After a while, they arrived at the battlefield where the beasts were fighting.
"So this is the place, huh?" Baldwin muttered, scanning the scene.
Athan frowned. "What are those? They're clearly not beasts. Look at their bodies—their skin is wrapped around skeletons."
"Yeah, and they don't have eyes either," Baldwin added. "Let's observe them first and see what kind of creatures they really are."
Just then, one of the monsters shot into the sky, its mouth opening wide. A surge of purple gamma rays blasted forward, streaking toward another beast. But before impact, the bone plating of the other creature shifted, absorbing the attack entirely.
Athan scoffed. "Ah… they've got tricks, but they're weak. Nothing special."
"Yeah," Baldwin agreed. "Shall we move on? This forest seems endless."
"Agreed. Let's go this way!" Athan said, leading the way.
With that, they resumed their journey. Hours passed as they pressed forward through the unrelenting stretch of forest. Finally, the thick canopy broke apart, revealing an open sky. Scattered trees dotted the landscape, and as they emerged from the shadows, Baldwin and Athan realized they had reached the edge of a towering cliff.
Baldwin's sharp eyes caught something in the distance. "Athan, looks like we're about to meet an old acquaintance."
"Which one?" Athan asked, stepping beside him.
"The humanoid one," Baldwin replied. "Remember the frozen creature?"
"Oh yeah! Where did you spot it in this snowy wasteland? Man, your eyes are seriously something else," Athan said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Baldwin smirked. "Well, it looks like it needs our help." Without hesitation, he leaped off the cliff.
"First, you jump from windows—now cliffs?! Are you insane?!" Athan shouted, but, as always, he followed.
"And yet, you always follow me!" Baldwin called back midair. "Blind trust, Athan! Thank you!"
"What?! We're getting too close to the ground!" Athan yelled as the wind roared around them.
"Nothing here. Shadows, come!" Baldwin commanded.
Darkness surged below them, forming a swirling circle of shadow. In an instant, they vanished into its depths before they could hit the ground.