For a while, the handsome youth said nothing, stalling his words. Kyle shot him a strange look before pressing again.

"Your question…?"

The remark jolted Orion from his thoughts. He shook his head quickly, letting out a light chuckle as he quickened his pace.

"I forgot. Blame my memory. Hahaha. Anyway, one that has been bothering me is this: are you, in any way, a possible… junkie? Hahaha."

Kyle's eyes thinned, veins crawling along his neck as the clown burst into laughter, pointing fingers at him and leaping from side to side, more ridiculous than ever.

'I have to… to… Ugh. Whatever.'

Seeing Kyle make no move to chase him, instead turning his gaze away, the handsome youth wore a playful scowl. He wanted nothing more than a good old chase to bleed off the tension hanging over the group.

After being hunted by the horseman, none of them felt at ease despite having survived, barely. The strange being did not appear to be on their trail, at least from their perspective. But who could truly feel calm after such a scenario, one that had nearly ended their lives in tragedy after all they had endured to reach this point?

The answer was simple: no one.

They all remained silent as their pace through the stony terrain slowed, weariness setting in beneath the sky's oppressive blaze. The sudden surge of sun-like heat in this part of the island weighed heavily on their bodies, dragging at every step.

Kyle stayed quiet both in thought and in word. His eyes lingered on the three figures ahead of him, walking side by side, while Orion's shadow scouted before them in its secretive, agent-like manner, earning once more the name Scouty.

A sudden prickle ran through Kyle, and dread gripped him. He glanced about in alarm, yet even with the expanse stretching wide like a desert, the countless stone formations blocked a clear view of the land. His instincts screamed that something was watching them with a predator's intent.

Before he could give voice to his unease, both Adela and Orion raised their hands in warning at the very same moment. Catching the coincidence, their eyes met, and they scoffed at one another.

"What do you want to say?" Orion asked Adela, who was still visibly uneasy.

She turned her gaze to Kyle.

"First, thank you for saving my life, Kyle."

Kyle smiled.

"Oh? Very well. You are welcome."

The beautiful stranger suddenly summoned her blade, halting in her steps and fixing her eyes on the surroundings. In a hushed tone, she said:

"Did none of you notice that something has been watching us for some time now?"

The handsome youth grimaced.

"...That was exactly what I was about to say."

Orion wasted no time in calling forth his rope-blade, while his shadow swiftly returned to his side, merging with his arms before coursing along the weapon to enhance both its edge and his agility. Adela's weapon appeared at her side as well, though Kyle refrained from summoning his.

They all closed ranks into a circle, standing sharp and alert as their eyes swept the terrain like hawks. A sudden sprinting sound echoed, followed by the scattering of rocks from behind a massive stone in the distance.

'...It is running away.'

Orion cast a glance at Na-Ri with a raised brow.

"Well, as we can see, it is fleeing like a coward. Shall we give chase?"

The beautiful stranger gave no reply. She dismissed her blade, rolled her hands calmly, and began striding forward.

"Leave it. We have no time to waste."

Orion scowled, but Adela placed a hand on his shoulder from behind, offering him a reassuring smile before hurrying ahead to catch up with Na-Ri, who now led the front. His shadow slipped away from him once more and moved ahead to guide the path, abandoning its master without a backward glance.

Honestly, the shadow seemed to relish its role as their personal guide and secret agent. Kyle shook his head before striding past the handsome youth.

Once he had moved a little further ahead, he spun around and continued walking backwards. With a slight tilt of his head, he gestured towards the two girls leading the way.

"We should catch up. She is right. Chasing it would be pointless since it bolted the moment it saw us armed."

The handsome youth broke into a grin, then jogged forward to drape an arm over Kyle's shoulder as they both turned back in step together. Kyle was about to shrug him off, but for some reason the urge slipped away. For the first time, he found himself warming to the gesture. In one way or another, he had begun to love the team and even the dangers they had faced together.

"This is why I liked you from the moment I saw you," Orion said with a chuckle, his words entirely sincere. "You are the cool-headed type, and quite easy-going."

Kyle raised an eyebrow at him.

"Definitely not. Be quiet. You were rather dull to become suddenly attached to someone you barely know... wait, you suddenly came to me... yes."

Orion snorted.

"Pfft. As if I did that... that is a whopper."

"Get off me, clown."

***

Some time later, the four had covered a considerable distance and were climbing a small mountain, already nearing the summit. When the weight of exhaustion grew increasingly heavy upon them, they decided to rest at the point they had reached.

Fortunately, the place was suitable for staying put, so they moved beneath a jutting rock that served as a natural canopy. By then, the sky had already begun to darken.

With it came a staggering sight, though not entirely unexpected. Countless creatures swarmed across the sky, while others prowled the lower slopes of the mountain as Orion's shadow slipped away to observe them.

The beasts were so numerous they could scarcely be counted. Worse still, many of the flying ones swooped down at great speed, feasting upon the land-dwellers of the ruins. Enormous winged monsters tore through them, most of their victims being brute-types.

'Oh, hell.'

The four pressed themselves further beneath the rock. Luckily, it held a deep recess, almost like a cave along the mountain path, allowing them to remain concealed. They stayed utterly silent, aware that a single careless sound might seal their fate.

All of a sudden, more beasts appeared from the far side, swarming like serpents, every one of them Venom-types, as they advanced towards the mass of creatures already feeding upon one another in frenzy. Some among them began to evolve in the process, devouring species as strong as themselves or weaker, and mutating into even more formidable forms.

The monstrous feast grew increasingly savage, and then matters turned dire. The sky thickened with a dark red cloud that formed overhead, and when the first drop fell upon a beast preparing to devour another, the creature exploded into a mangled heap of flesh.

Shrieks, roars, and a cacophony of grotesque sounds erupted from the horde as panic seized them. They scattered in chaos, some desperately seeking cover, others scrambling upward towards the mountain.

The lethal rain intensified, its drops falling in a merciless torrent.

"Fuck…"

Kyle's eyes narrowed in horror, while the other three stared into the gloom, where a pair of glowing red eyes was charging towards them.

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