Kaito spun on his heel, his glare locking onto the man standing beside Rika. "Your thief?" he snapped. "She's my thief, so back off!"
A laugh escaped Rell as he tilted his head toward Rika. "Is that right, Trickster?" he asked, amusement dancing across his face. "You're his thief now?"
Rika slowly shook her head. "Of course not." The words were quiet, almost ashamed. She lowered her gaze, unable to meet Kaito's eyes.
The sound of steel rang through the cavern as Kaito drew his sword. "You don't get to brainwash my friends!"
Rell's grin only widened. He unsheathed his twin swords with practiced ease, the polished blades catching the dim light. "Brainwash?" he echoed. "Boy... you know very little about the person you call your friend."
Kaito surged forward. He feinted left before cutting back to the right, but Rell never took the bait. In one smooth motion, he reversed his blade and drove the pommel into Kaito's stomach. The blow forced every ounce of air from Kaito's lungs before a brutal backhand sent him tumbling across the cavern floor.
Before Kaito had even stopped sliding, Rell was already on him. "Lot of talk," he said with a bored sigh, "but you seem pretty pathetic."
His fist crashed into the underside of Kaito's back, launching him high into the air. As Kaito struggled to regain control, Rell calmly crossed his twin blades. An unfamiliar magic gathered between them, humming with a sharp, metallic sound that sent a chill down Kaito's spine.
The spell erupted forward.
Kaito barely managed to throw up a barrier before the attack struck. The barrier shattered instantly, exploding into fragments as dozens of glowing nails burst through it. One drove clean through his arm.
"A nail...?!" Pain shot through his shoulder, and his arm immediately went numb. His sword slipped from his fingers, clattering uselessly onto the stone.
Rell lowered his blades, watching from across the cavern with an almost disappointed expression. "Come on, kid," he called. "You're boring me."
Kaito gritted his teeth and forced himself back to his feet. "He's too fast. Too strong. And whatever that magic was... I've never seen anything like it." His arm screamed with pain every time he moved, but quitting wasn't an option. Rika was finally right in front of him. He refused to lose her again.
Energy flooded into his legs as he activated his sacred arte. Stacking enhancement magic layered over it, every muscle in his body surging with explosive strength.
Across from him, Rell let out an exaggerated yawn.
Kaito vanished. His fist slammed into Rell's face with enough force to send him sliding several feet backward before his boots dug into the earth.
Rell slowly wiped the corner of his mouth before glancing at the smear of blood on his glove. "...Seriously?" His voice was almost disappointed. "That's the best you can muster?"
Before Kaito even registered the movement, Rell disappeared.
Instinct took over. Kaito threw himself backward just as a blade flashed through the space where he'd been standing. Even so, the tip carved a deep line across his stomach, soaking his shirt with blood. "If I'd reacted a heartbeat later..."
The thought never finished. Rell was already swinging again. His second slash forced Kaito back another step. The third came for his neck.
"STOP!" A violent blast of wind crashed into Rell's side, knocking the killing blow off course.
The cavern fell silent.
Rell glanced toward Rika. She stood trembling, her hands outstretched, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "Please..." she whispered. "Please stop hurting Kaito."
A grin spread across Rell's face. "My, my... Trickster." He chuckled to himself. "That's the most emotion you've shown in years." He tilted his head, studying her. "So there really is something left besides the puppet."
"Shut up!" Rika's voice echoed through the cavern. "I'll leave with you, alright? You know the deal. I wasn't going anywhere." Her shoulders sagged. "Just stop attacking him He isn't part of this. He doesn't know anything."
For a long moment, Rell simply stared at her. Then he shrugged. "Fine." He sheathed one of his swords and motioned for her to follow.
Rika hesitated before slowly walking past Kaito. She never looked directly at him. "Trust me, Kaito..." she said quietly. "I'm not someone worth getting involved with." A sad smile crossed her face. "Just... go find your treasure."
High above the lower levels of the jungle, Jin watched as Rell and Rika returned below. He folded his arms and let out a quiet sigh. "I assume that means Kaito's dead."
Patty rounded on him immediately, shoving his shoulder. "We should've gone down there and helped him!" she snapped.
Jin didn't even flinch. "Kaito made his choice. He rushed headfirst into a group of enemies he knew nothing about." His voice remained cold and matter-of-fact. "Our mission is to retrieve the Crystia Bulb, not throw away our lives."
Patty clenched her fists, clearly wanting to argue, but the rustling of leaves behind them drew everyone's attention. She instinctively stepped behind Jin as several figures emerged from the trees.
Toni, Ashley, and Nanami. Ashley and Toni exchanged an awkward glance, neither quite ready to speak after everything that had happened earlier. Nanami, however. Her eyes swept across the group before stopping. "...Where's Kaito?"
Patty looked toward the ground, unable to meet her eyes. Jin spoke instead. "He pursued your friend into the cavern." His expression never changed. "It's safe to assume Rell killed him."
Nanami's breath caught in her throat. Her ears twitched, and all the color drained from her face. "...What?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Then the realization hit. "And what exactly are you doing up here?!" she shouted. "We had a deal!"
"A deal Haruko agreed to," Jin replied. "Helping him was her responsibility."
Nanami stormed toward him, her fists shaking at her sides. "And you just left him?"
