I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

"I can't tell where exactly your clones went," June said with a shrug. "They were around a few moments ago until they all headed outside." Meanwhile, Alora waved over her shoulder as she disappeared into her room.

"We followed them here and found you."

Raiden nodded in understanding. If that was the case, then he knew what might have happened: Klein el Seer and his team, the nightmare cohort, summoned the clones back. They knew he had returned.

As soon as June finished speaking, everyone started heading to their rooms. Leo dropped the others' luggage on the sofas and headed upstairs with his and Raiden's.

Before Raiden could head to his room, June pinched him on the shoulder. "Despite your blindness, I can tell you've grown much stronger," she said with a smirk. "Let's have a duel tomorrow… let me defeat you in peace."

Raiden glanced sharply at her star-shaped yellow crest. They had all improved drastically, and both she and Alora were at number five alongside the others, except him.

He gave her a sharp smile. "Not happening." He walked past her and headed up the stairs. There on the last floor stood Ash, waiting for him.

"Make sure no one defeats you again before I do," June called out. "It's an insult to me, you know?"

Raiden barely spared her a glance, his mind already focused on tracking down FIRMO within their four-day stay.

But what concerned him most was how uneasy Alora's presence made him feel. She was a dreamwalker, someone he couldn't manipulate or handle since she could easily read his mind and, worse, implant false memories. Her discovering his plans was the last thing he wanted.

The moment Raiden closed in on Ash, he noticed her trembling hands and her eyes flickering and darting across the floor.

Raiden instinctively looked down at himself and could feel his own body trembling, goosebumps racing across his skin.

"What's happening, Ash?" he asked, hurrying in her direction.

[They are here,] her voice echoed in his mind.

Raiden's confusion deepened as he reached her, crouching down and touching her cheek. "Who is here?"

She raised her head and stared into Raiden's eyes. Her expression cracked with fear that was becoming impossible to overlook.

"I don't remember who they are," her voice cracked as she spoke, "but I can feel them. They are here."

Was she speaking of the mysterious woman after him? Raiden shook his head in dismissal. If that was the case, then with such a powerful presence, he would sense it too.

But regardless, if it were her, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her.

Raiden held her by the shoulders. "Can you locate them?" She nodded gently.

Coincidentally, Leo returned from his room on Raiden's right, but just as he turned to her, a voice from the left caught his attention.

"She looks terrified; why?" Noelle asked and hurried to Ash, crouching beside Raiden as she reached for her pallid face.

"I can't tell, but something is threatening her," Raiden responded, and immediately, Noelle's expression dropped.

"Who?" she demanded.

"Like I said, I can't tell," Raiden said bluntly as Noelle sneered. He locked eyes with Ash once more.

"Where do you think they are?"

Ash remained still for a moment, concentrating. "It's a bit far, but I think Persia City."

Raiden's expression fell sharply. How could she feel a threat from that distance? Was it that powerful?

After a brief moment lost in his thoughts, he snapped back to attention and rose to his feet. He hadn't seen Ash ever this paranoid, but if whatever it was posed such a threat to her, then he couldn't help but respond immediately.

He turned to his right, toward Leo, who wore a perfectly perplexed expression. "I'm heading to Persia City now, so take care of the place."

Leo gave him a firm nod. "Okay, bookkeeper."

Raiden extended his hand, and Ash placed her small one in it. "Let's get rid of this threat, okay?"

Ash stared at him for a moment. [Okay, Papa.]

"Not so fast," Noelle said as she rose to her feet, and Raiden turned. "I'm going with you."

Something powerful enough to threaten Ash from such a distance wasn't something to mess with. That said, he was certain he couldn't tackle such a force alone, and there might be more than one. He needed to play dirty and smart.

"Okay," he said, then turned to Leo. "Go to Levi's and tell him to meet us in the teleportation room."

"Okay, sure." Leo walked past him to descend the stairs.

Noelle shifted and stretched her neck, revealing the choker-like tattoo for the first time in a long time.

"Let's go," she said, striding past Raiden.

Raiden wondered why she chose to reveal her tattoo now. Did it have a hidden meaning or boost her mana control like her aether cigarette?

He shrugged, brushing off the thoughts before lifting Ash to his chest. But despite Raiden's decision to confront the threat, Ash's expression remained sour.

Raiden glanced at her with concern as he descended the stairs. "Are you sure you want us to do this?"

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes wavering. "I don't know," she said, then smiled briefly. "But let's do it."

Raiden responded with a smirk, and the moment he reached the bottom of the stairs, he headed down the corridor on his right.

When he arrived at the teleportation portal, Leo, Levi, and Noelle were already there.

"Such an honor that my master considers me one of the few worthy to face this threat," Levi said sarcastically, bowing with his hand over his chest.

Raiden shook his head in disbelief. He locked eyes with Leo and gave him a gentle nod to do his job, then casually walked through the portal.

He stepped out into the third town square. To his left was the statue of the deceased queen of Persia, mounted on a horse with her sword raised high.

The chilled midnight air brushed against his skin as he absorbed the distant silence, his head turning to survey all four streets leading to the square.

But the empty streets were the least of his concerns as both he and Ash shivered repeatedly, as though they'd been plunged into an ice-cold bath.

At that moment, the others emerged, and Raiden looked down at his hands. He swallowed his fear, unable to tell what exactly was wrong with Ash.

As they stood there, Ash gestured toward the street on their left. Raiden turned in that direction and braced himself.

"Levi, I want you to remain invisible until I tell you otherwise."

Raiden gestured for them to move toward the threat's direction. "We might be facing the mysterious girl who's been after me." His tone grew serious. "Let's be careful."