A haunting silence enveloped the place as Nazari's unwavering gaze holds, a searing intensity matching the blistering heat of the sun directly above them. The young lad felt the weight of scrutiny from the formidable entity before him, sending shivers down his spine. Excitement surged through his veins, only to be dashed as Nazari remained motionless.
Suddenly, a gust of wind spiraled nearby, conjuring a massive Black Fenrir. In a surprising display of deference, the creature bowed low.
"I greet the omniscient master and the power he wields—Harun."
Without warning, a shadowy hand materialized, seizing the Fenrir by the neck. It was hurled upward, crashing down forcefully onto the ground. The soil fractured under the relentless assault. Nazari, unsatisfied, replicated the brutal act, each slam deepening the hole. Each strike emitted an undercurrent of resentment, as if Nazari aimed to obliterate the creature. Yet, the Fenrir made no attempt to resist, showing no hint of pain.
The young lad erupted into laughter, clutching his stomach and rolling on the ground. "Oh, thank goodness, Master Nazari despised you."
"This is what you were planning, isn't it, Claude?" Despite being tossed around like a toy, the black Fenrir managed to maintain a conversation.
The young lad ceased his laughter and stood up straight, feigning ignorance. "What did you mean, Gaku?"
"Don't joke with me!"
"Oh, but it wasn't my decision to hurt his companions, though," Claude shrugged.
"This sly fox—"
Gaku experienced the sting of Claude's manipulation, a familiar dance that had unfolded over time. The passage of time became a blurry haze in Gaku's memory; he couldn't recall the duration of his slumber, and it seemed like a century might have slipped away without him being aware. Claude was the one who ventured into his hibernation cave, disrupting the tranquility of his rest while proffering a bunch of kobolds to replenish his energy. These hapless monsters found themselves unable to escape, ensnared in Claude's control over their consciousness.
"So why now?" Gaku asked after finishing his meal, licking the remaining blood on his front paw.
"It's about time," Claude replied, a statement that left Gaku silent with surprise. He knew what those words meant—he had always been waiting for his master to come and serve his purpose.
"Where's my master?" Gaku asked, startled upon seeing a small, dying child lying on a cold, rough ground. "What is it?"
"Oh, this?" Claude sneered. "This thing is the key to luring our master."
Gaku sensed that Claude was already scheming something. He thought that if this kid was intended to lure their master, she must be somehow related to him. Despite how many centuries passed, Gaku still found Claude challenging to deal with, unable to predict what was on this lad's mind and how he treated everyone as just a tool.
''What a crude way."
Claude chuckled again. "Well, a naive spirit is on her way here to save her contractor together with our master—" He continued to laugh, covering his face while his body trembled and seemed out of breath. "Hah, I can't wait to see Master in the flesh. How do you think he will react seeing this kid here? Do you think he will be angry? Oh, is he going to use Harun to punish us? Or is he going to praise us?…"
As Gaku listened to Claude's incoherent mumbles, it recognized that if he was allowed to continue in this phase, it might consume an entire day before Claude concluded.
Claude was not inclined to casually divulge information about his master; it wasn't in his nature. He exhibited a characteristic indifference, not bothering about whether Gaku remained in eternal slumber without awakening, nor did he care if Gaku ever caught a fleeting glimpse of their elusive master.
"State what you want," he demanded.
Claude's smirk was a razor's edge. "I want you to ravage those two insects our master calls companions. Grind them down. See if they're even worthy to beg for the title of vassal."
"Vassals?—"
Gaku was full of questions, yet Claude had already left after saying, "Times up, they're here."
The Fenrir's fangs bared in a silent snarl as the sickening truth cracked through his defenses. He wasn't just being used; he was being sacrificed on the altar of Claude's ambition. The realization clawed at him: Claude didn't crave loyalty, he hungered for infamy. He intended to forge their master's power in the crucible of hatred, to become the monster the master would forever curse, the architect of his pain, the embodiment of his deepest, darkest rage.
In a swift blur, Gaku unleashed a harsh wind blade that sliced through the air, only to be effortlessly avoided by Claude. Silence descended, thick with unspoken threat, as the two creatures locked eyes in an intense glare. The next second, the air crackled with lethal intent as Gaku and Claude once again poised themselves to deliver their final blows.
