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Noriko was packing up the messy store to pass time. Agor secretly observed her as she swept the floor. Agor thought. He remembered his conversation with Rachef : We're businessmen. We're not interested in getting the world. Just make the trading with any country will do. Leave the fighting to those foolish people. We'll get a bigger fish eventually. Agor thought of how he accepted this task: I want wealth and identity. Since there's no job for me, and I can be together with my daughter, I'll accept this task. Why wouldn't anyone think.... After the 'Heaven Ghost' awakens, what will this world become? Controlling such thing/object is so horrifying! Does borrowing Darkness's strength to control the world really bring peace?? Using Gina's powers in this place? Can I? To be blindfolded by desires, seeming to overlook more important things.... In Rika, the businessmen were having a frequent meeting. It was told that Agor had lost touch with them. One businessman suggested that Agor was trying to sell the information to other countries. Rachef didn't think so. After the meeting he went to his diviner. He reported that Keimos is vibrant and filled with energy now, he almost broke the dimension created for him. Keimos was practising with his new skills and strength. He thought of how Izark made him feel the taste of defeat for the first time. He swore that he would smash Izark's face with his foot and play him until he's dead. Izark was regaining conscious when he overheard a conversation. "Wonder how the 2 of them are...." "Gaia's alone, but she's once the brilliant warrior of her tribe. She could handle small trivial like this..... Izark thought. "But Noriko was just an ordinary girl. What will happen to her after that ambush? It's so worrying."  "What are you guys talking about...." Izark struggled to sit up, only to find himself chained on both hands and legs. "What's going on here?" "So you are the one who brought Noriko to Gaia." Bandam spoke. "I'm so sorry to have her involved." Jeda apologised. "But Gaia wasn't caught, maybe she's protecting Noriko from harm." Somehow Izark's mind reeled. The guards came to check. "Hey, this guy's awake!" Izark pulled the chains hard with his might. "Don't waste your effort. You can't break these chains with bare hands." One of the guards sneered in amusement. Izark gave up. "Ha! What a stupid fool! Hey, you go & report to Nada sir." That guard spoke. <"Izark!"> a flash of Noriko's image appeared on his mind. Izark burried his head on his crouched knees. In the meantime, Noriko woke up from her sleep. It was raining very heavily outside. She was about to get herself a drink when she saw a spirit appearing in front of her. "Please help us." That spirit said. Noriko dreaded. She screamed aloud, sending Agor & his daughter to wake up in shock. "Gho.....ghost!!!!!" Noriko waved her arms wildly in shock. Both heard sounds coming from the door. Agor lit a lamp and decided to take a look. He peeped, & he saw a hideous face. "De.... demon!" he shouted, but immediately stopped as Noriko came. "Auntie, it's you!" She happily ran to hug the person. "Who do you call demon?" Gaia implored with slight disdain. "Who is this rude fellow?" Izark was waiting for the poison to wear off. Gaia, Agor, Noriko & Gina sat in a circle, chatting about what happened. "It is good that you're not at home when the looting happens, Noriko." Gaia smiled. "I'm so sorry about my rudeness just now. I can fight human very well, but demons.... " "Who are you calling demon?" Gaia sounded angry. Agor apologised again. Gaia forgave him on the sake of him rescuing Noriko & being a father of such an adorable kid. She asked about his origins. "Hmmmm....." Gaia thought aloud. Noriko suddenly heard a voice. "Izark??" Agor & Gaia turned to her in astonishment. "What's the matter, Noriko?" Gaia asked. "I heard Izark's voice." Noriko replied. "Ah. There it goes again." "You... Noriko, you're not abnormal, are you?" Gaia spoke with fright. "Are you alright, Noriko?" Agor spoke too. "But I really heard the calling voice... Izark! I'm here!!!!" Noriko exclaimed. In that instant, Noriko & Izark could see each other. "Noriko... I can see you...." Izark stared with astonishment. "I too...." Noriko cried with happiness. "Iz..." The visionary image snapped out abruptly as one voice boomed "Hey hey! What are you staring blankly at?" Izark unhappily took a side-glance at the crowd of people. In front stood Nada. Nada talked about his greatness & Izark's foolishness, which irritated Izark. He thought to himself. Nada kept talking to Izark about the duel with his men and said that he would keep him as one of his personal guards if he performs well. In the meanwhile Izark was thinking. < Never did I thought that I could see her image. At her back, I could see Gaia & two strangers, a guy and a kid. Although I'm not sure about her situation, she seems fine.