"What do you mean, they are nothing! Can't you see they are coming to crush us?!" Asari yelled absurdly, pointing at the oncoming Gronjar herd.
"Please don't worry, sir! I deal with these beasts daily, so don't worry about me or yourselves. But first... what is the reason for your visit to Araniga, sir?"
"I came to visit a friend! And you need to hurry up because these cursed things are coming!"
"Sir, please don't worry. Just let me record these things, your full name, the number of visitors with you, and how long you will be staying."
The man pulled a notepad and pen from his pocket. The Gronjars were approaching fast, Asari's nerves were shredded, and now this man was looking at him with the most irritatingly neat smile he had ever seen.
"Are you insane!! I told you these cursed things are coming—"
The Gronjar's sound shook the space around Asari and the entire cart. Asari felt suffocated just hearing that deep, heavy sound.
"Don't worry, sir... they've arrived~"
A confident, arrogant smile spread across the man's face. His raptor picked up speed and advanced ahead of Asari's cart.
Asari watched closely. The man closed the distance between himself and the Gronjar herd, and when he vanished into the huge cloud of dust, something exploded from within, clearing all the surrounding dust.
A bright, silvery aura, shining like the sky, rose from the man's body. A Gronjar charged out, significantly bigger than the previous one, but the man didn't back down. He looked deep into its eyes and leaped high.
Two flips in the air were followed by a reverse hammer kick that made the Gronjar's strong, spiky scales tremble, sending it crashing deep into the earth.
The man was unaffected and unharmed. He returned to his dinosaur, stood on its back, and bowed toward Asari, smiling.
"Kyle Philip, a member of the Araniga Border Special Unit, at your service, sir~"
Before Kyle could raise his head, another Gronjar burst out from underground, right behind him. Kyle delivered a fast back punch, throwing the Gronjar a short distance—a move impossible given the monster's size.
Asari was stunned by Kyle's movements and immense physical power. Even Luka didn't have this kind of raw strength, and Luka was the strongest fighter Asari had ever faced physically.
Kyle's kicks were sending every Gronjar flying, and his punches made their terrifying calls turn into screams. In the middle of all that noise and tension, Kyle remained smiling, as if this was routine.
After the Gronjar herd was scattered, Kyle's dinosaur backed up and walked beside Asari's cart. Kyle's look at Asari held the same irritating smile, but Asari was too shocked by what he had seen, his eyes practically bugging out of his sockets.
"What was that?"
"What do you mean, sir?~"
"Don't mess with me! What did you do! How could you hit and push the Gronjar away like that! That's not supposed to be possible! What is this terrifying power!"
"Oh, you mean the Enza, sir? We all have it. And judging by that sword on your waist, you use it too, so why the surprise?"
"Enza? This is another level! No matter how much Einza you use to boost your physical ability, you wouldn't reach this level of power! Your strikes are as strong as a Soul Tamer's attack!"
"Is this your first visit to Araniga, sir?"
"I...?"
Asari wanted to answer, but all the momentum he had was gone. Kyle's gaze was unsettling, making Asari wary of his next words.
"Thank you for your help... I think we will continue alone from here."
"I apologize, sir, but I cannot allow that~"
"And why is that?" Asari's hand moved toward Wind Path. The atmosphere between them thickened, and silence fell for a moment. With that look on Kyle's face, Asari was ready to cut his throat at any second, but Kyle smiled and said
"Because the road ahead is still dangerous. Yes, you have entered Araniga's borders, but from here to our beloved, beautiful city of Arigo, the road is full of beasts. My conscience won't allow me to leave you alone and go back."
"Well... this is..."
"Don't worry, sir. We are allowed to leave our posts for emergencies, and I think you are an emergency. Therefore, I will accompany you."
"Thank you..."
"I mean... a group of people, all in miserable shape, one of them is wanted, and the other is the Princess of Argon. Of course, you are an emergency~"
Asari's hand was trembling. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to draw his sword and end Kyle's life, but that smile on Kyle's face made him realize
"If I draw this sword now... we will all die."
Asari continued his journey in complete stiffness. He didn't move or look toward Kyle. He only heard the sound of Kyle's happy humming, unafraid of anything.
Indeed, Asari and Kyle encountered many strange creatures around the outskirts of Araniga, all of them distorted versions of natural beings.
Some looked like praying mantises but were huge with massive fangs. Others resembled ants, but merely touching your skin would cause it to instantly decay. But Kyle knew how to handle all of them, and if dealing with them was hard, he simply eliminated them.
The journey continued until the cart suddenly shook violently from the back. Asari turned in astonishment and tension, while Kyle looked surprised.
