'Oh hells'

With no time to save the other two he traced the gaze's directions and swam where none were aiming, balling himself up to protect his vitals

Tssss~

Like a laser the beams tore through the lava, boiling the temperature to an unbearable degree, even with the ointment they used

While avoiding most of the damage with his small area YuJu still got grazed by one of the beams, charring one of his arms black

'Did they...'

Hurriedly taking a look around he was both releoved and astounded that both Zero and Ika managed to outlive that hellish beam, the latter could be attributed to her skills helping her also avoid direct attacks like himself but Zero's way of surviving was a mystery

It was no time to pursue such thoughts however as he could feel fire energy charging up once more, the many eyed creatures ready to turn the smoke covered lava into purgatory

'Can't block it'

His mind spun while the two apraoched him, both clad in their own heat shield, grazing hold of him in a protective manner

'This won't work'

He conveyed the idea with a rigorous shake of his head

'We have to restrict them rather than going into a hopless defense'

Wrapping his arms around their waist he dove downward toward one of the few attackers

With his advances the smoke started to converge into the deep, panicking the one's below into firing prematurely

Unlike the full coverage barrage if fire this was much easier to avoid resulting in no damage, and the creature's being trapped inside the disorienting smoke

Tsssss!

Another heavy barrage arrived at that moment, unavoidable like the first, but not for them, instead it was the trapped one's who bore the brunt as YuJu and the two in his arms took cover behind them

Injured, and more importantly, angered, the creatures in the smoke decided to fire back at their comrades, barely hurting them but succefully starting a fued

'Now we just watch as they finish each other off while we take home the prizes

He wished, knowing that reality was cruel and something else was definitely lurking about, if not then these proud beings wouldn't come together to fight off an enemy, they wouldn't even live in the same general area as one another, proven by how hostile they turned against each other at the slightest mistake

W

As he watched on the hot tempred things blast at each other there was a tapping on his shoulder, Ika pointing away from this place toward where they were drifting before having to battle

'This is not the time to chase after treasure'

He thought, but she started to pull at his arm, whatever caught her attention didn't seem anything simple

Seeing how frantic she was acting made him want to go check what it was all about, doing so would only put them at the risk of losing their shield and going back into that passive state of being burnt alive

'Hmmm'

At least that was what he believed until his eyes wandered toward those outside the smoke

'Maybe if I give them a way out...'

The idea seemed feasible the more he thought of it, making him clear out the smoke surrounding the trapped one's in a certain direction

The same instant he did they swam toward the unobstructed area, still surrounded by smoke but no longer blinded within

Before they got too happy it started closing in on them from one side under his command, the other path clearing away at the same speed

With no choice but to follow they were goaded away like sheep, remaining as his shield while the huge cloud of smoke started to drift under the guidance if Ika, the treasure being its destination, probably

The tentacles outside flailed madly for some reason, increasing the intensity of attacks the further they traveled

'Are they protecting the treasure? It couldn't possibly be that could it?'

Only this reason seemed like it could be what was causing them to act like this, nothing else came to mind, not until they got close enough to a soft gray glow under the already glowing sea of red

'Is that....a fire seed?'

His eyes went wide in disbelief, of all the things he expected a fire seed he did not count

There was something next to it however, turning to face him as he did the same, now getting a look at its face, or maw filled face to be exact, he couldn't help but start backing away at top speed, even with Ika pounding on his back to try and get closer

'No way I'm hell I am facing a true Witness!!!'

That gravitational body sucking energy from the surroundings like a wormhole, eye menacingly dangling inside the mouth in place of the uvula, nothing else was needed to identify the monstrous existence known as a Witness other than those two details

His speed was being hundred however as Ika kept pulling at his arm, wanting him to go back

'What's wrong with her?! Doesn't her class allowed her to see how monstrous that thing is'

The thought put a stop to his panicked state, yes, shouldn't she know how dangerous the creature was? If so why was she still insisting on going back, it wasn't like she was the type that would risk it all for an opertunity, not with I'm constantly guiding her to higher ground

Curiously driven he slowed his speed of running to peek back at the Witness, finding it no longer gazing their direction but turning back to the fire seed

'?'

Wasn't it supposed to give chase or something? Look, even its minions were....

Gazing outside the smoke he saw the other creatures staring at the soft glow as well, all attracted to it, only the ones inside his smoke were not tranced by the precious treasure

No longer under attack, and consumed with intrigue, YuJu came to a halt, looking toward the fire seed as well hoping to find what caused this weird phenomenon

'Does it have some sort of alluring trait? Is Ika attracted to it because of that?'

That didn't seem to be the case, she was looking fearfully at the Witness rather than the fire itself

He thought about what all this meant, thought and thought but couldn't come to a conclusion at all

'Should I book it?'

Staying to see things through alwayse proved to be a bad idea when you had no means of escape given the other parties capability, not for hos two valuable vampires at least

His debate didn't last long, because something else made the decision for him, the only non sentient thing in the place none the less

From a soft gray into dull one, the light expanded slowly but surely....disappearing from existence

As if he was an arrow YuJu shot toward the Witness who's whole focus lingered on the light, as of blinking even for a moment would cause it to miss the grandiose birth of a new flame

'Hell no!'

Knowing what it meant for a Witness to behold the birth of something YuJu decided to put an end to the show before things got real messy

Giving up the smoke used as cover now that no attacks were sent their way, he spread a new cloud as soon as he was close enough to the fire, enough to tear it from everyone's eyes

Tssssss!

like mad bees all of them instantly shot at the mist to clear it our, to no avail however, the seed was hidden well within it, barring them a magnificent scene like no other, and sending them into rage

'Now to have them fight'

Extending it to cover the seething Witness as well he watched as the other's blasted it with rays of fire in their unknowing madness

'Let's join in as well

Taking the opertunity now that the little minions were beating up their own boss and keeping it occupied he motioned for the two to attack it while he maintained the coverage of smoke

Needing no reminder Zero plunged down with her fist ready, even though she seemed weakend all of a sudden, no longer packing a punch like she did during the earlier fight

Ika followed closely behind, her eyes somewhat torn between their target and the quickly disappearing flames

Booom! "Kukha!"

Both of them, along with YuJu and his smoke, were blasted far away by some sort of red wave, one of a familiar feeling

'Aura?!'

What else could effect an aura other than something of similer nature, the Witness who ready held tremendous power bared an aura of fiery presence, one commanding nothing to stand between it and the treasure's birth, even the minions by the side quieted down in an instant, switching their gaze back toward the disappearing flames

YuJu was more than worried, if this thing learned some sort of divine ability then a will be lost, foegt their lives, the human race residing in this land would be put at great risk of extinction

'What can we do'

His eyes turned toward Zero to seek help, finding the woman floating in lava without movement, her status unknown, as for Ika, she was crazily speeding towards the flame with madness in her eyes

With no ally to help him he could only face the situation alone

'...Here goes nothing'

Reluctant as he may be he still blended into the lava, going knowing that he couldn't put a stop to this powerful foe.....not long after the fire was born, along with it, a Witness like no other and its army of weaker clone like creatures, a force to be reckoned with, one that would easily put an end to the pitiful struggle of the surface dwellers