Gaku channeled the tempest, ready to unleash a wind slash that would cleave bone and sinew. Claude, a viper coiling to strike, aimed his hand like a sharpened dart at Gaku's jugular. But the dance of death froze mid-step. A sudden, gaping void ripped through the tension as the shadowy hand that had been strangling Gaku simply unraveled into nothingness, its disappearance a silent scream that stole their attention.
The Nazari of the moment, formerly enveloped in dark particles and resembling a black flame, had vanished, succumbing to the pull of gravity. The Fenrir responded promptly, exhaling a subtle breeze to slow down their master's descent, and Claude skillfully caught him, cradling Nazari as though he were the most treasured princess in existence.
"Now, now... isn't it fascinating, Gaku?" Claude's voice dripped with false nonchalance. "Master hasn't even fully awakened his true power, and yet he's already unconsciously wielding Harun."
"You forced his hand," the Fenrir spat, his voice laced with contempt.
"Haha, a fair point!" Claude chuckled, then, with unnerving tenderness, he embraced Nazari.
"Master needs to control his power, Gaku. Consciously. Before our enemies sense the weakness and devour him." Claude's words were a whip, cracking in the tense air.
"So it begins," Gaku breathed, his eyes locked on the still, unconscious Nazari. Claude was pushing him, demanding he accept a new, heavier rols for their master's sake. But as Gaku looked at the boy, so small, so vulnerable, a cold dread settled in his gut. This isn't right. "Claude… Master is still just a child."
The young man's smirk was sharp, predatory. "He isn't just a kid, Gaku. He's our master."
He gazed at Nazari, his expression softening with an almost unsettling affection. Then, his eyes flickered to the fading light of the runes on Nazari's hand. "Poor spirit," he murmured, his voice laced with a strange tenderness as he pressed a soft kiss to Nazari's forehead. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, a jolt of unexpected pleasure shimmering through him like electricity. As his lips touched Nazari's skin, a faint silver light bloomed on the boy's forehead, revealing the delicate, ethereal symbol of a lotus flower.
"Heh, he won't allow others to mark what's his," the young man murmured, a wry smile twisting his lips as he embraced Nazari one last time before gently releasing him. "Gaku, I entrust our master to you."
Gaku's mind reeled. This wasn't like Claude. He'd always seemed like a leech, clinging possessively to their master, never willing to relinquish his hold. What game are you playing?
"Where are you off to?" Gaku demanded, his voice tight with suspicion.
"To retrieve something precious to us," Claude replied, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light, "something stolen by some persistent insects."
"You mean that—?"
Claude nodded, a decisive glint hardening his eyes, then executed a graceful leap, placing Nazari with almost reverent care onto Gaku's broad back. The thick fur felt like a silken cloud against the boy's skin, the Fenrir's inherent warmth a haven against the encroaching chill. Claude's gaze lingered, a possessive yearning flickering across his face. 'Haah… How I yearn to keep you here, Master.' He draped his own cloak around Nazari. "I will see you soon," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Then, with a final, lingering look at the sleeping boy, Claude leaped lightly to the ground.
"Claude, even if it costs you your life," Gaku rumbled, his voice a low growl in the fading light, "you will retrieve it."
The young man offered no reply, only a fleeting wave before melting into the encroaching darkness, leaving Gaku and his precious burden swallowed by the shadows.
.
.
.
.
.
When Nazari's heart flickered back to life, the whole world trembled, shadows waltzing to the seismic beat.
A surge echoed in those with 'connections,' a deep pulse in their hearts and souls—their master's unmistakable call.
"I'm here."
A chill surged down their back, a potent mix of excitement, fear, and pure exhilaration, like lightning dancing on their nerves. Beads of sweat surfaced, anticipation reaching its peak. The moment they'd yearned for had finally arrived.
'He's finally here.'
But it wasn't just them; even their foes sensed the awakening of the True Shadow.
While in L'yuziria's imposing Royal palace, guarded by layers of barriers, the very ground quivered.
"Arwin, where are you going?" The King's voice, sharp and commanding, sliced through the tense atmosphere as Arwin turned his back on the two guardians, still groaning on the floor. Unfazed by the royal summons, Arwin moved with a chilling, single-minded purpose. The moment they had dared to utter the word "master," a switch had flipped within him. In a blink, he vanished, teleporting instantly to Leonard's side.
His mind reeled, thoughts echoing like a desperate prayer unleashed: "Please call my name, Naz!"
"Brother!" Leonard's anxious cry pierced the air, blending with the earth's tremor. "Something must have happened to Nazari!"
"Leo, we must return at once!"