The middle-aged man's face was carefully blank even as reprimanding words left his mouth. "Don't be preposterous, young man. You don't know what you're talking about." His eyes were chillingly cold, veins bulging from his forehead.
A familiar voice rang out, "On the contrary, I believe what he stated was absolutely correct." So Jiwoo appeared more battered than before, but stood straight with his gaze firmly fixed on Bai Yu. Behind him were roughly two dozen other Arcadia members with varying degrees of injuries. Each person had a grim expression on their face.
Bak Soomin emerged from the back of the group, quickly rejoined Nox and the rest. "He seemed to be on top of everything despite arriving late to the scene," she lowered her voice to explain. "They already dealt with most of the people over there by the time I arrived."
The brick buildings that formed Arcadia's base spanned over the entire closed off community; the distance from one side to the other was not short. Yet So Jiwoo had already started to fight his way across...
Bai Yu's gaze sharpened and he let out a harsh whistle, summoning his close aids. As if they had been in the shadows waiting for his call, a dozen members quickly surrounded Bai Yu in a protective circle.
Lei leaned over to whisper to Nox, "Are we seeing the beginning of a coup?"
His mouth twitched, "It should be more of a power struggle." Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the uncertain members group together. Even the Serpents paused their efforts to watch the drama.
"Oh," Lei leaned back, slightly disappointed.
Claude scrutinized Bai Yu with a frown. Nox could see the turbulent emotions running through his eyes, restrained enough that other people wouldn't be able to read them easily. "Did you see this happen with your ability?"
"... I didn't see So Jiwoo in my visions," Claude stopped, rolling the forgotten orb around with his fingers. "But I became acquainted with him prior to the time I saw."
Bak Soomin frowned, "What are you saying?"
The upward curve of Claude's mouth didn't match his cold eyes. "If everything had gone according to plan, Bai Yu would've killed So Jiwoo today."
A shiver collectively ran down everyone's spines. Death was no longer a foreign concept to them, but when it came to personal acquaintances, it felt like a looming storm that would inevitably arrive. As if an invisible scythe rested against their throat, waiting to take their own life away when the time came.
Li Zemin rubbed his arms in an attempt to dispel the goosebumps he got. "Fuck, that's messed up."
Liam frowned. "He's a bad person." The blond haired boy turned to Nox proudly, "Roscoe stole a lot of items from him."
Nox: "..." Seeing the small face expecting praise, he unhesitatingly gave it. "Good job."
"Erekeke!" Roscoe puffed out his fur proudly.
"So Jiwoo, is this your way of declaring war?" Bai Yu raised his head, releasing his aura freely.
So Jiwoo didn't rise to his taunt, but the younger man's aura spread across his own people to protect them from Bai Yu's demanding pressure. Still, some of their faces became pale. "Who betrayed this organization first, you know fully well," So Jiwoo responded lightly.
Bai Yu refused to back down. "The Serpents crashing though our defenses can only be an orchestrated attempt. You willingly volunteered to go into the trial with those outsiders so the blame wouldn't be pinned on you!"
Some people on the sidelines dumbly nodded in agreement.
"I'm not the one who organizes patrols on the east side of the base," So Jiwoo replied calmly. "According to witnesses, that's where the Serpents broke through."
More people nodded at So Jiwoo's words.
Everyone knew that the two leaders were in charge of different sections of the base. So Jiwoo was in charge of the west side patrols, and Bai Yu took command of the east. So Jiwoo was also in charge of distributing supplies and making sure the base ran smoothly while Bai Yu usually took teams into trials and dealt with loot distribution.
"The timing of your trial was too coincidental," Bai Yu sneered, "Since when have you actively participated in that sort of thing!"
A woman next to Bai Yu chimed in, "Exactly! Everyone knows that you don't enter trials if you don't have to!" Her wavy curls were flung over her shoulder as she unhesitantly scolded So Jiwoo. "Don't you have any shame? Quickly admit your betrayal and deal with the consequences!"
This time, displeasured murmurs rose from the crowd.
A short haired woman with a tan complexion standing next to Victor laughed loudly. "Vanessa, you really have no brains!"
Vanessa glared at the woman, "Jing, your little tricks won't work here." She let out a suffering sigh, "Of course, I understand we have been at odds since Bai Yu took a fancy to me instead of you, but really..." She shook her head in disapproval, looking at Jing with pity in her eyes. "Don't be blinded by power. Jiwoo won't even look at you even if you stand with him now!"
Jing gaped in disbelief at the words coming out of Vanessa's mouth. "You... you really lost your mind," she said blankly, trying to makes heads or tails of what the other woman just said.
They had been friends before- not the closest of friends, but when the Eclipse occurred they were glad to find some degree of comfort in a familiar person. After arriving at Arcadia, Vanessa jumped into Bai Yu's arms at the first opportunity she found. The middle-aged man made Jing feel unnerved, but when she told Vanessa the woman had interpreted her concern as jealously.
"If it's like this, then let's not have anything to do with each other in the future!" she raged, slamming the door in Jing's face. "I don't need another fox next to me!"
Since she was wary of Bai Yu, Jing naturally asked to be assigned under So Jiwoo instead; the people there were not like the cunning sharp-eyed people that followed Bai Yu. Oh, they were cunning all right- but they had a much firmer bottom line and the atmosphere was much more lively.
Now, Jing's uneasy speculations had been proven right.
