"Will you consider opening your mask now and reveal your face to us?" Arashi's question cut through the silence.
"Sure, why not!?" Raxa responded with casual ease, reaching up to remove the mask that had become his signature.
The reveal left his companions momentarily stunned. Raxa's features commanded attention—sharp and striking, they spoke of someone who walked the line between danger and charisma. His hair, an otherworldly shade of pale white, fell in calculated chaos around his face. His eyes glowed red, set deep within dark-shadowed sockets, pulsing with an inner fire that matched his reputation. His lips curved into a knowing smirk, completing the image of someone who found amusement in the darkness that surrounded him.
Larry broke the silence first. "You truly have a gang leader's face naturally, no wonder you gave off an odd vibe."
"You're right! Larry, he's got a lot going on," Arashi agreed, studying the revealed features.
Raxa's expression shifted suddenly, his smirk falling away as his senses sparked with warning. "Enough with my face we got trouble incoming." In one smooth motion, he secured the mask back in place, his body moving into a combat stance.
Arashi's own instincts flared. "Yeah, I can sense them too."
Larry's grim nod confirmed the shared awareness of approaching danger. The ground trembled beneath their feet as massive forms emerged from the shadows. The creatures that appeared seemed to defy natural law—enormous beasts with claws that could slice through steel, their heights towering over the group like living skyscrapers. Their fur gleamed with an unnatural sheen, almost metallic in appearance, and their eyes held an intelligence that spoke of something far more dangerous than mere beasts.
"Of all, it had to be Slick Sloths," Arashi spat out the words, his voice thick with disgust.
"What's wrong?" Raxa asked, his masked face turning toward his companion.
Larry's voice carried the weight of grim knowledge. "What's not wrong? The monsters ahead are Slick Sloths and they are resistant to any type of magic. They've been the downfall of countless powerful mages throughout history. Their hide can repel the strongest spells, and their claws can tear through magical barriers like paper."
"Great, what's the worry then? Ours are marked powers," Raxa's confidence cut through their concern like a blade through silk. The air around him seemed to ripple with unseen energy, his marked power responding to his will in ways that defied conventional understanding.
The statement seemed to rejuvenate Larry's spirit. 'Why am I worrying? He made impossible possible till now, I should have greater ambition like him as his friend.' The doubt that had plagued him began to dissolve, replaced by a growing sense of possibility.
"That's right!" Arashi called from behind. "You underestimate him way too much despite the things he has done. I've seen him overcome obstacles that would have stopped armies in their tracks."
Larry felt his own marked power, 'Joker,' stirring within him, responding to his newfound resolve.
The three companions stood their ground, their combined auras creating a light show that outshone everything around them. The very air seemed to crackle with potential, their powers interacting in ways that none of them fully understood but all could feel.
The Slick Sloth leader, a beast more scarred and massive than its followers, lumbered forward.
Its voice rumbled like thunder: "What the hell are ya guys waiting for? Stick em in!" Each word carried the weight of authority, suggesting this wasn't just any group of monsters—this was an organized force with a specific purpose.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Raxa's warning carried a hint of pity. His mask gleamed in the light of their combined auras, the familiar surface now seeming more like a container for something far more terrifying than what lay beneath.
The leader launched forward with surprising speed for its size, its movements betraying years of combat experience. Its claws, each longer than a man's arm, sliced through the air where Raxa had stood a moment before. The attack would have cleaved any normal person in two, but Raxa was far from normal. In the next instant, it was the Slick Sloth leader who reeled backward, blood spraying from wounds that seemed to appear from nowhere.
"What did you do?" the beast demanded, its voice tinged with pain and confusion. Its supposedly impenetrable hide now bore wounds that shouldn't have been possible.
Raxa's response came with mock cheerfulness. "It's magic! It's magic!" The playful tone belied the deadly efficiency of his attack, a reminder that his lighthearted exterior masked something far more dangerous.
