Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 292 - 229: Iris
"I’m the Green Gemaris, nice to meet ya!" The girl winked mischievously, her vibrant crystal green eyes sparkling. "So, both of you, which Gemaris are you? Wait, lemme guess—you’re the White Gemaris?" she added, flashing an evil grin that revealed her sharp, shark-like teeth.
"Yes," Aurianna replied, her tone brimming with pride.
"Cool," LuXie chuckled.
"Who owns this place?" Leila asked, her piercing gaze scanning the strange environment.
"No idea. I just appeared here recently," LuXie replied with a nonchalant shrug, twirling a strand of her green hair between her fingers.
"And the others?" Leila pressed, her eyes narrowing as they landed on a brown-skinned man with a skull mask obscuring most of his face.
"Huns," he introduced himself coldly, his yellow eyes briefly meeting theirs before returning to an empty stare.
"I’m LuXie!" she interjected cheerfully.
’Oh rank three. I wonder how she got strong so fast,’ Aurianna thought curiously.
"Jake," said a fair-skinned man with strikingly messy gray hair and dark gray eyes. His voice carried a laid-back charm as he leaned casually against a pillar.
"Seems like another batch of newbies is showing up," LuXie remarked, pointing toward a group approaching from the mist.
"What’s going on here?" demanded a brown-skinned teenager stepping forward. Her long curly pink hair framed her sharp, bright pink eyes.
"That’s what we’d like to know," Jake sighed.
"This place... it must be the link between Gemaris," a deep voice said. The group turned to see a tall, handsome-looking man with golden hair cascading over his broad shoulders and shining golden eyes framed by thick lashes. His glowing brown skin complimented him very well.
"And who are you?" Aurianna asked, crossing her arms and staring him down with suspicion. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
"I’m Gilgamesh, the Golden Gemaris," he introduced himself with a faint smile that carried a sense of relief as his gaze flickered between Aurianna and Leila.
"The second person to reach level 10,000!" Aurianna gasped.
"Yeah..." Gilgamesh replied, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.
"Wait, if we’re all here, doesn’t that mean Iris might show up too?" Polyra chimed in, her voice sparkling with enthusiasm. Her crystal-like brown eyes gleamed with excitement, her long brown hair shimmering like a crystal.
"She’s scary," Gilgamesh muttered under his breath, visibly shuddering at the thought.
"My sister is not scary!" Aurianna snapped, her voice rising indignantly as she stamped her foot.
"Your sister?" Ciel asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Humph! Yes, my sister! Me and Leila are the siblings o the top Gemaris Iris!" Aurianna declared proudly, puffing out her chest.
"Cool," LuXie said with a thumbs-up, her grin widening.
"So, can we all introduce ourselves?" Gilgamesh asked. "For example: "I’m Gilgamesh, Golden Gemaris, a Summoner." His radiant presence was hard to ignore, from his golden hair flowing like a river of light to his luminous golden eyes. Even with his futuristic, tech-inspired clothing.
"Aurianna, White Gemaris, Blade Dancer!" she declared, her voice steady with pride.
"Leila, White Gemaris, Berserker," Leila added, her tone calm but firm.
"Kazuki, Red Gemaris, Knight!" the teenage boy chimed in enthusiastically. His spiky red crystal hair gleamed in the light, matching his striking crimson crystal eyes.
"Keira, Orange Gemaris, Joker!" she exclaimed, tipping her pirate hat. Her casual outfit, a bit revealing but bold.
"Ciel, Blue Gemaris, Spiritualist," he said dully, his gaze sleepy. His deep blue horns curved elegantly above his head, and his ponytail was made of shimmering blue crystal hair.
"Polyra, Brown Gemaris, Gunner!" she said sweetly. Her long brown crystal hair and warm brown eyes gave her a cute charm, and her fluffy gray dress was also cute.
"Jake, Gray Gemaris, Mechanic," he stated calmly. His neat crystal gray hair and serene gray eyes looked intelligent. And he wore a normal scientist suit.
"LuXie, Green Gemaris, Tamer!" she declared with a broad grin.
"Adam, Violet Gemaris, Necromancer," she introduced herself with a light bow, her voice elegant. Her long violet hair and piercing cold crystal violet eyes were beautiful, and she wore ancient eastern attire.
"Yuli, Pink Gemaris, Brawler," she said fiercely. Her short pink hair and fiery pink eyes complemented her intense, strict attitude.
"And Iris, the Black Gemaris!" an eerie, mature voice suddenly announced, sending shivers down their spines. Instinctively, everyone took a defensive stance.
Emerging from the mist was a woman cloaked in darkness. Only her glowing purple and black eyes could be seen.
