The moment they reached their floor, the group slowed their pace.
Dan Heng: "Is there anything left to do? We're meeting the guardian tomorrow. There won't be any time for sightseeing."
Caelus: "That's enough fun for today. Time to rest."
March 7th: "It was a long day today. All I need is a hot shower and a good night's sleep."
Caelus: "Sleep well guys!"
March 7th: "yawn You too!"
Dan Heng: "Let's get to bed early and save our energy. I sense the next few days could be tiring."
March 7th: "Well, I'm off to my room then. Express lights off!"
Each of the four headed to their own room.
Kouga, however, had a different plan.
The moment everyone went to bed, Kouga sensed that Caelus had fallen asleep.
He lay down on his own bed and drifted off almost instantly.
The next moment, within a dream, Kouga found himself inside the Zeztz Room.
Transforming into Kamen Rider Zeztz, he stepped through the boundary between dreams and entered Caelus's dreamscape.
Inside, he found himself standing in an endless white space.
Not far away stood Caelus.
In front of him was...
A younger Cocolia.
Kouga also noticed that Caelus's chest was glowing with a golden light.
Voice: "Cocolia... Cocolia..."
Teenage Cocolia: "Wh-Who are you...? ...What are you?"
Voice: "We are allies... allies of the guardians through generations."
Teenage Cocolia: "What do you want...?"
Voice: "To rebuild... this dying world..."
Voice: "To help you... achieve your wish."
Having seen enough, Kouga walked over and tapped Caelus on the shoulder.
Startled, Caelus turned around and immediately recognized the armored figure before him.
Caelus: "Mr. Hayata? What are you doing here?"
Kouga: "Just dropping by. I figured this would be a good opportunity to train you, though I definitely wasn't expecting your dream to come with a secret history lesson."
Caelus: "Yeah."
The image of the young Cocolia slowly faded away.
Kouga folded his arms.
Kouga: "Looks like the voice influencing Cocolia and the presence we sensed back in Qlipoth Fort are probably one and the same—the Stellaron."
Caelus blinked.
Caelus: "How can you tell?"
Kouga: "Simple."
He pointed at Caelus's glowing chest.
Kouga: "Your Stellaron has been reacting to it this whole time."
Looking down, Caelus finally noticed the golden light emanating from his chest.
Caelus: "Huh... you're right."
After a moment, he looked back up.
Caelus: "So what are you doing here, Mr. Hayata?"
Kouga: "What? You're not surprised that I'm casually walking around inside your dream?"
Caelus: "Mr. Hayata, after everything I've seen you do, I think I've become numb to this sort of thing."
Kouga: "Fair enough. Anyway, I'm here to train your body."
Caelus looked skeptical.
Caelus: "Train my body? No offense, Mr. Hayata, but this is a dream. I don't think any of this would affect me in real life."
Kouga waved a hand dismissively.
Kouga: "Normally you'd be right. The problem is that my powers don't really care about what's normal. Anything I do to you here carries over into reality."
Caelus stared at him.
Despite everything he had witnessed, that statement still managed to surprise him.
Caelus: "Seriously?"
Kouga: "Seriously. Better yet, we can stretch time inside this dream as much as we want. Which means we're going to get several hours of training done tonight."
Before Caelus could respond, Kouga snapped his fingers.
A military jeep suddenly materialized out of nowhere.
Caelus slowly turned his head.
Then slowly looked at Kouga.
Then slowly looked back at the jeep.
Kouga climbed into the driver's seat.
Before starting the engine, he looked directly at Caelus.
Kouga: "Alright, Caelus. Come at me."
Caelus looked at the jeep again.
A terrible feeling crept down his spine.
Caelus: "Uh... Mr. Hayata... are you telling me to fight you while you're driving that thing at me?"
Beneath the Zeztz helmet, Kouga grinned.
The engine roared to life.
The next moment, Caelus's terrified screams echoed across the dreamscape.
Kouga: "DON'T RUN!"
Caelus: "WHY IS THE JEEP PART OF THE TRAINING!?"
Kouga: "STOP RUNNING AWAY!"
A moment later, the jeep hit him.
Caelus was launched through the air.
As he flew across the dream world, one thought crossed his mind.
I'm going to die.
He crashed into the ground.
Before he could recover, Kouga's voice thundered across the white void.
Kouga: "GET UP, CAELUS!"
