Toga went back towards the room they were staying in. it was a shabby room with two sub-par beds. Not something neither he nor Shue minded. They just needed the bare minimum.
Shue was laying on the bed with his head leaned back on his arms. His eyes were closed and the back of one of his legs was resting on his needs, constantly bouncing. He hadn't a care in the world for what went on around him.
"Ok Shue. I think we're done here for now. It's time we report back to Loil," Toga said.
Shue opened one eye. He gave him such a look of indifference; Toga didn't know what the young man was thinking. He sighed. "Finally got done playing house, is it? He asked.
"No, it's called compromising to come to a common consensus. You should try it sometimes," Toga said.
"You gonna be the one to tell the edicts to compromise?" Shue asked.
Toga remained silent. He knew firsthand how bullheaded the edicts were. Their entire framework founded on the idea that the surface world belonged to them. Getting them to concede on something was going to be tough. Now that he was a shining spirit, he had some leverage. Though this may not have been the job he wanted, he was going to do it to the best of his ability with as many parties getting the best possible outcome.
He stared strong and resolute now. "Yes. I'll explain to them myself," Toga said.
Shue just stared at him. Toga couldn't read what kind of expression he was giving nor why. He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "You're the boss,"
Toga was leading the way out of the village. He could see the elevator up ahead. It was still a ways off, but otherwise easily accessible to everyone. As he confidently marched along, Shue dragged his feet behind. They were now at the edge of the town. It was as if the further they were getting away from it, the more Shue lagged. The more he lagged the more quiet and awkward it got. Toga even wanted to increase his stride to inspire Shue to pick it up.
He then began to slow his own stride.
Something was off. Toga couldn't put his finger to it, but something felt ominous. He turned around and saw Shue giving off such a loathsome glare at every individual that breeched his line of sight. Toga didn't get it. He seemed fine the whole time he was here. What changed all of a sudden?
The vibes he was giving off was so thick, even normal citizens were terrified.
Before Toga could treck anymore, Shue halted his movement. It was at that point that Toga figured he had to try and coax him to keep following. He didn't know what it was, but he sensed that if he didn't get Shue to follow him out of there now, it was going to devolve into a blood bath.
He's carrying murderous intent.
"Shue… You're acting a bit strange. Is something wrong? If not, then maybe we should continue," Toga said.
"Priest Dawnheart. Don't tell me you didn't realize there's something off about this place," Shue said.
Toga narrowed his eyes. Shue was more perceptive than he gave him credit for. He was hoping he didn't notice it, but it was the question that kept plaguing him ever since he got here.
"How did this place survive without priest to guard it?" Shue asked.
"That's none of our business Shue. Let's just leave and let them live their lives," Toga said.
Shue sighed and hung his head down. Regardless, he began following Toga dragging his feet and hanging his head. He then suddenly stopped again. "That's what I thought!" He began bouncing his finger. "Maybe they live in an environment that repels demons, but looking around, these people should have been slaughtered," Shue smiled
Toga turned around again. This time he walked up to him far more aggressive than he was previously. He grabbed him by his collar and brought his face up to his. "I swear to God Shue. If you hurt anybody here,"
With the way he spoke, he understood the context of what he was trying to get at. He was going to justify killing everyone here.
"So how'd they do it? Is there among them somebody born with spirit force? Is it spirit powder distribution? Was somebody desperate enough to make a contract with a demon?" Shue asked.
Toga scrunched his face. {Was that last one even a thing?} At this point it felt like he was just coming up with any number of excuses. "Shue!" It was all he could say. His blood boiled now. He wanted to punch this fucker in the face so hard. He refrained however from causing a scene and inciting panic. Maybe there was still a way to talk him out of this, but with Toga's personality, he was never really a person to persuade people of anything.
"Ahh… You're still here boy?" It was Harrow coming up from behind Shue. It appears the man didn't sense anything wrong from his vantage point and had no idea of the bloodlust Shue was emitting right now.
However, Harrow had caught Shue's attention. His eye's shifted to the side, getting a bead at where Harrow was.
Before Shue could do anything, Toga reacted. Nothing else mattered. Whatever diplomacy he tried to salvage, if he let Shue kill Harrow this moment, he would have lost every bit of good will he'd built up with this village regardless of if it were his fault or not. They were just getting to trust at least one priest. The shining spirit of all priests it could have been. To be ambushed would burn all of that.
Toga dashed forward, having already summoned his greatsword in hand. Even with his heavy weapon, his body felt lighter than before. That training down here paid off. His speed was faster than it had ever been with his weapon out.
Shue shifted his eyes from Harrow and rested it upon Toga. With that slight shift in focus, Toga felt the entire bloodlust upon his very soul. It weighed on his heart and made it pump faster than usual.
{That's right… this man was a Cardinal.}
During his excitement, he'd forgotten that. Even with his shining spirit status, just having the spirit alone didn't mean anything to the rank this man exhibited. He dared to have brought his weapon out on such a rank, he was simply asking to be the shortest standing shining spirit amongst the Red Dogs.
Even so…
Toga pushed forward. It was all he could think to do in a situation like this. He swung his greatsword overhead. Shue whipped out his great axe and blocked with it. The space between both weapons ignited with blazing yellow and red fire. Toga stayed hovered above him as he bared on him using his full strength. The heat was blinding and began to make him sweat. How much strength did this guy have?
"Fire Artes…" Shue said. He sidled to one side causing Toga to fall forward, flipping his weapon out the way and pointing his fist towards him. "Blazing Fist!" Shue yelled.
He punched Toga straight in his gut. The flame was so strong, it felt like the guy was melting his insides apart. A single thought wracked with fear crossed Toga's mind in that moment.
{Was he going to die?}
No matter what, he couldn't see the Skylands, or any other priest seeking to want him dead. In the back of his mind, he'd always thought that. In this moment however, feeling the pain of a cardinal's flame attack. It caused him to have doubts on how clear his position was. Even the voice of his fathers started ringing through his mind.
{They'll realize that shining spirit is wasted on you soon enough.}
Was this it? Did some kill order drop down on him for a replacement?
Toga was launched towards a building so fast, he crashed through the walls, wrecking the interior. His body wracked with pain. Blood poured down his head like rivers. It felt like bones were cracked and his vision impaired. Everything seemed like a blur. Worst of all, his abdomen felt like it was on fire. He touched it and felt the sting it gave off from the contact. There left a burn mark that hurt like a bitch.
Inwardly, there was a small sigh of relief. That at least meant that the nerve ending wasn't damaged and that he still had a stomach to eat with. If he couldn't feel anything, he was dead for sure. Most of the damage was surface level only. Which meant one thing.
{He held back.}
If there was a kill order on him, then he wouldn't be here right now. At the very least, Shue didn't have cause to kill him, but everyone else here was in extreme danger.
From the crash there was mass hysteria. The people closest to them started screaming that Shue's gone mad. Whatever Toga tried to stave back; it was already too late. He had to go all out right now.
He limped out of the building in desperation.