> Izark totally ignored Nada. "Are you listening to me, you brat!!!" Nada screamed impatiently. "I need time to recover." Izark told him. "It'll wear off after a day's time." Gaidar spoke. Brag, standing behind Nada, wanted to teach Izark a lesson. He asked for permission from Nada, went into the cage & commanded Izark to keltow to Nada. Izark remained still. Brag grabbed his head & forced him down hard onto the floor, putting his weight upon Izark as he started to say rude things to Izark. "So heavy.... Don't anyhow press your weight on people!" Izark repelled, knocking Brag out of his way & drew out the sword Brag was carrying. Izark intended to use Brag as a hostage to make his way out of the cage, but it seemed that Nada was quite enjoying the little fight. Nada offered Izark 20 bags of gold if he won the match with 17 men 2 days' later, & entitle him the highest rank of his personal guards. Izark told him he doesn't want any status, but he'll oblige him if Nada agreed to give him freedom. Nada agreed, & ordered his guards to place Izark in his residence's cell. Before leaving, he walked to Jeda & the rest, scoffing Jeda as the Mr "No". However he did told Jeda & the rest to watch the fight held in 2 days' time, since Jeda is a cowardly person. Agor made his way to the place where the fighting competition usually held. He retrieved back his lost possessions robbed by the group of 'soldiers' earlier (in Bk 3). One of the lost possessions was a stone, which Gina used it for divination. Agor successfully made his way to emerge as the champion of the day, & Nada added Agor as the 18th man for the fight with Izark the next day. Gina divined her father's successfulness using the stone, & later secretly divined Noriko. She was exhausted because Noriko's colour was too colourful, & it was the same situation the time she divined the "Awakening". Gina also divined the route they should take if they rest were rescued out successfully. It was the white forest, rumoured by the people that it was haunted. Gaia curiously asked if Noriko had an 'affair' with Izark, but dispersed the idea quickly because in that case Izark won't leave Noriko then. She asked Noriko if Izark reached for her again. Sadly, Noriko said no. She was secretly waiting for him to 'communicate' with her again, depressed as she thought of Izark being chained up. Izark was taken back to his cell after his bath. On the way Brag appeared & started to create trouble. To divert attention, Brag pretended that he was drunk, & secretly stuffed a piece of paper into Izark's belt. Brag fell onto the floor motionlessly after the little fuss, blundering of how he lost his favourtism & status because of Izark. Izark read the piece of paper in the cell, smiling as he finished reading it. Brag warned him about the match the next day and advised him to escape. He also uttered his regret in joining Nada's group of personal guards. Izark lifted his head abruptly. "Yes, I've got it!" Noriko exulted. The next day came. The 17 men surrounded Izark immediately once the fight starts. Izark scanned through the place & met eye-to-eye with Agor, who was standing at the entrance of the fighting ring. Jeda, who was sitting on the audience seat together with the rest, shouted in protest. But he was jabbed on the stomach by the guards around him. Brag made the first attack, muttered under his breath as he scolded Izark. Izark told him to cooperate with him; he had a better idea of escaping. He instructed Agor to get the poisonous powder from Gaidar's room secretly. Later Izark used the powder & commanded the wind to circulate Gaidar, the attackers & the audience as well. All except Agor, Brag & Jeda's companies were free from posioning. Izark had earlier mind-communicated with Noriko, telling her to meet him & the rest in an open land. Noriko finally saw Izark, not his image, but the real Izark. "I missed you so much!" Noriko hugged Izark passionately. Izark went silent, then realised that the others were looking intensely at them. He blushed furiously, pulled Noriko away & said," Don't hug me, Noriko. Get onto the horse." Noriko backed off, apologised to him non-stop as she gets on the horse. "You're still the same (as we parted last time)." Izark commented. They travelled together with Gaia , Bandam, Jeda & his members, and Brag. They were to go through the white forest that was rumoured to be a haunted place to avoid enemies. They ended up walking in circles in a deserted village. At first the horses acted weirdly and then Bandam began to behave aggressively. He blamed Gina for suggesting taking this route & deliberately accused Izark doing nothing although he knows sorcery. His rudeness was agitating everyone. Noriko tried to warn them about the incident of the horses acting weirdly but Bandam raised his hand, intended to slap her. Izark caught hold of his wrist, and calmly rephrased what Noriko was trying to say. Later it began to rain heavily. They took shelter inside one of the houses. Bandam was reflecting why he was behaving like that, & apologised to Gina of his words earlier. Everyone thanked Noriko, but Noriko turned & told Izark that it's his credit. Izark said bleakly that he did nothing, as he felt upset over Bandam's words. Izark sensed something was coming at a stunning speed, & a big bunch of hair (I really mean hair -- those growing on your head) came out of nowhere & started to attack them, especially Noriko. Izark slashed the hair apart easily, but was caught off guard when another bunch of hair crept & entangled Noriko, dragging her away. Izark ran out & saw Noriko high up in mid air. He shouted "Get hold of Noriko when she drops down!" & stepped his way up to slice apart the hair encircling Noriko. Noriko fell down & was caught by the others. Izark tried to get down but was tangled & engulfed by that massive hair.

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