The morning arrived, and Caelus slowly opened his eyes.
Despite feeling more energetic than usual, his entire body ached with a dull soreness. Curious, he walked over to the mirror and lifted his shirt.
Abs.
Actual abs.
Caelus stared at his reflection for several seconds.
'Looks like Mr. Hayata wasn't exaggerating after all.'
Memories from the previous night's "training" immediately resurfaced.
Hours upon hours of relentless drills.
Running.
Dodging.
Endurance training.
Reaction exercises.
Being repeatedly run over by a jeep.
The fact that Kouga could manipulate dreams, extend the flow of time within them, and heal injuries with the Recovery Capsem made the whole thing horrifyingly effective.
It was probably one of the greatest training methods imaginable.
It was also pure hell.
Deciding not to think about it any further, Caelus left his room.
Outside, March and Dan Heng were already talking with each other.
March immediately noticed him.
March 7th: "Hey, Caelus. Did you hear that?"
Dan Heng: "There's a group of Silvermane Guards at the entrance... and I don't think they're here to say hi."
March 7th: "If this is our escort, it's less friendly than I was expecting."
A bad feeling settled in Caelus's stomach.
'Could Cocolia be planning to detain us?'
Caelus : "Maybe they're not here to escort us?"
March 7th: "I guess we'll have to find out..."
Dan Heng: "Let's go and meet them. We won't know until we're down there."
Caelus glanced around.
No Kouga.
Not in the hallway.
Not leaning against a wall.
Not anywhere.
Caelus : "Where's Mr. Hayata ?"
March exchanged a look with Dan Heng before answering.
March 7th: "Oh, we tried waking him up."
Caelus blinked.
Dan Heng sighed.
Dan Heng: "Several times."
March 7th: "Several, several times."
Dan Heng: "He didn't respond."
March 7th: "I shook him."
Dan Heng: "Nothing."
March 7th: "I shouted."
Dan Heng: "Nothing."
March 7th: "I even tried pulling his blanket off."
Dan Heng: "The blanket somehow pulled itself back."
March 7th: "...That was creepy."
Dan Heng: "Very."
March 7th: "We were running out of time, so we had to leave him behind."
Caelus could only nod.
Honestly, considering everything Kouga had done so far, sleeping through an arrest wasn't even in the weirdest things about him.
The three left the hotel and were immediately met by several Silvermane Guards.
Stern Silvermane Guard: "Hey! Commander Bronya is waiting for you all down below. Hurry up and go see her. And no tricks!"
March 7th: "Are we... in a lot of trouble?"
The group followed the guards until they arrived before the acting commander herself.
March 7th: "Huh? It's you... you were there at the Fort..."
Bronya: "I am Bronya Rand, acting commander of the Silvermane Guards. In the name of the Amber Lord Qlipoth in the highest, and under order of Supreme Guardian Cocolia Rand, I hereby arrest the suspected infiltrators under the charge of plotting to incite rebellion."
Bronya: "As agent of the supreme guardian, I herewith temporarily strip you of your freedom of action and speech. When you are tried by the adjudication panel, you will be given the opportunity to defend yourselves against the accusations."
Bronya: "Resistance will prove futile. You must come with me."
March 7th: "W—Wait a minute! This isn't what we agreed! She said we were gonna be escorted to discuss an urgent matter!"
Dan Heng: "...This is an orchestrated betrayal, obviously."
March 7th: "Looks like we've been downgraded to accomplices... again. Seems like it's every third planet this happens."
Dan Heng: "That's because you always act without thinking — you never have a plan."
March 7th: "Hey, I'm improving! I'm coming up with a plan right now... aaaand... got one!"
March's eyes landed on the sealed alley.
March 7th: "Caelus, Dan Heng, the alley!"
Dan Heng: "The one that's been sealed off... Hmm, it's possible."
Caelus then added.
Caelus : "I'm not worried about Mr. Hayata. If anyone can handle himself, it's definitely him."
Dan Heng and March nodded.
Dan Heng: "Caelus, March, be ready to make an escape."
March 7th: "Huh? Really? I just wanted to say something..."
Caelus : "It's now or never!"
Dan Heng: "Three of a kind..."
Caelus : "Huh?"
March 7th: "Shh! It's an old Astral Express escape signal. Do you play cards?"
Dan Heng: "Two Pair..."
Silvermane Guard: "Hey, what are you whispering? Let's get going!"
