Saeyo was taken off guard. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
'So the guy's name is Holkoy…'
The beast had made itself quite clear.
There was no need to repeat it. Compared to this nightmarish figure, Holkoy was a nobody. He was, indeed, a Kyoza with an interesting ability, which he even made good use of, but this monster was of a completely different magnitude.
The monster looked into Holkoy's eyes. What he found there, however, was not strength, but nothing but fear. The beast's gaze was enough to vanquish such a weak person. The stranger was overwhelmed and did not know how to react. He tried to free himself from the monster's grasp, but this attempt ended in failure. His fate was sealed.
Holkoy had completely forgotten the task for which he had been sent here, due to his fear. He was not ready to die.
But Saeyo... had no fear. You could see from his face that he could barely suppress his grin.
"Even though it's already too late, I can at least tell you the truth. I haven't stolen the jewel, as your masters claim."
The stranger didn't seem as if he was listening to Saeyo. He stared darkly into the air, tears streaming down his face:
"If I die now and don't bring back the jewel, my wife and children will die. Please spare my life. I'm truly sorry that I killed your friend. Please, Boquiz."
The stranger wanted to speak further, but unfortunately, he never got the chance. The huge figure lifted him up with both arms and tore his body apart right there on the spot. Blood dripped onto the floor until the entire floor was covered in his blood.
The beast whispered quietly to himself:
"You couldn't even remember my name."
Saeyo's eyes widened as he witnessed this gruesome sight:
"Bob! What… What are you doing?"
Instead of slowing down and transforming himself back before Bob completely succumbed to madness, he struck Holkoy several times.
Saeyo was truly horrified by what he saw. He had never seen Bob use his power so violently in his entire life. When he was angry, he had never actually attacked an enemy, but this time he had killed someone. Although he didn't transform often, when he did, he tried to remain as calm as possible.
Saeyo looked at him with the same frightened eyes and shouted:
"Bob, please! Turn back and try to calm down before you turn into a Quaker. He's already dead!"
Bob seemed to have understood him and let go of the enemy. He looked over at Saeyo, who was still on the ground.
"Sorry, Saeyo, but that's exactly the end he deserved."
Out of nowhere, the beast roared so loudly that the birds were chased away, even though all the birds in this desert had died out. In the next moment, Bob's monstrous body shrank until he was small and round. Then he shrank once more and was about a metre tall. A red aura gathered in the air around his body and enveloped him.
'Is he angry?'
He had a white belly and a black back. His head was also black, and the fur around his neck had a slight orange colour. His fins were ideal for moving through the water. However, he was unable to make full use of his talent in this dry area. Bob's yellow beak was long and sharp. His dark eyes reflected something that Saeyo could no longer remember. Something that had long been forgotten and lost. Bob was a penguin.
He opened his beak to say something but decided against it. He remained silent for a moment, thinking about how he should explain the situation to Saeyo. A short while later, he opened his beak again and asked:
"What is he doing here, Saeyo?"
Saeyo looked at him and then down at the man on the floor. He was, without a doubt, no longer alive.
Saeyo didn't hesitate for long and replied:
"Thank you for rescuing me from this situation, but you shouldn't have killed him so brutally. But I'm not entirely sure why he's here either, and because of you, we can no longer question him for more detailed information. But what I do know is that he heard from someone that I'd stolen a jewel. And no, I didn't steal that jewel. I haven't even heard of the owners.
Bob was angry. Not at Saeyo, but at something else.
"You haven't heard of them because you've been living behind the moon. They're famous all over Nihonmura. This man, however..."
Bob was speechless for a moment.
"I've seen him before. He might not have recognised me, but I could never forget a face like that in a million years. For most of my life, my sole focus has been on taking my revenge on him."
As he spoke, a hat materialised out of thin air on his head. It was made of black leather, with a grey strap wrapped around it. Shortly afterwards, sparks flashed in his hand and a walking stick appeared.
He leaned on it and said in a calm tone:
"Now explain to me exactly how you've messed with the family and why they're sending their soldiers to hunt you down."
***
They went inside his half-collapsed hut and sat down on the floor, which was covered in ruins.
Neither of them dared to start the conversation until Bob finally asked:
"How am I supposed to help you if you don't explain how all this happened?
Saeyo thought for a moment and replied:
"At first I thought it was someone from Nihonmura who was here, because I live on unregistered land. But then this man accused me of being a thief, and I climbed onto the roof to hide from him because I was actually scared. But as if the false accusation wasn't enough, he kicked down my door, destroyed the gift from Iquaco, shattered my chair, and collapsed the entire roof
He took a deep breath and added:
"He said I'd sneaked onto their property and stolen a jewel that was being guarded. They know this from someone the family could trust, and now that this guy named Holkoy is dead, many more of them will show up to get that jewel back. None of this makes any sense to me."
Bob listened to all this and made one point clear to Saeyo:
"Saeyo, you have to understand that the family is powerful. But it's not impossible to escape them. Either you run away, like I did, and they'll leave you in peace, or you'll have to face them."
Saeyo was confused.
"You never told me that people like that were out there. Who or what are they? And why am I only hearing about them now?"
Bob understood Saeyo's concerns and replied in a way that made sense to him:
"They were a group of people searching for treasures in the mountains. But as time went by, the treasures they found made them powerful, and now even the Aziyakians and Kamyonians are following them, hoping one day to use their power to take over the new Japan. Some have dared to fight them, but in the end, no one has defeated them. Those who serve them loyally are promised wealth and power on this path. And every one of them is a Kyoza, while you, Saeyo, are not. That is why I can tell you that you stand no chance in a fight. They are more powerful and clearly outnumber you."
Bob wasn't entirely wrong. Saeyo is no match for a Kyoza. No matter how hard he tries. He may have fooled the stranger, but if Bob hadn't shown up, Saeyo would never have succeeded in defeating him.
Saeyo looked around. His room was a complete mess. He could still live there, but it could take an eternity to rebuild everything. Besides, he now had more pressing matters to deal with.
Bob looked around too, hesitated for a moment, and asked Saeyo:
"Make your decision. Do you want to hide from them and run away from here, or go to Nihonmura and tell them you've lost this jewel, swear your loyalty to them and work for them, in the hope of finding it again and making amends? If you hide, it's only a matter of time until they find you. This game isn't meant for someone like you."
Saeyo can't run away forever. The option to work for them to find the jewel is the smarter choice. But he isn't quite sure himself if that's what he wants.
No one can promise him it will succeed, but it would be a start. Besides, it's a path that could make him stronger. Perhaps he'll find his family. Perhaps he'll become a Kyoza on this road. But one thing is certain. He had no other choice. Saeyo must travel to Nihonmura.
He hadn't broken any bones in the fight, even though his back ached terribly. The walls of his room, which he had crashed through, weren't made of the hardest wood. Nevertheless, it meant that, despite the pain, he had to venture on the long journey to Nihonmura. His chest hurt just as much.
He gathered his courage and, with determination, looked in the direction of Nihonmura:
"I've made my decision. I'm going to venture to Nihonmura and meet these people.