Zay stopped speaking and looked up at the sky. The clouds had vanished. Small blue stars scattered across the heavens, and the moon, bright and white, gleamed down on them as they sat beneath its light.
"That's all... nothing more," Zay said before standing. He placed his hands in the pockets of his trousers, closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them as he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Rei stood up and gave a short nod. He chose not to pry any further, though he was certain Zay was holding something back. Years of investigation and study of the human body had trained him to notice subtle details. Zay's slight shifts in posture, the tension in his legs, the minute twitches in his expression. After all, each one told a completely different story in Rei's eyes. Rei had earned his title as the greatest detective of Gyro for a reason.
"Alright. I'm going to head back in and get some rest for the next couple of hours."
Zay didn't respond. He turned and walked away from the building in silence. Rei watched him for a moment before sighing. He opened the door, stepped inside, and quietly closed it behind him before heading to his bed and lying down.
Zay continued walking until he reached a lone tree at the edge of the clearing. A faint pulse of aura brushed against his senses. He looked up into the branches.
Perched above him was an owl.
Its feathers were deep crimson, smooth and sleek, with black-edged tips that glinted softly in the moonlight. Each feather looked polished, almost metallic in the way it caught the light. Its talons were bone white, clean and curved like ivory hooks, clinging to the bark. The owl's eyes were pure black, but within them swirled pinpricks of silver and indigo, like tiny stars caught in slow orbit. The swirling lights gave the impression of a world contained within its gaze.
The owl blinked, spread its wings, and descended without a sound. It landed gently on Zay's right shoulder, completely still. From its marble talons, it released a small, tightly rolled note.
Zay caught it before it could fall, then looked at the owl. It stood quietly on his shoulder, staring down at the note in his hand, as if it understood everything and was waiting to hear the contents.
Zay turned his gaze back to the note and began to read it aloud, not sure why he felt compelled to speak the words where the owl could hear.
"We've received word of another group of people that are close to your location. From what we've gathered, they're also looking for artifacts. Which ones exactly, I'm unsure of. Be careful, find the artifacts quickly. I have sent a carriage and it will arrive in one month. Until then, try to avoid conflict or kill on sight if possible. Good luck."
– Red Dawn
He folded the note and slipped it into his pocket. His eyes scanned the trees, listening carefully to the sounds of the forest around him.
The owl twisted its head backward with unnatural grace, its starlit gaze fixed deep into the jungle.
Zay followed the direction of its eyes, turning slowly to face the same path, his body tense and alert.
Suddenly a gust of wind slammed into his face, knocking Zay off balance before rolling backwards three times, coming to a stop. He stood up, Evershade manifested into his right hand and instantly got in a guarded position. The owl took off flying into the air, flying away.
'What the hell was that gust of wind? That felt... different.'
Barrels began to form around the area. Small trees and grass turned to stone, and thin wires made of ghostly green aura stretched out, connecting to each tree. A man appeared, crouched atop the wires. He was dressed in a black suit with a dark crimson tie, clean shoes, and a black short top hat.
He removed his hat, placed it against his chest, bowed, then returned it to his head and stood upright.
"Who the hell are you?" Zay asked, his grip tightening around Evershade. The man shook his head slowly, refusing to respond.
Rei stepped out of the building, drawn by the howling wind. He noticed the wires running through trees, the grass now hardened into stone, and the mysterious man balanced on the wires above.
He rushed over to Zay, lifting his empty hands, realizing he had forgotten his katana. "Who the hell is that?"
"No damn clue, but be careful."
Rei gave a quick nod and looked up just as the man backflipped off the wire, landing gracefully on the ground. His face was concealed by a black mask, painted with a red smile and blue eyes.
Reaching into his suit, the man pulled out thirty [Phantom Cards] and scattered them into the air. Each card stuck where it landed—on the stone, the wires, the small trees, and even the barrels.
The man vanished as he used [Phantom Warp], appearing at one of the five barrels and kicking it forward. Zay raised his sword and struck the barrel, causing it to fade out of existence.