Dan Heng: "Ace!"
The signal was given.
Caelus instantly summoned his bat and struck the guard behind them.
Dan Heng moved at the same time, protecting March while summoning Cloud-Piercer.
The nearby guards rushed forward.
Several were immediately swept off their feet as Dan Heng's spear struck their legs.
The trio broke into a run toward the sealed alley.
The soldiers raised their weapons and opened fire.
Before the shots could land, frost spread over the barrels.
The mechanisms froze solid.
March spun around and stuck out her tongue.
March 7th: "Have an 'ice' day!"
Moments later, the three disappeared into the Fragmentum.
Silence fell over the square.
Pela stepped beside Bronya.
Pela: "They charged straight in!"
Bronya: "...Escaping into a Fragmentum. I don't know if they're overconfident or just eager for death. It would seem that mother's judgment was correct..."
Pela: "Should we report them as missing or deceased?"
Bronya: "..."
Bronya: "The supreme guardian's order was to arrest them. We cannot abandon our pursuit just because they fled into a sealed off area. I must ascertain their fate with my own eyes."
Pela: "Y—Yes, ma'am."
Bronya: "Eradicate all threats to Belobog's security... that is what I must do."
Bronya's gaze swept across the area.
Then she frowned.
Bronya: "Wait."
Pela: "...Commander?"
Bronya: "There were supposed to be four outsiders."
The nearby guards exchanged nervous glances.
One finally stepped forward.
Silvermane Guard: "Commander... only three of them came out of the hotel."
Bronya's eyes narrowed.
Bronya: "Explain."
Silvermane Guard: "According to witnesses, the fourth outsider never left his room. We believe he is still inside the Goethe Hotel."
Pela blinked.
Pela: "One of them stayed behind?"
Silvermane Guard: "Y-Yes, ma'am."
Bronya considered this for a moment.
Then she gave her orders.
Bronya: "Divide the force."
Bronya: "A squad will return to the Goethe Hotel and apprehend the remaining outsider."
Bronya: "The rest will accompany me into the Fragmentum."
Pela: "Understood, Commander."
Bronya turned toward the sealed alley.
Bronya: "Move out."
As the Silvermane Guards hurried to obey, none of them knew that the man sleeping peacefully inside the hotel was perhaps the most dangerous person in all of Belobog.
Back with March, Dan Heng, and Caelus.
After successfully escaping from the Silvermane Guards, March let out a relieved sigh.
March 7th: "Hah! See, they weren't brave enough to follow us! Freedom!"
March 7th: "Serves them right! Better luck next time, slowpokes!"
Caelus quickly tempered her enthusiasm.
Caelus : "We got lucky."
March 7th: "Well, you can get good at getting lucky~"
Dan Heng: "We caught them by surprise, nothing more. They'll be in pursuit soon enough."
Dan Heng: "Let's follow the path. We need to guarantee our own safety before making any further plans."
For now, their priority was to explore the Fragmentum and figure out their next move.
As they made their way deeper into the corrupted district, March tried to lighten the mood with some conversation.
March 7th: "So what happened back there? Why did the supreme guardian send people to arrest us?"
March 7th: "Imagine launching a surprise attack when your enemy is fast asleep. The cheek!"
Dan Heng: "That woman had a troubling aura... our instincts were correct."
Caelus recalled the events of his dream and finally spoke up.
Caelus : "I think the Stellaron has been influencing her since she was young, manipulating her from the shadows."
March and Dan Heng immediately turned toward him.
March 7th : "How do you know that?"
Caelus : "Last night, I had a dream. It seems the Stellaron inside me reacted to the Stellaron on this planet and showed me fragments of the past. That's what Mr. Hayata told me after he entered my dream."
Both March and Dan Heng nodded thoughtfully.
Then they suddenly froze.
March 7th : "Wait... Mr. Hayata can enter other people's dreams?!"
Caelus : "Apparently. That's also where he gave me... some... training."
His voice gradually became quieter as unpleasant memories resurfaced.
Being chased.
Being run over.
Being forced to get back up.
Over and over again.
March and Dan Heng exchanged a glance.
Neither of them wanted to know what that training had involved.
After walking for a while, they arrived at a large gate branching off from the left path.
March immediately lowered her voice.
March 7th: "Wait! There are Silvermane Guards here. Careful not to alert them!"
