If Law were a Magical Beast, no matter how strong he was, Red Shadow and the others would have considered it normal. Because the ceiling for Magical Beasts was limitless... they had many endless paths to become stronger.
But Law was a human, so whenever Law displayed his power, the impact on Red Shadow and the others multiplied. Those things that were often impossible, once involved Law, became possible.
The cold water Coo poured could not completely extinguish the restlessness in Red Shadow's heart.
"We have Ginhanabi."
He looked back at the Book of Truth wrapped in flaming roots. That was their source of confidence.
If they could get Kuro under control, even exhausting the remaining energy of the Book of Truth would be worth it.
However, once he made the decision, before the battle even started, he would have to sacrifice Coo's life. But it would be worth it.
As the leader of the Gatekeeper Clan, Red Shadow had uprooted their settlement to rescue Coo.
But upon learning that the human possessed a Nen Beast that could continue the Gatekeeper Clan's lineage, he could equally decisively sacrifice Coo's life. This fundamental cold-blooded shift was all based on considerations for the race's survival.
Coo watched Red Shadow calmly, saying nothing. As someone directly involved, she naturally knew that if Red Shadow decided to attack Law and the others, Law would immediately crush her vital organ.
Therefore, if she tried hard to persuade Red Shadow to abandon this plan now, it would seem like she was trying to save her own life rather than considering the bigger picture.
Coo's silence was met with Red Shadow's silence. Around them, the other Magical Beasts' gazes lingered on Red Shadow and Coo.
They all knew that in the coming moments, the future of the Gatekeeper Clan depended on the decisions of these two companions before them.
The atmosphere solidified... the air seemed to become oppressive.
After a long time, Coo's smoky body transformed into her Magical Beast form, but not the domestic cat form she had shown before Law and the others.
It was a Magical Beast form similar to Red Shadow and the others. In her Magical Beast form, Coo had a curvy, tall, and voluptuous figure.
Her crucial parts were covered in smooth, black fur. The silver spikes formed by her pointed ears hung behind her like soft hair. On her face, with feline features, were a pair of enchanting eyes, and the silver markings at the corners of her eyes added a touch of wickedness.
"Have you considered the consequences of failure?"
In her Magical Beast form, Coo looked up at Red Shadow standing on the platform.
"..."
Red Shadow was silent.
He was unwilling to consider the consequences of failure, because for the clan, it would be an overwhelming disaster, even extinction.
Looking at the silent Red Shadow, Coo's eyes flashed sharply. "If we fail, our clan will turn to dust."
With that, Coo said no more and turned to leave. Some things did not need to be said.
After she left here, regardless of what decision Red Shadow ultimately made, she would remain passive.
Even if she wanted to side with Law, if Red Shadow controlled Ginhanabi to attack Law and the others, she could be certain that Law would directly kill her.
If that was the ending, Coo would accept it.
The many Magical Beasts in the room watched Coo leave with complex eyes.
"Clan Leader..."
After Coo left, they all looked at Red Shadow.
They knew very well that the decision Red Shadow made next would affect the clan's future.
Would they have Coo obtain the 'kindling', or would they stake everything now?
The advantage of the former was that even if they failed, it would not hurt their foundation.
If they succeeded, they would gain the flame of succession. The advantage of the latter was that if they succeeded, they would grow rapidly in a short time.
But if they failed, they would fall into the abyss completely. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Should they play it safe and steady, or take risks? Both had pros and cons.
It was up to Red Shadow to decide.
Red Shadow frowned. The factor making him hesitate was that human named Law. If not for the potential threat Law posed, why would he hesitate?
"Clan Leader, shall we...?"
Red Shadow glanced at them, said nothing, turned around, and faced the Book of Truth wrapped in roots, a heavy expression on his face. He still could not make a decision easily. As Coo said, if they failed, the consequences would be unbearable.
'Damn it...'
Red Shadow gritted his teeth. According to his usual style, he would definitely take risks to seek greater gains, perhaps even reaching the sky in one leap.
But Law's existence was like a shadow clinging to his heart, preventing him from making a decision.
Coo left the main control room of Ginhanabi, returned to her domestic cat form, and rushed towards the exit as fast as possible.
Earlier, because her Aura was exhausted, she could only maintain her domestic cat form before Law and the others.
Now that her Aura was restored, transforming into her Magical Beast form was effortless.
However, Law and the others were already accustomed to her domestic cat form, so there was no need to change back.
Besides, if she returned to them in her Magical Beast form, they would probably have a hard time recognizing her.
Soon, Coo left through the exit, then looked back at Ginhanabi.
She had no idea what Red Shadow would decide. It was possible that before she even reached Law and the others, Ginhanabi would attack them.
Seeing Coo emerge, Law and the others remained in their original positions, watching Coo while keeping a close eye on Ginhanabi.
After a short time, Coo returned to Kuro's back.
"How did it go?" Law asked.
Coo's following answer would determine the direction of their team.
However, Coo did not answer immediately. Instead, she turned and looked at the nearby Ginhanabi. This reaction made everyone present tense up, on guard.
A moment later, just as Coo was about to explain everything, she saw Ginhanabi move. Her eyes sharpened.
But soon, she saw it moving backwards and descending towards the ground.
Seeing this, Coo breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, but did not show it on her face. Now, she did not need to answer Law's question, because the retreat of Ginhanabi was the best answer.
"It seems it worked."
Law glanced at Coo, who had calmed down, then looked at Ginhanabi landing on the ground. The roots at its base moved like crab legs, dragging Ginhanabi across the land at high speed.
Everyone watched Ginhanabi depart, completely unaware that they had just avoided a crisis.
If Red Shadow had chosen to risk everything, even if Law's team had won, it would have been a pyrrhic victory.
In the end, Red Shadow made the rational choice. The fundamental reason for this decision was Law. This was also something Coo had not anticipated.
But in her view, this decision was undoubtedly the most correct.
Next, as long as Red Shadow and the others followed the example of the Humanoids, using Ginhanabi to search for ancient relics in various places, her priority would be to first reclaim her offspring, then find a way to make Kuro the clan's seed-sowing machine.
Everyone watched Ginhanabi depart by land. They did not linger.
Following Coo's direction, they headed towards the Forest of Medusa. That was where the Mender who had taken Stargie's soul was most likely to appear.
But it was also an extremely dangerous dead zone, already considered deep within the Dark Continent's interior.