Linley stood up after him and turned to Delia. She stood there with her hands clasped in front of her, her expression calm, though a barely perceptible trace of tension showed in her eyes.
"Delia, wait for us at home for a while." Linley took her hand, lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear. "Haeru will stay here. If anything comes up, just have Haeru contact me."
"I understand."
Delia asked no further questions. She simply tightened her fingers around his, then paused. "Stay safe."
Linley nodded.
"Haeru!"
A dark shadow streaked down through the air. Haeru came striding through the sky from afar and landed steadily in the courtyard. With Linley's help, Haeru had also become a Saint Realm Magical Beast. He silently lowered his head in greeting to his master.
"I am here, master."
Loa nodded slightly. "We'll leave the house to you."
The next instant.
Loa's Lightning Element Lowgod power surged from his body like a tide. Purple lightning interwove in the air, silently enveloping Linley and Bebe. Without a rush of wind or a tremor, the three abruptly vanished before Delia and Haeru's eyes, becoming a streak of purple light that shot through the sky.
Almost within a single breath.
They reached the Dark Forest.
This place lay beneath the shadows of towering ancient trees all year round. Even the fiercest midday sunlight could squeeze only scattered flecks of light through the gaps in the foliage.
The crowns of the ancient trees stretched like a black ocean, and the forest smelled of rotting leaves and damp earth. Yet the place where Loa landed with the other two was utterly different from the surrounding gloom-
An entirely black Metal Castle stood silently at the very center of the Dark Forest.
The castle