The wolves groan turning human again getting annoyed with Setsuno's wolfs bane and run tactics but they have slowly cornered him into a deserted rocky mountain and soon he'll run out of ammo and soil to plant his traps.
Setsuno is well aware of his current predicament and weighs his options if he can get to the top of the mountain before they get to him he will have the field advantage he just needs a good enough distraction and he can make a B line for the hills.
"One cactus, 2 Venus fly traps and one bean stalk. Don't fail me now mother nature." Setsuno observes his surroundings and the number of openings the enemy has.
He can also hear Rex's girly screams and destructive earth quakes coming towards him since he used the fly traps to signal the others his position he knew he would also be calling the enemy towards him.
He is betting on Saito making it on time but even the dragon is having a hard time being cornered by a bunch of kids. He could never hurt them for all he knows they don't have a choice in the matter.
The Lyre smirks surprised he's so weak he can't see past an illusion. "Don't you think you should be capturing him? We do need some time to figure out what makes these hybrid Immortals so special considering we've been out of the game for so long."
Saito turns his attention to where he heard the voice he couldn't figure out why the kids didn't have heartbeats, but now that he's finally picked up on an actual sound and the person doesn't sound like a child he has no problems with being violent towards adults.
He takes a deep breath before he releases a powerful wind roar to let his friends know where he is and that gives Setsuno an opening to run for the hills without wasting the last of his ammo. He reaches the edge and jumps.
Rex jumps up and catches Setsuno before he just up and drops him running from the giant black widows behind him.
"Oh, I have a plant for those." Setsuno grabs the plant he stumbled into earlier and lets it grow, he ran into Melody who told him that the insects are all on the other side of the mountain because this plant is dangerous and toxic to insects.
It's a blue orchid like flower with white spots on the petals and the stem is furry with an itchy powder that sticks to the fingers when you hold it.
The spiders start retreating but the force of Saito's attack is still coming so the Spiders and the two boys have a few seconds before they are blown back towards the wolves.
"Hop on."
Setsuno looks at Rex and takes a step back. "No way, you're not going to make it, none of us are."
They take shelter behind the thickest trees they can find holding their breaths watching as the spiders are blown away. One in particular manages to hold on to a tree as the others are blown back.
Saito looks around and the illusions are gone he did not expect to do as much damage as he did. He sighs with a smile on his face. "Who knew letting loose would feel so great."
"Who knew a hatchling had such great strength."
Saito turns around coming face to face with Kudesai. He growls and Kudesai has an amused expression on his face Saito is well aware he's outmatched as his opponent could kill him with one strike but the thing about an opponent that can kill him means he can do the same.
Saito uses his tail to kick up dust before he runs off finding a place with level ground where Kudesai won't be able to hit him with surprise attacks, but it's mainly about the defence in an open field he can spread his wings and dodge attacks freely.
Kudesai finally realizes what Saito is doing noting that his usual magic tricks won't work on a dragon.
He first needs to destroy his scales before the final attack and him being a wind dragon he's naturally fast and has better chances of surviving.
"It's best to pick him off one on one rather than when he has the other children to help him."
Roku senses Saito running past him up ahead to the top of the hill where Setsuno was and the other two are trying to tame a 4 feet long black widow using plants and progress isn't going so well considering Rex knocks it on the top of the head every time it moves.
Lucky for them everyone else is steering clear because the two boys aren't aware the spiders have a hive mind and the spider they keep knocking around is the Queen so the other spiders are coming back running to her rescue.
"Dammit, can't you idiots focus just this once, lives are at stake." Roku puts down his passengers and lays Kai and Yuno on either side of Xavier laying their hands on top of Xavier before he takes the stone of channeling and generates water from Kai and uses Yuno's healing to heal all of them.
"Xavier is fine, but better safe than sorry."
Xavier's dragon side syncs with Yuno's unborn child and Melody smirks since she can actually see what is happening with the child.
"Come on buddy hang in there Yuno can handle a little stomach ache." Melody mutters crossing her fingers betting on Yuno's regeneration to keep the baby alive while her spell takes affect/
It will take time and it's not without pain but the ring Roku gave to her keeps absorbing the spell and she needs to recast it which is getting tedious at this point she'll slice Yuno's damn finger off if that's what it takes.
Yuno wakes up and the burning sensation in her stomach jolts her to life.
Melody swoops in stealing the ring and destroying it performing the spell once more before anyone else picks up on the child's aura. She locks eyes with Roku who froze in his tracks when he sensed it.
"Shhh." Melody says before disappearing.
Roku turns to Yuno sensing nothing again. He cuts his hand and performs a spell he swore to never do again using the stone of summoning he calls upon Heaven, a menacing devil sure but he's good at keeping secrets hence why Roku used him for all his dirty deeds.
