The voice sounded and felt like it descended from the heavens, a commanding tone indeed. Even Linus’ men could not stifle their shiver. “Who goes there!” one of them yelled, all of them equipped their weapons immediately. The leaves rustled in the wind, some broke free from their branches and floated blissfully onto the ground, the man behind the voice appeared, and he slowly walked out of the Feather Forest. His body was lean, his hair flowing freely, an icy yet calm demeanor surrounded him. Zephyr had arrived.

“You!”

“You’re still alive?!”

Everyone was up in arms as they saw Zephyr. They looked like they had just seen a ghost. Linus however, brightly smiled, “Wow! Just, wow! I never thought I’d see your face again! I’m sure I’ll be well rewarded once I bring you home!” he called out. “Zephyr my boy, why don’t you start begging, maybe I’ll even cut you some slack!” Linus stared at Zephyr the same way he stared at Lewis, as though the other was a bug.

“Master, please, go! Return to the Forest!” Lewis yelled at Zephyr. Although Zephyr’s appearance gave him some fleeting hope, Lewis did not think Zephyr could take them all at once. “Go back? Do you think you can go back? Wow, wow, wow. All we did was chase after a lost dog, who knew we would find the master at the end of it all! No… I don’t think so, I don’t think you’re going back in there,” Linus said coldly albeit playfully. He waved his hands, and immediately, some of his men surrounded Zephyr with no good intent.

“Are you okay, Lewis?” Zephyr asked calmly, he disregarded Linus and his men. Zephyr felt relieved to see his associate, appreciative, and even satisfied. Zephyr realized that Lewis was not so bad after all. “Master… I…” Lewis called out, but before he could finish his sentence, Linus silenced him with his power. “That’s okay, you’re fine. I am very satisfied with you, Lewis. You will not regret following me, in fact, I will be sure to reward you rightly. Following me was the best decision you’ve made all your life!” Zephyr replied as he smiled.

“Hahaha… Zephyr, my boy, has your head been rattled? Following you was the best thing he’s done? Man, you’re killer, your jokes are killer!” Linus taunted.

“Come now, come, come and beg. Do you want Master Linus to dismember you limb by limb?” jeered a man behind Zephyr. At the same time, an energy blast in the shape of a palm came at Zephyr from the back. Its source was judged to be a Strength of a level six fighter. Were this to contact Zephyr’s back, he would be heavily injured.

Zephyr puffed; his body stiffened. His energies quickly solidified. This bout of energy was strong, apocalyptically so, and was able to crush all. ‘What? Is this… Focus of the Sword?’ Linus thought, being a swordsman himself, he could clearly see Zephyr using the Focus, something he could not achieve. He had trained for about 10 years himself, and yet, he could not even conjure an ounce of it, but Zephyr the runt could? Linus stared at Zephyr, eyes widened, unbelieving that Zephyr the b*stard was capable of such power. That was Focus of the Sword! Never once has Linus imagined Zephyr to be this way.

Suddenly, the man who had tried to do a sneak attack onto Zephyr spat out a great splatter of blood before he dropped to the ground. Not only did that man fall, but all those that surrounded Zephyr suffered the same fate, their faces frozen in shock, and in fear.