Her eyes widened as she whipped around, just in time to feel a painful sting on her back as one of Rachserpt shot its poisonous acid at her. The acid ate through her cloak and back clothes in mere seconds and lastly her bare skin. She screamed in pain as the pain drove through her back. She couldn't think anything but the burning pain that licked up her back like a scorching fire. She fell down and rolled around the ground, trying to scrap the acid away from her body. Leaving trails of smoke as she went.

"Stop rolling around!! You are spreading the acid wider on your back," a man with long silver hair glistening in the moonlight came rushing to her. He rode a strange three-wheeled vehicle. Zooming around the monsters at high speed.

"It's hurt!! Please make it stop!" She cried out while trying her best to keep her body stay still.

The man got off from his vehicle and quickly turned her back to face him. A form of blue magic circle glowing on his palm as he chanted healing magic. It soothed the pain on Yurika back and she stopped writhing in pain. She blinked her eyes open to clear up the leftover tears from the corner of her eyes. The man then came into her vision. He had the kind of face that stopped you in your track. Well defined face with a sharp jaw and angular cheekbones. His fair skin complexion went well with his raven-feather eye color. His silver long hair flowed down, framing his face while he looked down at her.

"Who--?"

"We don't have time for introduction," He stood up, took off his red leather long jerkin and gave it to her as the horde of monsters closing in, "can you still fight?"

"I-I can still fight," Yurika forced herself up, winced on the process and she took the jerkin. The pain on her back still existed, but it was not as strong as at first. She wore the jerkin and rolled her shoulders, measuring on how much movement she could do without causing friction to her wounded back.

"Good, because they sure can't wait to eat us!" the man grinned excitedly as he prepared himself for the incoming attack. He glanced at Marc through his shoulders, "Marc, could you come closer? Can you find your way to us?"

"Who is that guy? Do you know him, Yurika?" Marc asked Yurika, instead of replying the man.

"I don't know. But, he knew us and helped me too. So, for now, maybe we can trust him," Yurika said back to Marc as she ducked the beast poisonous spit. She slid herself under the Rachserpt. With her Katar, she ripped the beast abdomen into two and rolled out before the beast carcass fell on her.

"What are you waiting for? Can you or can't you come closer?" shouted the man again, as he dodged another attack from a Raschrept. He launched at the beast with his hammer raised high. A loud crunching sound came the moment an impact made of his hammer and the head of the beast. The beast crumpled to its doom and its blood splattered all around his face. The satisfied grin that rose upon his lips made Yurika shuddered. For some reason, it reminded her of Scry.

"Hey, say something will you unless you want to fight till you die of exhaustion?!" The silver-haired man called out Marc once more impatiently.

"I am coming," Marc shouted back finally.

"Argh too slow! Stay there, we are coming!" the mysterious man grabbed Yurika's hand after with his left hand he shot a fire spear at the closing in beasts. He pulled the girl toward his strange vehicle.

"Could you do something to stall them?" asked the man to Yurika as he jumped on his ride.

"Stall them?"

"Something like Marc did in the cave before. Creating a sand wall or something," the man annoyed by Yurika's question, "do I have to guide you through everything? They are getting close. Do something!"

"Who is this man think he is?! He kept on ordering me and Marc as he pleased," Yurika scowled at the man angrily for a few seconds before finally turning her attention toward the incoming wave of the monster horde. With both hands raised, she focused her mind to the power of the elemental spirits. As they answered her plea, she felt the rapid energy filling her whole body. Her eyes glistened once more under the peeping full moon.

Then the air started to change, the wind howled, the ground shook and the sea wave grew wild. The wind then tore the beasts one by one off the beach. Sending them flying to the blackness of the sky. Next, the sands on the beach suddenly fell down as if there was a massive hole underneath it, sending the monsters inside the sandy trap. Yurika then lifted her right hands and a wall of medium-sized tornado stood just after the sand trap. Keeping the next wave of monsters from coming closer.

Yurika then faced the young man with a triumph look, "Is that good enough?"

"Okay that's good enough." said the mysterious man while patting on one of the back seats of his strange vehicle, "now climb in, let's pick up Marc."

Yurika stared at the seat he appointed and glanced back at the man, "Not until you tell me who are you."

"Arrgh!! We really don't have time for this," the man grumbled and rolled his eyes, "Look, we need to --"

He didn't finish his sentences as his finger pointed at Yurika's back, "Look out!!"

Yurika automatically whirled her body, ready to engage any beast that came to her. However, what happened next was not something she was prepared for. Something struck her head from behind. Her face paled as if she'd been painted with white-wash and her eyesight blurred. Everything became fuzzy; then she saw nothing at all as her body swung backward before crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their string.

Behind her, the silver-haired man looked at her with an apologetic look and shrugged, "sorry, but we are in a hurry."

He then carried her body to the vehicle and laid her on one of the seats. He climbed on the driver seat, put his palm on top of a big crystal gem that settled on the steering wheel, and concentrated on it. The crystal started to glow, blinking a few times before it shined brighter than the stars. The vehicle started to hover slightly above the ground and without hesitation, the man drove his strange vehicle towards Marc.

---

Her consciousness was floating through empty space, swaying like driftwood on ocean waves. Yurika didn't know how long has she been unconscious. When she came to, she woke up in a jolt as if there was an emergency. Her heart beat fast, there was a buzzing in her brain and a dull pain throbbing on the back of her head. It took her a moment to shed the blurriness of her eyes and to be aware of her position and surroundings.

She was on the strange vehicle with Marc right to her. The strange man was driving in front of them. She blinked and realized that they were moving away from their original spot. Actually, they had been so far away from it that she didn't even know anymore where was the tent where Lucia went to before. Her eyes widened in shock and she gripped on the silver-haired man shoulders; pulling him backward. The pull made the vehicle swirled to the right, almost lost its balance, and toppled over. Luckily the mysterious man managed to handle the vehicle and stopped it before it actually happened.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD!" He shouted at Yurika, "are you trying to get us killed, young lady?!"

"Where are you taking us?! Where's Lucia?! You are leaving Lucia behind!! We must go back, she needs my help to keep her safe!" Yurika bombarded the man in a frenzy. Then she turned her attention toward Marc that for some reason already have a pair of glasses on his face.

"How could you let that happen?! Why did you let him take you-- us just like that?! How about Luc--"

A burst of loud laughter exploded from the silver-haired man. He howled, slapping his hand up and down almost involuntarily and could barely breathe. Marc also started to chuckle no matter how much he tried to hold himself, but his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. Yurika looked at the two men; confused.

"Why are you two laughing?! This is not funny!"

Marc was doubled over and pointed feebly with a shaky finger at the silver-haired man. "Lucia," that's all he could manage to say before returning to his silent laughter.

"I am so grateful that you really concerned about me, Yuu," the silver-haired man winked at Yurika, "I am Lucia... well Lughna at least for a few more hours."

Yurika's eyes and mouth were frozen, wide open in a stunned expression. The moment she realized who was the man she was at a loss of words. Her fuchsia eyes were so wide as she stared at Lugh