Lyon approached the counter quietly, keeping his head down as he tried to avoid drawing attention. The eight armed Shinras were still occupied with intimidating the elderly bar attendant.
He took a seat beside the counter and raised a hand.
"Excuse me. Could I get a bottle of one of your drinks?"
The attendant glanced nervously at him before quickly turning his attention back to the Shinras.
"Uh... please, sir. Give me a moment. I'll attend to you shortly."
"Did you just ignore me?"
One of the Shinras seized the attendant by the collar and pulled him forward.
"How dare a lowly bartender disrespect a Shinra like me?"
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to," the attendant stammered, his hands trembling. "I... I need to make more money from my customers so I can pay the guidance fee."
"Then stop wasting my time and pay up."
From his seat, Lyon watched the exchange, his expression growing darker.
So this is what this kingdom has become? Shinras extorting innocent people under the excuse of protecting them?
He clicked his tongue and looked away.
Whatever. It's none of my business. I'll just leave before things get ugly.
Lyon rose from his seat and headed for the exit.
He had barely taken a few steps when an angry voice called out behind him.
"Hey, you."
Lyon kept walking.
"You don't look like you're from around here. You're probably a foreigner, aren't you?" the Shinra holding the attendant shouted. "Sit down and wait for my permission before leaving."
The other Shinras burst into laughter.
"Look at this guy. He thinks he can walk in and out whenever he wants."
"Maybe he's too stupid to understand what we're saying."
Lyon ignored them and continued toward the door.
The Shinra's smile vanished.
"YOU DEAF, MORON? I'M TALKING TO YOU."
He violently threw the attendant to the ground before storming toward Lyon.
"You're going to regret ignoring me."
He reached out to grab Lyon by the shoulder.
But just as his fingers drew close, something changed.
Lyon stopped walking.
BOOOOOOM!
An overwhelming wave of Renshical pressure erupted from his body.
The force swept through the bar like a violent storm. Every glass on the counter shattered simultaneously, bottles burst apart, and the windows exploded outward in a shower of broken glass.
The approaching Shinra barely had time to react before the pressure struck him.
His body was hurled backward, smashing through the window and crashing into the street outside.
CRASH!
The customers threw themselves beneath tables, covering their heads as shards of glass rained down around them. The remaining seven Shinras stood frozen, their faces drained of colour.
Even the bar attendant, who had been struggling to get back to his feet, could only stare in disbelief.
Lyon slowly lowered his head and released a tired breath.
Damn it. I told myself I wouldn't get involved.
He turned toward the counter and reached into his storage ring. A heavy sack appeared in his hand.
He tossed it onto the counter.
THUD!
"Ten thousand gold coins. Use it to repair the bar and deal with those scumbags."
The attendant stared at the sack, unable to find the words to respond.
Lyon didn't wait for an answer. He walked through the broken entrance and stepped into the cool night air.
Behind him, the remaining Shinras were still struggling to recover from the shock.
Lyon rubbed his forehead and sighed.
I really didn't want to cause a scene...
He glanced back at the shattered windows.
That aura release was a little too much. If anyone important sensed it, we're going to have trouble.
His gaze shifted toward the darkening streets.
It's getting late. We'd better wait until morning in case they decide to make another move.
He took a few more steps before suddenly stopping.
...Wait.
His eyes widened.
We?
Lyon slowly turned his head and scanned the empty street.
...Where's Sasaki?
"AHHHHH! DON'T TELL ME I LOST HIM."
I left him in that restaurant.
"Partner?"
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Lyon spun around so quickly that he nearly lost his balance.
Sasaki stood a short distance away, looking at him with his usual calm expression.
Relief washed over Lyon's face.
"Sasaki... Thank goodness. I thought I'd lost you."
Sasaki raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't find me. I found you."
He glanced toward the damaged bar.
"The moment I felt that ridiculous burst of your Renshical aura, I knew something was going on. What did you do this time?"
Lyon scratched the back of his head and forced a grin.
"Pfft. Come on, partner. It's not like I'd get myself into trouble."
Sasaki stared at him.
"...You just blew up half a bar."
"Exaggeration. I only broke a few windows."
"Every window."
"Details, details."
Sasaki shook his head with a sigh. Then, as though something had suddenly occurred to him, he tilted his head.
"Wait a minute. Did you just call me Sasaki?"
Lyon's smile stiffened.
"Huh?"
"You usually call me Exca. Is Sasaki some kind of new nickname?"
Oh, crap...
A cold sweat ran down Lyon's back.
I knew I couldn't keep this Exca act going forever.
He quickly forced a laugh.
"Haha. Yeah, about that... I came up with it after we got separated. Just thought I'd try something different. You know, something casual."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"But don't get used to it. You're Exca. Always have been, always will be."
Please let that work...
Sasaki considered his explanation for a moment.
"Hmm. I actually like the nickname. But I still prefer Exca."
Lyon nearly collapsed with relief.
Thank goodness... That was way too close.
Sasaki folded his arms and looked toward the road ahead.
"So, what's the plan now, partner?"
Lyon quickly regained his composure.
"Here's the situation. If that kid and the woman decide to travel tonight, waiting until morning could cost us our chance to catch them."
He pointed in the direction they had come from.
"The Kingdom of Berserker is three kingdoms away. I've only been there once, back when I was younger, and trust me, it's not a place we want to wander into without knowing where we're going."
Sasaki nodded slowly.
"So, what do you suggest?"
"We wait at the border between Sunflower and Eminence. If they try to pass through, we'll intercept them before they get any farther."
Sasaki considered the proposal before nodding.
"Sounds reasonable."
"Good. Let's get moving."
The two set off toward the nearest town, leaving the damaged bar behind them.
After walking for a few minutes, Sasaki glanced at Lyon.
"Hey, partner. How exactly are we going to find the border?"
Lyon pointed down the road.
"We're close to the first town. From there, it'll take a few hours on foot, but we should reach the border before midnight."
Sasaki stopped.
"A few hours?"
He looked at Lyon as though the man had just suggested they walk across the entire country.
"That's a complete waste of time. Why don't we just use a teleportation spell? We'd get there much faster."
Lyon sighed.
"I know, Exca. But there's a problem."
"What problem?"
"If we use another powerful spell, the upper Shinras might detect us. I already released a considerable amount of Renshical aura back there. We're walking on thin ice as it is. The last thing we need is to attract even more attention."
Sasaki fell silent, considering his explanation.
"Hmm... I see."
He resumed walking, but a moment later, another suggestion occurred to him.
"Then let's use Switch Mode. We can move much faster without releasing a huge amount of Renshi. That shouldn't draw much attention, right?"
Lyon's pace slowed.
Damn it.
He glanced sideways at Sasaki.
I thought this strategy would work, but his loyalty to Exca runs deeper than I expected. He trusts Exca's judgment so much that even the smallest change in their usual routine makes him suspicious.
Lyon forced a smile.
"That's not a bad idea, partner. But let's not get carried away. We still need to conserve our strength in case we run into trouble."
Sasaki nodded.
"Fair enough. We'll use Switch Mode when necessary and keep our Renshi output as low as possible."
"Exactly."
Lyon turned his attention back to the road, his expression growing serious.
I just hope I can keep this act going until we find that kid and the woman.
The two continued into the night, heading toward the border between Sunflower and Eminence.