After defeating Noir, Julian, and the other troublemakers, Kryne immediately headed toward Milo's location. He found Toxivar standing over him, but a brief clash ended with Kryne overpowering him and taking Milo onto his shoulder.
Suddenly, the ground trembled and Number Four, Zeric, appeared unexpectedly. He retrieved Toxivar and escaped, heading toward the location where Celestine, Selvara, Seren, Kazehaya, and Number Two, Crystel, were gathered.
Kryne refused to stand idle. Carrying Milo on his shoulder, he chased after them, with the injured Brane following close behind.
In another corner, as Number Four approached the designated location, Kazuhaya and Seren were ready to face Number Two.
Kazhaya took a deep breath, planting his feet firmly on the cracked pavement.
His body shifted slightly forward, muscles tensed, every movement precise.
He raised his fists subtly, eyes locked on Number Two, measuring every potential strike.
Even in stillness, his presence radiated control and readiness a calm storm before the first blow.
Number Two was ready to face Kazhaya, even though he had lost half of his energy from fighting Celestine and Selvara.
His body, despite the exhaustion, remained taut and muscular, every movement calculated, every breath measured.
A faint cold aura pulsed around him, warning his opponents of his power even in a weakened state.
Yet he refused to yield, knowing his enemies would not let him go until he had broken them all.
His ash-gray eyes pierced through the tension, watching every move of Kazhaya and Seren, searching for any opening, any moment of weakness to exploit.
Even his still stance radiated control and defiance, as if to say: "Even at half my strength, I am enough to dominate you."
Suddenly, Kazhaya stepped forward, preparing to strike, his body tense, eyes fixed on Number Two.
But Celestine spoke to him calmly, her words like a gentle breeze of caution:
"Be careful… don't touch the salt no matter what, and don't attack recklessly."
Kazhaya glanced back at her, slightly surprised.
"My salt? Oh… you mean this?" he said, looking at his hand, slightly irritated by the burn left from breaking Number Two's sword.
He smiled faintly, then realized: "Now… I understand."
Seren held her violin, her eyes fixed on Kazhaya with anticipation:
"Have you thought of a plan, Master Kazhaya?"
Kazhaya smiled, closed his eyes for a moment, then glanced downward.
"Yes…" he said calmly, then lifted his head to look at Number Two.
"The plan is…"
In a flash, Kazhaya moved, lowering his body backward while raising his leg high toward Number Two's face.
"The plan is… take him down before he takes you down!"
Celestine watched the scene, her mouth agape in shock as usual…
He didn't heed her advice, and attacked recklessly.
Number Two skillfully dodged Kazhaya's strike, shifting his body swiftly to the opposite side.
His ash-gray eyes tracked every movement, his mind analyzing the situation carefully:
"He is fast! … but he attacks recklessly. I won't attack recklessly either; he might be trying to lure me… I don't know anything about his unique ability yet."
In a swift move, Kazhaya lowered his upper body to the ground, bracing himself with one hand.
He lifted his other leg high, attempting a direct strike toward Number Two, Crystel's face.
But the attack failed, as Number Two skillfully dodged it, shifting swiftly to the other side while maintaining his balance and analyzing the situation with his mind.
Kazhaya stood firm, closing in on Number Two once more.
This time, their faces were directly opposite each other, his eyes locked on every possible movement, trying to prevent Number Two from focusing or executing any attack.
Calm but determined, Kazhaya leaned his head back and, in the same moment, raised his left leg high, aiming for Number Two's jaw.
But Number Two stayed focused, pulling his head back just in time, skillfully evading the strike.
Kazhaya whispered in a hushed voice:
"Three!"
Number Two heard the word and was struck by a sudden doubt.
A flicker of suspicion crept into his mind, warning him carefully:
"Three?… What does he mean? Does he mean the number of his attacks?"
A wave of intense focus radiated from him, every muscle tense, every movement calculated, as he tried to read any hint from Kazhaya before the next strike.
With his high-raised leg, Kazhaya struck the air forcefully, then advanced quickly and leapt high, delivering a fast kick toward Number Two.
But Number Two stayed balanced, jumping backward and skillfully evading the strike.
Kazhaya stood firm, looking at Number Two with annoyance:
"Damn… boring! Do you call this a fight?"
Celestine watched the battle closely, analyzing every movement:
"Kazhaya is faster than me in terms of movement, but Number Two this time is determined to dodge his attacks… unlike when I fought him."
Number Two stood firm, glancing at Seren for a few seconds, who had not moved throughout the fight, then looked at Kazhaya.
