"You realize your shouting could attract the attention of the being chasing us," I said coldly, my tone flat. I wasn't bothered by Shizu gripping my collar, or the fury burning in her eyes—I was more concerned about the entity that had been hunting us and how we'd make it out of this cursed space.
"There you go again—acting like you're some kind of hotshot!" she snapped, pushing me back repeatedly. Her voice cracked with frustration. "With your arrogant crimson eyes always looking down on me!"
She shoved me one more time, backing me into a wall—except it wasn't just any wall. This one was covered in a grotesque, meaty substance that dripped like congealed blood. Normally, I would've recoiled from the texture, but my irritation dulled any sense of revulsion.
"Who do you think you are?!" she shouted.
Her voice echoed around us like a scream inside a tomb. Then, without waiting for a reply, she jabbed a finger against my chest.
"Do you want to know the real reason I objected to you joining us in the first place?" she said through gritted teeth. "It wasn't just because you looked weak—sure, that was part of it, but weakness can be trained out. No. It was because of that lifeless look you always had. That vacant stare, like you were just doing this because someone told you to. No motivation. No goal. No passion. Just… baseless curiosity. And yet despite all that—you have potential. So much of it. A genius."
Her voice cracked.
"Why is it that someone like you gets so much power when you have nothing to carry? No burden, no fire? I hate you. I hate you so much!"
She let go of my collar and collapsed to her knees, her fists trembling, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"What do you even know about me…" I muttered, shaken by her words. I wanted to respond. I wanted to say something—but the words wouldn't come.
"So… this is where you were."
The voice was alien yet disturbingly calm.
We both froze as an average-height, green-skinned humanoid figure appeared out of nowhere. He stood about 4'4", dressed in a sleek black suit, gloves, shoes, and a black hat to match. His entire appearance was like a surreal blend of class and horror. As soon as he materialized, the pressure we had felt when we first landed in this realm came crashing down on us again. I dropped to my knees. Shizu, already collapsed, went rigid.
"I told you not to shout," I muttered at her, gritting my teeth as I began to release the seal on my spiritual energy. I had no choice—I needed control.
"Oh… the one with good spiritual energy," the entity observed, his voice sliding like oil. His gaze landed on me, and in that instant, I felt completely exposed—as if he could see through every inch of me.
His light green eyes glowed faintly, scanning both of us. "The girl is beautiful too."
He took a slow, echoing step toward Shizu.
Something wasn't right. If this was the same entity that had nearly paralyzed us with his presence earlier, why weren't we unconscious now? Why was he speaking instead of attacking?
"And she smells nice too," he said with a smirk, leaning in to inhale deeply near Shizu.
Her face twisted in disgust and horror.
"Stay away from me!!!"
Suddenly, Shizu's spiritual energy surged. The ground around her lit up with glowing glyphs as her power flared. The entity's focus faltered, distracted by her burst of energy—and perhaps her beauty.
Without warning, a flash explosion burst from beneath her, temporarily dispelling the suffocating pressure he had put on us. The space between us widened in the blink of an eye. It was the break we needed.
Shizu didn't waste a second. She pulled out her sword and ran two fingers down its length. A surge of violet energy coursed through the blade. This wasn't a simple spiritual attack—it was something else. Something purer, refined.
A Secret Art.
I recognized it immediately—it was the same technique she'd tried to use on me the day we first met. That refined spiritual energy—it vibrated with danger.
She launched at the green entity, and I didn't hesitate. I formed a dual spiritual spell, combining two elemental energies, and fired it at the target in unison with her.
This was our only chance.
But then—clap.
The entity simply clapped his hands.
And with that simple motion, all our spiritual energy dispersed into the air like mist. Our attacks vanished. Gone.
"What… just happened?" Shizu whispered, her eyes wide. Her legs buckled under her, and she dropped to the floor, her sword slipping from her hands. I, too, stood frozen. Petrified.
In that moment, one horrifying thought crossed my mind.
We could actually die here.
"I didn't expect this," a voice echoed calmly. "I mean, Shizu is one thing—but even you, Deluke? How in the world did she manage to convince you to follow her?"
A voice—familiar—echoed into the scene. One we both knew.
And for the first time since arriving in this place, I felt relief.
Freed stepped out of a warped ripple in the space, his gaze fixed on the green figure.
"Hey, guys," he said with his usual smirk. "Hope I wasn't too late."
"Freed!!!" both Shizu and I cried in unison.
We didn't care if the entity was stronger than him. We didn't care if we looked weak. We just needed him with us. Shizu ran to him in tears, grabbing onto him like a lifeline. I stumbled behind them, hiding slightly behind Freed as I struggled to catch my breath.
"Freed Izana," the green entity said respectfully, making a formal gesture. "I greet you. I didn't realize these children were yours. I thought they were rogue Awakened."
"It's fine," Freed replied casually. "It's their fault for not wearing their Izana uniforms in the first place."
Both Shizu and I looked at him in disbelief.
I collapsed on the ground. "What the hell, Freed?!" I stared at him, completely stunned.
"Wait, Freed—you know this guy?" I asked, still trying to process everything.
"Of course, I do. And can't you see his outfit? He's an agent of the Black-Men. Oh, and he's a Goblin—that's why he's green," Freed added, as casually as if we were discussing the weather.
The green-skinned man chuckled. "Haha, I didn't mean to scare you children. I apologize," he said, raising both hands in a gesture of peace. His voice tone sounding more lighter than the oppressive tone he used earlier.
Now that I thought about it, he never actually tried to kill us. And something told me that if he wanted to, he absolutely could've done so in an instant.
Me and Shizu stared, speechless, as we processed everything.
And in unison, we yelled in disbelief:
"Whaaaat?!"