Someone jumped from the cart, ripped the cloth covering it from above, and landed inside again, causing the entire horse and cart to shake. He yelled
"Luka! He's back!"
Luka poked his head out through the torn cloth. Asari saw him immediately, annoyance showing on his face, and Kyle smiled at Luka.
"Hey, driver! There's no way we haven't reached Araniga yet! I'm hungry, and eating helps me recover faster, so hurry up!!"
"Weren't you dead? What woke you up, you nuisance! Get back inside, sleep, and don't bother me! And I am not the driver."
Before Luka could reply, Rem popped his head out from under Luka, looking confused.
"Master... haven't we reached Araniga yet? My sister is getting annoyed with the cart, and I also need to stretch my legs a bit to get rid of this stiffness and exhaustion!"
Asari lost his patience and exploded, shouting at both of them: "Do you think I delayed on purpose, huh?! While you two were sleeping, we were about to die! Maybe you should stop complaining, or I swear I'll throw you both off this cart right now!"
Kyle laughed loudly, tears streaming from his eyes from the intensity of his laughter. Rem, Asari, and Luka stared at him until he finally stopped, and then Luka pointed at him and looked at Asari confusedly.
"Who is that?"
Asari extended his hand toward Kyle and replied with annoyance, his eyes closed: "This is Kyle. He's escorting us to Araniga. Don't talk to him much, don't bother him, and stay inside."
Rem and Luka were confused, but they didn't object to Asari's words. Before Rem put his head back inside the cart, Kyle spoke:
"You really are a funny bunch! It looks like traveling with you is going to be fun. I haven't laughed like this in a long time. I never heard from King Rodan that you were so amusing."
This time, no one spoke. No one had time to speak. Rem drew the Judgment Blade and aimed a slicing strike at Kyle's neck, but Kyle easily dodged and let out a small laugh.
Rem leaped out of the cart, and with that single jump, the distance between him, the cart, and Kyle widened. Kyle watched Rem behind him.
Rem closed the distance between himself and the dinosaur in the blink of an eye, leaving only a trail of rising dust behind him.
Before the sweat drop falling from Rem's forehead could hit the ground, the Judgment Blade sliced through it and headed toward Kyle's neck again.
This time, Kyle grabbed the edge of the Judgment Blade, and Rem felt the heat of the fist heading toward his chest. The moment the punch met Rem's body, the curse aura exploded from Rem's chest.
The Echo he created in Arashia absorbed all the Einza flowing in that punch and directed it toward the Judgment Blade's aura. His attack was with intent to kill
Nevertheless, Rem felt a coldness in his body, as if his blood had stopped flowing.
Inhale. Asari appeared and stood on the swaying tail of the dinosaur—for Asari's speed, the tail was motionless. Exhale. Rem was thrown back inside the cart, holding his chest and writhing in pain, while Asari returned to the driver's seat.
Kyle understood the atmosphere and turned his gaze back to the road. Luka was shocked and didn't utter a word, and Asari didn't speak because if he did, he would attack, and if he attacked, Kyle would mock him, and Asari knew that perfectly well.
The city of Arigo appeared far in the distance. A slight feeling of relief lifted the weight from Asari's chest caused by Kyle's presence.
Arigo was the major city of the Araniga Nation, like Korara City for Dingo and Arashia City for Arashia. Like the other cities, it was crowded with people.
Araniga's cold desert climate made all the residents wear heavy clothes and cover their faces against the strong dust storms, but the central market was still packed.
Araniga was a tourist attraction because it was full of ancient artifacts buried under the dense sands, and tourists came from various nations to see them, so its market was always full.
The cart passed through tourists, beautiful goods, and ornate pottery. Everyone poked their heads out of the sides of the cart, astonished by the wonders of Arigo City.
As soon as Kyle's dinosaur stopped, everyone got out of the cart. The area was narrow, and they were all bumping into each other. Rem held his little sister's hand, and everyone stayed close.
"So, I guess your journey is over, everyone... therefore—"
Asari, Rem, and Luka held their breath. The next word would decide whether they would fight in the middle of the city or leave in peace.
The setting wasn't right, as citizens were everywhere, yet Asari didn't think such things would stop Kyle standing before them.
Everyone touched their swords. Luka checked his five armbands: his right and left hands, his right and left feet, and his neck... his neck necklace was missing.
Luka searched around but couldn't find it. Then he spotted something among the crowd: his necklace was in someone's hand.
Luka felt his heart drop, and with the most absurd expression, Luka pointed at the person and yelled
"A Thief!"