"You go kill that makeshift contractor of this guy later," An, the man in black robes with red patterns, said to End beside him. "Then our mission is basically done. Alright, I'm starting. Get ready!" He stretched out his withered right hand, as if pulling something from his robes.
White Feather didn't know An's plan. But a growing ominous feeling drove it to strike first. It took a deep breath. The wind instantly intensified. White Feather let out a long bellow. Countless deep green wind blades shot toward them, as if guided by eyes.
End ignored the terrifying blades. He just watched An. The blades stalled inches away. Then they vanished into thin air!
White Feather's large wolf eyes narrowed slightly. Those were just probing attacks. They shouldn't have been dispelled so easily. Unless these two hid their strength? It spotted the green-glowing staff in An's hand. "What happened?" it asked, puzzled. "Did my wind blades... relate to that staff?"
An actually answered. "Hehe, this staff," he said, "was crafted by Heavenly Mandate using your blood and rare materials. It suppresses your power completely... forcing a contract!"
Deep wariness filled White Feather's eyes. It understood An's meaning: You can't escape. Surrender now.
Seeing An and End confident of victory, White Feather's majestic wolf face shifted. It inhaled sharply. A fiercer storm erupted around its streamlined body. It seemed ready to unleash a massive move.
But as An and End calmly watched its aura peak, intense green energy blasted from its feet. Like an arrow released, it shot away.
"Tough spot! Wind's tight—time to bolt!"
Bai Xin, hiding in a corner, facepalmed. Its majestic image had shattered completely! She stayed hidden because of the huge Seal Barrier. She couldn't break it. Yesterday, she'd still been a nobody.
An watched White Feather soar. Unfazed, he told End, "I'll suppress the Storm Beast. You kill that little girl it contracted. Then I control it. Mission complete."
"Hehehehe, understood!" End cackled. His body trembled with excitement. He scanned the area, hesitated briefly, then strode off in one direction.
"Hurry up," An said. "This Seal Barrier won't fool those trackers long." He floated upward on staff energy. Sneering at the wolf battering the barrier, he added, "Hehe, this Seal Barrier isn't strong defensively. But you can't open it. Heavenly Mandate made it just for you!"
His staff glowed brighter. White Feather slowed instantly. Finally, it froze, immobilized.
White Feather asked darkly, "What does Heavenly Mandate truly want? Hunting us Four Boundary Beasts... exposing your hidden organization?"
"Hehe, I don't know why Master wants you," An replied excitedly. "But Master surely has an amazing plan!" White Feather pictured a sickly, fanatical face.
Silent, White Feather saw only madness in him. It bellowed. A massive cyan tornado erupted around it.
An snorted. His staff's glow intensified, staining the gloomy sky green. White Feather froze again. An impatiently urged End to act. This began the earlier scene.
"Hehehehe, where are you, little mouse?" Under streetlights, End's shadow stretched thin and monstrous. He walked slowly, his withered right hand gripping a green-glowing Longsword. To hidden Bai Xin, he looked like a hellish reaper.
(He won't find me, right?) Bai Xin pressed against an alley wall beside a trash can. She bent light with her ability, achieving stealth. Abilities were utterly mysterious—beyond science.
Danger truly was the best catalyst. Normally, she'd never have used this stealth skill.
(But hiding won't save me. I need an escape...) Bai Xin's mind cleared. She focused on solutions, ignoring the trash can's stench.
End turned into the alley. Bai Xin's heart leaped. Cold sweat soaked her back and palms. Her heart thumped wildly. As he neared, she tensed, praying he'd just pass by.
One step... two steps... He stopped suddenly. Bai Xin held her breath, calming her racing heart. He'd only crushed a passing mouse. She mourned the poor creature, fearing she'd share its fate.
As End passed her, Bai Xin exhaled. Her heart settled. (Thank goodness—he missed me!)
But reality rarely cooperates. End halted. His hooded head twitched, sniffing. Abruptly, he thrust his Longsword toward her hiding spot!
"!!!" Bai Xin barely formed a light blade to block. The force—mismatched with his withered hand—made her arms tremble.
"Hehehehe! Got you! Little mouse!" End cackled like a predator. Hearing "little mouse," Bai Xin recalled the crushed rodent...
Bai Xin's face turned ashen. She was found. The surging cyan sky cast an eerie green glow on her fair skin. Wind whipped her hair. A trace of despair rose in her heart.
