"Nooo…! Master!" Mok shouted in desperation, struggling to rise as he clutched the wound his brother had inflicted. His voice was heavy with anguish, and the pain made him stagger.
"What have you done, Tok?" Mok demanded furiously, glaring at his brother with restrained hatred.
"Well, I guess Lord Urugas will scold me if your little friend died," Tok replied indifferently, though a flicker of mockery shone in his eyes. "Maybe I overdid it a bit."
"Calm down, Mok, relax," Golden said within Mok's mind. "Paltio is fine."
From the dust and smoke emerged a glowing sphere that floated calmly. It was Paltio, along with the others, protected by a barrier that cushioned their fall. They had escaped unscathed thanks to Sacaram's power.
"Huh, that was close," Tok muttered sarcastically. "Well, it seems your princeling has quite luck. He's got more lives than a cat."
"We're okay, Mok! Don't worry!" Paltio shouted as the protective sphere faded.
"Looks like Mok isn't," Lucca commented, observing the injured butler.
"I'll go help him," Paltio said, preparing to use Golden's power.
"The pests are still alive, so I'll kill them first. Then I'll come back for you, little brother," Tok declared coldly, his eyes brimming with cruelty. "But first, I'll make them suffer, so you can see despair in their eyes."
Tok quickly moved toward Paltio and his friends. Lucca stepped forward, raising his staff with determination.
"Paltio, I'll hold him off; you go heal Mok," Lucca said without hesitation.
"Yes," Paltio responded, running toward Mok.
"But what an impertinent old man! Do you wish to die first?" Tok sneered, looking at Lucca with a cold, disdainful expression.
"I'll help you," Pax said, stepping forward.
"And me too!" Rykaru added resolutely.
"No, you two, don't interfere. Otherwise, Paltio won't be able to heal you again today," Lucca warned, trying to stop them.
"So that kid has healing powers... interesting," Tok murmured, switching his sword to the other hand. With a swift motion, he grabbed Lucca's staff and, using his superhuman strength, hurled the old man into the rubble with brutal force.
"I'm not letting you go, princeling," Tok said, advancing once more toward Paltio.
But before he could take another step, Toco-Toco appeared in front of him, blocking his path. The feline wielded his sais with determination, ready for battle.
"Another pest? Where do all these keep coming from?" Tok growled irritably as he eyed the cat before him.
"Who are you calling a pest, meow? I'll teach you some respect," Toco-Toco retorted, baring his sharp fangs.
"Toco-Toco, that guy is very strong. Just keep him busy. Don't let your guard down," Golden warned mentally.
"Understood, boss, meow," the feline replied confidently.
Meanwhile, Paltio continued running toward Mok, who was still struggling to get up. The wounds on his body made it difficult for him to move easily.
"I'm almost there, Mok!" Paltio shouted as he approached.
Paltio used the power of the orb to heal the butler's wounds. The torn bandages and burns vanished, and his suit returned to its original state.
"Ah, fascinating," Tok said with a sinister smile. "So, if I damage him again, the brat will heal him, and I can keep playing with my dear little brother."
"Don't get distracted. I'm your opponent, meow," Toco-Toco interjected, stepping between Tok and Paltio once more.
"You're in my way, you stupid talking animal!" Tok snapped contemptuously.
Toco-Toco was fast, but Tok was on another level. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the feline and delivered a blow charged with dark energy that sent him flying through the air. Toco-Toco landed near Rykaru and Pax, who quickly ran to help him.
"That guy is too powerful... I'm scared. He's a monster," Rykaru murmured, visibly trembling.
"Calm down," Pax replied, trying to reassure him while keeping a cautious eye on Tok.
In her mind, Lukeandria knew something like this would happen if they stirred up "the hornet's nest." They were in serious trouble. If even Toco-Toco, who had always been strong and agile, couldn't stand up to Tok, who could? It was like facing a demon.