Fury replaced the leader's confusion as it bellowed orders to its followers. The air filled with the sound of charging monsters, each one moving with the same unnatural speed as their leader. The ground shook with their advance, their claws leaving deep gouges in the earth. But the outcome was already written. Before the dust settled, the Slick Sloth leader lay motionless in a growing pool of blood, its final expression frozen in disbelief. The sight sent the remaining Slick Sloths into a panicked retreat, their massive forms disappearing as quickly as they had arrived, leaving behind only destruction and questions.
Larry stood in awe. "I knew our leader was influential but to this extent that it's almost hard to believe. These creatures can torn apart entire magical barriers by mere scratches, yet they couldn't even touch Raxa."
"Really!" Arashi's voice carried amusement. "Meanwhile, I find your friend Raxa's power incalculable. He continues to surprise even me, and I've seen my fair share of powerful individuals."
Raxa's attention had already shifted beyond their immediate victory, his mask turning toward the horizon as if seeing something the others couldn't. "It's not over, the time for the big salsa dance to commence yet awaits!" His words carried a weight that suggested he knew far more about what was coming than he let on.
The declaration hung in the air, a promise of greater challenges to come. The defeat of the Slick Sloths, creatures supposedly immune to magical assault, had demonstrated that traditional rules no longer applied when faced with Raxa's marked power Creation magic. The battle had served as both a revelation and a warning—a glimpse of the true scope of their capabilities and a reminder that their enemies would only grow stronger.
Despite the mask once again concealing Raxa's features, the memory of what lay beneath added new weight to his presence. The confident smirk and glowing red eyes had revealed more than just a face—they had shown the visage of someone capable of reshaping reality itself. As the three companions stood amid the aftermath of battle, the air around them seemed to pulse with potential energy, as if reality itself was holding its breath, waiting to see what this unusual trio would do next.
The Slick Sloths' appearance wasn't random – such smart creatures rarely ventured into these territories without purpose. Their organized attack and tactical approach suggested that someone was orchestrating events from the shadows, testing the limits of Raxa's abilities and the strength of his alliance with Larry and Arashi. The precision of their assault spoke of careful planning and inside knowledge of their movements.
Larry's marked power, 'Joker,' had resonated with Raxa's abilities in ways he hadn't experienced before, while Arashi's combat instincts had sharpened to new levels of awareness. Each member of the trio had evolved during this brief but intense encounter.
Larry's self-doubt had transformed into growing confidence, fueled by his friendship with Raxa and the recognition of his own potential.
Arashi's role as an observer had shifted to that of an active participant in their shared destiny. And Raxa, despite his casual attitude toward revealing his face, had demonstrated that his masked persona was more than just a disguise – it was a symbol of the power he wielded and the responsibilities he carried.
The battlefield told its own story. Scattered pieces of earth, torn up by the Slick Sloths' massive forms, created a chaotic landscape that mirrored the upheaval in the natural order their presence represented. The remaining Slick Sloths' retreat had left trails of destruction, marking their path back to Bookman who had sent them. Each shattered rock and uprooted tree stood as testament to the raw power they had faced and overcome.
Their combined powers had created a synergy that exceeded the sum of its parts. The mark of 'Joker,' the combat expertise of Arashi, and Raxa's mysterious power Creation magic had proven to be a formidable combination. This revelation would prove crucial in the battles to come, especially against enemies who sought to exploit their perceived weaknesses. The way their abilities had complemented each other suggested possibilities that none of them had considered before.
The ancient clan's traditions and the modern criminal world's ruthless efficiency were on a collision course, with Raxa, Larry, and Arashi standing at the crossroads of this impending chaos. The "big salsa dance" Raxa spoke of wasn't just a battle to come—it was a transformation of the very world they knew, and they were its catalysts.
Besides, the battle with the Slick Sloths had proven their strength, but more importantly, it had cemented the bonds between them. Their shared experience facing these supposedly unbeatable creatures had built a foundation of trust that would serve them well in the future challenges.