Dan Heng looked ahead.
Dan Heng: "They must have entered from another direction to cut us off."
Dan Heng: "We should avoid an open conflict. Let's find another path."
The trio soon discovered a massive metal gate blocking their progress.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't open.
March 7th: "Doesn't seem like there's any way to open this gate... Ooh, check this mechanism out. Look familiar?"
She pointed toward a complicated control device attached to the wall.
Dan Heng examined it.
Dan Heng: "Yes, we saw one in Serval's workshop."
Dan Heng: "We need to solve it before we run out of time. The Guards are right on our heels."
March scratched her cheek.
March 7th : "Well, that's unfortunate. Mr. Hayata fixed the one at Serval's workshop so quickly that we never got a chance to learn how it actually worked."
That gave Caelus an idea.
Without warning, he activated his transformation.
Light engulfed his body.
Moments later, Ganbarider stood where he had been.
March blinked.
March 7th : "Uhm, Caelus, why did you transform?"
Caelus : "I want to test something."
He focused on the locked mechanism.
At once, the display on his chest plate lit up.
Emblems began appearing one after another.
Kamen Rider Build.
Kamen Rider W.
Kamen Rider Ichigo.
Kamen Rider Zero-One.
Kamen Rider Ark-Zero.
Kamen Rider Horobi.
A strange sensation flooded his mind.
Knowledge.
Information.
Technical understanding that he had never learned before suddenly appeared inside his head as if it had always been there.
The machine no longer looked complicated.
Its structure.
Its purpose.
Its operating principles.
He understood all of it.
Moving instinctively, Caelus approached the mechanism and began manipulating its controls.
Only a few seconds later—
Click.
The gate unlocked.
The massive doors slowly rumbled open.
Caelus detransform.
March stared with her mouth hanging open.
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow.
Meanwhile, March felt a tiny spark of jealousy.
Being able to suddenly gain expert knowledge whenever you needed it seemed incredibly unfair.
She quietly made a mental note.
Things To Ask Mr. Hayata Later:
- Can I borrow some of your power?
- Just a little.
- Please?
- Pretty please?
As they rushed through the Fragmentum, they fought off wave after wave of monsters. Fortunately, none of them posed a serious threat.
Still, one complaint kept repeating in Caelus' mind.
Why is this place like a puzzle?
It wasn't that he hated puzzles.
It was just getting annoying.
Every path seemed blocked. Every door required a mechanism. Every route demanded some kind of detour.
At long last, they finally spotted the Fragmentum exit.
It was right in front of them.
Safety was within reach... at least for the moment.
Then—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A volley of bullets struck the ground around them, forcing the trio to stop in their tracks.
Dan Heng: "Look out!"
The three quickly looked around.
Silvermane Guards had surrounded the area from every direction.
March 7th: "She really caught up with us..."
March 7th: "Even had time to set up an ambush..."
A path opened among the soldiers.
Bronya stepped forward.
Bronya: "Hmph, you dare underestimate me?"
Bronya: "Even though it has suffered Fragmentum corrosion, this is still part of Belobog. It was our home. The Guards know this place like the back of their hand."
Bronya: "Enough cat and mouse — drop your weapons and come with me."
March 7th: "Ugh, you're such a nuisance! Just what crime are we supposed to have committed again? It better be worth you following us all the way out here!"
Bronya: "My orders are to arrest you. It is for the adjudication panel to present you with the nature and penalty of your alleged crimes."
Dan Heng: "You saw us yesterday, do you remember? Madam Cocolia received us as honored guests."
Dan Heng: "How can such a drastic change have occurred in the course of one night?"
Bronya: "...The Madam Guardian investigated your backgrounds."
Bronya: "She summoned me last night to tell me that you had deceived her. Your identities and purpose here are counterfeit. You seek to overthrow the rule of the Architects."
March's eye twitched.
Then another.
Then another.
March 7th: "Ah! What a two-faced hag!"
Several soldiers gasped.
Bronya's expression immediately darkened.
Bronya: "Publicly insulting the supreme guardian only elevates the seriousness of your crimes. Throw down your arms and surrender!"
Dan Heng: "We're wasting our words, March. At least one thing is clear: We mustn't be caught."
March 7th: "Well, if there's no escape, then maybe it's time we gave them a taste of Astral Express medicine!"
Dan Heng summoned the Cloud-Piercer.
