Alexa stopped on her tracks and began to pant, causing Fredrick to stop running. "I'm slowing you down; go find help yourself. I can handle myself," Alexa said.
Fredrick quickly turned to leave Alexa, only to meet Arthur approaching them with a smile on his face. "L-Lord Arthur,"Alexa said, surprised to see Arthur coming towards them.
"Hello," Arthur said, removing one hand from his pockets and waving at them. Alexa and Fredrick bowed their heads in response.
"You can go and rest; you tried your best," Arthur said, tapping their backs with a smile. Fredrick and Alexa looked at each other and nodded. When they looked back at Arthur, they realized he wasn't there.
*************************
"What is this?" Mela said, using the bird's eye to observe the changes in Aiden's body. This was Mela's evolved type, which granted her the ability to create birds that could share the same vision as the user.
The birds could also be used as a means of gathering information, similar to how she had explained the situation concerning the Yaijuu hunt to Mark.
"I don't understand why he has the same traits," Shinra thought to himself. Then he looked at his hands, which were trembling.
"Every part of my body is telling me to avoid him," Shinra said, then he suddenly clenched his fists. "No, face your fears that's what she said."
Shinra quickly bent his knees, ready to attack Garuza, which caused a smile to spread across Garuza's face. "Oh?" Garuza said with an amused look.
Rhea's mouth hung open as she struggled to understand the situation, much like Cedric. Shinra dashed towards Garuza, releasing threads from his fingers, but Garuza tilted his head to the left, dodging the attack with ease.
Garuza grabbed the thread itself, surprising Rhea, Cedric, and Shinra. Then, Garuza pulled Shinra close and punched him in the stomach, causing Shinra to cough out blood and shatter his black armor.
Garuza kicked Shinra's chest, sending him flying at a frightening speed, creating a massive gust of wind. Shinra coughed out more blood as he struggled to stand up, his body trembling.
As Shinra formed a glowing purple needle, Garuza sighed and sat down, resting his right fist on his cheek. Shinra's body emitted a purple aura, and his armor began to repair itself.
Shinra threw the needle at Garuza's eye, but Garuza caught it between his thumb and index finger, breaking the needle into pieces. With a swift movement, Shinra vanished and reappeared behind Garuza, his eyes fixed intently on his target as he prepared to deliver another needle.
"Asura flames, first form," Garuza said, snapping his finger. A massive yellow flame engulfed Shinra's body, causing him to scream.
"I must say, this boy's body is extremely weak," Garuza remarked, standing up and surveying the area. He noticed the rainbow glows from the Yaijuus' corpses and smiled.
With a wave of his hand, the flames disappeared, and Shinra collapsed, unconscious. Garuza turned to Cedric, who was trembling.
"You," Garuza said, pointing at Cedric. "Y-yes?" Cedric stammered. "Bring me those Yaijuu cores," Garuza instructed.
Cedric hesitated, unsure what Garuza meant. Garuza sighed, approaching Cedric, and forced his head towards the Yaijuu corpses. "You see those glowing objects within their chests? Bring them to me."
With a kick, Garuza sent Cedric off to obey his orders.
Rhea slowly stood up, resting her head against a nearby tree. Garuza crouched, his gaze fixed on her, making her feel uneasy.
"What did you do to Aiden?" Rhea asked, but Garuza's response was unexpected. "Forget about that creature; let's talk about you." He pointed his dark fingernails at her.
"You've been suppressing something, but I know what you are," Garuza said with a mischievous smile. Rhea's hand instinctively covered her bracelet.
"The chaotic one," Garuza continued, his grin growing wider. "What happens if I remove that bracelet of yours? Will he survive?" He pointed at Cedric, who was busy gathering Yaijuu cores.
Garuza then gestured to Aiden's body. "Not that you can stop me unless..." Garuza stretched out his hands slowly, attempting to remove the bracelet. Rhea's eyes glowed pink, prompting Garuza to pause, his smile broadening.
He noticed Cedric had finally gathered the Yaijuu cores and dropped them nearby. Garuza stood up, his eyes fixed on the cores. "Now then," he said, stretching out his hand. The red aura enveloped the cores, absorbing them slowly.
"Try anything funny, and you'll see the afterlife," Garuza warned Rhea and Cedric, who swallowed hard. The aura absorbed the cores completely, and Garuza closed his eyes, clenching his fists.
The ground rumbled beneath their feet as Garuza stood there, Cedric losing his balance while Rhea struggled to maintain hers. When Garuza opened his eyes, the ground stopped rumbling.
"Mishka," Garuza said with a huge smile. Suddenly, a figure appeared, knocking Cedric and Rhea unconscious.
"I go by the name Arthur now," the figure said with a smile.
The birds were suddenly killed by red crystal shards, causing Mela to lose concentration. "My birds! I can't share any connection with the birds!" Mela shouted.
"We need to go now!" Mark exclaimed, sprinting towards the tunnels where Fredrick's group and the others were hunting. Mela followed closely behind.
Meanwhile, Arthur inquired, "How do you feel?"
"Pathetic."Garuza's response was laced with frustration
Arthur chuckled at Garuza's reply.
"The boy's body is weak; I can barely tap into my power," Garuza said, his eyebrows furrowed as he flexed his hands.
Arthur's smile grew wider. "But he's a perfect vessel, don't you think?" Garuza nodded in agreement.
Arthur's gaze shifted to the unconscious Shinra. "He's radiating the same energy as the Shadow Yaijuu," Arthur observed, his eyes locking onto Garuza. "You won't absorb him?"
Garuza pondered the idea. "Not a bad idea, but I'm unsure how long the process would take." Arthur's tap on Garuza's shoulder seemed to seal the decision. "Better than nothing."
As Garuza approached Shinra, a purple portal materialized, and a stunning woman with long black hair and armor similar to Shinra's emerged. Garuza's eyes met Arthur's, who nodded.
Arthur's eyes blazed red, unleashing a concentrated beam of crimson energy towards Shinra and the woman. A massive explosion ensued, shrouding the area in dust and chaos.
When the dust settled, the woman and Shinra had vanished through the purple portal. Arthur's eyes sparkled with interest. "She took him away and blocked my attack."
"Are you stupid, Mishka?" Garuza raised an eyebrow, his tone incredulous.
"I knew she'd tank that kind of attack. The boy has good armor." Arthur's response was dry
Arthur shot Garuza an annoyed glance.
"Whatever." Garuza shrugged it off.
"Well, the treasure's gone now." Arthur's shoulder sagged "
"They'll be back; they're after the brat because he has Qinsura's blood." Garuza's smile hinted at a deeper understanding.
Arthur's eyes widened in surprise. "Qinsura? That man's father?" Garuza's nod confirmed Arthur's suspicion. Arthur's chuckle was low and menacing.
"I find this amusing. Ammon needs to hear this."
Suddenly, Garuza's left hand began to shake, and he looked at Arthur. "The boy is gaining consciousness.
Tell Ammon I said hello," Garuza said as his red hair slowly reverted to its normal black color. He closed his eyes and fell to the ground.
Arthur nodded in response, a hint of a smile on his face.
"I will... brother."