"Our objective never changed." Jin met her glare without hesitation. "The Crystia Bulb comes first."
Nanami gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached. Her ears stood rigid atop her head as anger threatened to boil over.
"Calm yourself, beast," Jin sneered.
Before Nanami could lunge at him, Toni shoved Jin hard enough to make him stumble.
"You've got some nerve," Toni growled. "Talking about my captain's life like it don't mean nothin'." He stepped between Jin and Nanami before turning toward the edge of the canopy. "I'm going after him." He looked over his shoulder, determination burning in his eyes. "Toni Valentine ain't leaving this jungle without his captain."
A familiar voice interrupted him. "Then you'll have backup." Everyone turned as Bein climbed over the edge of the cliff.
"Bein?" Toni asked.
"I heard your little argument while I was making my way back up." He dusted himself off before pointing an accusing finger toward Jin. "I followed Kaito down there." His glare hardened. "And no thanks to this jackass deciding not to help..." He shook his head. "Kaito's still alive."
Relief washed over Patty and Nanami almost instantly.
"But he's in rough shape," Bein continued. "If we're going to move, we need to move now."
Ashley let out a slow sigh before slipping her shield from her back. "Then let's stop standing around."
Jin looked at her with raised eyebrows. "You're going?"
She nodded without hesitation. "Look, Jin. I understand putting the mission first." She rested the shield against her shoulder. "But abandoning someone we've allied with isn't something I can justify."
For the first time, Jin seemed at a loss for words. Eventually, he sighed. "...Fine." He pulled a pair of black gauntlets over his hands, the metal glowing with a deep violet light.
"Ashley, go with Patty and secure Ka—"
Toni raised a hand, cutting him off. "I ain't taking orders from you."
For a brief moment, the two stared each other down. Jin simply shrugged. "So be it." Without another word, he leapt from the canopy.
The others followed close behind.
As they descended, Nanami glanced toward Toni. "Stay close to me." She hesitated. "Without your guitar..."
Toni understood before she could finish. "I know." A grin spread across his face despite the danger ahead. "I ain't as trained as the rest of y'all." He clenched his fists. "But I'll do whatever I can."
Nanami landed beside him, already drawing her weapon. "Then let's save Kaito."
The moment the group landed within the cavern, every thief froze. Weapons were drawn in an instant as the newcomers spread into formation.
Rell watched the scene unfold from atop a stone outcrop, his arms folded across his chest. A grin slowly spread across his face as he glanced toward Rika. "See all the trouble you're causing, Trickster?"
Rika's eyes drifted toward the entrance where Toni and Nanami stood alongside the others. "...Yeah." Her answer was barely a whisper.
One of the thieves charged Jin with a reckless overhead swing, yelling as he brought his sword down. Jin sidestepped without the slightest hint of urgency. The blade crashed harmlessly into the stone. His glowing gauntlet shot upward, shattering the sword into glittering fragments before his fist buried itself in the man's chest. The thief was launched across the cavern, crashing through a cluster of crates before falling still.
Rell gave a low whistle. "Not bad." His smile widened as he pointed toward the battlefield. "Yuna. Paul. Grape. You three handle them. They might actually be worth watching." The three thieves nodded without hesitation. Paul and Grape rushed toward Jin from opposite sides while Yuna sprinted directly at Nanami, twin daggers flashing into her hands.
Nearby, Selene rested her weapon over one shoulder. "What about me, Boss?"
Rell waved her off without even looking. "Keep excavating." His eyes never left the battle. "If things get interesting..." He chuckled. "I'll handle it."
Steel rang out as Ashley intercepted a thief charging Patty. A heavy mace materialized in her hands just in time to catch his sword. She twisted her hips into the swing, driving the weapon into the side of his jaw with a sickening crack.
A second attacker lunged from behind. Ashley ducked beneath the strike, caught him on the rim of her shield, and threw him over her shoulder before slamming the shield into the middle of his back.
More thieves poured toward them from every direction. "Ashley!" Patty shouted. "Leverage!" Patty thrust both hands forward, weaving creation magic into a massive cloud beneath Ashley's feet.
Ashley broke into a sprint. The instant she stepped onto the cloud, it compressed beneath her weight before springing upward with explosive force, launching her high above the battlefield. Light erupted across the face of her shield.
"I am the unbreakable wall!" She drove the shield into the cavern floor. The impact exploded outward in a massive shockwave, throwing thieves off their feet and clearing the battlefield in an instant. "Impenetrable Shield!" Dust rolled through the cavern as bodies tumbled across the stone.
Even Toni couldn't help staring. "...Alright," he muttered with a crooked grin. "That was pretty damn cool."
"Kaito!" Patty's voice cut through the chaos. Kaito staggered from one of the side tunnels, one arm hanging limp as blood dripped steadily from his fingertips. His clothes were torn, and every step looked like it took every ounce of strength he had left.
Relief flooded Patty's face. She sprinted toward him without hesitation. "Thank the gods..." Soft green light enveloped her hands as healing magic flowed into Kaito's wounded arm. The numbness slowly began to fade.
Kaito managed a tired smile. "...Thanks, Patty."
She looked him over from head to toe, checking every wound she could find. "You idiot," she muttered, relief bleeding into frustration. "You really had us thinking you'd gotten yourself killed."
Kaito rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand, offering an awkward laugh. "Yeah... Sorry."