March drew her bow.
Caelus spun his bat onto his shoulder.
The Silvermane Guards lowered their weapons.
Then charged.
"Advance!"
The first wave rushed forward.
A rifleman fired.
Dan Heng immediately stepped forward.
His spear flashed.
The bullet was knocked aside before it could reach March.
In the same motion, Dan Heng swept his spear in a wide arc.
Three Guards were knocked off their feet.
Meanwhile, two soldiers lunged toward Caelus.
Caelus gripped his bat.
WHAM!
One soldier was sent tumbling backward.
The second tried to swing his weapon.
Caelus ducked beneath it.
BONK!
The bat connected directly with the soldier's helmet.
The man spun once before collapsing into a snowbank.
Caelus: "Sorry!"
A moment later—
THWACK!
Another soldier was launched over a crate.
More soldiers rushed them.
March leapt backward.
Her bow glowed.
March 7th: "Catch!"
Several ice arrows shot into the air.
Mid-flight, they split apart into dozens of smaller arrows.
The barrage forced the advancing soldiers to scatter.
A few found themselves frozen in place.
Dan Heng seized the opportunity.
He dashed forward like a gust of wind.
His spear blurred.
One.
Two.
Three.
Every strike precisely knocked a weapon from a soldier's hand.
Bronya watched from the rear.
Her expression grew increasingly serious.
Another squad attempted to flank them.
March noticed immediately.
March 7th: "Dan Heng! Left side!"
Dan Heng spun.
The butt of his spear struck one soldier.
His next strike swept another off his feet.
At the same time, Caelus charged straight through the center.
A shield-bearing Guard stepped in his path.
The shield lasted approximately one second.
CRACK!
The impact sent both shield and owner sliding across the snow.
March 7th: "Wow."
Dan Heng: "Please don't encourage him."
The battle continued.
More soldiers fell.
More weapons were knocked away.
Eventually, the first wave could no longer maintain formation.
The remaining Guards retreated toward Bronya.
Right after March managed to take down another soldier, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
March 7th: "Ah..."
Suddenly—
A Silvermane Guard leaped toward her from behind.
Weapon raised.
Dan Heng: "Duck!"
March 7th: "Ahhhh!"
March immediately dropped to the ground.
The attacking soldier never reached her.
Dan Heng's spear struck first.
The unfortunate Guard was launched through the air.
Straight toward Bronya.
The commander caught him effortlessly before he hit the ground.
She gently set him behind her.
Silvermane Soldier: "Lady Bronya..."
Bronya: "Hm..."
Bronya stepped forward.
The temperature itself seemed to drop.
She raised her rifle.
Her eyes locked onto the trio.
Bronya: "I'll handle these evildoers..."
A powerful gust of icy wind swept across the battlefield.
Snow swirled around her.
Bronya: "Myself!"
Bronya stepped forward, her rifle raised and her eyes locked onto the trio.
The surrounding snow began to stir.
A cold wind gathered around her body, growing stronger with each passing second.
Without another word, Bronya moved.
She dashed forward with surprising speed, the wind carrying her across the battlefield.
Dan Heng immediately met her charge.
Their weapons collided.
CLANG!
A powerful gust erupted from the impact.
Bronya twisted her rifle and swept it upward, forcing Dan Heng back before firing several shots enhanced by swirling wind.
Dan Heng narrowly avoided the barrage, the bullets carving grooves into the frozen ground behind him.
At the same time, March drew her bow.
A volley of ice arrows shot toward Bronya.
The commander raised a hand.
The wind around her condensed into a rotating current.
The arrows were knocked off course before they could reach her.
Bronya immediately retaliated.
A compressed blast of wind struck the ground in front of March.
Snow exploded upward.
March barely managed to leap away before being caught in the attack.
Meanwhile, Caelus rushed in from the side with his bat raised.
Bronya saw him coming.
She pivoted and blocked the swing with her rifle.
The impact pushed her back several steps, but she remained standing.
Caelus followed with another strike.
Bronya sidestepped and unleashed a point-blank burst of wind that forced him backward.
The trio regrouped.
March 7th: "This girl's pretty strong... Hey Dan Heng, maybe now's a good time to show off your secret strength?"
Dan Heng: "...You first."
March 7th: "Ugh, you're no fun."
Bronya: "Intruders, give it up! You will be guaranteed a fair trial."
