The air was thick as the trio and the duo looked at each other. Corus opened his mouth as he spoke. "Loran… Guess you're here too." Corus spoke, not in a cocky tone, but in his quiet and serious tone, a tone that even Naki herself hadn't heard. He was never like that to her.
"Oh… It's you." Loran sighed as he looked at the two teammates his brother had. "Is that your lackey?" Loran mocked as he chuckled. "You really wish to be like me."
However, the mockery of Corus just made him chuckle. They could hear the water fountain pouring as Corus replied. "I won't stoop to your level. And plus, I've beaten you before… and I could do it again." His tone shifted mid-sentence to a dark voice.
"Oh, it makes sense, he is the prince of the Fog Kingdom after all. I knew it… he wasn't lying, he really is the prince. Corus…" Naki said quietly to Lanister.
"Wait, what? I didn't recognize him."
"That's normal, he doesn't show his face to the public very much. Loran does, and Loran is known. I trusted him before when he said he was a prince, and now this just confirms it," Naki replied to Lanister.
"That's so cool!" Lanister sparkled as they looked at the two brothers in front of them.
"Those two are a powerhouse, either of them could beat me, though that girl with the pink hair imitates a stronger aura than both of them, however…" Naki looked at Geia, who also looked at her.
"Everyone! Let's not fight, we are just trying to survive in here, come on!" Lanister shouted loud enough for them to hear.
"Stop shouting, people will join the drama," Corus said as he turned to Loran, shoving his knuckle to his head. It was a friendly shove, not a serious one. "And, I'm still your older brother, respect me." Corus's eyes were like that of a dangerous tiger. Corus still had the ability to discipline Loran, so Loran backed down.
As Corus's group were about to leave, Geia suddenly stopped them. "Hold on, let's group up for a while, there's a free inn for participating students. Let's go there, and plus, I'm still your maid, Corus. I'm not leaving you out or Loran."
Corus then stopped in his tracks, signaling Lanister and Naki to turn around, back to them. "Sure, thank you, Geia. You're clearly better than my younger brother." Corus had that quiet voice, but it was calmer now.
They went to the side exit of the Uea, a forest with a trail leading to a small town. It was a town filled with students, however, the town was now lonely, with only fishermen and participants in it, since the last batch of students graduated from Uea. However, as they walked on the dirt trail, they could hear strange noises.
"What are those noises?" Naki asked.
"Yeah, it's annoying," Lanister added.
"Just keep it up, probably a monster or something," Geia said.
"I'm pretty sure all of us combined could probably beat a Commander Rank, so I'm not that scared," Loran smiled.
"Personally, not," Corus said as now everyone turned to him. "The gap between a Commander and a Leader is a margin, with Commanders having more than fifty thousand Metal… minimum."
"Fifty thousand? That's huge, and they have special Magicus as well, you're right," Naki said as they continued walking.
The voice of the moon tensed the air, the fog welling up, and a screech… A bat appeared from the shadow, shocking everyone. A bat with scales, black, glowing eyes. It grew a black fog. The Leader Rank, Batso.
Meanwhile, King Corusi and Queen Lorraine were talking as they drank tea. "I hope they are okay," Lorraine said sadly, missing Loran and Corus.
"They are grown-ups," Corusi replied.
"Oh, you're overreacting," Lorraine chuckled, followed by Corusi.
Then, in a restaurant of the village in the middle of the path to Uea, Grandma Natsu was serving dishes. "Naki, do your best at that school!" Grandma Natsu thought in her head as she hoped Naki was alright, standing, and was fine in her manners, as she served more dishes to clients.