A new day beings and the clouds were gone. It was sunny all over again.
Two days have passed. It seems that the parade and the mission was going to happen all at the same time.
The Zodiacs begin their day prepping for the mission.
Meanwhile, Hide was out on the about with another member. Which was Kyoko, number 10.
"So what do you do?" As Hide question's Kyoko.
"Like what?"
"You know like what's your specialty?"
"Oh that. I'm a healer. More to say that I can heal almost any wounds that are either fatal or not. Which I stitch them back to be normal."
"Does that even work on the dead?"
"Indeed, although they are mindless and just there to distract people, but yeah I can stitch up a dead body and command it and makes it even stronger."
"I see."
"What about you?"
"Don't have one."
"Well, you beat Helm in an arm wrestling match. There must be more than just you being normal."
"No really, I'm just a normal person."
"Right."
"So what are we even here for?"
It seems that the two seems to be in a marketplace.
"The boss wants us to buy some masks for the parade."
"I see."
"Have you thought about the offer?"
"No, seems that I have some places to be."
"Oh..."
"But we might meet again. Who knows."
"Right. Well, have fun on your adventure."
"Thanks." As Hide looks at one of the vendors.
Kyoko heads toward the vendor. Hide follows behind.
"These will do." As Kyoko picks up a mask from the vendor's ware.
"So what's mask for?" As Hide was curious.
"For the parade." As Kyoko paid the vendor for a set of amount of masks.
The two makes it back to the Inn and it seems that Chronos was going over the plan.
Hide sits down next to Helm and listens in on Chronos. It seems that the Zodiacs are planning to rob a mansion that holds some riches.
Some hours passed.
Night was upon them.
The parade seems to have begun along with the mission.
It seems that every member were split into two pairs. Hide seems to be with Chronos. Everyone got their pair of mask from Kyoko. Hide seems to have a smiling mask.
As the group goes on about their mission. Hide and Chronos made it inside the mansion. As the two goes through the hallway. The two goes through a door.
It lead the two into a huge room that seems to look like a ball room. The lights turned on.
Two people could be seen standing in the center of the ballroom.
"It seems that we have company." As Chronos sees the two figures before Hide did.
"Well isn't it the Zodiacs. There is no need for masks here. We know who you are?" said an old man.
Chronos removed his mask and so did Hide.
"Chronos isn't it, leader of the Zodiacs." As the big man looks at Chronos and somewhat pops his fingers.
"Pierre, you take care kid while I take down the leader. After all, they chose the wrong mansion to rob."
The old man signals Chronos and the two suddenly disappear from thin air. The huge man and Hide stood face to face.
In that split second, the huge man disappear from thin air and was on Hide's side throwing a huge punch heading toward his face.
Hide managed to dodge by dropping down and quickly backs off from the huge man.
"Not bad kid, if you didn't dodge in time. Your head would have been blown off."
Hide didn't respond to the huge man but prepares himself.
"Very well, I won't miss next time."
The huge man disappears and was above Hide coming at him with a kick.
Hide dodges to the side and the man creates a crevices on the ground as he hit the ground.
The two disappears from thin air throwing punches at each other. The two seems to be exchanging blows from blows. The two backs off from each other.
It seems that Hide took quite some heavy blows from Pierre while Pierre didn't seem to flinch at all.
Hide noticed that Pierre's arms were glowing.
"So he's been empowering his attacks this whole time. That glowing aura wasn't there. It seems that the longer I fight him, the more he powers up. This will be an issue."
Hide gets back to himself and changes stance. He exhales and quickly starts to be on his toes. Pierre watches as Hide starts to change the battle.
Pierre suddenly disappears from thin air.
Hide dodges his attack but didn't see the second attack which the punch hits Hide in the stomach making Hide fly up hitting the ceiling. Hide spits out some blood.
Hide hits the ground and gets back up. He somewhat seems to smile.
Pierre charges toward him throwing a heavy right punch. In doing so, Hide grabs his fist from midair. Hide softly punches Pierre in the stomach, causing him to fly a few meters back.
Pierre looks up to see Hide and noticed that he was glowing as well.
Meanwhile.
"I'm pretty sure that your subordinate should be dead as of now." As the old man somewhat seems to be in a battle stance.
"Not quite, the boy is quite unique. I'm sure that Pierre is having a hard time taking him down." As Chronos seems to be holding onto a book.
"Are you certain? You know that Pierre doesn't go easy on his opponents."
"Of course, but the boy is strong."
"Enough talking, you still haven't land a hit on me." As the old man sighs.
"You too old man."
Back to Hide.
It seems that Pierre was glowing with energy. His forms seems to have changed a little.
Soon a noise was heard throughout the manor.
"That was the signal, I need to get out of here." As Hide tries to find a way to end the fight.
But it seems that Pierre doesn't let Hide have a breathing room.
Pierre launches himself at Hide. In doing so, Hide warps behind his back and throws a punch behind his back. Launching Pierre into the ground and creating a hole through the floor which Pierre made it to the ground floor.
Which the two were on the third floor.
Hide quickly escapes and rejoin the others.
Meanwhile.
"Maybe another time old man. You still got it. But maybe next time we can settle this somewhere better." As Chronos disappears from thin air.
"Tchh..."
The old man goes back to Pierre noticing a huge hole on the floor. He soon sees Pierre who seems to be in a crevice. Pierre gets back up and cleans himself.
"What happened Pierre?" As the old man somewhat was surprised.
"That boy, he copied my ability and managed to use it like he just master it in mere minutes." As Pierre thinks to himself.
"You're telling me that the boy did the unimaginable. And manage to copy your ability which took you years to master."
"Indeed. But I did noticed that the boy didn't seem to have a number on him. Seems that he's not a member of the Zodiacs."
"Oh well. Our mission is done. We tried to stop them but let us head back. Maybe one day I might fight him."
The two leaves the mansion and it seems that Hide made it back to the Zodiacs who seems to met up at the outskirts of the city.
"Glad you made it back, but have you made your decision about joining us?
"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to reject. It seems that I have somewhere to go." Hide answered back.
"I see, very well, here for your contributions." As Chronos throw Hide a bag of coins.
"Thanks." As Hide put away the bag of coins.
"So where will you guys go now?"
"Who knows, but maybe we might meet in the future." As Chronos looks up at the starry sky.
"By the way, the two figures from earlier were some top adventurers in the world. Somehow I didn't expect you to make it out but you did."
"Probably just got lucky."
"Maybe but have fun on your adventure." As Chronos smiles and signals the members.
The Zodiacs soon were gone in a flash. Hide stood there under the starry night sky and moon.
"The Zodiacs huh? They don't seem to be quite that bad, but I just hope that I really don't see them again."
Hide smiles to himself and walks away from Drogen.
Going to his next adventure.