Caelus was about to step forward and fight her.
Then a familiar voice could be heard.
Sampo: "Ooh! Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the intensity of the moment~"
Suddenly, three bombs rolled between them.
The explosives detonated.
Dense smoke erupted outward, engulfing the entire battlefield.
Everyone immediately began coughing as the haze filled the air.
Bronya: "gasp What is this?"
March 7th: "...I can't breathe..."
A figure stepped out from within the smoke.
Sampo.
Sampo: "I have one thing to say:"
Sampo: "Sampo never lets friends who've helped him come to harm."
Sampo: "I say what I mean... and I mean what I say."
The smoke continued spreading.
Vision blurred.
Consciousness faded.
One by one—
Caelus, Bronya, March, and Dan Heng lost consciousness.
Back to Kouga.
After a good night's sleep—and after spending what felt like several days running Caelus through dream-world boot camp—Kouga finally woke up inside his room at the Goethe Hotel.
The moment his eyes opened, dozens of small mechanical spiders materialized above him.
Spider Phones.
Not only had he recreated them, but he had also modified them.
Now they possessed a teleportation function linked directly to the person being contacted.
Of course, Kouga had added several safety measures.
The device would automatically scan the destination and refuse teleportation if someone was standing there.
No accidental fusion with another person.
No teleporting into walls.
No teleporting into midair.
No teleporting into a lake.
Only safe locations with solid ground and sufficient empty space would be accepted.
Satisfied with his work, Kouga sat up and stretched.
Then—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Kouga blinked.
"Room service?"
Another knock came.
A lot harder this time.
Kouga walked over and opened the door.
Standing outside were several Silvermane Guards.
One of them immediately pointed a weapon at him.
Silvermane Guard: "Outsider! In the name of the Supreme Guardian, you are under arrest!"
Kouga stared at him.
The guard continued.
Silvermane Guard: "Do not resist! Come quietly and this will be easier for everyone!"
The moment he finished speaking, another guard standing beside him looked horrified.
Second Silvermane Guard: "Are you insane!?"
Everyone turned toward him.
Second Silvermane Guard: "Do you know who this is!?"
Silvermane Guard: "What?"
Second Silvermane Guard: "This is the outsider who beat Captain Gepard into a crater!"
Silence.
The first guard looked at Kouga.
Then back at his companion.
Then back at Kouga.
Silvermane Guard: "That's impossible."
Second Silvermane Guard: "I SAW IT!"
Silvermane Guard: "Then how did this guy—"
Second Silvermane Guard: "I DON'T KNOW! HE TURNED INTO SOME WEIRD METAL BUG MAN!"
The hallway became awkwardly quiet.
Kouga decided to ask the important question.
Kouga: "Where are my companions?"
The first guard straightened up.
Silvermane Guard: "The other three fugitives are currently being pursued by Commander Bronya."
Kouga paused.
"...Ah."
He had forgotten.
He had spent so much time training Caelus in the dream world that he forgot to manipulate the time dilation in the Zeztz room.
Well.
Too late now.
Still, Dan Heng, March, and Caelus should be able to handle themselves.
Probably.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Kouga shrugged and began walking forward.
Only for several guards to immediately block his path.
Silvermane Guard: "Stop right there!"
Kouga sighed.
Kouga: "I really don't have time for this."
The guards raised their weapons.
The one sensible guard immediately backed away.
Second Silvermane Guard: "Yep. Nope. Not doing this."
The others charged.
Three seconds later—
BONK!
BONK!
BONK!
Three Silvermane Guards collapsed onto the floor.
Each now possessed an identical bump on their head.
The hallway became silent.
Kouga looked at the unconscious guards.
Then at the remaining guard.
Kouga: "Sorry about that."
The guard nodded vigorously.
Kouga: "I need to find my friends."
Second Silvermane Guard: "Understandable."
Kouga: "Thanks."
Second Silvermane Guard: "I don't get paid enough for this."
Kouga gave him a sympathetic nod before walking away.
A few moments later, he exited the Goethe Hotel and stepped into the streets of Belobog.
Closing his eyes, he focused.
His senses spread outward.
Searching.
Searching.
Searching.
Then he found them.
Kouga opened one eye.
"...Underground?"
He looked toward the direction of the signal.
His friends were somehow deep beneath Belobog.
Kouga scratched his head.
Kouga: "How did they end up down there?"