ALL NOVEL Chapter 19: Heart of the Demonic Dragon IV
[Back in the apartment]
When Akira crossed the threshold of Elysia's apartment, a heavy silence greeted him. He walked through the hallway, his impassive face betraying no emotion. Arriving at the entrance to the living room, he paused for a moment, observing the scene unfolding before him.
Elysia was sitting on the couch, shoulders tense and gaze fixed straight ahead. Beside her, Yumi displayed a calm, almost detached air, strongly contrasting with the charged atmosphere that reigned in the room. Facing them, occupying the armchairs and chairs arranged in a semi-circle, were the other team members.
Rhea, looking worryingly pale, seemed to have trouble staying still. Her fingers nervously tapped the armrest of her chair, and her eyes kept darting back and forth between Elysia and the door.
Akira took time to observe each of them, noting the signs of tension and worry that marked their faces. Without a word, he stepped into the room, immediately drawing all eyes to him. A shiver seemed to run through the assembly at his arrival, as if his presence had just materialized their worst fears.
"I see everyone is here," he said in a composed voice, with a slight smile on his lips. "That's perfect."
Dorian was the first to react, suddenly rising from his seat. "What does this mean, Elysia?" he asked, his voice betraying a mixture of anger and fear. "Why did you summon us all here?"
Elysia opened her mouth to respond, but Akira beat her to it. "I'm the one who asked Elysia to gather you," he said, an amused glint in his eyes.
A murmur of confusion ran through the group. Kael straightened up, eyebrows furrowed. "And why should we listen to what you have to say?" he asked in a suspicious tone.
Akira shrugged. "Because you don't really have a choice," he replied simply. His light tone contrasted with the barely veiled threat in his words.
The silence that followed was heavy with tension. Thalia was the first to break it. "Elysia," she said softly, "what's going on?"
All eyes turned to Elysia, seeking an answer, but Akira cut them off.
"Don't waste your time, she too doesn't know the reason for your presence," Akira told them. "Well, let's not waste time, let's go."
Since he had come to get them, Akira turned to leave. Yumi stood up and followed his lead, followed by Elysia and her team.
********
When they had all left the building, a black van was waiting for them with Hernandez at the wheel. When Elysia and her team saw him, their eyes widened. But they didn't have time to ask questions as Akira spoke.
"Are you going to stand there watching or what?" he said as he walked past, along with Yumi.
When they had all gotten in, Hernandez started driving, heading towards Arlington. Throughout the journey, no one spoke until Elysia broke the silence.
"Tell me Akira," she began, "by any chance, wouldn't that be Hernandez, the hammer of God?"
"Yes! Why?" asked Akira.
"It's just that we haven't seen him in a long time, so it's a bit strange that he's here," she explained.
"Like you, he didn't really have a choice," said Akira with an amused smile. "And besides, he's the best qualified for my request."
"I see," nodded Elysia.
The other members said nothing despite their curiosity, they refused to get involved in Akira and Yumi's affairs.
"You seem very close," Thalia whispered to Elysia.
"It might look that way, but our relationship is much more difficult to describe," replied Elysia with a pained smile.
"Looking more closely, he's very cute," commented Thalia. "He's totally my type."
Hearing Thalia's words, Elysia's cheeks turned red. Quickly, she turned her head, making sure Thalia couldn't see her.
"What's wrong?" asked Thalia.
"N-no, no... it's nothing," Elysia quickly replied.
"Alright," nodded Thalia. "Let's pray we're not getting involved in something dangerous," she whispered.
After that, the silence lasted for the entire journey until they reached their destination. It was a grounds surrounded by security barriers of the hunters' association. Very few hunters were there, one could even say there were no hunters except for the security agents checking people entering and leaving. After the verification, Hernandez went to park somewhere.
"Are you finally going to tell us what we came here to do?" asked Dorian, irritated.
Not even taking the time to answer, Akira got out and said: "Get ready, we're going through the door."
**********
After what seemed to be about thirty minutes, the group was gathered in front of the gate, each equipped with their gear. Elysia and her team wore their usual combat outfits. Akira and Yumi, on the other hand, were simply dressed, with comfortable clothes and backpacks strapped to their backs.
Arriving at the checkpoint, a serious-looking hunter stopped them.
"Identification and authorization, please," he asked firmly.
Hernandez stepped forward, presenting a badge to the hunter. "Exploration request," he declared calmly.
The hunter carefully examined the badge, his face betraying slight surprise when he saw Hernandez's name.
He glanced at Akira and Yumi, then at the rest of the group. "Very well," he finally said. "You are authorized to pass. Be careful on the other side."
The group gathered in front of the shimmering gate. Hernandez entered, followed by Akira who stepped forward and crossed the gate. Yumi followed him immediately. After a brief moment of hesitation, Elysia and her team followed suit, disappearing one by one into the blinding light of the interdimensional passage.