Captured Like Flies In the Web

"This part of the castle is large, two doors. I'd be surprised to figure out that Muro wasn't inside one of them."

One door was constructed into the walls at each of the two ends of this enormous castle space. The second door in the middle of the middle wall led to a location Tem was unsure about, while the first door led to the top of the tallest tower.

She didn't want to let Yumiko down by breaking her promise to find Muro. All she wanted was to hastily drag the disastrous tyrant into custody so that the global government could finally arrest him for the atrocities he had committed and rescue the unfortunate population from his control.

She ran over the marble floor to the door and reached forward to grab the doorknob, only to learn they were locked. It appeared as though some sort of wooden plank had been used to obstruct the door from the other side.

"This door leads to the castle's highest point; the tower," she claimed, "does that mean that Muro's at the top? The barricaded door itself is more than enough to peak someone's suspicion."

She uttered and backed away from the door hastily before kicking it open, recklessly.

The strain caused the wood on the other side to break apart and fracture like someone had torn a shirt. The door was forcedly opened after the halves of the plank dropped to the ground and door smacked into the wall.

Her view was interrupted by a staircase that looped around the tower's peak and ended there, where there were no more rooms. It was only a tower that was closed off for an unknown cause.

"Who blocks off a room that doesn't even have any importance? I guess there's no other choice but to check out the other door." she turned around, locking her view onto the second door that was still unknown to where it led.

She grabbed the doorknob, realizing that it was unlocked. Before opening them, she detected a lovely singing, a familiar voice that she couldn't forget.

"Gha-La-La!" one of the Ghalies, specifically Toffy, had come back to her from the room inside the tower. Toffy seemed to have slid through the top windows before making her way down to find her savior.

She beheld Toffy gently drift closer, and her joy lit up the space. When Tem called out to her, Toffy was promptly caught in her arms as she was enthusiastically and heartily embraced.

"Aww, it's so good to see you again! I forgot how cozy you were to hug!" She cried out. Tem almost started to rapidly rub her cheeks over Ghalie's little head. She had the impression that she was cuddling a luxurious plush toy that always helped her relax and enjoy the evening.

The moment Ghalie managed to escape Tem's grasp, she understood why she had come to this place in the first place. She moved back to the front of the door and nodded to Ghalie as she became more serious.

In order for the light to shine into the large, completely dark chamber, she carefully started to push the door open. Tem and Toffy entered the enormous science room when the door had fully opened, where the tables and materials were only visible to them due to the light coming in.

However, the room was entirely empty.

She attempted to approach someone who could be inside by standing in the center of the doorframe, but to no avail. Instead, Ghalie carefully walked inside the room so Tem could see better as she did so.

She was calling out to them, but no one was responding.

"...'Kay this is creeping me out..." she admitted, "Hello is anyone here? Muro? I know you're hiding someplace so just come out and fight already! I've come here to find you and I am planning to kick your ass! Hey!"

Even Toffy attempted to shout out to Muro, but despite her well-known voice, Muro would not respond. He was a true enigma who had left everyone in a state of confusion.

"Guess he's not in here... Looks like we'll have to search for him elsewhere."

Then Tem's back was being approached by a phantom in the shadows. That shadow was concealed and imperceptible to the senses, a true enigma with no other means of defense than to strike out from the shades like an assassin on a mission.

In that instant, a green electricity zapped away the colors of total darkness as it quickly moved behind Tem. They quickly threw their arm forward and struck Tem in the lower back, knocking her senseless.

In a split second, Tem's body experienced a terrible electrocution bursting through her body's protecting layer. Her body felt as though it had been struck by 1 billion volts of thunder, rendering her helpless to do anything.

Her high-pitched voice was wailing out from the harm she sustained while her body shook horribly from the electrocution. She fell to her knees and hit the ground with her chest first since she was unprepared and unable to take the jolt.

Out of amazement, Toffy called to her and then started to feel concerned and worried for her safety. The next instant, Muro spun a green net, capturing Toffy like a fly in a spider's web and immobilizing her.

