Dark Magus Returns

In the center of the Lethal Bite Clan, there was the large building that was placed up high above the grand staircase. Reaching the very top would be easy for Pagna warriors, but regular citizens would have a tough time.

Which was why they hardly saw new people going up and down the staircase, but that wasn't the case today. People who were nearby walking through the streets pointed at the staircase as they witnessed something odd.

A man, fairly short in size, barely visible, was carrying a round shield on his back that was larger than himself. The image made it look as if a slow-moving turtle was heading up the stairs, as the person used their hands and legs to climb the stairs.

What was odd was how the shield was also placed on his upper back, covering most of the top of his head. Because if the man was to place the shield lower, then it would hit the floor and it would be near impossible for him to move.

Eventually, the man had made it to the top, and the guards that were on standby had walked forward. When they had arrived and saw who it was, immediately they bowed down, lowering their heads in front of him.

"We greet the Vice Head of the Moon Shield Clan, Bargo Gunner!" The two guards said in sync.

"Ah yes, yes!" The short man said with a smile, lifting his head. He had a full, healthy beard, and his face was a little red. It would be strange for it to be red from the climb, so it seemed to just be a part of his normal complexion.

"I have been sent here to help you with matters until things are sorted out, but most likely you will not need my help, so if there is a nice place for me to rest, that would be nice," Bargo said.

After Raze had agreed to continue his journey as part of the group along with Alter, it meant he would be working with others and the rest of Himmy's group. It did make Raze wonder whether there were other people in Himmy's group, since he seemed more like a lone warrior.

The group had arrived at an Inn, but rather than heading inside or to a room, instead, they took a step around the side alleyway and were climbing up the staircase that would go around the building. From the look of things, they were heading to the top.

"I need to tell you about these members you are meeting; in truth, there is only one or people in our team. Our team is smaller than most," Himmy explained. "And honestly, most of the time it's just me and Charlotte that travel together as I need her expertise to work on a number of jobs requested by the clans."

"As for this person on our team, she usually works alone, but since this case has been bothering us for a long time, she has been brought on board as well, and she is… what can I say."

"She is different from us," Charlotte explained as she stopped at the top of one section of the stairs they had already reached the third level.

"What do you mean different?" Raze asked. "We are all different from each other; do you mean something like Marcus's group, that maybe she is from another world?"

Himmy's and Marcus's world, which Raze still had yet to find the name of. Then there were those from Alterian and those from Pagna. Recently Raze had also learned that there were people like Shing, who was from a place called Earth where people had a single ability which varied by a large amount.

"Is she from Earth?" Raze asked.

"I see you have learned about otherworlders," Himmy said as he continued to move forward. "She is not from Earth; to be honest, she's the only one of her kind in Alter that is currently in this world, that is why she is different from the rest of us."

Since she had gone on missions on her own and was able to survive away from the group, Raze assumed that she had to be strong, but these people from other worlds made him wonder just what power she had.

Finally, the three of them had reached the very top, the rooftop of the building. In the distance at the edge of the building, a female, clad in the Pagna clothing that the locals would wear, had her back turned away from the others.

All Raze could see was her short-cut hair that went a little past her shoulders.

"You know in our world we have a saying, that it's rude to talk about someone behind their back," the voice said as she turned around. Raze could finally see her face; she had two large eyeballs, her face was perfectly symmetrical, oddly so.

If anything, Raze could say her face was too perfect, as if it had been altered, and that's when he could see something, rising up just from the bottom of her neck, a slight red glow.

He had seen this before, and seeing this woman was reminding him of something.

"It is nice to meet you, Raze," the woman said as she walked forward. In doing so, her footsteps were heavier than usual, enough that Raze could tell the difference as she walked forward.

"My name is Anna," the woman said as she continued to walk forward, and reached out her hand toward Raze for a handshake.

"It is nice to meet you…" Raze answered; his hand was hesitant to reach out. Although it was easier for him to deal with a woman's touch, it was still hard; since he had done it with Alba recently, he was about to reach out until the woman spoke.

"It's okay," Anna said. "I can tell that you are anxious; your heart rate has increased considerably, and the palms of your hands are sweating slightly. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable; I was just performing a female greeting."

"This is great!" Charlotte said, bringing both of her hands together. "The two of you are getting along well; I thought that there would be a problem between the two of you, but I guess I didn't need to worry after all."

Now closer, Raze could see the glow even more, and when Anna had raised her hand, he could see the red glow coming from just underneath her sleeve as well, and that's when it had hit him, there was someone that looked somewhat similar.

"The observations that you made… how were you able to do that?" Raze asked.

Anna smiled as she gave her answer.

"That's because I'm not completely human and part machine. I know your world doesn't have something like this, so I bet you're quite surprised."

When she said these words though, she had analyzed something else.

"Wait… you are surprised, but you don't seem to be very surprised… have you met my kind before?"

Raze didn't know how to answer this because it was only a guess. When in another dimension, he had met a man with a metallic suit that was made out of advanced machinery.

He was extremely powerful, but the only thing he knew about him was his name, Zon.