Bakari's expression turned serious for the first time. His eyes locked onto the Colonel as his deep, commanding voice rang out:
"Felix, before we came… did he ever hurt you?"
Felix, struggling with the weight of her memories, stammered, "Y-Yes." Chloe, standing resolutely behind them, added with a voice tinged with pain, "He did more than hurt us. He tortured us, experimented on us." Jason's voice, though calm, held an undercurrent of anger as he continued, "He even turned us into child soldiers."
As these revelations unfolded, Bakari's aura flared with an intense orange light, illuminating the space around him with a fiery brilliance.
His eyes glowed a brighter orange, a physical manifestation of his rising fury and the stirring of his innate power. The weight of his gaze fell upon the colonel, who dared to glance back with a smirk.
"It seems a welcome is in order," the colonel sneered, "for I have none other than the prince of the Movrod Kingdom, along with son of the Vainbreaker himself."
Yuri, exuding quiet strength, stepped forward, flanking Bakari. Amidst the chaos of this revelation, Bakari's mind raced: How could this human know so much? Even Snowflake knew about my royal lineage.
The colonel taunted, "We better bow, guys. We have royalty in our house."
Yuri, his gaze narrowed, stated flatly, "You sure know a lot."
The Colonel slowly descended the steps, a smug smile playing on his lips.
"Well, as the man God appointed to bring his people home, I tend to stay in the know.
And with this coming war, He has provided me with… your kind, capable of stopping the darkness."
Bakari, his expression hardening, challenged, "What are you mouthing off about?"
The Colonel paused, his smile widening slightly. "You don't know," he scoffed, a hint of pity in his voice.
"You really don't know." He glanced around at the group, assessing them with a calculating gaze. "I can help you reach your full potential."
Yuri, his voice cold and unwavering, declared, "No. We are going to have to decline your offer."
The Colonel dismissed their refusal with a flick of his wrist.
He shrugged off his coat, unbuttoning his jacket to reveal a complex network of wires and glowing crystals strapped to his chest. "No worries," he said, his voice laced with condescension.
"You just wouldn't know a storm if it hit you in the face.
But I will father you all." He quoted, his tone dripping with false piety, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
The duo immediately shifted into a battle stance, their bodies tensing, ready to strike.
Yuri moved with practiced speed, pulling two angular bone blades from his back, the sharpened edges gleaming ominously in the flickering light.
Bakari, his eyes burning with celestial fire, felt the flames erupt around him, licking at the air.
His prosthetic arm heated up, glowing with a molten orange light.
His eyes blazed a fierce orange, and his hair floated around his head like a fiery halo.
Suddenly, the side wall exploded inward with a deafening roar, sending chunks of concrete and twisted metal flying through the air.
Everyone flinched, momentarily stunned by the force of the blast.
Yuri, his face etched with concern, rushed to Bakari's side. "You alright? You hurt?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.
Bakari winced, clutching his side. "Yeah, I'm alright," he said, forcing a weak smile.
He glanced back at the others, who were slowly getting to their feet, brushing off the dust and debris.
Chloe, her eyes wide with confusion, asked, "Hey, what just happened? What was that explosion?"
Bakari, ignoring her question, scanned the scene, his eyes widening in alarm as he noticed something that made his blood run cold.
He whispered, his voice barely audible, "Oh no..."
His gaze was fixed on a familiar figure who had emerged from the shadows.
The figure grasped the back of the Colonel's neck, his grip firm and menacing.
The Colonel's face was contorted in terror, his eyes bulging.
Around them, the bodies of the Colonel's agents lay in bloody puddles on the steps, a testament to the newcomer's brutal efficiency.
The figure leaned in close to the Colonel's ear, his voice a low, menacing whisper, "You cockroach.
You made us search far and wide just to find you."
Then, the figure glanced up, his eyes meeting Bakari's.
A chilling smile spread across his face as he took in the group. He chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down Bakari's spine.
"Look who it is," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "Well, well, well..."
He tightened his grip on the Colonel's neck, then gave a casual thumbs up to Bakari.
"We'll be borrowing this human, alright? Don't worry, we'll take good care of him... or not."