The next day arrived, sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a soft glow over the camp.
Eratz was lying down, bandaged and exhausted, trying his best to relax, but the atmosphere around him was tense.
Mercury knelt beside him, focused on cleaning his wounds. Her movements were a little more aggressive than necessary, the bandage she was wrapping around his chest pulling too tight, causing Eratz to wince.
"Ow! There was definitely anger there!" Eratz grumbled, shifting uncomfortably as she continued to patch him up.
"Anger? You think it's anger? What else did you expect to see?!" she snapped, her voice sharp. "You're lucky you're still in one piece! What were you thinking?" She pulled the bandage a little tighter than she should have, making Eratz hiss in pain. "You could've died, Eratz. Do you even understand that?"
He opened his mouth to retort but shut it quickly when he saw the fire in her eyes, but at the same time, he could see her hands tremble as she treated his wounds, and her voice cracked through her harsh words.
"Look," he started, trying to sound calm despite the stinging pain. "We talked about it, I thought we were ok about what was going to happen."
Mercury stopped, glaring at him. Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Eratz felt the weight of her gaze like a stone pressing on his chest.
It was a death stare, one that told him he should think very carefully about his next words.
"I was an idiot because your words sounded too good, we were ok? About the state you were when you came back?" she repeated, her voice low and dangerous. "Eratz, you were practically bleeding out by the time you got back here! You could have died for something you could have get later! Without accomplishing anything! What's so hard to understand?!"
Eratz looked away, embarrassed. He hadn't realized just how bad it had gotten until he saw the worried expression on her face now. He had been reckless, and it was starting to sink in.
"I…" He started to say something, but stopped, unsure of what to even say. Instead, he sighed, letting his body relax against the ground.
Mercury softened a little, though her frustration still lingered. She sat back, her arms crossed.
"You're lucky," she muttered after a long pause. "I don't know why I was so worried. It's not like I care or anything. You just said you'd help me with Milo and the agency. You have responsibilities now, you can't act selfishly anymore."
Eratz glanced at her, his eyebrow raised.
"Technically what I did was for the agency... Now I'm finally complete... Hm... Hey, I feel a little better..."
Mercury gave him a sidelong look but didn't answer. She stood up, brushing her hands off, before leaning over him again.
"Don't even think about training anytime soon."
"Just the beastification, I won't even attack. I just want to see what it feels like with him." Eratz began.
Her gaze turned icy again, and Eratz immediately regretted his words.
"What the heck is wrong with you?!" she asked, her tone cold and sharp. "That again? Beastification? Did this thing kicked the brain out of your head?"
Eratz swallowed hard, his mind scrambling for a way to salvage the conversation.
"...Maybe later?"
Mercury leaned in closer, her face dangerously close to his.
"I think you have too much dirt stuck in your ears. You've won, I'm giving you a bath until your wounds become pink like raw meat."
Eratz's eyes widened, and before he could stop himself, he blurted.
"Why do you always bring naked bath in every subject? You're a nudist fetishist, or what?"
Mercury's eyebrows shot up, her face tensing in indignation.
"Me? A nudist fetishist? Coming from the guy who keeps getting himself in great pain to feel better? You sure you're not a masochist?"
Eratz groaned louder, trying to sit up but immediately getting pushed back down by Mercury.
"Down."
"Stop pushing me around! You're only enjoying this because I'm too weak to defend myself, and I'm not a masochist, I'm just... committed to training."
Mercury smirked, her eyes gleaming.
"Committed to getting yourself hurt more like it. Maybe I should just pin you down and make sure you don't move for the rest of the day... Or better yet, how about that bath? You're so weak you can't even resist me."
"I swear, if you keep testing me... You'll be the first victim of that dragon."
"Please, we both know you will it's first victim, you maso," Mercury teased, crossing her arms and smirking down at him.
"At least a maso focus on himself, not like a nudist fetishist looking for naked boys!" Eratz protested, his voice raising in pitch meeting Mercury's protests..
Across the camp, Colin and Milo were in the middle of their training but kept stealing glances at the two of them.
Milo furrowed his brow, clearly confused.
"What's a nudist fetishist?" he asked
Colin, who shrugged.
"I dunno. What's a masochist?" she replied, equally puzzled.
Milo thought for a second, then decided it didn't matter. His eyes drifted to the massive form of the Terrakrus, lying under a tree nearby. He tilted his head, then got an idea.
