"What kind of training?" Fyar asked.
Fyar slowly placed his crystal glass on the table. His body leaned forward slightly. His purple eyes stared at Hasya with full focus, waiting for an answer.
Hasya chuckled softly. He leaned his back against the red velvet chair.
"Hm hmm you’re listening to me Fyar," Hasya murmured.
Hasya then pointed at Zaefal with his silver fork.
"You, Zaefal. Fight one monster."
Zaefal nodded firmly. His face was calm without doubt. "No problem."
Hasya shifted his index finger toward Illya. "You, Illya. Fight one."
Illya’s face paled slightly. Her fingers gripped the fabric of the skirt on her lap tightly. She swallowed, her eyes moving nervously for a moment before finally looking at Hasya.
Illya nodded stiffly. "Yes."
Finally Hasya looked at Rasie who was sitting beside him while chewing leftover meat.
"You, my Rasie... one."
"Heh, alright," Rasie grinned widely. She stretched her neck left and right until a cracking sound was heard. Her eyes sparkled challengingly.
Hasya pointed at Cyhas who was sitting quietly at the end of the table. "Cyhas, you’re with me. Supervising them."
Hasya looked back at Rasie with a teasing smile. "Rasie don’t be jealous okay? This is just supervising."
"H-huh? Who’s jealous, idiot!!" Rasie immediately stood up and slammed the table. Her face turned bright red up to her ears. Her eyes glared sharply at Hasya.
Cyhas laughed softly. She covered her mouth with her palm, her shoulders shaking gently seeing Rasie’s behavior.
The laughter in the room subsided. Hasya changed his expression to serious.
He pointed at Fyar.
"You... Fyar..."
Hasya raised his right hand. He made the number two using his index and middle fingers.
"Two monsters."
Silence. The sound of clinking spoons stopped completely.
"Two?!" Illya gasped. She held Fyar’s arm in panic. Her eyes rounded wide staring at Hasya.
"H-Hasya isn’t that too risky? We even had trouble fighting just one monster yesterday. We could win because of teamwork."
Zaefal put down his napkin. His thick eyebrows knit together. "Yes. I think that is too risky Hasya. Fyar is a strategy leader, not a pure tank type."
Rasie also looked a bit surprised. She stopped chewing. "Y-yeah isn’t that excessive Hasya?"
Rasie glanced at Fyar. "The p-purple hair isn’t that strong physically."
"Yes true true!" said Cyhas. She nodded quickly in agreement, her eyes radiating worry.
Fyar just stayed silent. His face was flat. He didn’t react at all. His hands remained calm on the table.
Hasya smiled thinly. His eyes glinted meaningfully.
"No... Fyar is capable."
Hasya turned to Rasie. His gaze pierced Rasie’s eyes.
"I know you lied to me about Fyar having no subclass."
Rasie’s body tensed up. Her eyes widened in shock. She turned her face away quickly, avoiding Hasya’s and her friends’ gazes. She bit her lower lip nervously.
Hasya sighed deeply. "Well but it’s okay. At that time you guys might not have trusted me."
Hasya looked back at Fyar. He stared at Fyar as if dissecting his soul.
"I saw his power... the way he fought when fighting that fish monster..."
Hasya tilted his head. "What is that actually Fyar?"
Fyar fell silent. He returned Hasya’s gaze for a few seconds without blinking. The air between them felt heavy.
Slowly, the corner of Fyar’s lips lifted forming a thin smile full of confidence.
"Better you see it yourself."
Fyar straightened his back. He folded his arms in front of his chest. The aura of doubt on his face disappeared completely.
"Alright."
"I can handle two."
"F-Fyar??!" Illya turned quickly to Fyar. Her voice trembled. She pulled Fyar’s shirt sleeve.
Fyar turned to Illya. His facial expression softened instantly.
Fyar reached for Illya’s cold trembling hand. He gripped it tightly. His thumb stroked the back of the girl’s hand with a slow and soothing rhythm.
He stared deeply into Illya’s green eyes.
"Trust me Illya."
Fyar’s firm gaze made Illya fall silent. Slowly, Illya nodded slowly though her face was still anxious.
