Akin walked down to meet Stanley to start their mission, but he still couldn't get over Feya's real identity.
"Whether powerful or not, or even related to me, I don't give a damn. They're all going to die by my hand," he thought firmly.
Just then, he looked beside him and saw Kalè.
"Hey, ghost g-" He stopped mid-sentence at Kalè's displeased gaze.
"Oh, sorry. Kalè," he quickly apologized.
"Do you think the attack on the orphanage was due to a contract soul, or was it Feya slipping through our world's barrier?" Kalè asked, looking off to the side.
"I don't know, but I guess it was probably Feya," Akin replied, frowning in anger.
"I'd say it was either a contract soul trying to summon an inn, which collided with Feya slipping through the cracks," Kalè said.
Akin shot her a suspicious look, as she'd never quite sat right with him from the start.
"Kalè, right? Min-" he began, but was interrupted by Stanley's voice.
"Over here, you two!" Stanley called cheerfully, waving.
"Seriously?!" Akin thought, feeling a slight annoyance at the interruption.
"Never mind," he said to Kalè, looking toward Stanley, who was happily waving at them.
But then Akin's eyes widened as he saw Hickson step out from behind Stanley.
"Long time no see, Akin," Hickson said calmly, his tone measured, though he couldn't hide his own nervousness as he met Akin's shocked expression.
Hickson, feeling out of place after what Feya had done with his body, couldn't help but feel a distance between them. He assumed Akin must hate him now.
"I wouldn't blame him if he does," Hickson thought, his chest heavy with guilt.
"Shut it, brat!" Feya's voice cut in, taunting him from within.
"Didn't I told you not to think or talk without my permission?"
"Listen, inn—I'll never let you use my body again," Hickson responded fiercely, trying to suppress Feya's presence.
Just then, Akin pulled Hickson into a hug, catching him completely off guard with his swift movement.
"Welcome back, man!" Akin said with a faint smile.
Despite feeling a hint of resentment, he knew Hickson wasn't to blame.
"I'm sorry, Akin," Hickson said, his voice shaky as he hugged him back tightly.
"damn loser," Feya's voice sneered, almost like an intrusive thought in Hickson's mind. "Just you wait until this stupid seal wears off," Feya warned ominously.
"Can you please just shut up!" Hickson thought in frustration, barely holding back from shouting out loud.
"What the hell did you say, brat?" Feya snapped back.
Akin let go, noticing Hickson's tense expression and feeling a bit confused.
"Is he angry at me?" Akin wondered, puzzled.
Just then, Stanley, in his usual upbeat tone, chimed in, "Now that Hickson has joined the team, shall we—"
Akin cut him off.
"He's on our team? But Hickson's afraid of the inns!" he said, not thrilled with the idea.
"It's alright, Akin. I need to avenge, atone, and get rid of this inn inside me," Hickson said with a determined smile.
Akin looked uneasy about the whole idea of Hickson joining them. "But what if you lose control of your body to Feya?" he asked, clearly concerned.
"Don't worry. I'm here to handle it," Stanley replied coolly. "Besides, right now the chances of him overtaking Hickson are very low."
"Demented fool! You sure are full of yourself, aren't you?" Feya's ominous voice slipped from Hickson's lips, sending a chill through the group.
Akin, Kalè, and Hickson all stared in shock, while Stanley's gaze turned cold as he faced the presence of Feya.
"Well, well, if it isn't the previous king of inns," Stanley said, smiling with a cheerfulness that seemed to mask his true intent.
The word previous clearly hit a nerve, and Feya's anger surged.
"Bastard, you don't get to speak to me until I give permission," Feya sneered, his voice seething through Hickson.
Stanley kept his composure, looking calmly at Hickson, who seemed shaken.
"Relax," he said. "The seal on you is holding strong, pushing him back to where he belongs."
As Feya attempted to spit out another insult, Hickson clenched his lips, struggling against the force within him. He could feel Feya trying to take control, to speak. With all his might, Hickson forced his mouth shut, his face tense with determination.
"This is my body, and I'm going to control it, old geezer," Hickson thought fiercely, his resolve hardening as he fought to suppress Feya's influence.
Meanwhile, Akin watched Hickson struggle with Feya's presence and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"You got this," he said softly, offering encouragement.
Hickson managed a smile, visibly relieved by Akin's support.
"You've definitely changed from the person you used to be, haven't you?" Hickson said with a bright smile, finally overcoming Feya's harassment.
Akin gave a faint smile back.
"I guess," he replied.
"Circumstances have a way of changing people," he thought, choosing not to say it aloud, not wanting Hickson to take it the wrong way.
"Idiocy! Do you really think an inn would ever befriend a human? What a damn fool!" Feya's voice echoed one last time in Hickson's mind before fading.
"Then again humans has alway been a damn foolish, and disheveled beings!"
Just then, a voice cut in from the background. "Hey!"
Akin's attention shifted, and he turned to see a light-skinned boy his own age, with pink hair that reached his nape and a side-swept fringe over his forehead.
On his back was a sleek gray inn-killer sword, and perched on his shoulder was a small pink dragon.
"A dragon?" Akin thought, taken aback as he stared at the little creature.
"Let me introduce our last member," Stanley announced cheerfully. "This is Peak Wardsome."
Just then, Akin saw a foot hurtling toward his face, just inches away from landing a direct hit. He quickly ducked backward, preparing to use his momentum to backflip and create distance. But as he did, he saw another kick coming from Peak's other leg, ready to strike from behind.
"What's up with you?" Kalè said coldly, catching Peak's leg just before it could connect with Akin.
In response, Peak twisted his body with a ferocious spin, using his hands to pivot and free his leg from Kalè's grip. He completed the move with an agile spin, landing smoothly on his feet in front of Akin, who wore a stunned expression.
"Just testing your reflexes," Peak said with a bright smile, his pink dragon perched on his shoulder.
"The hell is wrong with this guy?" Akin thought, thoroughly bewildered by Peak's sudden assault.
" my reflexes aren't bad, mister reflexes!" Akin shot back coldly, unimpressed by Peak's over-the-top introduction.
Peak chuckled, catching the edge in Akin's tone as he prepared to respond. But before he could, Stanley stepped forward, interrupting.
"Alright, now that your team is complete, let's discuss the mission you'll soon undertake," Stanley said, his usual cheerful smile fading as his gaze turned serious.
"After all, my students aren't meant to take on lower-level inns—especially if they're aiming to eradicate them from our world."