"Stay quiet and tell me what's going on here and whatever you know better stay between the two of us." Roku says to his friend.
Heaven hums in thought and chuckles, "That might be difficult seeing as how we're being watched." He sits down and looks at Yuno and the kind of spell placed on her.
Roku's eyes wonder around and he narrows his eyes before turning back to Heaven, "I know you want to kill them, do it."
Heaven is the opposite of a Luxar, a Luxar is purely immortal because they cannot kill any other immortal their role is to guide the others and maintain balance whereas Heaven is a Luxor a type of immortal that can kill all other types of Immortals no matter who with just a single touch.
It also means all the other types of Immortals can kill him too.
Roku locked Heaven in the prison realm and would occasionally summon him out for some fun, but him being the last of his kind means he has to stay hidden because if anyone finds out he's still alive they will hunt him down.
Immortals are not fond of anything that threatens their Immortality.
Heaven returns and claps his hands excited. "This one is both a Luxar and a Luxor, he can kill us all yet he can't be killed his mothers blood runs through his veins and he is constantly regenerating.
"The spell is to conceal and hide the child which is great seeing as how Hiroshima was the first to leave the prison and by the time he's done all Immortals will be infertile again.
"This one might just be the last immortal and if word spread he'll be dead right then and there. There's a third spell anyone who knows this will forget it."
Heaven fades away before the ringing sound is heard throughout the entire island.
Thanks to this sound it gave Setsuno enough time to finally get the Queen spider in check and she can tell her spider followers to stop in their tracks.
Roku turns to Yuno who's groaning and Kai who's healing. Xavier wakes up and his stomach growls.
"You get a 10-minute food break than it's back to sleep for you."
Xavier nods waiting for his meal and Kai groans as he can hear again. "Next time I'm bringing sensory deprivation gear." He sits up and looks around.
Saito manages to reach the top of the hill shocking Kudesai with his speed and reflexes.
"Kudesai we should leave, what are you trying to gain from this?" Melody scowls at Kudesai and he laughs.
"I'm a soul eater sweetheart I'm the type of immortal that needs to kill to survive. I wanted the Luxar, but the dragon will do I've exhausted my witch energy meaning if I don't find another soul soon I'm dead."
"Why these children? There's clearly easier prey." Melody keeps her mouth shut before she infuriates him any further
He went after them because he thought they were easy prey but he got proven wrong he's just too stubborn and prideful to turn tail and pick another target he will relentlessly pursue the dragon until he has it.
Saito waits for Kudesai half transformed his grey scales hardening, tail thicker and larger, talons elongated, and wings slightly flapping ready to move with the wind at his feet.
Kudesai puts up a spell that traps Saito in a cube to limit his movement. The only way to destroy the scales of a wind dragon is by fire.
Kudesai hurls flame after flame at Saito who easily dodges before he dashes in a split second towards Kudesai and slices his throat with his talons. The older male stumbles back feeling pain after such a long time.
Saito uses his tail to throw him against the cube and flying kicks him in the gut.
Kudesai grabs his leg and burns off the scales on his foot up to his knee.
Saito breaks free and twists Kudesai's arm kneeing his elbow breaking it before he sinks his teeth into his shoulder and rips his arm off by tugging with all his stregnth.
Kudesai sets the whole cube ablaze and steps out of the cube he spots Saito injecting himself with a syringe before he's consumed by the flames.
The cube disappears and Kudesai is caught off guard by Saito who is in his full dragon form generating fierce winds that are lightly cutting his opponents skin.
Before they left Kai asked him to sneak into Kim's lab and grab a snake leathered toiletry bag with the initials S.B on it because inside it has vials of an engineered healing potion using Yuno's blood.
Everyone has one and he used his before the flames completely engulfed him lying and waiting for the right time to shift and attack.
Kudesai takes the paralysing knife and throws it at Saito grazing his tail, but the teens speed shocks him yet again standing behind him half transformed and his scales hardening even more.
This is the first time Saito has forsaken his human side entirely and become a full dragon Immortal, his instincts are sharper, his senses are heightened and his body feels lighter yet stronger.
Kudesai teleports behind Saito and casts a barrier spell locking him in place before flames start burning Saito's body from head to toe. Kudesai takes out the wand he crafted years ago waiting for the flames to drop his scales one by one.
Xavier jumps into Yuno's arms when Saito's roar echoes throughout the field petrifying the little boy whose body is shaking uncontrollably with fear.
Melody drops the spell on Yuno and Kudesai stops in his tracks when he senses the child's aura, an immortal that cannot be killed but can kill them all sounds like too good of an offer to pass up and more appealing than a dragon.
"Kill the boy and you will make enemies out of your future allies Kudesai, let him go and let them leave in piece war is unwise if you want the child's soul."