"Iris welcomes you all here," she said with a wide, almost innocent smile that clashed starkly with the oppressive aura surrounding her.
"Huh how—?" Adam stammered, her usual poise slipping as unease crept into her voice.
"Now sit," Iris commanded coldly. In an instant, they found themselves seated, unable to recall how they’d moved.
"Iris welcomes all the Gemaris," she repeated.
"Why aren’t you all at level 10,000 yet? You’re too slow. Iris is disappointed," Iris stated coldly, her piercing purple-black eyes scanning them with disdain.
"Iris, you know we aren’t special like you," Gilgamesh replied, his tone calm yet firm. "Your level 10,000 is different from ours. The evolution process isn’t the same for us."
"Iris is aware," she said, her expression unchanging. Suddenly, she beamed with an unsettling smile, reaching into her space. "That’s why Iris made these for you!" With a flick of her wrist, she hurled several black marbles at the group.
The marbles hovered momentarily before floating gently into each person’s hands.
"What are these?" Aurianna asked, examining the mysterious orb. Its surface seemed to shimmer with dark, swirling energy.
"Something special Iris made to ensure your level 10,000 evolution is smooth," Iris said proudly.
"Why help us?" Jake asked, his gray eyes narrowing suspiciously as he held the marble.
"They’re coming for you all," Iris said coldly. "The Regals. Iris wouldn’t want to see her race wiped out before it matures. So Iris shall handle them for now and give you twenty more years."
"Are you sure you can handle them all by yourself?" Leila asked, worry flickering in her white eyes.
"Iris is confident she can. Don’t worry!" Iris said brightly, her gaze lingering on Leila and Aurianna with an unreadable expensive.
"One day, we’ll help you, big sis!" Aurianna declared, stepping forward with determination.
"Big sister, huh?" Iris repeated, her voice softening slightly, though the eerie glow of her eyes persisted.
Then her expression darkened once more, her aura pressing heavily on the group. "Also... will you all be Iris’ friends or foes in the future?" Her voice turned cold, and the suffocating pressure around them intensified, making even the air feel heavy.
"Why would you ask that?" Gilgamesh managed to say, his golden eyes burning with defiance.
"Iris saw the future," she replied. "And she doesn’t like the outcome. So Iris is asking you all now: decide. If you refuse to change your minds, Iris will eliminate you here and now. Or rewrite your memories and your lives. Iris doesn’t *want* to kill her race, but she will if necessary."
"Big sister, you idiot!" Aurianna shouted, stepping forward and smacking Iris on the head with force.
Iris blinked, stunned. "Ow! What—?"
"No matter what future you see, Leila and I are your sisters!" Aurianna yelled, her voice trembling with emotion. She stood in front of Iris, tears streaming down her face. "That means no matter what, we’ll always stand by your side!"
"Aurianna..." Iris whispered, her usually cold tone faltering.
"Do you have any idea how much I’ve wanted you to acknowledge us?" Aurianna continued, her voice cracking. "You idiot! Is this how you act with your sisters after not seeing them for years?"
"Iris has sisters? Iris almost forgot..." she murmured, her cold demeanor softening for a moment. "Iris is sorry," she said, bowing her head slightly before reaching out to pat Aurianna on the head.
Aurianna smirked as she noticed something. "Ehh, Iris is a shorty," she teased, her voice smug.
"You—!" Iris clenched her fists, her expression shifting to a pout. "Iris is angry!"
"But you are short," Leila added, standing beside Iris and emphasizing their height difference.
"Meanies," Iris huffed, her cheeks puffing.
Leila’s expression softened as tears welled up in her eyes. She stepped closer and suddenly hugged Iris tightly. "I always wanted to meet you, big sister. Thank you for saving our lives back then!" she cried.
Startled, Iris panicked, flailing her arms. "Don’t hug Iris! You could get corrupted!" she yelled, trying desperately to push Leila away.
"I don’t care," Leila said, her grip tightening. "I’ve waited so long to meet you. I don’t care how many warnings the system gave us. All I wanted was to see you and thank you."
"Me too!" Aurianna chimed in, joining the embrace. "Don’t leave me out of this!"
Iris froze, her usual composure shattered. After a moment, she sighed and gently stepped back, slipping out of their grasp. "There’s no need to thank Iris. Iris will always protect you, however she can," she said softly, her voice tender.
"Wow, so she’s not the scary dictator I imagined her to be," LuXie commented, folding her arms, her disappointment evident.
"I wouldn’t be so sure," Gilgamesh said, watching Iris carefully. "She’s only being nice because Aurianna and Leila are here," he added, his arms crossed skeptically.
