Before talking, Gary was trying to sense if Unzoku was still nearby. He closed his eyes and reached out, feeling for any traces of energy, any lingering aura that might indicate where the being had gone.
He even opened up the system interface, hoping for any clue. Maybe it would still be glitching like before, maybe he could catch some hint that Unzoku was around. But no, there was nothing. The system looked completely stable again.
The trail he had followed earlier, the strange guidance that had led him directly to Unzoku… it had vanished as well.
‘Come on… not even a quest reward for surviving that?’ Gary thought with a sigh, trying to inject a bit of humor into his own exhausted mind. ‘Well, I guess I haven’t gotten a quest reward in a while. So I kind of understand. Not since I leveled up… but that came with a cost. It took one of my transformations away.’
He was still wrapping his head around what had just happened. But for now, there were others who needed answers too.
Gary sat the others down and began explaining everything. He told them about how his system had started to act up, how a mysterious trail had appeared and guided him, and how he eventually encountered Unzoku.
He even shared the part where he had been completely paralyzed, unable to move, to speak, to resist. How Unzoku had seemed to be toying with him, bending his will.
He didn’t go into deep detail about what had allowed him to break free, only vaguely stating that it was what pushed him to transform. But he did warn them clearly, if Unzoku had gone after anyone else in that state, they might not have been so lucky.
“So… the being from the ritual,” Kai said, slowly piecing things together. “If he really has abilities like that, then yeah… him pushing you into rage? That’s totally possible.”
He paused as the gravity sank in.
“He could’ve easily made it feel like every single day was the full moon for you.”
“Right,” Xin added, nodding as she leaned forward. “But we also have to think about what else he said. He revealed more than he should have, intentionally or not. It seems like it costs him something to do what he does.
“Energy. Or something like it. That’s what he needs to manipulate others. So maybe he can’t just do it to everyone. Maybe he only did it to you, Gary, because you were the one he had set his sights on, trying to create the ultimate confrontation with Lupus.”
Her voice lowered as she continued.
“And that’s what worries me. You said he could’ve found you at any time, right? That means he probably still can. And if he can send messages into your head once… then what’s stopping him from doing it again?”
“I doubt it,” Kai replied, shaking his head slowly. “Unzoku hadn’t moved for a long time. You said it yourself, he wanted you and Lupus to fight without his direct intervention.
“That means he must really care about conserving that energy. If he made a move now, it’s because he saw the opportunity slipping. He took a risk. And if he retaliated in anger… tried to twist your will again and failed… then he probably lost whatever energy he’d gathered to make that happen.”
Kai clenched his fist.
“But you’re right about one thing. This might be the biggest enemy we’ve ever faced. If he survived your attack, after seeing what your Dragon form can do, then he’s at least as strong as Lupus… maybe even stronger. But what makes him truly dangerous is what he can do, not just how hard he hits.”
Both Kai and Xin fell into silence. They stood there, eyes low, lost in their own thoughts.
They were trying to imagine what this meant, for their mission, for their survival, and for everyone else back in the city.
Gary, meanwhile, was thinking about something else entirely.
He had resisted Unzoku’s influence… but not because of sheer willpower. Not entirely.
It had been his resistance to celestial energy, that had been the key. He had acquired it back when he consumed Harvor. That was also when he gained the Dragon forms.
But now… now he had used the form again. He only had two transformations left.
And if he lost the Dragon form… would he also lose the resistance that came with it?
Would he then be vulnerable to Unzoku’s influence just like anyone else? Could he be turned? Controlled?
That thought scared him more than any enemy.
Finally, Gary pushed himself up to his feet. He wasn’t fully recovered, but he could stand. He could move. He was regaining his strength little by little, but he was still far from fighting condition.
“We can’t stay here forever,” Gary said firmly. “We need to warn the others. We need to start preparing. There’s a good chance Unzoku could come back, any day, and go after any one of us.”
“Right,” Xin agreed quickly. “Maybe we should rent out a manor or something. Gather everyone in one place. If we’re all under one roof, we can finally rest, and if Unzoku attacks, we’ll be ready. Together.”
She was already prepared to put her powers to use, to shield the group and defend Gary if needed.
“We might not have to worry about that,” Kai said, lifting his head, a serious look on his face. “I’ve been thinking… if I were Unzoku, what would I do? Based on what we know, based on what he said…”
He paused, then continued.
“He mentioned he had a choice between two packs. And he chose you, Gary. But now that it’s failed, now that you resisted, what does that leave him with?”
It clicked immediately in Gary’s mind. His eyes widened.
“To head to the other pack. To go to Lupus.”
“Exactly,” Kai confirmed. “There’s a good chance Lupus won’t be in the same position you were.
“If Unzoku’s powers do work on him, then placing him in a rage, making him lose control, would force the fight, whether he wants it or not. Family or not, if Lupus loses his mind, he’ll attack.”
That dreaded sinking feeling returned to Gary’s chest. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach.
He had believed that Lupus didn’t want to fight. That deep down, he wanted peace.
But if Unzoku pushed him into that state… if he forced Lupus’s hand…
Then what?
Gary clenched his fists.
“We have to prepare the whole city. We need to do whatever we can before it’s too late.”
Meanwhile, far from the others…
Unzoku was walking, one hand pressed firmly to his chest.
He moved slowly, his body weakened. He had been hit by something, energy that shouldn’t have been able to hurt him. And yet… it had.
It was affecting him in ways he couldn’t explain. His breathing was shallow. His thoughts, clouded.
‘That attack… that beam, it shouldn’t have hurt me this much,’ he thought, teeth clenched. ‘What happened to him? How did he do this? It’s almost like… things are happening all over again.’
His eyes narrowed as his expression twisted into pure rage.
‘It’s the same as last time…’
‘You chose the wrong individual to mess with, Gary. I will get back at you, and I will do it in the way that causes you the most amount of pain… with the least amount of trouble for me.’
****
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