Xavier and Rose were walking through the crowded streets, hand in hand, close to each other, as the sun showed itself in all its splendor in the sky. They had a contented smiles on their faces, eager to enjoy their second day at the Carnival again, and they couldn't stop watching the sights. As they walked, they analyzed the interesting stands and the happy people enjoying the carnival, making it a cheerful topic of conversation. After a few hours of exploring, they began to feel the urge to eat and went in search of a suitable, empty restaurant to satisfy it. Despite their best efforts, they finally stumbled upon a cozy little restaurant hidden in an alley. As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by the scent of lavender wafting through the air, then seated at a table by a friendly staff member, their requests taken and left alone.
Following Xavier and Rose's entrance, a figure with an unusual appearance entered the restaurant. Due to his striking appearance, Zax was met with hesitant looks from the welcoming staff. Nevertheless, the staff tried to help Zax, but when they did not receive a positive response from Zax, they left him alone. Sitting at a table diagonally across from Xavier and Rose, Zax couldn't observe them without turning his head. As a creative solution, he raised his left arm and began scratching his elbow with his sharp nails, poking a small hole in the fabric of his sleeve before lowering his arm back down. Through this hole, an eye opened in his elbow, and this eye shakily tried to focus on the couple. Fortunately, the eye was not visible from the outside, shielding the other guests from a disturbing sight that would surely horrify them.
"Good afternoon sir, what would you like to order?" Zax turned his eyes to the waiter in response to this question. After a long exchange of glances between the waiter and Zax, a voice was heard, deep, muffled, and trembling.
"Glass bottle... oil... oil in a bottle... fill..."
The waiter swallowed at the voice in his ear. Zax had a strange and very disturbing voice, and as the waiter nervously stepped backward to avoid Zax, he simply said, "T-Of course, sir. He's coming." and hurried away.
Meanwhile, Xavier and Rose were having a lively conversation over the cups of coffee in front of them. The contented smiles on both of their faces backed this up.
3. "No, it wasn't that," Xavier said, trying to tease Rose.
"What do you mean it wasn't, Xavier?! Didn't you see his hands? His hand movements when he was trying to get that teddy bear were so cute!!!" Rose's insides were tingling with excitement as she let these words out. Her voice was thinner than usual, more of a whisper as she tried to keep herself under control so as not to disturb people.
Zax continued his surveillance through the eye in his elbow. Rose and Xavier had finally come to the end of their usual cheerful, ordinary conversation and left the restaurant and went to a park. The park was filled with playgrounds for cheerful children, trees with lush green foliage lining the sides of the well-maintained paths, and parents mingled as they watched their children. This peaceful and joyful setting was the place where the two said goodbye.
"You know. I'm here for revenge. I'm going to put out the sun." Xavier said, letting Rose feel the anger in his voice.
Then, to say goodbye, Rose and Xavier broke their side-by-side position and faced each other. Despite the worry in her eyes, Rose put on a brave smile to reassure Xavier. With her eyes slightly narrowed, she took a step towards Xavier and wrapped her arms tightly around his body. Xavier naturally tilted his head to hers when their eyes met due to the height difference and the close distance between them.
"Please be careful, I'll be waiting for you," Rose said.
Xavier was the one who left the scene. As he disappeared, he only turned around once to look at Rose one last time, smiling as he did so. Zax, who had been following the duo closely, was deep in thought when they parted ways. Zax thought that he would not be strong enough to defeat Xavier, that there was nothing he could do against Xavier, who could defeat Leomord, who gave him a terrifying impression. Zax brought the radio he carried in the crook of his right hand close to his own lips and reported the situation.
"This is... Rose... follow... Xavier. City...east...east of the city....over..."
Immediately after transmitting these words, he put the radio back into the cloth suit. Rose watched the children having fun in the park for a while in sadness and then left.
Rose was followed by Zax, who usually preferred to take side streets to avoid being noticed. In the evening, using deserted streets with dim lighting was potentially dangerous for ordinary people. But as Zax moved forward, braving the dangers, a large man leaning against a wall stepped out of the shadows and threw a strong shoulder at Zax. Zax stumbled slightly but managed to stay standing. The man, clearly unperturbed by the appearance of his opponent, drew a knife against Zax.
"Spill the money, masquerade runner. What a son of a bitch to put a cloth over your-"
Not letting the man finish his sentence, Zax made a sudden move and punched him straight in the abdominal cavity with his right hand. As the man was thrown back 2 meters by the impact of this punch, a single word came out of Zax's mouth.
"Die..."
As the man fell to the ground, foam began to ooze from between his lips and his pupils slid upwards and were hidden. The big man who had tried to rob Zax was now just a lifeless body lying on the ground. Zax continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
"Poison... Alchemy... kill..."
Rose had gone to the far south, to the seaside, to seek solace and solitude. In the distance stood a rustic wooden house, its faded paint peeling in the salty breeze. Beyond the house lay endless acres of open land, calm and untouched, a heartwarming landscape. The lapping of the waves provided a soothing melody and the peacefulness made her feel joyful. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Rose turned around to look for the source of the sound. She frowned slightly when she saw Zax, scanning his body with questioning eyes.
Zax continued to approach without compromise.
"Xavier... must die... you are friends with him... surrender... give information..."
Even though Rose didn't know anything about the other man, she knew from his words that Xavier was her enemy and that he was coming for her. Rose swallowed once in anxiety, her heart beating as if she wanted to throw herself out of her body. Her eyes widened, and a sense of dread was evident in every part of her body.
Rose raised her trembling right arm to chest level, extended it straight ahead, and aimed at Zax with her right palm. She gripped the wrist of her right hand tightly with her left hand to restrain her arm. An Alchemy seal was visible on the palm of his right hand.
"D-DON'T COME CLOSE! OR I'LL SHOOT YOU! I KNOW ALCHEMY!" Rose cried out in a shaky voice.