Kazhaya still bore the marks of annoyance, letting out a sigh, then fixed a serious gaze on him, making Number Two's caution falter slightly.
In the blink of an eye, with a swift and unexpected move, Number Two was caught off guard.
Kazhaya moved in front of him, raising his left leg and aiming it at his neck with insane speed.
This time, the kick seemed deadlier and more dangerous than before.
Number Two couldn't evade it, the strike landing directly on his face.
Kazhaya followed through, smashing Number Two's head into the ground with force.
He shouted the name of his move:
"200% HIT!"
Celestine and Seren were also taken by surprise at the strike.
Celestine looked on in awe, a hint of admiration shining in her eyes for Kazhaya, impressed by the power and control in his movements.
Seren remained silent, staring in genuine astonishment, amazed by the combat prowess of this leader, the sheer speed and precision of his attacks.
Kazhaya smiled a mocking, confident smile, his white teeth glinting in the light:
"Hehe!"
As the dust cleared around them, he tried to pull his leg back… but felt something gripping it.
Number Two was on the ground, holding Kazhaya's leg tightly, seemingly able to block the strike.
Salt spread across Kazhaya's hand, and he felt his leg muscles searing and twitching from the sting.
Number Two slowly lifted his head, his cold ash-gray eyes locked onto Kazhaya, and spoke in a calm yet forceful tone:
"Don't trust yourself too much… just being a guild leader doesn't mean everything."
Kazhaya endured the pain, flashing another mocking smile:
"So… that's what you think?"
Number Two's eyes widened in surprise for a moment as he found himself lifted into the air, when he was grabs Kazhaya's leg.
Kazhaya raised Number Two effortlessly off the ground, holding him high, despite his aching leg.
"You're surprisingly light, by the way…" Kazhaya said, his voice brimming with confidence and mockery.
Number Two released Kazhaya's leg and tried to descend to the ground, unaware of what awaited him.
In that moment, Kazhaya raised his right leg, aiming a powerful strike at Number Two as he descended.
But what he hadn't anticipated… Number Two took advantage swiftly: placing his foot on Kazhaya's attacking knee, pushing off with force, then grabbing Kazhaya by the collar and throwing him hard onto the ground, leaving him there.
At the same moment, Seren unleashed a melody from her violin, directed toward Number Two, but it was too slow for his speed.
With a quick calculation, Number Two stepped back, evading the musical attack effortlessly, maintaining his advantage in the fight.
Kazhaya rose with full agility, brushing the dust off his body, and advanced confidently toward Number Two.
He spoke with quiet admiration in his voice:
"Remarkable move… I'm impressed."
As Celestine watched the battle, she suddenly felt something vibrating and approaching rapidly.
A slight sense of alarm swept through her heart, and her eyes fixed on the source of the movement, trying to grasp what was happening before it reached her.
Number Two received Kazhaya's compliment as if it were nothing, paying it no mind.
He also felt the tremor and closed his eyes in calm.
"They've finally arrived…"
Kazhaya looked puzzled:
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly, Celestine turned slightly behind her and saw Kryne running toward them, carrying Milo over his shoulder.
Celestine spoke with a worried tone:
"Kryne… Milo!"
Seren sensed that the tremor was very close to them and glanced toward the ground cautiously.
Kryne shouted at them at the top of his lungs:
"Guys… beneath you… beneath you!"
At last, Kazhaya sensed what was happening.
A massive armored insect carried Number Four, Zeric, on its back.
"Hello again!"
Number Two looked at Zeric, Number Four:
"You're a bit late… but it's fine."
Kazhaya moved toward Number Two, saying:
"Do you think I'm going to let you go?!"
The massive insect tried to crush Kazhaya under its feet, forcing him to retreat quickly.
It opened its mouth, attempting to swallow Number Two as well, but he leapt over it and climbed beside Zeric.
"Go ahead…"
Zeric looked at him with annoyance:
"Come on, buddy, why don't you trust me? I told you, it's more comfortable inside her mouth than riding on her back."
Seren stood stunned, forced to act, holding her violin in her hands.
She was shocked by this sudden intervention, while Krane, who was more aware of the situation, had already reached them.
The massive insect moved, carrying Number Two with it, while Number Two had already found Toxivar inside its mouth.
Leading all of this was Number Four, Zeric, who maintained calm and absolute control over the situation.
Seren began playing rapidly, trying to send a powerful melody toward the insect and Number Two, but the speed at which Zeric and the insect moved made the task extremely difficult.
