"Exca! Are you listening? Do something about this monster before the entire kingdom's Shinras sense his aura and panic!" Lyon shouted through the telepathy link, struggling to steady himself against the terrifying pressure pouring out of the dungeon. "And don't forget, you already activated the Icon."
"Will you calm down?" Exca replied, sounding surprisingly relaxed. "I'm handling it. Just give me a few more seconds. Sasaki's aura has been sealed for fifteen years. Even he can't suppress that much accumulated Renshi immediately after being released."
"Tch! You better hurry."
"I've already deactivated the Icon, so the Shinras won't sense anything. The only people who might get suspicious are those nosy Pro Darkside Knights at our next council meeting."
"Like hell I'm staying around to find out," Lyon snapped.
In the next instant, he teleported miles away from the dungeon.
"Handle your mess yourself, you lunatic. Call me when everything settles down. I'll be waiting."
"Understood, partner."
Exca chuckled as the telepathy link disconnected, leaving him to deal with the consequences of their little operation.
---
Meanwhile, on the eastern road, Jackson urged his horse forward, racing toward the Darkest Dungeon.
His father had been acting strangely, and Jackson was determined to find out why. Whatever Lyon was hiding, he wasn't going to sit back and pretend nothing was wrong.
Farther along the road, three other travelers had considerably simpler concerns.
"Hey, Master, look at that town!" Alfie exclaimed, leaning forward in his saddle. "Can't we stop there for a while? It looks amazing."
Lucy barely spared the town a glance.
"No. We're already close to the kingdom's border. We'll rest in the next kingdom, so stop looking for excuses to waste time."
"Ugh, how much longer are we going to ride these horses?" Rebekah groaned, shifting uncomfortably in her saddle. "Why can't we just teleport to Ashura? We'd have arrived ages ago."
"Because, unlike you two, I can't afford to exhaust myself halfway through the journey," Lucy replied, giving her a sideways glance. "I'm still recovering from the Renshi I spent maintaining my male form for thirty years. Teleporting three people over such a distance would drain me completely."
She paused, then added with an innocent smile, "I might even fall asleep."
Alfie and Rebekah exchanged uneasy glances.
"For how long?" Alfie asked cautiously.
"Three months."
"THREE MONTHS?"
Rebekah nearly fell out of her saddle.
"Master, are you serious? Does it really take three months to recover your Renshi?"
"Of course not. It's not that simple," Lucy sighed. "Maintaining my disguise for thirty years consumed an enormous amount of Renshi. I aged just like an ordinary human, starting from the young Shinra I claimed to be when I arrived in Mechan. Keeping up that appearance wasn't easy."
Alfie stared at her in amazement.
"That's insane... But what if we only teleport a little? Just enough to shorten the journey?"
Rebekah slowly turned toward him.
"Are you seriously that selfish? Didn't you hear a single word Master just said?"
"I heard her. I was only suggesting..."
"SHUT UP."
Lucy and Rebekah spoke at exactly the same time.
Alfie immediately closed his mouth.
"...Sorry."
Rebekah huffed, seemingly satisfied with the outcome, while Lucy shook her head at the two children bickering beside her.
A few minutes later, they finally crossed into another kingdom.
"Finally..." Rebekah sighed in relief. "Master, let's find a decent motel. I desperately need a bath."
Lucy slowed her horse and glanced around the familiar streets.
"Actually, I know this town. I used to come here back when I was a Special Darkside Knight. There's a nice motel just ahead."
Rebekah's eyes lit up.
"Wow... You must've been famous around here, Master."
"Not anymore." Lucy's expression softened slightly. "Back then, I was Marco, a Special Darkside Knight. Now, I'm Lucy."
Rebekah tilted her head.
"Wait a minute. Lucy is your real name?"
"Not exactly." Lucy offered a faint smile. "Lucy was simply the name I chose for myself when I came of age. Of course, it's my name."
It was a convenient answer, one that addressed Rebekah's question without revealing anything she wasn't ready to share.
"Oh..." Rebekah murmured. Then another question occurred to her. "What about your parents? Do you know anything about them?"
Lucy's smile lingered, but she didn't answer immediately.
"That's a story for another time. Right now, I'm hungry, and so are you two. Look, there's the motel."
Rebekah immediately brightened.
"Yay... Food and a bath. I thought I'd die on this horse."
Alfie glanced at her but said nothing.
Dramatic much?
"Did you say something, rock head?"
Alfie remained silent.
Lucy chuckled at their exchange before turning her attention to him. His expression had grown increasingly sour.
"And what's with that face? Planning to sulk all night?"
Alfie stared at her in disbelief.
"You both told me to shut up, so I shut up. Now you're making fun of me for being quiet? What am I supposed to do?"
Rebekah burst into laughter.
"Hahaha... That's what you get for calling me a baby honey badger earlier. Look at you now, Alfie. The great Alfie you were bragging about has been reduced to a pale, miserable little rock head."
"Keep laughing. See if I care."
"You clearly do."
"Enough, you two," Lucy said, although the amusement in her voice betrayed her.
The trio dismounted and headed into the motel, their familiar bickering continuing as they settled in for the night.
---
Deep within the forbidden forest along Guhan's eastern border, the ground continued to tremble beneath the fading remnants of a monstrous aura.
The seal holding Sasaki had been broken.