Red crimson hair and eyes, dusted with a little bit of grey, a sign of old age.
Lacerations and marks covered every inch of his body, running across his face, but through it all, one could see the unmistakably wide smile on his face.
He stepped out of the Void, both hands resting on the top of the staff.
Antares paused in his steps, his eyes furrowing a bit before they widened to their limit.
"Doragua!?" he called out loud in shock, but a bizarre scene happened in the next moment as Antares suddenly flashed forward with speed towards the old man.
His body jerked back as his fingers clenched into a fist before—
BOOOOOOOOM!
A powerful shockwave ripped through the air.
As if expecting the move, the old man also moved, his right hand shifting backwards, and then—
BOOOOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward as both fists clashed insanely against each other.
A crater formed between them as they pulled downward repeatedly until, eventually, the force ran out and both men silently let their hands fall to the side.
"It’s been a long time, Doragua," Anteris whispered quietly, raising his head to see a drop of tears raining down the man’s face.
"I... I always knew... Warlord Anteris."
"I always knew you were out there somewhere... alive," he called out, his voice cracking the more he spoke, but he was held together by a shoulder clench from Anteris before receiving a firm hug.
"Then we all survived the Calamity, didn’t we?" Anteris asked as the man’s tears spilled forth harder.
Seconds passed into minutes before they eventually parted, wiping off the tears.
"We survived, Warlord Anteris, only due to your help. Come, let me show you our new world," he said, but then paused as he heard the sound of footsteps.
Both men turned to see the battered Atheirs Barbarians rising to their feet.
Even after being half-dead moments ago. They were already able to stand back on their feet.
It was why they were part of the Barbarian race.
"Clan Leader?" they all called in surprise before instantly getting onto their knees.
’Doragua is the clan leader,’ Anteris thought with a hum, a smile slipping its way onto his face.
He knew who the old man beside him was, but he wasn’t an old man.
He was Anteris’s mate and old friend.
His father used to be one of the important Elders of their clan. Now, it seemed he had ascended the throne of the tribe.
But looking at Doragua, he could see a ghastly expression on his face.
He looked at the surroundings, smelling the faint barbaric aura which no doubt belonged to Anteris and these battered young men.
It wasn’t too difficult to piece things together after that.
He turned to Anteris and spoke.
"If you want them all dead for disrespect, then it shall come to pass right now," he said, his tone unforgiving and merciless as bloodlust came gushing out from his eyes, glaring at all six kneeling Atheirs Barbarians.
But Anteris waved it off.
"I’ve dealt with them as I want already. Let it be," he said, and the man’s bloodlust slowly receded, although never completely.
"It seems like you’ve brought guests with you, too," Doragua called, stepping forth towards Ryuk.
When he arrived before him, he bowed silently.
"Thank you," he said, a simple word, but it meant everything, as Ryuk could feel the sincerity of the man’s words from within.
He lowered himself back to the ship before waving it off.
"It’s fine."
"I think this is not the best place for a welcome. Please, return with me to the settlement," he called out to Ryuk, who agreed.
He turned to look at the hanging beasts in the sky, and with a telepathic order,
’Return’,
They all began turning away, soon allowing the sunlight to pour through once more.
Once they left, Ryuk deactivated King’s Aura, and right before Doragua’s eyes, he saw the hanging beasts behind the young man all begin to fade back into their humanoid forms.
Surprise covered his face.
For beasts to turn into humanoids meant not just power, but a very great amount of beastly purity, and three of them had done so.
And worthy of note, he had arrived at the scene of all the forest beasts in the air, along with the Guardians.
Could the Guardians have called for the beasts, or could Ryuk’s aura have been the one to awaken them all?
Still, as the clan leader, his thoughts didn’t waste a second at all, integrating naturally into his movement.
A red gate opened up behind him as he ushered them forward, but then Elder Celine spoke up.
"We will remain with the ship and with her," she said to Ryuk and Anteris, giving a nod that both understood.
In the end, Rakshasa, Elder Celine, Isha, and Void remained behind, leaving just Anteris and Ryuk to follow the Clan Leader, who spoke to the battered Aetheris Barbarians still on their knees.
"Lead the Guardians back to their slumbering abode, then return to the forging furnace. Remain there for a week," he called out naturally, like one giving simple instructions, but Atheirs Barbarians’ faces pale in horror.
Still, they dared not speak a word back, bowing even deeper to the Clan Leader, who continued into the portal.
Soon, the Guardians were being led into the distance, and the gate closed.
It left just the hovering ship upon which they stood.
"Did you find them suspicious?" Isha asked Elder Celine.
She had noticed the cryptic signal Elder Celine had given to both men, and that’s why she had stayed back instead of stubbornly deciding to follow after Ryuk.
"No, I think they’ll both be safe," Elder Celine called out, a faint smile on her lips.
"I think it’s time to give them both some time alone, once more," she said, leading to Isha furrowing her eyebrows.
She still couldn’t understand, but her next words pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Let’s return to the ship. I’m sure he’ll be returning soon enough, and then, we can continue on our journey."