Octavius frowned at the reveal. "This is bad."
Anisa cleaned away her tears. "I'm going to find them and kill them for touching Cairo."
Paolo nodded. "I'll go with you, it's safer to have all of us together."
"That won't be necessary."
A figure got thrown to their feet, all eyes widening. Cairo's fur was dyed in blood, eyes unfocused. Yulia and Alexandrite hovered over the animal, smiles on their faces.
"Take your goat, he isn't needed anymore," Alexandrite said.
"Cairo!" Anisa shouted, flinging herself on her pet.
Paolo frowned. "Who are you people?"
"We're members of the Ichi Army here to kill you and the royal family," Yulia said.
Paolo pulled the prince behind him while Anisa hugged Cairo tightly, glaring at the members of the Ichi Army.
"Why did you hurt Cairo?"
Yulia smiled. "We found him walking around town, so we tried to force the goat to show us your location, but he was stubborn."
<"Show us where your owners are and we promise to let you go," Yulia said. "We'll even throw you a snack."
The goat shook its head. Alexandrite grabbed its head, glaring down at it. "Then I'll make you tell us."
Yulia and Alexandrite continuously hit him, but he didn't let out a single sound, his loyalty unbreakable.>
"Luckily, we found you ourselves…the stupid goat was useless in the end."
Anisa's pupils dilated, her grip on her pet goat getting tighter. "How dare you!"
"Anisa no," Aziz shouted.
But it was too late, his sister charged towards them. Alexandrite smirked, raising his finger high. "Got you."
The ground exploded, all eyes widening as Anisa fell to the ground. The sound of the explosion ignited panic on the streets, people running around in fear of getting caught in an explosion.
Aziz stepped forward. "Anisa!"
Paolo and Octavius tried to help, but a bomb whizzed in their direction, exploding midair. The two forcefully got blown away and Alexandrite grabbed Anisa by the neck. "I am a member of the New Artis Clan, creating bombs and explosives is my forte. You'll never be able to beat me."
"Let my sister go," Aziz snapped running towards him.
Paolo coughed, standing to his feet. "Your highness, no!"
A bomb torpedoed past his ears towards the bookshop behind them. Aziz watched with wide eyes as the building collapsed on Paolo and Octavius.
Alexandrite laughed loudly. "Yulia, deal with the prince."
Aziz stepped forward in retaliation, but Yulia wrung him by the neck. He clawed at her hand, but she refused to let go. "Don't be so worried little prince, we're not going to kill you yet. We're going to give royalty a fitting death."
"Let's say this is payback for what you did to Ariel during the exam," Alexandrite said. "You may be from the God Clan, but you're too weak to take on the Ichi Army."
"Let's throw one last bomb for the road," Yulia said.
Alexandrite smirked, flinging a bomb into the destroyed building. Aziz's eyes widened at the sight of the exploding bomb, struggling in Yulia's grip.
"Paolo!"
The two turned around with their hostages in hand.
"Let's go, Yulia."
...
Alexandrite threw the royals in front of Abrielle and Hugo at the back of the island that had nothing but trees.
"Here you go," Alexandrite said.
Abrielle smiled. "You've done a good job. Once the people I used my mind control get here, we'll start the show."
"It's really useful having a member of the Burg Clan," Yulia said.
Abrielle smirked. "Of course, our psychic powers are top notch."
Alexandrite snapped his fingers, a giant podium rising in front of them. At the same time, Shinzo and Luna walked into the forest. Abrielle pushed them to the ground and placed cuffs on their wrists before snapping her fingers.
Shinzo and Luna blinked, examining their surroundings. They frowned at the metal wrapped around their wrists then at the giant podium with a timer of fifteen minutes on it.
Luna spotted the royals. "Your highness, I thought you were with Paolo."
Yulia laughed interrupting them. "You mean your friend, we already finished him off not too long ago. It was very easy."
Shinzo laughed, his laugh borderline hysterical. "Is that so?"
Abrielle stretched her hands. "Let's start the show, shall we?"
In a few minutes, the crew alongside the royals had been placed on the podium.
"What is this?" Aziz asked.
"This is a pillar created by the greatness that is the New Artis Clan. In fifteen minutes, you idiots will be blown to bits alongside the island as a show that the Ichi Army is here to stay."
...
Underneath the rubble that was formerly the bookshop, Paolo and Octavius lay injured, panting heavily. Both had received the full brunt of the attack, their hair, face and clothes dripping with blood.
Paolo reached for his Islamic cap that lay in front of him. "O-Octavius, are we going to let them get away with this?"
Octavius put a piece of candy in his mouth. "No way in hell."
Cairo bleated, digging Paolo and Octavius out of the rubble of the book store. Paolo looked at the goat, eyes blurred. "You're angry to right Cairo?"
The goat bleated loudly in response and Paolo grinned, fixing the cap back on his head. "Then…I think it's time we show them our wrath."
Cairo bleated and Octavius' response was immediate.
"Damn right, captain."