Ryosen panted, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Damn it… we shouldn't have come. There are too many Heartless… we can't handle this."
Aegis wiped his brow, eyes sharp but calm. "Don't… worry. It's going to be fine."
Typhon stood a short distance away, arms folded, his expression unreadable. "No. It's… not."
Then, with a subtle flick of his fingers, all the Heartless around them vanished, disappearing into thin air.
Ryosen looked up, relief flooding him, only for his golden Buddha statue to flare brighter behind him. "Okay… that makes this much easier."
"Calm down," Aegis said, placing a steady hand on Ryosen's shoulder.
Typhon snapped his fingers again. The force of it sent both Ryosen and Aegis flying back into the forest, branches snapping under their impact.
"You are not… calming down," Typhon hissed, eyes glowing with a dangerous light.
(Inside Typhon's mind…)"Stop. Now." Bellerophon's voice echoed telepathically, sharp and commanding."They. Are. Mine."
With that, Typhon withdrew, his form vanishing as suddenly as it appeared, leaving the forest eerily silent.
Ryosen coughed, still catching his breath, staring after the retreating figure. "Wait… what? He just… snapped his fingers and disappeared?"
Aegis exhaled slowly, brushing dirt off his armor. "Yeah… and that wasn't even his full strength."
Ryosen clenched his fists, golden aura flickering in the dim forest light. "Then… we need to be ready. Next time, we won't get lucky."
Aegis nodded, eyes scanning the horizon. "Agreed. And next time… we strike first."
The forest was quiet again, but both warriors knew the storm was far from over. Somewhere north, Typhon was already preparing his next move.
Ryosen rubbed his forehead, then glanced down at a small, folded note in his pocket, sent by Ketsuki.
"Big brother… don't forget, even heroes need to come home safe. And bring snacks."
He chuckled softly, the tension easing just a little. "Yeah… we'll make it back. We always do."
Aegis smirked faintly. "And when we do, that Haven of Six will be even stronger."
Together, they began moving north again, ready for whatever awaited.