be simply killed.

One of the Shinigami clan with all her strength kicked the girl in the chest, and the second one already swung his saber, about to cut off Caroline’s head.

– KER!!! Meline screamed heart-rendingly from the podium, knowing full well that this was the end and Caroline would die now.

But everything went wrong. Caroline had time to notice only a shadow covering her and a stifled scream. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Necroline covered her with herself, and the guy who was brandishing a saber was lying with his throat open.

“There are seven men for one weak girl,” Necroline twisted her lips contemptuously. “Then you better fight me. The right to change!

Necroline first raised her hand, announcing that she was replacing Caroline, and then showed her Shinigami’s fist. This gesture meant one thing – “I challenge you!”. Everyone in the stands gasped.

Necroline’s violet eyes lit up with an uncontrollable fire of anger and hatred. The speed and force with which she smashed the Shinigami clan’s ninja finally convinced Zander that Necroline was not quite human, or an unusual person. In the most extreme case, she is a girl with outstanding magical abilities. Although it is possible that such power is given to her by an amulet in the form of an ajar book hanging on a silver chain around her neck.

After scattering all the enemies, Necroline waited for Takasaki to enter the arena.

Tatsumi rose from his seat. He wondered how this fight would start and end.

“I don’t want to fight with you,” the guy said softly, but clearly.

Necroline didn’t answer. A dark blue ball of magic formed in her hand. Takasaki sighed heavily and applied his already familiar technique – Jutsu-Proximity Fight. Necroline’s entire body was paralyzed. She couldn’t move, so she just closed her eyes, concentrating on… who knows what. Takasaki saw blood pouring through Necroline’s body, and the girl herself, overcoming paralysis, began to move forward. In the next moment, Necroline made a dash and pointed her katana at Takasaki’s throat. Everyone froze. The audience watched with mute admiration.

Necroline lowered her sword and raised her hand, clenching her palm into a fist.

– What??? Zander exclaimed in disbelief. – She voluntarily declares herself a loser???!!!

Takasaki looked into calm violet eyes and quietly asked:

– Why?

“Because if you fought at full strength, I would most likely die,” the girl answered also quietly and went to her place in the stands.