"I've been expecting you. I've heard some very good news about you, lass." he claimed, "Let's see how your blood reacts to my experiments..."

In the western hallway, Ralphie drew his right leg from the sides of his hip and lashed it diagonally at Bow's head.

To gain separation, Bow leaned and jumped back. He cut the thread holding the golden arrow free, and it quickly flew across the room. Ralphie rushed in front of it before dropping to his bottom and skidding on the ground. He then knocked Bow's ankle with his sole, pulling him off-balance.

Bow's body fell backwards to the ground as a result of him leading the same leg into his second ankle on the ground.

Ralphie raised his right leg aloft and drove it down with a slight curve as he stood up. Ralphie's heel slammed the ground as a result of Bow's quick reaction and subsequent shoulder roll to the right.

Its might caused the marble floor to vibrate. Bow leaped back to his feet, knelt down, and aimed his bow at his adversary's head. Ralphie's eyes started to shake as he quickly shot it.

He pulled his leg behind him and kicked it into the arrow from the front. He observed Bow's second arrow flying at him as his kick phased through the first like trying to touch a ghost. The second arrow stabbed through his shoulder with ease. "How do your arrows work?" he asked, "I've kicked through several and none of them were able to be touched, but it worked when you shot that one at Tem."

"My arrows are made of pure light. You can't touch the light out in the open, that's how this works, waiter."

"I believe I already realized that, but what you just said is illogical in other contexts. One of your earlier arrows easily pierced Tem's skin like an actual arrow."

"That one was powered by light back then, but it wasn't constructed of light. It had a physical body that could bust through even the thickest walls."

Ralphie applied pressure to the bleeding wound on his shoulder. It was difficult to comprehend how one could determine which arrow had a corporeal body and which did not. He was unable to get around the fact that they appeared to be the same to the naked sight.

"A real pain in my ass." he stated, "How should I know which arrow to kick or which to dodge?" he continued to glance in that direction, serious and tense. He was mindful that if he kept fighting, he might run the risk of inflicting additional damage on his body as the battle went on.

"You don't expect me to provide the method by which it operates, do you? Since I've previously explained the Forbidden Technique to you, I try not to reveal any additional secrets about how my powers function because doing so would put me at a deficit.

"Find out for yourself. In that case, you'll justify the time I wasted on you once you worked it out. Try to survive till then, but know that I won't make it simple for you."

Yumiko was kneeling while moving one arm in front of her mouth. She began bleeding heavily from her mouth, pouring between her fingers as a result of the severe wound Kizu had given her, and the scarlet liquid flooded beneath her position like a pool.

The slow rhythmic beat of the heart was discernible. She attempted to retain the blood inside her mouth as the flowing blood affected her consciousness and threatened to turn her into a fountain of blood.

Kizu smiled as he crouched down in front of her and put his arms between his legs.

"Since birth, I haven't seen such gorgeous red. Yumiko, you are indeed a river of blood; you are magnificent. I understand Muro's fascination with the stunning red liquid." he told. He extended his fingers, stroking her chin tenderly with his fingertips. He was carefully wiping the blood while aware that Yumiko was powerless to do anything.

She coughed, unable to move or talk, causing the blood to spray on his arm and the ground.

"Oh, look... You're covering my hand with red." Her face was immediately slapped as he became furious and serious. "Did I give you permission to cover me with your disturbing blood?!"

He raised to his foot and dragged his leg forward from behind. Yumiko was struck in the head by his instep as he shoved her into the wall of the hallway, where her back collided with it.

Since she was unable to talk, she cried in anguish before sliding down the wall with her back. She slumped on her side, her face looking miserable as though she were running out of energy.

She exuded no expression at all, like a lifeless doll.

"Look at this! Your filthy blood is absolutely revolting! In contrast to me, I believe Muro will know how to handle you."

In order to prevent her from getting blood on his clothes, he approached her before grabbing her by the legs and dragging her along the hallway. Her blades slipped out of her fingers like butter as she didn't move a muscle. Her eyes were wide open and she didn't even blink once.

The injuries were far severe than typical, which made them almost fatal.

To be continued...