Mr. Haruki jumped down from the rock, holding a sheathed blade in his hand.
[Water Arcane: Water Clone]
The Mr. Haruki who had been stabbed earlier, lying on the ground covered in blood, suddenly turned into a body of water and flowed into the earth.
"What?! Wait, was I fighting a clone?" Bloodthorne gritted his teeth, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Mr. Haruki.
"Pretty much," Mr. Haruki shrugged as he landed from his jump. His aura was completely different from before, potent and intense. 'Had they really been fighting a clone?' Zilong looked at the body he had been holding, and it seemed to have disappeared.
"Sorry for making you worry, Zilong. I just went to grab my sword," Mr. Haruki said, waving the blade in the air. Zilong couldn't believe it; he just stared at Mr. Haruki and then glanced at the elves.
---
Mr. Haruki unsheathed his blade. The sword radiated an almost palpable aura. Its blue blade shimmered in the moonlight, as if it were alive and moving.
Mr. Haruki pointed his blade at Bloodthorne and the other elf.
"Okay, now I'm ready to fight," he said, his gaze unwavering as he pointed the sword's sheath at them.
The other elf looked on, expressionless. "No thanks, the sun is about to rise… maybe next time," he sighed tiredly, turning to walk away from them.
"What the…?" Mr. Haruki muttered. "The person who wanted to fight lost his nerve when I drew my blade?" he taunted.
"Don't worry, we'll most definitely fight again," the mysterious elf replied with a wry smile. He slashed the air, creating a gap in space, and then casually walked through it. Bloodthorne shot Mr. Haruki a glare before following the dark elf into the rift.
---
Mr. Haruki sighed. "Damn, what was that about?"
The sun slowly rose, bathing the burning forest in a warm glow. The ground's ashes became brighter, and the world around them felt less depressing.
"Whoa… I didn't know that sunlight could do wonders for one's mood," Zilong said in awe. For a moment, he had thought someone would die, but it turned out his premonition was wrong.
Mr. Haruki walked toward him.
"Zilong, gather your friends. We can't stay here," he said as he began walking away.
"Where are you going?" Zilong asked.
"My clan members should be arriving soon. Get ready," Mr. Haruki replied, waving his hand without looking back.
Zilong stood up, still wondering. *What was that power Mr. Haruki used? It wasn't runes...* he thought. *Maybe I'll just ask him later.*
---
Zilong wandered into the woods, searching for the others.
"Jacob!" he called out. The flames on the trees had fully died down, emitting thick black smoke. The air was filled with carbon monoxide, making it difficult not only to breathe but also to see.
Zilong thought back to the fight when Mr. Haruki had said he was holding back. *Wait, does that mean this man could have caused even more devastation than he already has?* Zilong wondered.
---
Soon enough, he found the others, and they all headed back.
They saw Mr. Haruki sitting on the beach, taking in the sight of the burnt trees and the destruction wrought on the island.
"Well, I guess it's time to leave this place," he sighed.
"But how do we get off this island?" Zilong asked.
Mr. Haruki simply pointed to the sky, and they saw a small object flying toward them. As it got closer, they realized it wasn't small at all—it was a huge aircraft, a helicopter.
Zilong's eyes widened in shock. "What? How did Mr. Haruki become such a big shot?" he thought, feeling turmoil inside. Well, he did say this was his private island, so it was natural for him to be wealthy, but still...
The helicopter landed just a few meters away from them.
Men dressed in black suits emerged from the helicopter and lined up in a straight line. Then several more noises came from above, and more than three helicopters hovered in the air around them.
"Were they escorts?" Zilong wondered, realizing things were not as simple as they seemed.
"Superior, we greet you," the men said as they bowed their heads. Zilong was stunned to see so many people gathered here. "Was he the president of some country?" he wondered.
Jacob's eyes shone. "Whoa, Grandpa, you're actually a rich man! I knew it…" he said, marveling at the helicopters.
The people in black suits quickly rushed forward and escorted Zilong and his friends to a nearby helicopter.
This was Zilong's first time flying, so he didn't know what to expect. Despite having blood all over his face, the men didn't even blink.
'Maybe this is normal for them...'
Soon enough, he found himself four hundred feet in the air in a helicopter. Ava clutched his sleeve and shut her eyes in fear.
"It's so high!" she exclaimed. Zilong, hiding the deep-rooted fear in his eyes, smiled.
"Don't worry," he said, trying to sound reassuring.
He looked over at Jacob and Emma, who seemed relaxed, not afraid in the slightest, and even chatting.
"Maybe they're used to this, being rich kids," Zilong reminded himself.
The last few days had been very tiring. Mr. Haruki left them in one helicopter and rode in another. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.
Soon enough, they arrived at a huge island, ten times bigger than the one Mr. Haruki had been on. The helicopter glided softly before landing on a plateau at a corner base.
The pilot got out of the helicopter and opened the door, leading Zilong and the rest outside.
Zilong's eyes widened.
The scenery was picturesque. The base looked like a military facility. The people, all wearing black suits, moved in a coordinated manner. It really seemed like they were in some government secret facility, except there were no guns anywhere.
Mr. Haruki came down from his chopper as well, still dressed in his ragged clothes. He headed to the main door, completely ignoring them.