"Hey, maybe the dragon knows!"
"Milo, I don't think that's a good idea..." Colin started, but without waiting for her answer, Milo bounded over to the Terrakrus, his hand outstretched as though it were a cute pet he could simply pat on the head.
In an instant, the dragon's head whipped around, teeth bared, a low growl rumbling in its throat.
Milo froze, his hand hanging in the air. Before the Terrakrus could lunge, Eratz, still lying down, released a wave of pressure, his aura flaring.
"Enough!" he commanded, his voice firm despite his exhaustion.
The pressure from Eratz's energy filled the camp, and the Terrakrus halted mid-lunge, its glowing amber eyes flickering as it struggled to resist.
Slowly, it lowered its head, though its body remained tense, like a coiled spring ready to strike.
Eratz sighed, his energy fading.
"It's still unstable. I'm too tired to perfectly control it, it's gonna take a while. Right now, I'm just trying to let it get familiar with me. You all need to keep your distance from it for now."
Milo stumbled back, his face pale.
"S-Sorry. I didn't think it would..."
"Just listen to Eratz, okay?" Mercury said firmly, looking between Milo and Colin. "Stay away from the dragon until Eratz says it's ok."
Colin nodded quickly, her eyes wide as she glanced nervously at the Terrakrus. Milo, still shaken, gave a small nod as well, stepping further back.
Mercury's gaze softened as she looked back at Eratz. The aetheri, now in its new, elegant form, floated quietly beside Colin, its serene aura a stark contrast to the tension of the terrakrus.
Mercury murmured, almost to herself.
"You're really amazing."
Eratz raised an eyebrow, caught off guard.
"...? Me, the aetheri's master or the terrakrus slayer?"
She smirked, crossing her arms again.
"I was talking about an idiot. You know, for a reckless, masochistic, you're very good."
He chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"I guess it takes a nudist to see beyond the cover."
"Little freak, but I'll let you have it. Taming the Terrakrus? And with that new form your aetheri has taken… You're not just a fighter, Eratz, You're a real phenomenon."
Eratz's expression softened, appreciating the rare moment of sincerity from Mercury.
"Thanks. But, you know, I couldn't have done it alone. It was a teamwork, my hands did a lot, but without my feet it would have been impossible, then my brain enters in action and now that's a different story."
Mercury punched him lightly on the arm.
"You're impossible."
As the day wound down, the group prepared to leave. The entrance to the forest was bathed in the soft, golden and red hues of the setting sun.
The sky above was streaked with colors that blended beautifully into the horizon, and beyond the trees, the city loomed large, its outline glowing in the fading light.
Colin and Milo stood at the edge of the forest, looking back toward the camp with a hint of sadness in their eyes.
"Do we really have to leave?" Milo asked, his voice quiet.
"Yeah," Colin agreed. "I was really having fun... and we've gotten stronger here."
Eratz leaned against Mercury for support, still recovering from his injuries. He chuckled softly.
"We'll come back, next Friday."
"That's too long... we can train with you guys at the agency, right?" Milo asked.
Mercury shook her head.
"Nope. Without a license, it'd be illegal. You can train at public gyms for physical stuff, but those aren't cheap."
Colin's shoulders slumped, but Eratz reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Don't worry. We'll make enough money to fix that soon."
"And besides," Mercury added with a grin, "we'll need to come back to the forest often to catch more monsters. Your training is just beginning."
The kids' spirits lifted a bit, and after a few more goodbyes, they all began to leave the forest.
But just as they were walking away, Mercury froze, her eyes wide with sudden realization.
"Wait!" she called out, turning toward Eratz. "I don't have your contact info!"
Eratz blinked, confused.
"Contact info?"
"Your phone number, give it to me."
Eratz scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Uh… a phone... You mean these things with many zeros in their price?"
Mercury stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Wait... You don't have a phone? You've got to be kidding me!"
He crossed his arms, looking away.
"No, and why the laugh? I have a pigeon, He's more reliable, except during mating season, but I don't need to charge him."
She continued laughing, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Ok, ok, you're killing me... You got a terrakrus but no phone... That's crazy. Let's get you one after your first match."
The group continued toward the city as the golden hues of the sunset slowly gave way to twilight, leaving the peaceful forest behind them.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the rumbling noise of a grand arena echoed through the streets of Grushia, where another kind of battle was about to begin.
The tournament had begun.