His eyes widened at the sight, but before he could react, the masked man appeared beside Rei and slammed his fist into his side, sending him flying into one of the wires. The wire vanished instantly on contact. The [Phantom Card] that had been connected to it fell and landed near Rei before the man used [Phantom Warp] again, appearing beside him.
Rei coughed lightly, not feeling much pain from the punch, and sent a kick forward.
The man backflipped out of range, then appeared beside him again using [Phantom Warp], landing a punch directly into Rei's jaw. Zay rushed in, his aura flaring to life. His form appeared behind the masked man, but the man vanished and reappeared behind a barrel using [Phantom Warp].
He raised his hand and extended it toward Zay and Rei. A fresh burst of [Phantom Gusts] erupted, unleashing a violent surge of wind that howled through the air and kicked up fragments of stone and dust.
Zay and Rei lifted their arms to shield themselves from the force, their feet sliding slightly across the hardened stone. Taking advantage of their limited visibility, the masked man activated [Phantom Warp] for the fifth time, vanishing in a blink and reappearing beside Zay. Instantly with a swift calculation on the spot, he kicked Zay's legs out from under him, throwing off his balance. Before Zay could fully recover, the man seized him by the neck with a single hand and hurled him toward Rei, the [Phantom Gusts] still raging around them.
Zay twisted mid-air, landing hard on the stone surface. He gritted his teeth, planted a hand to stabilize himself, then looked up at the man. Without hesitation, he activated [Soundless Wind], manipulating the rushing air around him to redirect the gusts back toward the masked attacker.
The man snapped his fingers, cutting off [Phantom Gusts] instantly. A moment later, he reappeared above them, crouched on the high wires with eerie stillness, his masked gaze fixed on both of them as the moonlight gleamed around him.
Rei looked up as his fingertips caught fire, his aura flaring to life and curling around his arms in waves of azure heat.
"There's no time to think against someone like this, Rei," Zay said, his voice low but firm. "This is exactly what I trained you for. Trust your instincts. Dodge what you can, and strike only when he slows down. We can't afford to be reckless against someone like him."
Rei nodded, his teeth clenched tightly, eyes locked onto his opponent who stood silently on the wires above. The masked man's balance was perfect, unmoving, as if part of the wires themselves.
Without a word, the man leapt down from the wires, landing lightly on the ground with both feet and extending his arm outward, fingers splayed.
Zay caught the motion and charged in immediately, unwilling to let the man complete whatever technique he had started. Rei surged in behind him without hesitation.
Zay slashed forward in a swift arc, but the man stepped to his left, dodging the slash without a scratch. Rei anticipated the movement and threw a powerful punch toward the man's sidestep. His fist connected—but only with air. The spot where the man should have been rippled slightly, then vanished.
Rei's eyes widened. The man glanced down at him from above and slammed his foot into Rei's stomach. At the same moment, [Phantom Warp] activated, blinking him out of range and reappearing him beside another barrel.
'W-what the hell? I swear I slammed my fist into that bastard! What the hell happened?' Rei thought, stumbling back, his hand gripping his side. He turned his head briefly toward Zay, who remained completely focused, eyes locked on the man with unwavering attention.
'I need to... become more focused and not let my thoughts get ahold of me as much.' Rei inhaled deeply and nodded to himself. This time, he didn't hold back. He exhaled slowly, and in that breath, [Azure Flames] ignited around his body at full force. The sudden burst of energy caused everything within a three-foot radius to vanish. Stone, grass, trees, and wires disintegrated instantly, exposed as mere illusions created by [Phantom Creation].
Zay glanced over briefly, his eyes narrowing as realization set in.
"It took a while for me to recognize it," he said, his voice low, "we're dealing with a Phantom Seal wielder."
Rei nodded, even though he had never heard of that Seal before. He had never come across any books or records mentioning it. Still, he wasn't going to let that uncertainty shake his focus now.
The masked man observed them quietly. Zay's aura flared around him, midnight-blue rippling through his violet energy like crashing tides. The man sighed softly, almost disappointed.
Without warning, he activated [Phantom Warp] once more and vanished from their sight. As he disappeared, [Phantom Creation] faded along with him. Stone reverted back to grass, wires dissolved into the air, the small trees blinked out of existence, and the barrels crumbled to nothing.