"What?"
It was the question that passed through all the students at that instant.
"Did I stutter?" Mares asked, walking to the middle of the group. "What? Do you think you can do anything as any of you are now? So that I will have to save you all again?"
The six members of the Battle Crow Academy looked at each other, not sure of what they should say or think. It was Lhian that finally said something to Mares.
"Do you have any suggestions of what we should do sir? Because we already let it very clear that none of us are backing down now."
Lhian's expression was serious, looking ready to discuss with Mares if he said something along the lines of letting him do all the work. However, she didn't believe that would be the case, after all, they had already gone through the whole discussion of going back or not. She imagines the silver-eyed was trying to bring up something different, she just failed to think what could be.
Since they could not see through Mares' mask, they did not see the smile on his lips.
'I am not sure if this will work, but I am eager to see. Even if it fails, I am proud of my Mars for thinking so out of the box.'
Esen was floating around, excited to see something new, something that had positive chances of being a first in the known history of the whole universe. In summary, her grin was much bigger than Mares'.
"I do. It could either be amazing and new, or foolish and dangerous. So, who is interested in going first?"
His word slowly sinks into the group. Though his words seemed playful, Mares' tone was anything but. Indeed, not even he was sure of what could happen. He might even be taking quite a risk with this proposal. Still, it was either this or go fight the beasts with a group that was clearly not ready for them.
Luo took a step to his front.
"Let's try it, boss."
There was only excitement and expectation in his eyes.
"Luo, are you sure?"
Winna asked, with a worried frown on her forehead. To reassure her, the humanoid wolf gave her a reassuring smile.
"Anything boss can throw at me I can take it. I am sure of it."
Since he was not backing down, no one in his group said anything else. Lhian as well knew it was not up to her to interfere in the decision, and she was very curious about what the masked one was planning.
Mares stretched his hand and after a few seconds, Luo did the same. They were basically handshaking
A layer of Astral Energy formed around the silver-eyed. At first moment it was faint but it kept growing brighter and brighter until it was as bright as his eyes. That by itself was enough to surprise all the students since it wasn't usual for a warrior to cover themselves with their Astral Energy, mainly because for warriors it was just a waste of energy.
Their energy was optimized to be used internally and through techniques, they were not as capable of projecting it in a raw manner, as Mares was currently doing.
But the surprise didn't stop there.
The aura around Mares was slowly moving towards Luo's hand, entering his arms.
"What is happening?"
Venissino asked Calon, that shrugged, just as cluelessly as his friend.
"Are you…"
Luo started and then widened his eyes, finally realizing what the silver-eyed was doing, because differently from the others, he could feel the change.
It was subtle and small, but there was still a change. Slowly but surely, Luo's reserves of Astral Energy seemed to increase, even if by just a short amount, like if a bit more water was added to a cup that already had some of it.
It wasn't such a large amount, at least yet, that would make a huge difference at the moment, but it was still making a difference. Then, on a larger scale, it could make even more of a difference.
They stayed around two minutes like that, but it was already too much for Mares. He let go of Luo's hand and stepped back, with his aura disappearing. Behind the mask, he was palling and sweating.
'Well, this was reckless. Should have imagined that the negative consequences would be for you…'
Esen had her right elbow above her left hand, supporting her arm as her right hand was on her chin. She had a thoughtful expression, not satisfied with how much effort it had taken Mares to do a transfer.
'How to optimize it? How to make it take less of a burden to my Mars?'
As these types of things passed through the white-haired mind, Luo explained what happened to the group.
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
Everyone but Venissino and Luo screamed.
"You guys can be in shock however much you want, but facts are facts." Luo said. "If you let the boss do it, you will feel it."
He said with a shrug. Since the change was currently wasn't as groundbreaking, the only way for them to notice it, was if they took part in it themselves.
"Wait a minute!" Before anyone could take a step forward and try, Lhian raised her voice with concern. "We have to be sensible. Even if Luo is correct there might have some type of price or negative consequence, or maybe is just temporary."
She raised her points, and while Clest, Luo, and Venissino seemed uncertain, Winna and Calon agreed with the silver-blue-haired.
"As good as this sounds, it shouldn't even be possible to be done. We have to be careful, even if just a little bit. We don't even know if it is possible to do it right now again."
Her words were reasonable enough for the group, letting them calm down on their excitement. Finally, they looked back at the one that had started all this, to notice that he had sat down on a rock.