Celestine watched the situation with intense worry, her eyes following every movement, as everyone realized that the battle had now taken a very dangerous turn.
The insect moved away swiftly, and Kazhaya stood firm, watching it retreat.
Kryne positioned himself between them and placed Milo on the ground.
Celestine, standing exhausted but determined, held Milo tightly, her worry clear:
"Milo… Milo!"
Krane shouted at everyone:
"No time for explanations! We have to catch them quickly!"
Brane arrived a little late, his massive muscular body showing signs of severe injuries, yet still formidable.
He looked at Seren and Kazhaya and said:
"Leaders of the Sixth and Eighth Guilds… what are you doing here?"
Milo looked at Celestine with a gaze full of sorrow and humiliation.
"I lost… again," he whispered weakly.
Celestine tried to reassure him in a calm voice:
"It's okay… just look at me."
Milo lifted his eyes to her, barely able to move.
"I can't move… my body is exhausted… and the poison is holding me back…"
Celestine froze for a moment, her fear growing as she heard the word "poison."
"Poison…??? Do you mean the poison from that Toxivar?"
Seren stood in front of Celestine and said confidently:
"Leave it to me… I'll take care of him!"
Celestine exhaled in relief, placing Milo under Seren's care.
"Milo… we still have something important to do. We'll talk after we return, just don't give up!"
Everyone gathered, standing in a single line.
Kryne stood to the left of Celestine and Brane,
with Kazhaya on their right.
Everyone was ready now, their eyes focused on the next objective, hearts pounding with tension as they prepared for the upcoming moves.
Everyone stood in their positions, each in their own stance. Kryne had his hand on the cigarette in his mouth, calm as always. Brane held his wound, still determined to fight despite the pain. Kazhaya stood smiling confidently as usual, while Celestine was panting slightly but remained ready to fight.
Krane looked at Brane and asked, "Can you still fight?"
Brane answered firmly, "Yes."
Krane then turned to Kazhaya and said, "I didn't expect you to appear here, but I hope you can help us, leader of the Eighth Guild."
Kazhaya understood Krane's meaning and smiled confidently.
Celestine began talking about their objective: "They must be heading toward their leader… I think they want to retreat."
Kryne spoke cautiously, "But they left many of their members in the middle-class district, and also one of them… will we just abandon him?"
Kryne lowered his hat and readied himself:
"We'll find out everything once we catch up with them! Let's go!"
Krane ran, followed by Celestine and Brane, while Kazhaya stayed standing, calmly tying the laces of his shoes with confidence.
They kept running, but Krane glanced back at Kazhaya, concerned:
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Kazhaya looked at him with a calm smile and replied:
"Don't worry… I'm just tying my shoes, then I'll catch up with you."
Krane and the others had no choice but to continue. They had no more time to waste.
As Kazhaya finished tying his laces, he stood still for a moment. His expression turned serious… with a faint trace of regret.
Then he turned and began walking in the opposite direction.
Seren, who was treating Milo, looked up at him.
"Where are you going, Master Kazhaya?"
Without turning back, he replied calmly:
"Home.
I have no intention of staying here. Besides, I didn't come to help anyone… I just happened to pass by."
Seren frowned slightly.
"But you were the one who asked me to come with you to check what was happening."
Kazhaya paused for a brief moment, then said coolly:
"I don't remember that…"
Seren understood what he was trying to imply and respected his decision.
"Safe travels."
"Goodbye," he said without looking back.
His steps were steady and quiet.
His hair shifted gently with the breeze, and his usual indifferent expression returned yet his eyes seemed deeper… hiding something unspoken.
He glanced at his injured leg for a brief second, the muscles still tense from the salt's effect, then exhaled calmly and continued walking, slowly distancing himself from the battlefield, his back straight and his stride confident despite the pain.
It wasn't retreat.
It was a choice.
Meanwhile, Celestine, Brane, and Kryne continued running, chasing after the Numbers with unwavering determination to defeat them.
They did not look back.
They did not hesitate.
Their feet struck the ground in a rapid rhythm, breaths heavy, eyes fixed on the direction the massive insect had taken.
Despite her exhaustion, Celestine ran stubbornly, her mind calculating every possible outcome.
Brane endured the pain in silence, his wound bleeding, yet he refused to slow down.
Kryne led with steady steps, his focus as sharp as ever.
But… they truly had no idea what was waiting for them ahead.
They did not realize that this pursuit might be the beginning of something far greater than they imagined.
End of chapter...