She saw Bai Yu's closest confidant talk with the guards at the gate earlier; the two ability users had nodded in confusion and left the gates unguarded. She saw the gate being opened, and the group of people waiting on the other side ready to cause chaos.
Quietly, she tailed the confidant back to Bai Yu and hid in a corner behind one of the heavy wooden crates that held canned food.
"It's done?" Bai Yu asked.
The confidant nodded, "They will start on our signal."
Bai Yu nodded in approval. "Good. It's a shame So Jiwoo is't personally here to witness his team being taken out, but I suppose I can deal with him later."
"That..." the confidant hesitated, "Boss, what about the other members?" He was referring to the ones without a specific allegiance.
Bai Yu turned around to look at the gathering gray clouds with his hands behind his back. "They don't matter," he said impassively. "Once I have complete control over Arcadia, they won't know anything they don't need to. As for anyone that does..." A ruthless light shone in his eyes. "I'll deal with them then."
The confidant smiled, "The Prince will be very pleased if this is successful."
Bai Yu's expression froze and he turned to the confidant, his body tense, "I hope you'll provide a satisfactory report for him."
The confidant smiled and bowed. "If you play your role well, I'll play mine. May the blessings of his Malevolent Majesty shine down upon you."
Bai Yu echoed the statement, turning back to look at the window one more time before leaving with the confidant in tow.
Jing squatted in the corner, not daring to make a single move until they were far away. Her heart was beating violently in her chest, echoing loudly in her mind. In her hand, her phone had yet to stop recording.
And for a split second when Bai Yu had turned away, the pristine collar of his shirt had shifted- revealing a crown of black spikes on the back of his neck.
Jing didn't dare to stay in the room any longer in case they came back. She quickly peeked outside to check that the coast was clear and ran back to the west side.
***
So Jiwoo extended a hand, nodding to Jing.
Nervously, she placed her phone in his hand and watched with some trepidation as he found the recording and played it for everyone to hear, turning up the volume to its max.
Nox leaned against Claude and enjoyed the show, watching Bai Yu's face turn white, then red, and slowly become an unsightly shade of purple.
Claude nudged him with an elbow. "Stand up properly."
Nox ignored him, raising his eyebrows at Lei and Li Zemin. "Popcorn?"
"Popcorn," they chimed simultaneously. Bak Soomin released a long sigh, while Liam and Roscoe exchanged looks of confusion.
The entertainment from watching Bai Yu's blatant lies be exposed was short-lasting but satisfying.
Now stripped of his pretentious image, Bai Yu wasted no time in attacking. "Wipe them all out!" he roared, eyes glowing red. "Kill them if you have to!"
Claude paused at the unusual aura in the air, then raised an arm to block their group from going over to assist. "Something's wrong with him."
"Chichii!" Kuna agreed, jumping onto Claude's shoulder.
Nox stared at his phantom familiar acting friendly with Claude with a frown, but dismissed the odd feeling as his imagination. "What's wrong then?"
Liam instinctively glanced up at the sky, then tugged on Lei's hoodie urgently. "Up there."
"Huh?" Lei followed Liam's line of sight, gasping in astonishment. "Brother, look at that!"
The sky had already been dense with storm clouds, strong winds sweeping through their surroundings to announce the incoming downpour.
Kabam!
Lightning flickered in the clouds, flashes traveling quickly through the gray sky. The sound of thunder followed, synchronizing with the bright crackle of lightning; it highlighted the ominous sensation in the sky.
In the midst of the storm, a swirling red energy appeared, releasing a giant burst of aura.
Nox squinted as he watched the vast expansion of the jagged aura dominate the sky. This wasn't good.
The energy continued to swirl together until a crimson ball appeared suspended in the sky, then it shot straight down onto Bai Yu.
Everyone let out startled gasps, scrambling away from the scene. Even the people around Bai Yu were forced back by the tremendous pressure, some sent flying off their feet.
"!" Nox watched as the energy was absorbed in the back of Bai Yu's neck, the violent aura ripping apart the latter's shirt, exposing the familiar sun-like symbol resting there.
Instead of its normal black and red coloring, the mark was glowing in a pure crimson state, greedily absorbing all of the energy. When the last of the energy disappeared, Bai Yu collapsed onto the ground.
"Boss!"
"Bai Yu!"
It happened too fast for anyone to stop it. The exposed mark throbbed against Bai Yu's skin before it abruptly expanded, wrapping around the older man's torso and extending its spikes. The center of the symbol rested in the middle of his back. When the transformation finished, Bai Yu opened his glowing, blood-red eyes. and staggered onto his feet, swinging his crazed gaze around.
So Jiwoo instinctively took a step back, his entire body warning him to get away from the individual in front of him. He rebelled against the feeling, observing the other man stagger onto his feet unsteadily.
At this point, Bai Yu's normal appearance had been completely torn apart. His exposed torso revealed hidden muscles, brimming with strength despite his older age. Despite the strong aura radiating from his body, he didn't show any signs of being conscious.
Vanessa approached him fearlessly, mouth trembling as she forced a smile and rested a petite hand on his muscled arm. "Bai Yu, are you- kyeeii!"
Pwoem!
Bai Yu knocked her over effortlessly, sending the woman flying into the side of the brick building. The other people of Bai Yu's side decidedly backed away, no longer in a hurry to check on their boss.
Bai Yu tilted his head, pinning his vacant glowing eyes on So Jiwoo.
So Jiwoo's mouth twitched. "Victor, cover for me."
The stoic man nodded sharply.
With an inhumane roar, Bai Yu lunged for So Jiwoo.