"You..."
Silence rang in the room as Kuzon's voice created an echo of anger, mixed with surprise and fear.
The tension felt so thick that Ana couldn't lift a single finger. She even had to remind herself to breathe. Her eyes had initially been fixated on the stranger, but they slowly trailed to Kuzon.
Seeing his face, she didn't know what had come over him.
Never before had he shown such an expression!
"Hey, Kuzon. It's been a while." The Golden-haired man smiled while speaking.
It seemed like he was the only one who was taking the situation with levity. His handsome face and well-ornamented body gleamed with delight as Kuzon's appearance devolved into something sinister due to his foul mood.
"KIDO!"
Ana was startled by Kuzon's raised voice. She was honestly terrified. The raw emotions Kuzon was displaying far outclassed anything he had ever shown.
And his rising energy didn't make things any better. The room felt like it had come to a standstill, waiting for someone to make the first move.
"H-how did you find this place?"
Beruel spoke in a grim tone, floating closer to Ana and Kuzon while glaring at the one known as Kido.
"How? Hmm... let's see. We Midas people have some sort of special connection. I can always sense Kuzon wherever he is."
"W-what?! You're kidding, right?" The Fairy King instantly burst into surprise.
It made no sense whatsoever to him. If they could sense each other, then why would Kuzon be searching for Kido for so many years?
Besides, if Kido was right, then the reason behind his appearance could all be blamed on Kuzon. As much as Beruel didn't want to resort to that...
"Of course, I'm joking. Hahaha!" With a burst of throaty laughter, Kido put an end to the tense silence—or at least, it was supposed to.
However, it didn't seem like anyone felt any less pressured. Even with Kido's charm and seemingly funny personality—that is, his friendly and casual demeanour—his overwhelming presence made everything about him downright terrifying.
"Now, then... Beruel—"
"KIDO... WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" Kuzon's loud voice interrupted the speaker, and this time it seemed that his anger had grown to another level.
"Two reasons. I came here to offer backup to Beruel since he's a member of the Cult. It's my responsibility to look after the weaker ones, after all..."
"H-hey!" Beruel barked, but his tone was powerless at this point.
"It doesn't seem like you need saving, though. Looks like you've become chummy with these people. The fact that you're in that younger form means you guys somehow reached a compromise, right?"
The previously bold Beruel shrunk back and looked away, with guilt written all over his face.
"And your second reason?" Kuzon asked, still teeming with angry tension.
"Ah, yes. I'm supposed to eliminate you. You're becoming a bother, so... you'll have to die." Kido spoke so casually that one could have almost overlooked the weight behind his words.
"It's about time, wouldn't you say? For your death, that is!"
"Hahaha! You've grown cheeky over the past couple of years, you know? Well, I'll just fill you in on something. This should be fun..." Kido raised his hand, and a golden compass appeared.
The compass glowed, and its arrow pointed in Kuzon's direction.
"I've always known where you were and what you've been up to thanks to this artifact. I just didn't care enough to kill you. Well, maybe there was a bit of sentimental feeling as well. After all... you're family." Kido gave a charming smile, tilting his head to one side.
This was the last straw, and Kuzon couldn't handle any more of it.
"KIDO! YOU...!!!"
>WHAP!<
A loud sound permeated the dark room, and even outside, where Kido floated. It was the sound of someone planting a stinging slap on a surface. Surprise filled everyone's faces as they watched the unexpected scene unfold.
"Get a hold of yourself, Midas boy. You won't be able to win if you keep this up."
It was none other than Beruel who had landed the slap on Kuzon. His expression was utterly serious, and even in his little form, his presence still rang of dignity and maturity.
Kuzon was silent. He received the slap without a word or any form of retaliation. His face was simply sullen.
"I understand wanting so badly to kill your opponent. It makes your blood boil, doesn't it? It makes you frustrated, doesn't it? You just want to rip the enemy to shreds and laugh atop their decimated corpse. However, if you give in to that pleasurable thought and indulge in your righteous rage, you'll never win. Especially against someone of his calibre."
Beruel sighed. It was only natural that the boy felt rage. He was, however, speaking as a much wiser and more experienced person. Despite how overwhelming one's emotions were, they had to be put under control.
"I see..." Kuzon's voice finally leaked out.
It was small and stiff, but most importantly, it was calm now—devoid of the excesses known as rage.
Kuzon turned in the direction of the Fairy King. His eyes still shone with rage, and veins appeared all over his face. However, plastered on his face was a smile.
"Thank you Beruel... you too, Ana." His grin widened.
It was quite impossible to tell if he was still as furious as before, but Beruel could understand after seeing the boy's face.
"That's more like it, young Midas."
"You know, whether or not you put your emotions under control, you won't be able to win." Kido interrupted the highly emotional and wholesome moment with his dose of reality.
The way he saw it, it was pretty much impossible for him to lose—either to Kuzon or all three of them.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Beruel grinned.
~So, do you guys have any plans?~ He went on to resonate his thoughts with the two teenagers.
For Beruel, Kido was an opponent he was not certain of beating, even with their help. However, a proper plan could save them. He didn't think much about it before, but he already considered Ana and Kuzon as his comrades.
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