Ercale was somewhat surprised to see someone from the Absaar family in this place, but he had already saw someone from the Zahar family, so it didn't surprise him as much. *Though it's strange that I would see two decedents from 'his' party in this city,* Ercale pondered to himself. Without any hesitation, he grabbed Azure by the throat and effortlessly lifted him up off the ground. Azure gasped for breath, fear evident in his eyes.
"Ack, you want... The Shadow Baron, right? So... can you just let me go?" Azure pleaded, his words strained as Ercale tightened his grip around his throat. "How pathetic, someone from the Absaar family wanting mercy from me. How disappointed they would be if they saw you right now," Ercale taunted.
Ercale's grip tightened even more, relishing in Azure's desperation. "I have no... idea... about... what you're talking about," Azure managed to say, his voice growing weaker as he began to lose consciousness. "What I'm talkin—agh!" Ercale abruptly halted his sentence, releasing Azure and clutching his own head in sudden pain.
Azure's hand instinctively reached for his throat, massaging it as he observed the boy, still in pain and clutching his head. *This might be my chance to strike,* Azure thought, scanning the room for any available weapon. His eyes landed on a baton that had been launched nearby during the earlier scuffle.
Without hesitation, Azure seized the baton, a glimmer of hope rising within him. He mustered his courage and lunged towards Xain, aiming a swift strike at his head. "Where the heck am huh!" However, Xain's instincts kicked in, and he managed to evade the swing, leaving Azure momentarily stunned.
Xain's confusion deepened as he bombarded Azure with questions, demanding answers. "Who are you? Where am I? What is happening?" His memory was a blank after his fight with the orc who had been attacking the little girl's brother. It was a disorienting situation for him. In his mind, Ercale's voice echoed with annoyance. *You woke up at the worst of times,* Ercale muttered.
*Erkie? What happened while I was unconscious?* Xain asked, seeking an explanation from his companion. Ercale's frustration was evident as he scolded Xain for using that nickname. *Even during a time like this, you call me by that damn name!* Ercale exclaimed in his mind. After a moment, Ercale relented. *I will explain later. First, take care of the incompetent incarnate over there,* he pointed, referring to Azure.
Xain's attention shifted back to Azure, who stood before him, holding the baton. Despite his confusion, Xain understood that he needed to handle the situation at hand.
But as Xain saw the man Ercale told him to take care of, he paused. "Wh-what are you waiting for? C-come on," Azure tried to yell, but it came out as a quiet stutter. Xain observed Azure, noticing his trembling legs. "Uh, dude, your legs are shaking," Xain pointed out, feeling pity for him. Azure, once again stuttering, denied it. "N-no, they're not." Xain let out a sigh, contemplating the situation. "Look, I personally have no reason to fight you, so why don't you just stop?" It felt wrong to Xain to engage in a fight with someone who seemed so scared and helpless.
Azure looked at Xain with a bewildered expression before speaking, "You were just choking me a moment ago! Why should I trust you now?" Xain was equally puzzled by Azure's statement and turned to Ercale for an explanation. *Wait, what? Why would I do that?* Xain asked, seeking clarity. Ercale nonchalantly replied, *I took control of your body temporarily. It was me who was choking him before you regained control.* Xain was shocked by Ercale's revelation and couldn't help but exclaim, *And why would you do that? Ercale simply replied, Because his face bothered me.* Xain was flabbergasted by the absurdity of the situation and responded with disbelief, *You did that because you didn't like his face?* Ercale simply nodded and affirmed, *Yes, exactly.*
Xain sighed and regarded Azure, understanding the futility of the situation. "Listen, you know what I'm capable of, right? If I wanted to defeat you, I wouldn't need to resort to tricks," he stated, trying to reassure Azure. Despite the potentially insulting nature of his words, Xain knew that if push came to shove, he could easily overpower him. Azure, feeling defeated, glanced around the room before conceding, "Okay, okay, it's not like I can do anything anyway." With a sense of resignation, he discarded the baton he had been holding.
With the situation seemingly resolved, Xain turned to Ercale and asked a pressing question. *Okay, can you at least tell me where we are and what we're doing here?* Ercale responded, his voice echoing in Xain's mind, *We are currently at The Shadow Baron's underground base.* Xain was taken aback by this revelation and couldn't contain his surprise. Instead of processing it internally, he exclaimed aloud, "Wait, what!?" Azure, startled by the sudden outburst, couldn't help but think, *Oh dear goddess, what have I done to deserve this?* After a brief moment, he added to himself, *Well, aside from working for a crime lord and engaging in various criminal activities, I suppose.*
**Some time later**
Xain was now walking down a corridor in the base with Ercale guiding him to where The Shadow Baron is. How Ercale knows this, Xain doesn't know, and when he asked him, he said, *I'll explain later.* So for now, Xain was just following his directions.
