GC: Raising a Ruckus 19

Chapter 19: The Clipper brings up a Challenge


Okay… So after four long weeks of fighting and killing a bunch of half-assed monsters, the grand chase is finally back in Serdin. And guess what? Aside from Arme getting over her temper tantrum due to Elesis and Ronan's mischievous acts, a new friend has arrived… And he's making Lass, Ryan and Sieghart look like a bunch of noobs…

"What is that thing?" The queen of Serdin asked, pointing her index finger at a tall, purple-skinned demon that stood beside Sieghart.

"He's a deranged pessimistic demon who so happened to join our group for no obvious reasons," the gladiator explained, nudging the creature on the shoulder. "You should talk, idiot. She's gonna think you're a freak if you don't."

"My name is Dio," the demon stated. "I'm here to help your inexperienced warriors on their next mission."

"Wait… Inexperienced?" Elesis – who happened to be standing at the farthest part of the throne room— interjected. "How many times do I have to say this? We are the Grand Chase! We've fought against the gods! We kicked sacred butt! We threw the master of hell back to where he belongs and forced the queen of darkness to follow his lead! So what's this talk about being 'inexperienced'?"

"You should consider your words, redhead... You just made me realize how weak and hopeless the gods you guys worshipped are," Dio retorted without glancing back at the knight.

"I hate your guts as much as I hate Sieghart," Elesis murmured, folding her arms across her chest before adding, "I'm gonna make sure that Arme tortures you with deep impact once she's gotten over her cold. Or maybe…"

++++++++++++++

"Lire, I'm advising you to stay away from that Dio. I hate the way he looks at you," Ryan told the blond elf as they made their way down the castle halls and into the garden which showcased a wide array of trees and plants.

"What? It's not like he's gonna eat me," Lire replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek while holding his hand. She froze momentarily after hearing a low-pitched sneeze from a window on the second floor of the castle. "Looks like Arme is still not feeling well," she said.

"If you're that worried then you should go check on her. I could tend to the plants by myself anyway," Ryan reassured her, smiling away.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should—"

"Nah Lire. I can handle this. You could come back later."

"Okay Ryan." Lire hesitated. "I'll be back soon." She hugged him before walking away.

Ryan watched her as she left; sighing before turning away to stare at the number of plants that needed watering. He heard a scoff coming from his left and glared when he found the demon, Dio, scowling back at him before moving back to the paper he was holding.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY GARDEN?" Ryan practically screamed.

"I'm writing…" Dio retorted, grimly.

"Really? Are you writing about trees? Nature?" The elf questioned, hyperactively causing the demon to shove the paper to his face. On it was a list entitled "Trees are emo too" then a number of lines with "facts" written on them.

"Fact number one," Ryan read aloud. "They let other people cut—Oh forget it! You get out! NOW."

"What if I don't want to?" Dio asked, emotionlessly.

"Then I might as well make y—"

"Ryan! There'll be none of that," Lire interjected, holding Ryan's left hand. "No fighting you guys. It's useless."

Dio's lips twisted into a wide, humorless grin. "Expect a broken heart by the end of the month, Ryan…"

"Ha! I'll be expecting that too, ya moron! Lire loves me. The only person who's into emo dudes in the chase is Arme, and I'm not supposed to say a thing about it because it's her big secret!" Ryan boasted.

"Did I mention that if she heard that, it'd mean your own death, Ryan?" Lire informed. A hint of panic was obvious in her voice.

"Wow... You're gonna die... Lucky for you, " Dio stated as he pointed at a window on the second floor of the castle. Ryan instantly hid behind Lire when he saw Arme's head poking out of the window. Boy was she infuriated.

"This means war Ryan! A really BIG war! You might want to kiss your beloved plants goodbye before the end of the week since that's how long they'll get to live!" The mage warned before a pair of pale hands pulled her back into the room.

"Oh gods no… No… NO!" Ryan stomped his foot on the barren ground below him. "This is your fault!" Ryan yelled, pointing a finger at Dio.

"Why so?" The demon asked.

"If you weren't here in the first place, then I wouldn't have blurted out Arme's secret," Ryan told him while pulling at his own hair.

"It's not even a secret. The author was stupid enough to have made it obvious three chapters ago…" Dio retorted as he stood up.

"YOU WEREN'T EVEN HERE THREE CHAPTERS AGO! Great… Now he even knows everything… How much lousier could this get?" Ryan questioned himself as he ran into the castle and out again, this time holding a teddy bear.

"HEY EMO! D'YOU SEE THIS TEDDY BEAR! FETCH IT AND RAPE IT!" Ryan ordered as he threw the poor toy into oblivion.

"You're making me laugh Ryan. Ha... Ha... Ha... Ha..." Dio replied as he entered the castle. Unbeknownst to both Lire and Ryan, he already had the teddy bear in tow.