"I'll call you Rykaru," Paltio said firmly, holding the creature in front of him.
"Hey, great!" the creature responded enthusiastically. "And how do you spell that?" it asked curiously.
Paltio smiled slightly. "Your name is spelled like this: R-Y-K-A-R-U."
"Rykaru! That's my name, and that's how it's spelled," the creature repeated proudly, though it added playfully: "Though I don't know how to write... I don't have hands, but it's still awesome."
Finally, it stopped crying and looked at Paltio with excitement and gratitude. "One last thing," said Rykaru, tilting its head. "Does this name have any meaning?"
Paltio reflected for a moment, noticing that he no longer felt pain or trembling in his body. Sound had returned to his ears, and everything seemed to calm down now that the creature had stopped screaming.
"Now that you mention it, yes," Paltio replied with a small smile. "The first two letters, 'RY,' mean 'light' in my world. And the rest, 'KARU,' means 'power.' In other words, your name means 'power of light.' I thought of it because of your color... It was one of the many names I considered."
The creature, now officially named Rykaru, became even more excited upon hearing the meaning of its name. "My name is so beautiful! Yes, yes! I'm so excited!" it exclaimed, wagging its long ears joyfully.
"Well, now I'm going to sleep," Rykaru yawned, closing his enormous blue eyes. Without another word, it peacefully fell asleep in Paltio's arms, murmuring weakly: "Daddy..."
Once the creature fell asleep, the mental plane began to slowly restore itself. The cracks that had appeared during its outburst disappeared, the sky regained its usual color, and the grass beneath their feet became as green and vibrant as it had been in the real world before the shadows arrived.
"What was that thing?" Paltio wondered aloud, observing Rykaru with curiosity. "How could it dissolve Golden's powers? Is it really that strong?"
Golden and Toco-Toco also seemed to be thinking the same thing, exchanging intrigued glances.
"Good thing that thing calmed down, meow," Toco-Toco commented, shaking the dust off his fur.
"Thank goodness you picked a name it liked," Golden added with a sigh of relief. "Otherwise, we'd be stuck here in an empty world with earaches."
Paltio let out a soft laugh as he watched Rykaru sleep. "Well, I guess I have another companion now... And another mouth to feed," he said with a resigned smile.
Then, turning to Golden, he added: "Can you create a small bed and those things for it? You know, so it can be comfortable."
Golden nodded and, with a wave of his hand, materialized a cozy crib alongside a protective barrier around Rykaru. "It's so he doesn't hear any noise," Golden explained. "We're going to resume your training, and we don't want the slightest sound waking him up. If he screams again, we'll all regret it."
With that, the group prepared to continue their training, ensuring Rykaru rested peacefully while they focused on honing their skills.
Paltio was still pondering what to do with the creature and exactly what kind of being it was. Moreover, he wondered what it would eat... I hope it doesn't eat me, he thought, swallowing nervously.
"Focus, boy, meow!" Toco-Toco scolded him, snapping Paltio out of his thoughts.
The young prince shook his head and responded with determination: "Alright, I'll figure it out along the way." Without further delay, he lunged into another attack against the feline, who dodged his movements with feline agility.
Elsewhere, Nakia sensed Rykaru's presence, though she couldn't pinpoint where it came from. "Is it friend or foe?" she reflected silently, recalling how the environment had fluctuated for a moment.
"What's on your mind?" Alita asked, noticing the pensive expression on the bird's face.
"It's nothing, girl. Let's continue the training," Nakia replied quickly, diverting attention. Both resumed the exercise: several objects floated in the air, and Alita had to strike them simultaneously using the fire she had just learned to control.
Meanwhile, Chiki also perceived something strange. "What was that? Such immense energy..." The small dog was sitting atop Ron's stomach, who was strapped to machines slowly stretching his limbs.
"I don't know what that thing is, but what I felt was powerful," Chiki murmured to himself.
"What are you muttering about, chihuahua?" Ron asked in a strained voice, trying to ignore the pain caused by the machine.
"Nothing important. Hurry up, focus, and destroy the machine with all your strength," Chiki replied teasingly. "Or they'll stretch you so much you'll look like a basketball player."
"You'll see, little dog, when I get out of this," Ron retorted through gritted teeth, enduring the pain as he gathered strength to destroy the machine. "You just like watching me suffer."
In his seat, Mok was engrossed in reading the professor's manual. The butler was fascinated by the capabilities of the machine the professor had created. "He truly is a genius," Mok thought, marveling. "He managed to design something so sophisticated in such a short time. Some of these functions will be incredibly helpful in the future."
Meanwhile, Lukeandria decided to take a brief break. She removed her shadow armor and helmet, setting them aside.
"Alright, let's take a break here," announced Lukeandria. "While Paltio and his friends are training over there, we should rest and eat something."
"I was planning to keep training," Lukeandria remarked, "but eating sounds good too."
"So you want to train, huh?" Mok interjected with a smile. "Well, I can teach you a few things. Although the carriage can function automatically, we still need to rest. That's an issue, which is why we have to stop from time to time. Besides, I've knitted some cushions to make the seats more comfortable." Mok proudly displayed his latest cushion, intended for Paltio and his group.
"Wow, you really are a butler," Lukeandria commented admiringly. "But I know you're also strong, like that time you fought against that white spider or against Troba. So you'll be a worthy opponent to start with."
They stopped at a place that seemed to be a forest, surrounded by tall, lush trees—or at least that's what they could make out, as everything was shrouded in dense darkness caused by the power of the shadows. Lukeandria took out a torch and lit it using her signature blue fire, partially illuminating the surroundings. She placed the torch on the ground, creating a small halo of light that allowed them to see their immediate environment.
Meanwhile, Mok decided to go hunting to get some food. With his usual efficiency, he returned shortly after with several fresh ingredients. Quickly, the butler used his fire ring to ignite a campfire. Once the flames danced vibrantly, he pulled a cauldron from the back of the vehicle and began preparing a hot soup.
The aroma of the food soon filled the air, and they shared the dinner Mok had prepared. Sitting beside the campfire, they enjoyed the moment of tranquility, savoring the comforting soup. Once satisfied, Mok stood up and announced seriously: "I'm ready. It's time to train."
He carefully removed his monocle and stored it inside his jacket before adopting a combat stance. Lukeandria, also prepared, positioned herself in front of him, assuming her fighting stance. They had agreed that the training would begin when the moon made its appearance in the dark sky.
Both remained silent, waiting patiently. Finally, between the branches of the trees, the silvery glow of the moon slowly emerged. At that moment, without needing words, they both launched into action with determination, beginning their duel under the faint lunar light.