"What is it?..."
Elisa woke up, opening her eyes and realizing she was wrapped in the floating lab coat. Aurora looked at her and sighed.
"Sorry. I had a brief anger episode." she snorted.
She extended her hand, making the coat release Elisa and wrap itself around her shoulders again.
"Just follow me. This place must be hiding something dark."
Elisa, now free, followed her, looking around. Indecipherable writings, the hearts that made her stomach churn... until a door?
"Now that I notice..." Aurora murmured, placing a hand on her chin.
The door had no lock, no digital or visual data requirement. It was like a barrier of pure Renkata. A strange sound, impossible to define, echoed through it.
"Apparently, this door was built to withstand extremely heavy blows."
Aurora took something from her coat, placed it on the ground, and took a few steps back. Silently, Elisa did the same.
Then a laser emerged from it, trying to pierce the door... with no result.
"This laser has thousands of degrees. How did it fail to melt the door?!" She struck the wall, frustrated.
"Don't you know someone strong enough to try breaking it?" Elisa asked.
"Oh, yes... I do!"
***
In a Forest Inferius, Slady and Faller leapt between the trees. The stronger man carried the weaker one on his back.
"Comfortable back there?" Faller asked in a friendly, teasing tone.
"Yes..." he replied, indifferent to the situation.
"Does the Association allow someone high level to bring a so called civilian into a mission?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well... no! But who cares? I know you're strong!"
"If you say so..."
Suddenly, from underground, a demonic mantis like creature burst from the earth, leaping into the air.
"Hold on!"
Faller's legs sparked with electricity. He jumped extremely high, drawing his sword.
"Get ready...!" He felt his back become lighter than usual. When he looked back...
"Where are you, Slady?!" he shouted.
"Here!"
At a much higher altitude, Slady hovered, looking more excited. He extended his mechanical hand, firing energy at the giant demonic mantis, causing a massive explosion.
"Now that's more like it!"
Faller landed on the creature's limbs, slashing everything around him with his sword, electrifying the monster. It screamed and hurled Faller away.
Landing softly on the Renkai Creature's head, Slady drew his pistol and began firing repeatedly into its skull.
The creature screamed again, trying to crush Slady with its limbs. But they were cut off, and Faller caught Slady in his arms.
"..." Slady made a strange expression at being held in his friend's arms.
Faller returned the strange look, then watched the monster collapse onto the demonic trees, killing them.
"That was weird."
"What?"
"You're holding me, obviously."
"Oh, come on, fragile little lady!" he mocked, setting Slady back on the ground.
Slady simply rolled his eyes. Suddenly, flying with her lab coat, Aurora landed near the pair.
"Faller, I need you." she said in a professional tone.
She found the presence of the other man odd, but ignored it for the moment.
***
Walking through the ruins, Aurora led the way. Faller and Slady stayed behind, silent.
"Boss, I don't think there are any Renkai Creatures for you to have called me..." Faller commented.
"It's not that. It's something I consider worse."
Upon reaching the temple, a look of recognition passed between Slady and Elisa. The girl tried to maintain a professional tone. The man simply went along with it.
"Oh, Mr. Faller!" she greeted.
"Good morning, Miss Elisa." he replied, equally professional.
"Anyway..." Aurora intervened.
"Look at this, Faller. This is a completely new method of using Renkai Energy. We could solve many problems related to water shortages or generate electricity in a sustainable way." She pointed at the hearts in the tubes.
"Indeed..." he murmured, shocked by the sight.
"There was also a fusion of Renkai Creatures in this temple. As if someone wanted to hide something here..." Aurora pointed at the creature's corpse on the ground.
"And of course, there's this door. I want you to try breaking it. I trust your strength for that." she added.
Faller looked at the door, raising an eyebrow. He walked toward the structure. Discreetly, Aurora stared at Slady, as if trying to understand his presence. Elisa looked away, as if she did not want to reveal any familiarity at that moment.
"Are you some kind of hunter? I don't recognize you."
"I..." Slady paused briefly.
"I'm Faller's apprentice."
Aurora let out a light laugh, crossing her arms.
"I didn't know Faller enjoyed training others. Especially after considering Elisa and Shaphira his disciples. He told me their adoptive father had disappeared a year ago."
"..."
Slady looked at Faller, frowning. Faller returned the look with a mischievous smile, as if enjoying his friend's lies. Elisa tried to keep things casual.
"Yes, Faller and Victoria decided to train other people after me and my adoptive sister." she said, scratching her long dark hair.
"Is that so? Still, it's a bit strange. Faller and Victoria are close friends of mine, even though I lead them. They always tell me news right away."
Faller sighed, knowing it was true, still trying to break the Renkata door with several electrical attacks, without effect.
"You know what..." Faller turned around.
"I'm sorry for lying to you, Miss Sinhaygter. But this knight is my friend and the adoptive father of Elisa and Shaphira, Slady."
The girl looked distressed, as if she had not expected the revelation so soon. Slady simply crossed his arms, calm. Aurora looked at Faller with disapproval.
"I'm disappointed in you. It was a big mistake to try lying to the smartest woman of all." She shot Faller a deadly look.
"Sorry, I don't like lying!" Faller crouched like a scolded child.
Aurora rolled her eyes and walked toward Slady, her presence weighing heavily on the air. Elisa trembled slightly. Slady simply met Aurora's gaze.
'Damn... I killed a family man.' Faller thought.
'Sorry, Slady. You were a good second father.' Elisa thought, melancholic.
A small robot flew up to Slady's face. A light scanned him from head to toe, projecting a screen for Aurora.
"Interesting. Slady, a librarian over thirty years old... you really are a mystery, aren't you? Everything about you is scarce. No family ties, but a close friend of Raizer Fainer. That explains his trust in you when, after his death, he entrusted his only daughter to you." she concluded.
Aurora placed her hand on Slady's shoulder, tilting her head slightly.
"It's impressive that someone so young already has two daughters, even if adopted. But I'll be keeping an eye on you from now on."
Aurora gave a small, dark smile. Friendly on the surface, but clearly not fully trusting Slady.
"Ugh!"
"What is it, Faller?" Aurora turned, noticing that despite smoke coming from the door, it remained intact.
"This is ridiculous! This door is indestructible! Who's the lunatic who uses Destroyer hearts for something insane enough to create an indestructible door?!" he asked, frustrated.
"I don't know. But there must be some dark secret behind fusing Renkai Creatures to create a bodyguard just to protect a place like this..." she sighed.
"Let's leave. I want to take a hot shower and sleep." she added.
Without saying goodbye, Aurora floated away with her lab coat and left the scene. Faller sighed, and Elisa finally relaxed her shoulders.
"How about we go home? Ferinish and Shaphira are waiting for us, Slady. And Victoria is probably waiting for Faller too." Elisa said, tired.
"Oh, don't even remind me. Victoria is exhausted after a day of training. As a good partner, I have to make dinner for her." he laughed lightly.
"I'll stay here for now. I want to understand this place." Slady said.
Despite brief hesitation, Elisa and Faller said goodbye. The girl headed to the library, and Faller to his apartment in Libretãnhya. Slady simply sat on a piece of stone, listening to a certain voice.
"Do you need any help, Slady?"
It was an artificial intelligence voice echoing loudly from within the door.
"No. Just never open this door for anyone. Only for me."
"As you wish!"
Slady stood up, looked at the hearts, and sighed, leaving the scene.