I raised an eyebrow and asked.
"Join your side?"
He answered casually.
"Yes."
I tilted my head.
"And what exactly is your side?"
The man chuckled.
"You'll have to join us to find that out."
I shook my head slowly.
"No thanks. I prefer sides that have the guts to show themselves, whether they're villains or heroes. At least they don't hide behind shadows."
He clapped his hands once, slow and mocking.
"Great ideals, kid. But far too naive. Still, I didn't expect much wisdom from someone your age."
His voice hardened a little.
"You don't want to join us, fine. But how about coming with us willingly? No chains, no threats. Just walk."
I stayed quiet for a few seconds. My heart was pounding, but I kept my face still. I had to make it look like I was thinking it through. Like I was reluctantly giving in.
Then I asked.
"Who are you, really? You realize attacking us here is a direct assault on the Empire's military?"
He gave me another smile.
"Yes, we know. And we've got the guts to do it too. Now stop stalling. I don't have all day. What's your answer?"
I exhaled sharply, then reached down to shrink my staff and hooked it onto my belt. The spinning fireball still hovering above the wounded man's head slowly fizzled out.
Then I looked the man in the eye and said.
"Fine. I'll come with you. But you leave everyone else alone. That's the deal."
Before the man could respond, Steve stepped forward.
"I'm coming too. There's no way I'm letting you go alone with these scumbags."
I almost laughed but kept my face straight. I turned to him and said.
"No. Why would you do that? It's dangerous."
He sheathed his sword and gave me that familiar stubborn look.
"I know it's dangerous. That's why I'm going. You're my best friend, Billion. I'm not letting you face this alone."
I stared at him for a moment, then reached out my hand.
He grabbed it, firm and strong.
"I'm glad I've got a brother like you," I said quietly.
"You should be. I'm way too good for you," he replied with a grin.
I chuckled at that.
Then the man interrupted.
"Alright, if your little honeymoon is over, can we get moving?"
He pointed a finger at North and added, "Oh and she's coming too."
My smile vanished.
In a flash, I was back by the half-buried man. My hand clenched around his throat as I dragged him up slightly, locking eyes with the leader.
I spoke low and cold.
"Her… or him. Your choice."
Everything fell quiet again.
The man stood still for a few seconds before finally speaking.
"Fine. Both of you, move with us."
I dragged the half-buried man out of the ground, my grip still tight around his neck. I didn't ease up.
"After you," I said, my voice low and sharp.
The man didn't reply. He simply turned and began walking, his cloak swaying behind him. The hammer guy and the earth manipulator followed him without a word.
I glanced at Steve. He gave a small shrug and started walking after them, calm as ever, like we were heading into just another training session.
I let out a quiet breath and turned back one last time.
My eyes found North.
She stood frozen, her bow clenched tightly in her hands, fingers trembling just a little. Her brows were drawn together, her lips pressed into a thin line. I could see the storm of questions in her eyes.
I forced a smile and called out to her.
"I'll be back soon. Just wait for me."
I didn't wait for her reply. I turned away, the man still hanging from my grip, and followed after the cloaked leader.
As I walked, I kept my perception locked on the three men ahead. Every footstep they took, every shift in their breathing, I tracked it.
The moment I was sure they weren't paying attention, I brushed my hand against my staff and slid it quietly into my miniature storage ring.
Then, carefully, I transferred everything important from my main storage ring, my necklace, a spare uniform, and my communicator into the miniature one. Once I was sure it was all inside, I slipped the now-empty ring off my finger and let it fall to the ground.
Hopefully, someone would find it.
All the while, I used my Essence channels to quietly absorb every trace of energy I could from the surroundings. I needed to be full, sharp, and ready for whatever was waiting on the other side.
We kept walking in silence for about ten minutes.
Then, without warning, we came to a stop.
Another cloaked figure stood ahead. I immediately recognized him, his weapons were the same as the man who had been fighting Arkas.
Before I could say a word, a deep boom echoed behind us and thunder roared.
The leader pulled a small device from his ring and placed it on the ground. A hum filled the air, and then a glowing portal burst open just above the device.
I heard Arkas's roar from somewhere far away, but before I could turn around—
The man blurred, faster than I could react and reappeared behind Steve and me. Before we had time to move, a force slammed into us from behind.
The world twisted.
Everything turned black for a second.
And then—
I crashed hard onto a cold, solid floor.
My body moved on instinct. I rolled across the ground and pushed myself to my feet. The moment I stood, my perception spread out in every direction, scanning the area.
All three cloaked men were there, surrounding us. The one I had smashed earlier was now slumped over the hammer guy's shoulder, barely conscious.
But I couldn't sense the powerful one, the Grandmaster-ranked man. He was gone.
I took a quick look around. We seemed to be inside some kind of cave. The walls were rough and uneven, carved naturally from stone. The ground beneath us was solid rock, cracked in places, with patches of moss clinging to the damp surface.
Steve groaned beside me and slowly stood up. He brushed the dust off his clothes and muttered.
"No need to toss us around like that, man. We were coming along just fine."
The man in the center let out a short chuckle and replied,
"My apologies. Next time, we'll make sure it's a smoother ride."
Then he raised his hand and pulled back the hood covering his head.
I finally got a clear look at him, a man in his thirties, with a square jaw, deep blue eyes, and a thin beard and mustache. He looked calm, but something in his eyes felt sharp, calculated.
He stepped closer and spoke.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Grey Holt. You might not know me personally, but I'm sure you've heard of my younger cousin, King Holt."
I kept my expression neutral and gave a small nod.
"Yes. He was part of my unit."
Grey stepped in even closer until we were nearly face to face. He was about the same height as me, maybe a little broader. His voice dropped lower, almost like a whisper meant only for me.
"Yes, he was in your unit. But not anymore. And according to him, you were the reason."
I stared right back at him, meeting his gaze without saying a word. If he was trying to intimidate me, it wasn't working.
He went on.
"You said and did things you probably shouldn't have. The Holts… we're not exactly known for our patience.
Still, we could've let it go. But then we heard a rather curious story, about a kid who killed a demon with a class… while still not having one himself."
He tilted his head slightly, watching me closely.
"Naturally, we had to meet that kid for ourselves."