The Two Empresses
The Florist

"If I'm to be honest, I hate fighting this guy" Phillip murmured. "The magic of his family's flagship is the plant."

"Heh, just a plant? Is that true?" max underestimated. Julian merely gave a smile and clasped a trumpet flower.

"It's just a plant, if you can burn it all" Phillip said. 'And sure, Saciel didn't have enough strength to fight that guy.'

"You're really happy with poisonous plants" Saciel said. "You want to kill us?"

"It's enough to make you paralyzed" replied Julian cheerfully. "And I hope you don't interfere in this, Parvati."

"As per your wishes," Parvati said. "Miss Ackermann, let's step back. Dangerous for you here."

"No want! I want to fight!" jeremy Kezia.

"Kezia, back off," said Max intimidatingly, his gaze sharp as razor-sharp. Kezia retreated and hid behind the slender body of the maid. Julian throws the trumpet flower and a large, lush plant imprisons the three fighters.

"Don't move! Just hit by the sap you're paralyzed in a second" Phillip said. No one dared to move, even Saciel who was full of energy and was always spouting her poisonous words was now helpless. His face was pale, his breathing was stingy and his body was trembling.

"Saciel baby, you're still sick, aren't you? Go home, Cerlina's waiting for you, "persuade sweet Julian. "I have no intention of killing you, though I hesitate for demi-humans there."

"...Julian, how's my sister doing?" ask Saciel lirih.

"He's fine."

"...hah.hah..hah he will.so a..great person," said Saciel. The fire suddenly devoured the trumpet plant to ashes, shocking Julian who was focused on the magical girl.

"...Have you gone mad to sacrifice yourself to save them?"

"I..do not like.war, haha," he said. His body collapses, but is captured by Max.

"He's alive, maybe," Max said.

"Hey, demi-human over there. Can I help you save that girl?" bargain Julian. Max paid attention, but vigilance still enveloped him. "I can give her medicine, but I certainly need a fair pay."

"It's so cute" Phillip lamented.

"Say," said Max.

"Give up and be my prisoner with that little girl over there, and I'll save her" Julian said.

"Don't expect it, asshole" Phillip said.

"Huh, if I refuse?" ask Max insulting.

"He's going to die" Julian replied excitedly. Kezia who heard it pale, her hands firmly gripped the soft arm of Parvati. The next second he jumped and punched Julian.

"Don't.play with Saciel nee!" jeremy Kezia. "Kill! Kill it!"

"Kezia, relax!" max panicked. The so-called did not reply, directly lunging at Julian and rewarding him with a kick right over the head.

"Ugh" said Julian. Before Kezia managed to deliver the next blow, Julian teleported and stood behind Parvati.

"Just calm down, sir. He won't hurt me" Parvati said calmly. "You better take care of Miss Ackermann before she takes off the seal."

"What seal?" ask Julian curiously. Before the maid opened her mouth, slowly Kezia's tail and ears began to change color to a blackish purple. His body was shrouded in a thin mist in tune with his body, and his eyes were black with silver irises shaped like cat eyes.

"Oh shit, shit! Kezia, awake!" max sahut.

"Well, dangerous," Julian murmured as he took out the vine and tightly tied his hands and feet. But with just a single slash of its tail, the vine was cut off.

"No wonder so many people are hunting you, miss. You're no ordinary descendant" Julian said as he made a large cage out of an oak tree trunk. Kezia tried to hit the cage that locked him up, but he slowly weakened and collapsed. A small needle stuck in his forehead.

"You need to rest, miss," Parvati said.

"You betrayed us, Parvati?" ask Phillip growled. Parvati shook her head and pointed at the stupefied Saciel. "Aah?"

"We don't have much time, sir. The longer we fight, the more we might lose Miss Arakawa."

"...well, I don't want to have to help her or Cerlina will kill me" Julian chanted as he pulled out a transparent orchid at her feet.

"That's..hey, are you crazy? You want to be massacred on charges of growing rare plants without permission?" ask Phillip to panic.

"Hahaha, you're funny. Why would I be slaughtered if no one reported me? We both need medicine for Saciel, don't we? So shut up and let me concentrate."

"...i've never seen that plant" Max said.

"Indeed, this is extinct actually. No wonder many do not know what it looks like or its natural habitat, Julian said.

"Then how do you know the shape of the plant?" max asked suspiciously.

"Heh, you're sharp too. All right, I'll tell you the secret. Under the Zografos residence, we have a greenhouse filled with endangered and threatened plants. No wonder, right?" julian.

"It's still suspicious" Max said.

"It doesn't matter if you're suspicious, but now's not the time to think. He's on the verge of death."

Julian pulled out the orchid and took out a piece of its petal. "There's a problem if I give it..well, mouth to mouth?"

"Well?!" phillip and Max.

"Why do you have to do it that way?" ask Max.

"You forgot he fainted? Impossible for him to swallow," Julian said flatly. "Here, give him to me."

"I did it" Max said quickly. He took the petal and carefully gave it to Saciel with his mouth. Phillip gaped at her, but chose silence for the safety of his life.

"It's a shame that I can't capture it at this time" Parvati said.

"Hahaha, Saciel would definitely be shocked to death if she heard that," Julian said.