Under the effects of two enhancing skills the parasite's body started to squirm uncontrollably, the holes forming in its body struggling to close while its consciousness which has yet to return from epiphany bordered awakening

"These will not be enough, Belinda, have you any backup sealing gems"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do"

"Fetch them for me"

She nodded, exiting the room to get those items, just in time to miss YuJu's face contort in pain, even though he could bear it his body couldn't, uncontrollably spasming until he eventually threw up blood from severe nausea

'Get yourself together, cant have Belinda see you like this'

With deep breaths he somehow managed to get his facial expression under control, only it twitched every now and then, he hoped that the snake woman would ignore the small detail, along with his blood scattered before him

"This is all I have"

Carrying a box several times her size Belinda emptied its contents next to the wall, all of which was absorbed straight by the expanding vortex originating from YuJu's hand

"Is it enough?"

That question he did not respond to, for he didn't know either, hoping it was since he ran out of ideas otherwise

The evolution/synthesis continued on until the entire pile of gems was extracted, sparing YuJu a moment of reprieve as he needn't activate both with nothing to synthesize

'Darn it, it's lacking just a little more'

Eyes darted around seeking anything of sealing properly, alas every speck of gem or red stone was exhausted

'What else do I have containing sealing energy'

Since he wasn't under the pressure of two taxing skills his mind was able to come up with an idea this time around

'Burial gem!'

Hurriedly taking the piece of valuable treasure out he didn't think twice before synthesizing it into the slumbering metalloid who'd yet to wake up, sinking back into the epiphany the more YuJu managed to control the situation

"Kugh!"

The second he started the process however YuJu coughed up blood uncontrollably, a Burial Gems' level was far beyond anything tried yet, to the point his left hand started corroding even more than before, moving past the palm onto the arm

Still, as if losing an arm wasn't a big deal, YuJu crazily absorbed the valuable gem and transferred its properties into his follower, giving more than what is needed to get over the crisis and only stopping when his wrist lost all flesh

"Haah, haah"

Heavy breathing, glazed eyes, and a hunched back, if one saw this man they wouldn't link him to the prideful leader who'd always appear ready for any challenge

"Need some help? Maybe-" "No, I need to head back and reciprocate, this one should be stable for now but I can bring it out mid evolution, activate all your defenses to cover the evolution's scent and energy, I will come back to pick it up once everything is over"

"Why not stay here then? I have more than enough blood to recover your woundsss"

She hissed while getting closer, this was the best opportunity to get a favorable impression on him

"What I need is something like this"

Taking out a bottle of concentrated blood essence he dangled before her, watching as her tongue peeked out to lick those red lips in thirst, just the smell was more than enough to know it was a treat the likes of which she wasn't capable of creating

"Oh my~ Would you perhaps share some with this poor serpent~ I am afraid I'll go hungry otherwise"

"I believe we could work out a deal, that is for later however, I need to go rest"

"Then I will await your return"

With that he finally managed to close the conversation, vanishing from her sight as he made way outside at the quickest possible speed

'I need to get back to the human land"

Was all that occupied his mind after managing to secure the parasite's life, even more than that perhaps

After his hasty departure however Belinda's facebook on a skeptical look, one that held more questions than she would like

"Why would he rush the process when he just agreed to testing out a smaller amount first? Had something happened, if so, could he not postpone the evolution entirely…oh, the seal is entirely gone so he couldn't"

The more she thought about it the more she wanted to ask that white faces twisted vine if anything abnormal happened

"No, can't do that, if something really happened and I go snooping around when I'm supposed to be cut off from all communication…I'm afraid I would be suspected, not to mention give them information that would otherwise compromise whatever scheme he is cooking up"

Was her line of thought, naturally one that benefited YuJu than her own faction, after all the earlier display caused her to tilt toward joining him than staying in Genus Insania

'Something about that expression of his told me….that he wasn't entirely doing it on his own will'

If that was the case then it meant becoming a follower of his was truly not a bad idea, the servant couldn't disobey, but the master couldn't neglect the servant, a two way deal unlike her current position that awaited uncertain results

"As for this little one"

Turning to the metal being whose body kept changing at every given moment, taking the shape of many things yet none at the same time

"I'm really intrigued to what you shall become~"

The stronger it was the more hopeful she would be for her own evolution

....

"Haah haaah haah"

His breath was unsteady, verging collapse at any moment, yet he continued on, those distress signals never ceased and he suspected the worst, every moment delayed could make up the difference between the life and death of one of his followers something neither he, nor his pride, nor his soul accepted, urging him on even as his body slowly fell apart

'Just a little more!'

He was almost out of the mist, having passed his villa where he felt both Subrina and Ianus safe and sound, with no time to drop by and ask what they sent the signal for

'What the hell is this thing?!'

Even before he reached the settlement his eyes witnesses a white pale claw made of ghostly energy gripping onto another white but more luminescent figure that struggled to break free, failing to but prolonging its fate, slowly but surely dragged into the mist's clutch

'That's…a seraph? Then its Sofia'

The second he realized who it was he ignored it, saving his followers was top priority

Moving his eyes to where he felt the distress signal was he peered through the mist, along crowds of wraiths, until he found the armored woman tearing through wraith after wraith in an attempt to keep them at bay

"??"

Other than the fact that she was surrounded Ellis seemed to be okay, as for Anput she wasn't even on the vanguard, but hidden in the shadows with the Witness who deemed this not worthy of its involvement

"Huh?"

Feeling confused he tore through the wraiths while cladding his mask and stood next to the valiant fighter who looked finally relieved, and more than happy to see him

"Master! Fina-" "Where is the danger?" "-huh?"

He interrupted, wanting to believe that he didn't come here, ruined the parasite's steady evolution, and risked its life and his for nothing

"Where is the threat that made you send one distress signal after the other? What has endangered your life to the point of rushing me all the way here!"

The louder his volume got the more Ellis took notice of his condition, pale, weak energy signature, even the corrosion on his hand had spread

Gulp…"It's the wraiths, they invaded all of a sudden and we couldn't totally stop them, casualties were piling up and-"

Raising a hand to stop her he asked one more time

"Ellis, I am being as patient as I can be with you, tell me, where is the danger that endangered your, or any of my servants' lives"

"....."

Ellis was silent, even the wraiths were, not daring to attack or come close for some reason, the energy radiating from YuJu, weak as it may be, scared them witless

"None, there is nothing directly endearing us Master, but the human race is on the brink of extinction"

"Oh? Is it?"

He looked around the battlefield, even though he just got here he could tell that humans were the victors, yes there were casualties, yes Sofia was about to be killed, but this defense would be successful with or without her

"You"

Looking back at her his eyes gained a sharp, almost piercing look

"Don't you know that the Witness is standing guard here? Realize that if things were as bad as you put them then it would have intervened already"

"But humans-" Humans this, humans that! Can you stop babbling about them for one god darned second!!"

Having had enough already YuJu's green irises gained a tint of gold, his hair shedding its natural color as a pristine white took over, turning him into a different person entirely

Shock naturally filled Ellis's face, especially since the next second her Master ignored her and gazed at the hand gripping Sofia

"I will deal with you later Ellis, a rude nobody is in need of purging first"

Disappearing from her sight he appeared the next moment abode the seraphic figure, tearing into it with a wave of his palm and extracting the half conscious Sofia

Shrikes came about as the hand was unsatisfied, swiping at him to capture the two at once

"Humph"

Side glancing at the approaching large grip YuJu snorted in contempt, merely responding to the attack with a couple of words

"Let go"

Like a shockwave those two words swept the surroundings, disintegrating the hand, mist, and all the wraiths in a single breath