"Are you ok?"
Lhian asked, realizing that some of her worries looked like to be coming true.
"It is a bit more tiring than I assumed it would be. We should get going, we can keep doing this as we go."
The silver-eyed said, as he got up and started walking in the direction they were going before his interruption.
"Think whatever you can pump into us is gonna be enough for the fight, boss?"
Clest asked, without batting an eye, while all her friends stopped groaning and Lhian looked at her with widened eyes.
Mares was quiet for a brief moment before replying.
"Please don't put it like that."
He resigned his walking, with the group after him.
"How do you think the boss increased your reserves? I mean, besides, giving you energy."
Calon whispered to Luo.
"I don't know. He looks… tired though."
He replied a bit uncertain. Mares' mask and cape made it that it wasn't so easy to read him. At least his general movements and speech manage to give them a rough idea.
"I doubt that even in this situation he would pay a crippling price to save us either way. How he does do it? I don't know and I don't care, he is helping us, so I am following him till the end of this."
The determination burned in not only Luo's but the whole group's eyes. They were nervous of course, but they had the chance to do better than they did last time, surrounded and fastly defeated. Even in the worst-case scenario, they would only have to hold on until the academy shows up.
The six students, even Lhian, all felt the same. The tension before the battle and the excitement to be going into it.
Meanwhile, Mares had the same question as they all did.
'How could I do that?'
He asked Esen, as even if it was his own power, Mares had no clue in how that worked.
'I had considered the possibility, but I didn't actually think…' At first, she seemed to be talking with herself, then she shook her head and answered Mares. 'Remember how every soul, and by extension, Astral Energy, has form?'
'They do?'
Esen rolled her eyes and continued.
'Yes, my sweet Mars, they do. I will help you to see it.'
In his mind, Esen's eyes started to shine as some Astral Energy covered them. Thanks to their connection, just as she could see things through Mares' eyes, he could see it through hers.
As he was talking with Esen, the others went ahead of him, so he had all six in his field of vision.
In Lhian's place was what looked like a statue, but of silver-blue crystals that shined.
In Luo's place walked a wolf with a huge moon hanging above him.
In Winna's place, there was a green silhouette of a female form with green tornados moving around her spread-out wings.
Calon's was harder to understand, but it seemed to be a gray fog, with multiple lights moving around.
In Venissino's place, it was a mass of what seemed like a walking dark liquid with his exact same silhouette. If Mares was in front of him, he would also notice that in the place of his mouth, there was a reptile-like mouth, with huge fangs.
And in Clest's place was a vague figure that seemed to be constantly trying to move, never staying still.
'So?'
Esen asked as she stopped the aura around her eyes.
'Is this something your whole clan can do?'
To her beloved question, Esen shocked her head.
'I don't know why, but in the whole history of my clan, only I was born with this ability.'
Even Esen wasn't sure about the reason why she could see others' souls.
'That's interesting. But what it has to do with my question?'
'Mars, when we first meet, when I saw you, what made me most shocked was your soul. It has no form.'
That made the silver-eyed stop in his tracks.
'What do you mean?'
'It simply… lacked a form, it wasn't distinct it just looked like a conglomerate of energy. It still probably does. I can't see it unless you look into a mirror or something that can show your reflection.'
Mares slowly nodded and went back to walking.
'Let me guess now. Because it has no form, I can either take or give any type of Astral Energy.'
Esen excitedly nodded her head.
'Exactly! You have no idea how amazing this even is Mars! Hehe, as expected, my Mars is so unique!'
She was happily floating around, with a huge grim full of smugness.
Mares, however, did not share the same feeling now.
'Hey, Es. Do you think that my soul is like this because of what they did with my body?'
He asked uncertainly.
Esen stopped floating and put on a serious expression.
'Simply impossible Mars. Doesn't matter how impressive or powerful their technology and means are, there is simply no way they had something that could change a soul to such an extent. If they could there would already be an army of you.'
She explained while shocking her head.
That relieved Mares a little bit. It gave him some reassurance that, even with the massive changes that were made to his body, to some extent he was still himself. There was a part of him that could not be touched, changed, or affected.
But there were still some major implications that the two decided to not touch, at least for now…
'Any chance I can see what your soul looks like?'
He asked curiously.
Esen simply laughed.
'Who knows?'