"Things should be easier with Sasaki out of the picture," Lyon muttered before turning toward Lucy. "Anyway, thank you. I'll keep my explanation brief when I return. I'll tell him you killed Sasaki and that I escaped to Guhan because of the boys. Even if he doesn't believe me, he has no proof. We've survived worse situations than this. It won't be the first time I've talked my way out of trouble."
Lucy nodded.
"Alright. That's a good explanation. Stay safe, kiddos. Until we meet again."
She gave Jackson and Marcel a faint smile before turning to leave.
Jackson clenched his fists, his thoughts drifting back to everything that had happened.
I want to learn more from this woman. Just stepping outside our comfort zone has made me realise how much there is still to learn. But with that Sasaki guy around, I can't completely trust him. I need to become stronger before even greater threats start pouring into this country.
"Hey, Jack. Get up. Let's go," Marcel called.
"Ah, right."
Jackson straightened up and followed Marcel toward Lyon.
But just as they were about to leave, Sasaki's calm voice stopped them.
"Hey... Something just occurred to me. Earlier, you mentioned a greater threat. What exactly did you mean?"
Lucy froze.
Her eyes widened as the realisation struck her.
"Shit, I completely forgot..."
She spun around, panic flashing across her face.
"Wait. Don't leave yet..."
Lyon stopped and glanced back, confused by her sudden change in attitude.
"Sasaki, come with me..."
Without waiting for a response, Lucy dashed in the direction Alfie had gone.
Her instincts were screaming at her. Alfie's fear earlier hadn't been baseless.
"Wait for me, Master..."
Rebekah hurried after her.
Why is she so worried? I thought everything was over. What did that monster mean by a greater threat?
"Hey, Lyon..."
Bash's expression had turned serious.
"Something's wrong. We need to find that kid immediately."
Lyon frowned, still struggling to understand what was happening.
"I don't understand any of this, but I guess we have no choice."
He turned toward Jackson and Marcel.
"Come with me. We'll discuss everything later. Right now, finding Alfie comes first."
Without wasting another second, they rushed after Lucy, Sasaki, and Rebekah.
---
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Guhan
Inside a dimly lit meeting chamber, Exca stood before the three men dressed in white.
The tallest among them, a seven-foot-tall man with a grim expression, leaned forward slightly.
"So, what's your business with this kid?"
His eyes glinted as he waited for an answer.
"I can't reveal the details, Special Darkside Knight. It's beyond your level of understanding. However, I'll give you a hint. He's number two on our list. That alone should tell you how important he is."
Exca's expression darkened.
The tall man slowly rose to his feet. Despite his calm demeanour, his presence carried an oppressive weight.
"I came here to negotiate. If necessary, I'll interfere with your plans. For now, I believe we've reached an understanding. We're keeping a low profile to avoid attracting Golden Katana's attention, so we'll take our leave."
Without moving his hands, he summoned a teleportation circle made entirely of purple Renshi.
The two men beside him activated their own spells. One radiated dark Renshi, while the other emitted light Renshi.
Exca narrowed his eyes as he watched them.
What the hell is this list? Number two? Are they gathering children with powerful Renshi? And for what purpose?
His thoughts churned for a moment before he shook his head.
Whatever. As long as they help me awaken my bloodline, I won't have to resort to dirty tricks this time.
"Hey, when will you return to awaken my bloodline?" Exca suddenly called out.
The tall man glanced over his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Exca. Very soon,just don't try anything stupid to draw attention again."
The three men vanished into their respective teleportation circles.
Exca clenched his fists.
Damn them. I can't force their hand. They're far too powerful. All I can do is wait and hope they keep their promise.
---
Meanwhile, at the Border Between Sunflower and Eminence
Lucy and Rebekah raced through the dense forest, desperately searching for Alfie.
"Master, why can't we find him? Can't you sense his Renshi aura?" Rebekah asked between breaths.
Lucy's expression tightened.
"Something's wrong. I think the second seal I placed on him was too strong. It completely suppressed his Renshi."
She gritted her teeth.
"But that shouldn't be possible. Alfie's aura is far too overwhelming for a simple seal to suppress completely. There should still be some leakage."
"This is bad. Really bad," Rebekah muttered. "If he came this way, we should have found him by now. And what did Sasaki mean by a greater threat?"
Lucy's expression grew grim.
"Remember when Alfie said he had a bad feeling about us being attacked?"
"Yes, I remember."
"That threat wasn't Sasaki, and it wasn't that other man either. Neither of them came after Alfie of their own free will. They were forced into it."
Lucy's eyes burned with dread as she quickened her pace.
"The real threat hasn't appeared yet. And when it does, it'll be far more dangerous than anything we've faced so far."
She clenched her fists, regret washing over her.
"I made a terrible mistake letting him run off on his own..."