"Fyar are you sure?" asked Zaefal. The man leaned his body forward, staring at Fyar seriously.
Fyar nodded firmly. "It’s okay Zaefal. I need this."
Rasie chuckled softly seeing that conviction. She leaned her back against the chair again. "Hmm confident aren’t you purple hair."
Hasya clapped his hands once. "Hmm good good gooood."
He stood up from his chair.
"After eating we leave."
They finished the rest of the meal in silence. Only the sound of clinking forks and plates was heard. Tension filled the air.
Fifteen minutes later.
They stood on the castle’s outer balcony. The cold night wind hit their faces and hair. The view of floating islands and purple aurora stretched vast before them.
Hasya walked to the edge of the balcony. He raised his right hand into the air.
Click.
He snapped his fingers.
Thousands of blue light particles appeared from thin air. The particles spun fast, solidifying, and forming bone structures and silver feathers.
In seconds, a Giant Silver Owl formed perfectly in front of them. Its wings spread wide, covering part of the aurora light. Its eyes shone bright yellow.
"Get on," Hasya ordered.
They climbed onto the owl’s back one by one. The bird’s feathers felt hard and cold like metal.
After everyone was on, the bird flapped its wings.
WOOSH.
They shot into the air.
The strong wind hit their faces for a second, before suddenly stopping.
A transparent energy wall appeared enveloping the owl’s back, protecting them from wind pressure. The roaring sound of wind outside became silent.
They flew through thick clouds.
"We are going to the White Sand Desert from earlier..." Hasya said. He stood on the bird’s head, staring straight ahead with hands in his pants pockets.
He looked back, staring at Fyar, Cyhas, Rasie, Illya, and Zaefal in turn.
"I will drop you in different locations but not too far apart."
"Ready friends?!"
They all nodded in unison. There was no more doubt in their eyes.
The owl dived sharply downward. Breaking through the last layer of clouds.
The view below was an expanse of blinding white sand desert. The sand was pure white like ground bone.
Giant white crystals grew protruding from the ground, sharp and pointed like natural spears.
Down there, several monsters were seen roaming. The monsters had bodies like birds but covered in thick white scales and ice crystals on their backs. Their eyes shone bright blue.
"Zaefal, your turn!" shouted Hasya.
The owl tilted to the left.
Zaefal didn’t say much. He jumped from the bird’s back.
Zaefal’s large body slid rapidly downward.
BOOM!
Zaefal landed hard. White sand scattered in all directions creating a small crater. He immediately stood up, his sword raised ready for combat. A white bird monster nearby immediately turned its head, screeching loudly.
"Illya, now!"
Illya took a deep breath. She jumped down.
Her fall was not as hard as Zaefal’s. Wind magic swirled around her feet, slowing her fall rate. She landed gracefully on top of one of the tall giant crystals. Her magic staff was already glowing green.
"I’m fiiirst!!"
Before Hasya gave the command, Rasie had already jumped herself.
The girl laughed freely as her body fell in the air.
"Hahahah I’m coming I’m coming I’m coming BASTAAAARD!!!"
Her red hair fluttered wildly. She spun her body in the air, her massive axe already swung, ready to cleave the monster below her.
Now only Fyar, Cyhas, and Hasya remained.
The owl flew toward a narrow valley flanked by two high crystal cliffs.
Down there, two white scaled bird monsters were fighting over a carcass. They were larger than the others.
Hasya turned to Fyar.
"Show me, Fyar."
Fyar walked to the edge of the bird’s back. Strong wind hit his face as he stepped out of the transparent shield.
He saw the two monsters below.
Fyar did not hesitate.
He dropped himself.
His body slid fast splitting the air. Gravity pulled him down. Fyar spun his body in the air to face downward.
His right hand moved fast drawing the pistol from his waist.
The two monsters below looked up. Their blue eyes stared at the prey falling from the sky.
Fyar’s purple eyes shone coldly.
Fyar’s feet touched the ground. He rolled forward to dampen the impact, then immediately stood upright in a shooting position.
The two monsters roared in unison.