Back at Carriage 7, in the meantime;
Ayush paced near the window, with his fists clenching and unclenching. The frustration on his face was obvious; his body practically buzzed with the urge to move, to strike, to help someone, anyone in the same carriage. But Isolde's voice echoed in his mind: Don't engage. Don't provoke unnecessary casualties.
He forced himself still.
On the opposite side of the cabin, Arceus sat unmoving, legs crossed, head slightly bowed. He might have stopped himself because of Isolde's reminder of casualties, but he hasn't given up. His eyes were closed in what looked like meditation, but his posture was too sharp, too prepared, like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
Isolde stayed close to Elysia, her arms around her sister in a protective half-embrace. Elysia's trembling had subsided, but fear still lingered in every inch of her posture. She kept casting anxious glances at the door.
And Xerx…
Xerx had barely shifted since the hijack began.
He sat beside the window, as if he were almost detached by the scene. His expression remained blank. Just like always.
The silence was broken when the cabin door slammed open with a violent bang, one more time.
The masked bandit from earlier, the one who had shot Isolde, stood in the doorway, breathing hard, sweat glistening on his forehead despite the cool air from the vents. His gaze swept over the five of them before locking onto Elysia.
"Well now…" His tone dripped with malicious amusement. "Looks like the pretty one missed me."
He leaned forward to grab Elysia's wrist, once again, while hissing out aloud. "Come with me, elf. My boss seemed to be interested in you."
Just then, Isolde acted. This time, she didn't let him take her hostage. She shoved him back with her palm. "Touch her again, and I'll take your hand." She growled as the man struck his back to the wall.
The man blinked in surprise at first before he growled in response. "Boys, come here..."
Two more men stormed into the doorway in the instant he called out; this time, they were armed with steel daggers rather than the cannons, which were merely hanging behind their backs.
"Sir?"
"Kill this one..." the leader ordered. "These damned elves need to be taught a lesson."
Isolde didn't hesitate to defend. Her hand moved to her waist, and a thin blade flashed into her grip. She stepped forward to intercept the first attacker.
*Ting*
Their blades clanged, sparks flying.
The second lunged immediately.
Right then, Ayush made his move.
He didn't have a weapon in his hand, but he didn't need one. He ducked under a slash, pivoted, and drove a solid punch into the attacker's jaw. The man crashed into the wall with a growl, but he wasn't down yet.
A dagger then grazed Isolde's shoulder, wounding her. She hissed and retaliated with a clean slash to her opponent's thigh, forcing him back. At the same time, her instant healing closed the wound.
Elysia backed toward the wall, panic stealing her breath.
Just as the leader took the opportunity to attack Ayush, Xerx thought in his head as his finger clicked on the Pet inventory that opened before him.
"Come out, Micro..."
*Screech*
A screech filled the cabin out of nowhere before a Microraptor materialized above Xerx.
It was the size of an adult, barely around 40cm big, with a slim body, and had four wings-feathers on both arms and legs, making it look like a flying squirrel with extra wings at one glance. Opening its small snout rather than a beak, the flying reptile showed its sharp teeth as it screeched again, releasing a sonic wave and striking the leader without any warning.
The leader blasted away and crashed into the wall once again
Ayush and Isolde both turned, widening their eyes in surprise...
But before they came out of this surprise, Arceus stood. And then turned into a blur.
Two daggers left his hands at impossible speeds. The first struck the leader's wrist, slicing deep enough to force his fingers open. The second buried itself in the man's other hand, knocking his dagger away.
The leaders staggered back, screaming in pain and fury.
"You..."
Arceus's figure blurred again.
Before the man could react, Arceus grabbed his head and dragged the dagger across his throat with a clean, brutal stroke.
Blood sprayed across the cabin wall in an arc.
Everyone froze.
Isolde's blade paused mid-swing.
The two other attackers also faltered.
Ayush's eyes widened.
Even Xerx, though still expressionless, focused more sharply.
Arceus didn't stop, though.
His voice dropped to a whisper, "Soulbinding: Abyss Echo."
Dark smoke then erupted from the daggers, swirling like living shadows. A ghostly violet aura enveloped the blade, and for a brief moment, a distorted silhouette, a spirit-like form, rose behind Arceus.
Xerx thought, "That should be Ifrit."
The remaining attackers panicked.
"Run..." One of them said. They tried to get away, but Arceus didn't let them get away. With a motion of his hand, the silhouette behind him shot out chains of dark energy and grabbed the two bandits. And then he proceeded to cut their throats one after another.
Silence engulfed the cabin.
Blood pooled near the door, spreading toward their feet. Elysia collapsed back onto the seat, trembling uncontrollably. Isolde's breaths came fast and shallow, her eyes locked on Arceus in wariness. She grabbed her sister in reflex.
Ayush stared at the bodies scattered across the floor, then at Arceus, who calmly wiped his daggers clean on a fallen attacker's shirt.
"What the hell was that?" Isolde whispered, trying not to scream. "This isn't your first kill, right?"
Arceus didn't answer.
He sheathed his daggers and then walked toward the door.
"Wait, where are you going?" Isolde called after him.
Arceus didn't even turn fully but replied. "To kill the ringleader."
Ayush's eyes narrowed. "This boy… he killed them like they were nothing. And that power, what was that?"
Xerx stayed seated the entire time, watching Arceus's back as he left the cabin. He didn't react much, except for dismissing his summon and sending it back to his pet inventory.
However, one thing became clear for Xerx. This Arceus surely is someone worthy to befriend.
*
Outside the Train;
Captain Wave Rider shifted his attention to the youngest of the group, "Link, you stick with me. Every time I use the sound wave, you shall amplify it and focus on compressing its range to focus on just the leader."
"Understood."
"Klaus, you have the most important job. Once we secure the targets, you leave with them." "You can leave it to me, Cap."
The captain then turned toward the bubbly-looking woman, "And Slimey, in case the villain tries to act against the targets, I need you to protect them."
Slime Queen replied, "I will cover them with my body, adding a layer of security before our 'Blink Nexus' teleports us away."
"Good," nodded the team leader before finally shifting his attention to an old man, "Master Andre, I'll leave the mana barrier to you."
The old man, aged 65, with freckles and scars all over his body, turned his head to look at the barrier placed all over the train. "The thickness isn't much. I can cut it with my sword."
"How about separating the carriage by cutting the joints to other carriages?" The woman in a jumpsuit suggested. "I can create a boulder and then push it away."
The captain grabbed his chin to think for a bit and shook his head, "We need to keep public property damage to a minimum. Not to mention, you have to capture the bandits in case they flee. Even if it is not our mission, we can still score some bonuses for the service."
"Okay…"
*Clap* Clap*
"Okay, get ready to move. We only have one try. So, don't mess up, guys."
Mary was the first to act, placing her hands on the ground.