Kudesai lets go of Saito and teleports behind Yuno grabbing her hand looking her in the eyes.
A deep growl fills the atmosphere as Ken glares at the male holding Yuno. "Mo…" Ken is left speechless in his tracks when he senses the child it made his whole-body quiver and knocked the wind right out of him.
Roku remembers what Heaven said about Hiroshima and it's too dangerous for anyone to know. "Hey, fix this." Roku orders Melody and she nods.
"Get her out of here I'll bring your friends along."
Yuno stands up but stumbles back getting caught by Heaven who was summoned by Roku to rescue the other boys.
"Twice in one day, how fun."
Ken takes Yuno's hand and chuckles when he sees that Xavier was having a picnic in the middle of a war zone.
"Dammit, I should've been here sooner." Ken gives Yuno a thousand apologies before A hoard of spiders surround the group and Ken groans last time he was here things did not end well with the spiders.
"Setsuno." Xavier points at Setsuno and the unconscious Rex while Heaven returns with Saito who's also unconscious.
"Looks like back up wasn't necessary." Ackerman comments carrying Saito away while Melody puts back the spell on Yuno hiding the child's aura.
The thing about Immortals is that they can sense each other unless you were taught to conceal your presence and have mastered doing so even in your sleep like most older immortals.
The ringing sound echoes again and Yuno faints once more getting caught by Ken this time.
Kudesai groans as he falls to his knees his tough guy act finally coming to an end.
Saito's attacks were pretty intense and he was on his last legs too.
"I guess we'll call it even but we'll meet again boy and I will have your soul."
Melody sighs in relief that Kudesai doesn't remember anything, but the day Yuno's Lux ring breaks everyone will remember and every soul eater will be after the child for sure.
On the plane Ken cuddles Xavier the whole way back while the others are fast asleep.
"That was an epic fail." Kai comments and the other boys nod.
"I'm impressed Saito is still alive that guy is too powerful my body was starting to come apart from all the power bubbling inside me." Roku states helping Setsuno who's rubbing leaves on Saito's body to help him recover and for his new scales to grow back faster.
"Careful you two, too much could give the opposite effect."
Saito wakes up and groans. "I feel like a chihuahua." He sits up and holds out a book he snatched off of Kudesai in the heat of battle.
"I think this is his spell book it's so small. I thought it would be useful to Roku and Sensen I also took this since it looked pretty cool." He holds up a rhino horn pendent on an old looking string that he snatched off his neck when he grazed his throat.
"A witch's talisman sometimes a source of power and sometimes like the stones is a key." Roku explains to Saito holding both items.
Xavier rests on Ken's chest as he watches his father sleep after some time everyone but him is asleep. He gets up and sits next to Yuno who instinctively cuddles him and he giggles.
Ken wakes up to find Yuno awake occasionally teasing Xavier with tickles while pretending to be sleeping. He walks up to Yuno and brushes her cheek.
"Next time you feel like going on an adventure, don't, your feelings are wrong."
Yuno cocks a brow, "You didn't stop me."
Ken effortlessly picks up Xavier and takes his spot which infuriates the boy who pulls his father out of his seat with everything he's got.
Ken sighs sitting opposite the two of them instead. "You were sick and moody so I thought it would cool you down I had a plan to come get you, I just didn't expect things to be as intense as they were."
Yuno's eyes dart to the sleeping boys. "Honestly the two of us slept through It all, Roku will tell you what you want to know I don't remember much. I remember going to the volcano and Xavier got an egg or something."
Xavier smiles showing Ken his gift.
"Good, I'm starving let's crack this baby up and get an omelette."
Setsuno snatches the egg and Roku uses the summoning stone to bring a pan and stove with salt and pepper.
Xavier screams when they crack the egg and everyone cocks a brow when there's no egg yolk or egg white just a curled-up ball with wings.
"No!" Xavier was told to open his gift in 2 days and like the obedient child he is that's what he was going to do. He hugs the sleeping ball tight and keeps it warm using his body heat.
Kai groans and pulls out a dagger. "I got this, she said it can kill an immortal and is one of the few weapons crafted by humans to kill Immortals back when there was a war between all species."
Rex pulls out a tool box, "Same with these. I wonder why you got a single weapon and I have an entire tool box."
Setsuno rolls his eyes thinking he's asking questions with obvious answers. "You're the only one of us who uses close ranged combat. I even collected Saito's scales for you."
Ken and Ackerman listen to the boys' tease Rex about his insect phobia while Kai questions Roku about Lyres explaining what happened to him when he stumbled into one.
"Guys can we talk about this later I'm exhausted."
The boys ignore Roku and turn to Saito, "What did you get?"
He shrugs his shoulders, "I don't remember."
