Eisen suddenly twisted his head, a nameless fury flaring up in his chest. His crimson serpentine eyes burned brighter than before; in an instant, his pupils dilated sharply. Countless red veins surged across the sclera, swelling and thickening until they stood out grotesquely, weaving into a complex pattern of purplish red.
It was as if something had possessed him.
At that exact moment, Yannie—who had just climbed out of the banyan tree—felt her vision brighten as she unexpectedly spotted her companions.
She wriggled with all her strength, forcing her caterpillar body out of the hollow. Her ugly head, crowned with bright orange horns, jutted awkwardly into the open air beyond the tree cavity. She raised two rows of plump, rounded prolegs and waved at them enthusiastically.
"You're finally here!"
Broad, powerful wings cleaved through the air, beating up a fierce roar of wind.
