“…W-who is that person…?!” shouted several people in bewilderment as many others simply continued screaming. Stetson himself couldn’t help but widen his eyes as he scanned the old man from head to toe before declaring, “It… It’s you! You’re alive, Carlos?!” Upon hearing that, Yaakov instantly cupped his swollen cheek as he got to his feet and stared at the old man before muttering, “…C-Carlos…? The god of death…?!” Even Finnegan Laidler—the master of the Laidler family—immediately stood up when he realized who the old man was. Completely aghast, Finnegan nervously turned to look at his son before shouting, “S-Stetson! It’s far too dangerous there! Retreat!” Xyrielle was also looking at Stetson rather anxiously, worried about his safety. “There’s no need to worry about me, dad! Since he’s shown himself, I’m taking down this fearful villain today!” replied Stetson as a subtle smile began forming on his face. He couldn’t help but feel slightly excited now that he was facing a
Laughing maniacally as he shook his head, Carlos then said, “What an utter fool! To think that you even dared to go up against me in the first place! Who the hell even gave you such courage?” Following that, the old man raised his hand… and began lifting Stetson into the air without even touching him! Watching as Stetson screamed in terror in his suspended state, Xyrielle—who was under the platform—quickly shouted, “D-dad! Hurry and think of a way to deal with that villain!” Despite hearing his daughter’s pleas, even Yaakov was at his wits’ end. As for Carlos, he found himself turning to look at who was shouting for Stetson’s sake. The second he laid eyes on Xyrielle, he paused for a moment before declaring, “It appears that you’re quite gifted too, young lass! Alright then, since you’re so loyal, I’ll just drain both of you dry together!” Laughing as soon as his sentence ended, Xyrielle wasn’t even able to react in time before Carlos lifted his hand again and drew the poor g
The second the light hit the platform, an explosive sound ensued as large cracks began forming on the platform’s surface! As everyone stared wide-eyed at the platform that had almost been split clean in half, the distinct sound of a blade being sheathed could be heard… Following that, a middle-aged man wearing ninja-like garments stepped out of the clouds of debris. Watching as the middle-aged man stared at him, Carlos found himself chuckling before saying, “So it’s you, Ghose!” From that statement, it was made evident that he was acquainted with this person… Regardless, the second Stetson saw him, he looked like he had finally attained a glimmer of hope as he shouted, “M-Master Ghose! Save me…!” The ninja’s earlier attack had freed both Stetson and Xyrielle from Carlos’s grasps, and Stetson quickly used this chance to run over to Ghose, gritting his teeth as he glared back at Carlos once he was standing behind the middle-aged man. His eyelids now twitching slightly, Car
Upon being shaken, Gerald finally snapped out of it as he turned to look at Xaverie. The truth was, he had entered such a state since the five disks in his body had reappeared a little earlier. With that in mind, Gerald couldn’t keep himself calm enough to continue watching the fights at full concentration. While Gerald was still pretty much aware of the incidents happening around him, his mind was more preoccupied on the disks, which explained his lack of action. “What are you looking at me for? Look down there! Your friend’s about to die!” said Xaverie, feeling speechless. “She’s not really my friend… She’s merely my disciple!” replied Gerald with a subtle smile, finding her over anxiousness slightly amusing. “…Disciple? Are you still half asleep?!” grumbled Xaverie in resignation as her friends turned to look at him with odd gazes. “Not really, no. Regardless, I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, but I appreciate your kindness earlier, Xaverie! Now then, I’m heading off to a
The second they saw Carlos kneel, everyone’s eyes instantly widened. The hell? Wasn’t this the extraordinarily powerful and evil Third-Rank Master, Carlos Xenes? Was he actually kneeling before this young man before even attempting to make a single move? How was this even possible? Who… Who was this young man…? As the people in the crowd continued discussing the matter among themselves, Xyrielle herself simply stared at Gerald who was now calmly walking closer to the kneeling old man, his hands still in his pockets. Xyrielle hadn’t expected any of this to happen. Nobody had. Whatever the case was, he was now no longer hiding his pressuring and powerful aura, and anyone who sensed it would surely feel their hearts palpitate. Xyrielle, of course, was no exception to that. As for Ghose, he quickly recovered from the shock of Carlos kneeling before Gerald and—with rapidly twitching eyelids—turned to stare at the approaching youth. Upon stepping before the old man, Gerald took
Ignoring Gerald’s question, Ghose simply closed his eyes for a moment… And when he reopened them, a momentary flash of fire could be seen reflected in his eyes as he roared, “Flaming Blades!” Following that, the hilt of his katana seemed to light ablaze, shooting upward toward the tip which Gerald was still holding onto! Much to Ghose’s dismay, the second the flames were about to burn Gerald, they suddenly extinguished with a sizzling sound! “…W-what…? How is this even remotely possible?!” stuttered the wide-eyed Ghose in disbelief as he stared at the youth. Sensing that Ghose probably wasn’t going to reveal any relevant information if he continued holding onto his blade, Gerald simply released his grip on it, immediately causing Ghose to take a few steps back. At that moment, seven distinct ringing sounds could be heard coming from where the Laidlers were seated… Almost immediately after, seven figures leaped out from the shadows, taking only a split second to surround Ger
As everyone either screamed or stared dumbfoundedly at the bloody scene, one of the family heads managed to snap out of it and immediately bowed before Gerald, expressing his amazement and respect by shouting, “Master Crawford…!” Upon seeing that, the other family heads immediately bowed in unison as the words ‘Master Crawford’ echoed throughout the entire underground area. Finnegan, on the other hand, turned to look at Stetson—who was still frozen on stage—and signaled him to escape together with him. To his relief, Stetson saw and understood Finnegan’s signal, prompting both of them to slowly begin walking away from the area. Despite his name being shouted, Gerald appeared indifferent, and he simply turned to look at Carlos before saying, “Carlos Xenes… I remember asking you something before you fled… Since I didn’t get an answer, I’m just going to repeat what I said. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you.” Upon hearing that, Carlos instantly gulped before replyi
Since Gerald’s new force was still relatively small, those within it instantly began discussing the matter. Eventually, they wondered if it would be best if they set up a sect. In doing so, they’d surely be able to properly establish everyone’s respect and ensure that they had a name. Unfortunately, after they brought their concerns up to Gerald, he simply turned down their request, stating that it still wasn’t the right time for them to do so yet. Either way, after postponing any further discussions about that topic, Gerald used that opportunity—since they were all already there anyway—to tell them that he would be staying atop Tierson Mountain for a few days. He also added that nobody was allowed to enter the mountain throughout that period… Meanwhile, Perla and her cousin sister could be seen getting ready to leave for one of Jenna City’s luxurious clothing malls. “Are you sure about this, Perla…? Didn’t grandpa tell us not to go out so much…? After all, girls have been goin