Yuno sits up and has an unreadable expression on her face, "Me too."
Setsuno asks Roku about his ring and he shrugs his shoulders.
"Negai are secretive shits, we'll find out what it does later in life."
They land at the airport and Ken carries Yuno to the car.
"Are you two going to Kim?" Saito asks and Ken nods.
The boys give back the vials they stole before running off and following Ackerman to his car taking them back to Roman high directly.
The boys walk into the campus and avoid Mr Roman who is talking to Izumi in the hallway.
"Shit, run."
Izumi turns his head in the direction of what used to be where the boys were they sneak into Kai and Rex's room flopping on the bed first chance they get.
The door swings open and Izumi cocks a brow. "Trouble makers you were supposed to be at the assembly 10 minutes ago."
Saito sits up and winces flopping on the bed Izumi looks at them one by one and notices they all look spent.
"Let me guess? Musha Cay?"
All three raise their heads and he smirks opening the door wider,.
"You have energy to cock your heads up that fast you have the energy to get your asses to the assembly. Now move."
The boys pause outside of the entrance and Izumi uses a spell to open the door and they get inside sitting at the very back listening to Mr Roman talk about licensing exams and dates for the different campuses.
"Second years will also be allowed to take the tests and the Lin foundation will be employing students who successfully get their license to increase your chances for employability.
"By the time you graduate many adults will have you beat in the experience department and this is our way of combating that potential issue."
The screen behind Mr Roman displays the different Roman schools and the stats of how many high schoolers, middle schoolers, and elementary schoolers are registered with the school.
"Based on these stats we have decided to shift students around, the high school will be moving to the largest building we own that is in Tokyo, middle schoolers will be coming to this campus and the other two schools will remain the same."
Mr Roman's eyes land on the boys at the very back.
Saito is fast asleep Rex is playing around with a blade and Kai keeps checking his phone for a text or message about Yuno and Setsuno.
"I'm Sorry, am I boring the three of you?"
Neither of them pay him any mind because they doubt he's actually talking to them.
"Kai Lin, Rex Kazama and Saito Shirou."
Kai elbows Saito and he growls at Kai before adjusting his ice pack and leaning back again.
"Sorry, we're not feeling so good." Kai says wishing Roku was here to lie for them he's a natural at telling stories.
"All of you?"
Rex holds out his hands with an attitude flicking his knife, "Duh!" Izumi and Kai shake their heads.
Rex has a temper and a care free attitude. He's brutally honest to a fault and never thinks before he talks he says what's on his mind and he's the reason Kai is on the principles shit list.
Mr Roman is the school's director and usually spends time with the smaller kids at the other campuses.
"These dudes are insane." Rou mutters looking Kai up and down as he apologizes for Rex.
"We're so sorry, we got in an accident and we nearly died and my back hurts, he's a chihuahua and he's afraid of insects." Kai struggles to put the story together without hinting that they skipped school to go on a suicide mission in Musha Cay.
Izumi recognizes the blade Rex is toying around with and he chuckles.
"Dude, come on we're family bail us out of this." Kai shamelessly begs Izumi while everyone watches and he takes out his phone calling Ryu. Kai's face pales. "So much for family you asshole."
Ryu is going to kill Kai when she finds out about his suicide mission than give Yuno an earful and negotiate a suspension with the school principle for him to learn his lesson.
If they get suspended it means they will be the only second years who can't go to the licensing exam and will have to wait until their third year while their peers move on ahead.
"How the hell did things go to shit for us?"
"I blame your sister for getting kidnapped by a smoking hot ginger head, swallowing a stupid stone, and getting her ass knocked up."
Rex pauses in his tracks and the piercing sound has the three boys wincing intensifying to dig deep and find the memory of Yuno's pregnancy and lock it up tighter.
Izumi jumps up and stands in front of the three boys wincing and heaving from the pain. Saito bleeds from his left ear and falls to the floor crying out in pain.
"I'll handle the three of them." Izumi asks a few teachers to help carry them out while the others start to rethink Kai's rude joke and the possibility he wasn't joking.
"They snuck out the other day I saw them, think it's drugs?" One of their classmates asks and his twin brother shrugs his shoulders.
"I don't know what their own, but it looks like some pretty cool shit to me."
"They don't do drugs I overheard something about a kidnapping. What if something bad happened to Kai's family I noticed him checking his phone every five seconds."
"I noticed them landing from the airport a few hours ago." Someone holds up the photo that's already trending.
"I think Tachibana's hiding something what's with the winged ball, looks like another Super animal to me."
Izumi takes care of Saito first since he's suffering the most being a dragon with sensitive hearing and a much harder to crack memory.
"What is wrong with these boys?" Roman asks worried.
Izumi looks confused. "I don't know, but I'll find out."