Meanwhile, Paltio approached Mok, who was already beginning to recover thanks to the orb's healing power.
"Mok, you're healed now," Paltio said with a forced smile, trying to convey confidence.
"Master, I can't beat him. He's on another level," Mok replied, his voice filled with frustration and doubt.
"Nonsense, Mok," Paltio responded firmly, looking him directly in the eyes. "I know how strong you are, and I believe you can defeat your brother. Now I understand why you never told me about him. I trust you. But when this is over, I want you to tell me more about yourself. That's a promise," he added with a warm smile, extending his hand toward Mok.
Before they could continue talking, Tok suddenly appeared behind Paltio. With a swift and brutal motion, he delivered a strike charged with dark energy that sent the young prince flying into one of the walls. The impact echoed loudly, leaving Paltio lying unconscious on the ground.
"Master!" Mok shouted in despair, his eyes blazing with fury as he watched Paltio fall.
"Oops! I hope the kid doesn't die this time. Well, he has that thing to heal himself, so he'll be fine," Tok said with brazen indifference, shrugging as if he'd just committed some minor mischief.
As he witnessed his master being mistreated, something inside Mok began to awaken. Images and memories flooded his mind, bringing with them a mix of buried emotions.
He remembered when he was a young boy, malnourished and alone, lying in a dark alley. A tall, burly man stopped in front of him, observing him curiously.
"What are you doing here, boy? Why are you starving and all alone?" the man asked in a deep yet kind voice.
Mok, just a child at the time, had hair of two colors: black and white.
"Huh, what strange-colored hair you have, boy," the man commented, crouching to get a better look at him.
"Leave me alone, sir! This will be my place of death, just like it was my place of birth," the boy replied bitterly, turning his gaze away. "I'm an orphan, or rather, one of the twin orphans who survived in this abandoned place. I don't need your pity."
The man let out a soft chuckle, but without mockery. "Ha, ha... So small and already speaking of such things like an adult. There's a lot more to life, boy. It's not over yet; this is just the first step. Hey, don't you want to come with me? I can train you and give you food. Don't you want to become someone very strong?"
The boy looked at the man with suspicion and asked, "Are you sure it doesn't bother you that I'm a twin? Because of the curse…"
"Curses? Nonsense!" the man replied firmly, waving a hand as if swatting away flies. "I don't believe in those things, nor do I let myself be swayed by tales from ignorant people. Let me help you."
"No, sir," the boy retorted stubbornly, though his stomach growled loudly shortly after, betraying him.
"Huh, I think you're hungry," the man said kindly, smiling as he pulled a piece of bread from a bag on his belt. It was the magical bag, the same one he would later give to Paltio years later.
The boy hesitated at first, but the aroma of fresh bread filled his senses, making his mouth water. Finally, he gave in and devoured the piece of bread voraciously.
"You really were hungry, boy!" the man commented warmly, laughing as he watched the child enjoy the meal.
After a few moments of silence, the man asked, "And what's your name?"
The boy swallowed the last bite before responding: "My name is Filio. That's the name they gave me."
The man frowned slightly, as if evaluating something. "That name doesn't suit you," he declared seriously. "Besides, if you're going to have a new life and rise up again, you'll need a worthy name, boy. Let's see…"
The man felt thoughtful, observing the boy carefully as he searched for the perfect name. Finally, his face lit up with a smile.
"I've got it. You need a name that will make you strong. From now on, you shall be called Mok, which means 'strong and brave' in the ancient language of avocados."
The boy blinked, surprised, before a small smile appeared on his face. He took another piece of bread and a bit into it enthusiastically as he said, "I understand. So from today on, I'll be known as 'Mok.' I like it."
Then, looking at the man curiously, he asked, "And what's your name, sir?"
The man opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, a soldier arrived running, visibly out of breath. It seemed he had been chasing something—or someone—for a long time. He stopped in front of the man and exclaimed between gasps:
"Finally, I've found you, Your Majesty Rodelos!"