Xain asked, *I guess you took care of all the people here, 'cause there aren't any others?* Ercale answered with a casual tone, *Probably.*
Xain looked at Azure, whose name he now knows, and asked, "There aren't any others, right?" Azure, who was basically being forced to follow them, answered, "Yeah, only Captain Ripper, Valien, and The Shadow Baron himself from what I know, which isn't much." As he thought to himself, *Why is he dragging a nobody like me along, and why did his eye color change again from purple to blue?*
Similar to Azure, Xain also had his thoughts and asked Ercale, "*Why are we bringing him with us?*" Ercale, who was starting to get annoyed from Xain's continuous questioning, replied, "*Like I said, I will explain later. Now stop asking questions. We are close to where The Shadow Baron is now.*"
Xain was obviously unsatisfied with the response but decided to relent for now. They had more urgent matters to deal with, and he would have to wait for answers later.
Suddenly, they heard someone approaching, and Xain immediately assumed a defensive stance, prepared to fight. Azure, on the other hand, hoped for an opportunity to escape from Xain's presence. They both saw a man with a rugged appearance rounding the corner.
"Ripper!" Azure exclaimed as soon as he recognized him. "Huh, Azure, you're alive?" Ripper exclaimed in surprise as he laid eyes on Azure. His attention then shifted to Xain, and he made a connection, "And you must be the guy who caused the alarm." Ripper's expression turned serious as he addressed Xain, "If you think I'm going to let you pass, then you'd be absolutely correct. Because if you managed to defeat Valien and all the others in the lobby, I won't be able to do a damn thing to you." His voice then shifted to a more fearful tone.
Hearing Ripper's response, Xain couldn't help but say, "Wait, what?" Ripper, in response, clarified, "The Shadow Baron may pay me a lot of money, but it's not enough to tempt fate with someone like you." Meanwhile, Azure, feeling resigned to his fate, silently thought, *Well, there goes my chance to run.*
Ercale, growing increasingly annoyed, exclaimed in Xain's mind, *Hurry up already!* Startled by the sudden outburst, Xain turned to Ripper and quickly asked, "Then can you just not run away and stay here, I guess?" Ripper replied, "Sure thing, mate. Can I call you mate?" Xain began to respond, "Alright I gu-" but before he could finish, Ercale's urgent command rang in his mind, *JUST MOVE!* Startled once again, Xain momentarily covered his ears, realizing the futility, and replied internally, *Okay, fine.* Resuming down the corridor, Xain continued to bring Azure along with him, leaving Ripper behind.
Not much further, Xain's gaze fell upon a black door that stood out from the others. Unlike its counterparts, this door featured a button instead of a doorknob. Ercale's voice resounded in Xain's mind, *He's inside there.* Sensing a potential confrontation, Xain inquired, *Should I get ready for a fight?* Ercale, who seemed to have prior knowledge of The Shadow Baron, responded, *Yes, and when you get in there, I will try something. It might feel strange at first, but you must let it happen, understood?* Slightly hesitant, Xain replied, *Okay, I guess.* Gathering his resolve, Xain pressed the button beside the door, bypassing the usual password lock that these types of door have, and entered the room.
As Xain entered the room, he laid eyes on two individuals. One of them matched Ercale's previous description of Valien, and Xain couldn't help but think, *Holy crap, he's pretty.* Valien had his hook-swords unsheathed. The other person in the room was a pale, young boy who seemed no older than Xain himself. He stood beside a desk, gripping a rough-looking steam-pistol in his hand.
As Azure observed the scene unfold, he couldn't help but wonder, *Is that The Shadow Baron?* The pale boy, appearing frail and weak, stood as his potential identity. Valien, paying no attention to Xain and Azure, boldly charged towards the boy. Azure's eyes widened in disbelief as he witnessed the unthinkable—the boy aimed the steam-pistol at his own head. Azure's heart skipped a beat as he watched the shot miss its mark, thanks to Valien swiftly slashing the gun out of the boy's hand. The boy grunted in pain, clutching his injured hand where the gun had been knocked away from.
"Like I'm going to let you do that," Valien responded with a hint of amusement in his voice. He then turned his attention to Xain and Azure, remarking, "Hmm, you look so similar and different at the same time." Xain was about to respond when a sudden pang of pain shot through his head, causing him to wince. *Like I said, let it happen. Don't fight it,* Ercale's voice echoed in Xain's mind. Valien, noticing the change, commented, "Wow, how interesting. From purple to blue, and now heterochromia." Azure, intrigued by Valien's observation, glanced at Xain's eyes and realized that Valien was correct. Xain's left eye had turned purple, while his right eye remained blue.
"Now I should be able to communicate," Ercale declared, his voice now emanating from Xain's body. Xain himself was amazed by this newfound ability and exclaimed, "Wow, you can communicate through my body!" Azure and Valien exchanged perplexed glances, unsure of what was transpired. "Never mind that for now, we have more pressing matters," Ercale dismissed Xain's astonishment. He turned his attention to the pale boy, who was scanning the room anxiously.
Ercale approached the boy, disregarding Valien's presence, and firmly grasped him by the throat. Xain couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy, urging him to intervene, "Hey, do you have to do that?" Sensing Xain's sympathy, Ercale reassured him, "This is necessary, Xain." He then addressed the pale boy, stating, "You're not from this world, are you? You've been transported or 'isekaied,' as they say in your language."