“I insisted on separating you from your companions because I wanted to have a talk with you.”

“About what?” Riku asked.

“I want to know why you are attempt to fight a battle you have no hope of winning.”

“As long as one is still alive, there is no such thing as no hope.”

“True, true. Still, shouldn’t you be discouraged?”

“My master is too thickheaded to even get discouraged,” Dragic said.

“Haha!”

“To be honest with you, I’m only fighting to get revenge.”

“…”

“I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks of me, but that’s all I care about. I don’t want to be hailed as a hero, rallied around like a martyr, or even given titles from a king. I want to be my own self and determine my own path.”

“Well said! It’s not a good reason, but it’s a reason nonetheless.”

“Sir, can you tell us your identity?”

“I am the King of Spirits.”

Riku’s mouth dropped, he got on one knee, and said, “Milord, once again, thank you for saving me.”

"You’re welcome. Now let me get straight to the point. You blackmailed my subjects in an effort to gain their cooperation. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Riku felt the temperature in the room drop several degrees. He knew one wrong word could lead to his death.

He took a deep breath and coldly said, “I had no choice. They refused to cooperate and we were running out of time.”

"Do you regret what you did?”

“No. It already happened. I’m past the point of regretting. All I can do is move on.”

“Very well. Most of the time you seem like a goofball, but from your words, I sense that you seem to have tyrannical tendencies. I wonder which is your true self… Do you pretend to be dumb on purpose? Or are you really dumb with some flashes of brilliance?”

“…”

“I think that the boy is naturally an airhead who doesn’t know what he is saying at times,” Dragic volunteered.

Without a word, Riku picked Dragic up and threw him across the room.

“If that’s all you wanted to talk about, we are done here. I need to reunite with my companions,” Riku said.

He got up and headed to the exit, making no move to bring Dragic with him.

“Boy, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“No.”

Stunned, Dragic fell silent. He levitated himself and prepared to follow Riku regardless of the situation.

“Riku, the barriers the ancient ones have set up to chain the demons are weakening. I called you here because I need your help,” the Spirit King urgently said.

"What’s in it for me?”

“I’ll awaken your true power and unlock the memories that the guardian in the cave transmitted to you.”

“Why?”

“There is no why. The world is stuck in an impasse. Reason and logic hold no form here. All you have to do is complete one little task for me.”

“Okay…?”

“I’m going to give you a talisman for you take with you on your journey. You are to personally hand it to Queen Islandi of the elves. She will know what it’s for.”

“Very well. You have a deal. Can you transport me to my companions now?”

“Yes.”

Riku felt the space around him warping and fought the urge to throw up. He closed his eyes and hope the spinning would quickly end. After what seemed like hours, the squirming stopped. He opened his eyes and noticed he was no longer in the cave anymore.

“Thank you for all the help you have provided me,” Riku said.

“You’re welcome, boy. I wish you the best of luck. A word of advice though, Mazark’s men are attacking the city. You would do best to avoid it.”

"Are my companions there?”

“Who knows?” the Spirit King laughed.

“Ugh…”

Riku felt the Spirit King’s presence disappear. He looked around and searched through the surrounding undergrowth in hopes of finding any clue to where Sylvia and the Spirits were hiding. After searching for hours, he found no trace of them and knew that they must’ve headed to the city to seek cover. Despite knowing the potential danger, Riku made up his mi