CHAPTER 80: THE PAST (3)

"Joshua, step back," Arthur spoke as he moved forward, seemingly intent on pulling Joshua away.

But in that instant, something miraculous happened—Joshua’s hand passed straight through Arthur’s silver barrier and touched the tiger’s nose directly. A pale blue and white light bloomed at once, soft and gentle, enveloping everyone in its glow.

Tiny luminous particles gathered in the air, like countless twinkling stars—or perhaps like delicate floating petals.

Before anyone could react, the wounds on all three beasts had vanished entirely. Their fur gleamed, smoother and glossier than before, as if they had never fought.

Justin clutched his chest, eyes wide with disbelief at the healing power he was witnessing. The beasts were his creations, manifestations of his ability—so for Life to heal them was no different from healing him.

Life... Justin’s mind was certain now. He had to take Life back.

"Fool," he snarled, "if you wish to heal, I’ll grant your wish!"

He gave a sharp command, ordering the tiger to seize Life.

The tiger let out a thunderous roar and lunged forward—

—but before Arthur could react, the beast suddenly collapsed, rolling onto its back. Its four huge paws flailed helplessly in the air, and its massive body twisted as it presented its belly toward Joshua.

The ferocity that had once filled its face was completely gone; now it looked almost dopey, mouth hanging open as it snorted softly and wagged its enormous head at Joshua.

Joshua couldn’t help but laugh. Then he dove forward, burying himself in the tiger’s thick, velvety fur, rubbing his face against its warm belly in sheer delight.

The massive tiger began to purr—an impossibly soft sound for such an enormous creature—and even seemed to wrap its body protectively around Joshua.

The two wolves beside it howled briefly, then promptly rolled over, each showing its belly and wriggling toward Joshua for attention.

Arthur: "..."

He lifted his gaze toward Justin across from him.

Justin: "..."

Justin: "!!!"

"You stupid beasts! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! I told you to attack! Keep this up, and you can forget about eating meat ever again!"

The three beasts whimpered in protest, growling softly in what sounded like a pitiful apology—but their refusal to get up completely betrayed their supposed remorse.

Justin’s face twitched violently, the twin scars running down from the corners of his eyes stretching with his furious expression, making him look even more menacing.

Joshua peeked from the tiger’s soft fur, raising his head to meet Justin’s fierce glare. Then, unexpectedly, he lifted one hand and beckoned—the same gesture Justin had made when he first appeared.

Justin frowned and started to approach, while Arthur’s expression turned cold, every muscle tensing in warning.

But the moment Justin lowered his head, a hand reached out and patted him on the head—lightly rubbing, as if to comfort him.

Justin’s eyes flew wide open in disbelief. He stared at Joshua, then roared, "Do you know whose head you’re touching?!"

Arthur hadn’t expected Joshua to "pluck fur from the tiger’s head." The members of Mantis had gone from shock to barely holding back laughter—everyone except Arthur, who definitely wasn’t amused.

He frowned and said softly, "Joshua, let’s go home."

As soon as Joshua heard that, he immediately stood up. The tiger also scrambled to its feet, its massive jaws biting at Joshua’s shirt, , and accidentally tore off a piece of fabric.

Joshua froze mid-step.

The tiger blinked in confusion, seemingly surprised that it had ripped the cloth without even using much strength.

Justin, standing nearby, was red in the face—whether from anger or something else, no one could tell. He blurted out, "It really likes you! Come with me—I’ll treat you better than they ever will! You like this big cat too, don’t you?"

Joshua tilted his head as if thinking it over, then honestly shook his head. "No."

Justin frowned. "Why not?!"

"I have to go home. Besides, you attacked us. You must be the bad guy," Joshua said slowly.

Justin froze for a moment, then laughed—harsh and bitter. "Home? Home? You don’t have a home! Your family died when the apocalypse began, and your friends died along with Eden. In this world, no single person is left who cares about you! Sure, I’m a villain—but those people behind you? They’re just liars!"

Joshua’s eyes widened. He stared at Justin, stunned—until someone tugged gently at his hand.

It was Ace.

Joshua blinked up at him, but as their eyes met, his breathing became uneven. A sharp pain suddenly stabbed through his head, pulsing violently.

Arthur immediately pulled him into his arms. Unseen by Joshua, a thread of Spiritual Power flowed into his mind. Arthur’s voice echoed faintly within him—distant, yet steady—like it came from deep within his soul.

"Joshua, don’t listen to him. We’re your friends. I’m your family."

Joshua’s body went limp in Arthur’s arms, his strength fading as his breathing steadied.

Arthur lifted his gaze toward Justin, and a visible shield formed before them at that moment.

Across the barrier, the tiger roared and clawed furiously, trying to break through.

Justin glared coldly at Arthur. "You only see him as a tool—don’t pretend you’re any better than me. One day, he’ll remember everything."

Arthur’s lips curved into a faint smile—his expression and gaze gentle—but the silvery light gleaming in his eyes held a chill, as invisible threads of Spiritual Power wove a net deep within Joshua’s mind and froze solid.

He smiled softly. "No. He’ll never remember anything."

And Arthur was sure of that.

After saying so, he led the group away.

The beasts watched them go with longing eyes. Justin, irritated, kicked the massive tiger. "Useless thing! Completely lost my dignity!"

The tiger let out a mournful roar before vanishing with the two wolves, dissolving into hazy shadows as they returned to Justin’s body.

"Arthur, Arthur! Your ability is so cool! How did you even do that?!"

Once again, Arthur had used his power to take down enemies—cleanly, without shedding a drop of blood.

That night, Joshua immediately clung to him, endlessly peppering him with questions.

The firelight flickered before them, casting a soft glow across Arthur’s face. His features were now plain—if not outright unattractive—but Joshua didn’t care. Arthur knew that whenever Joshua looked at him, his eyes were always fixed on Arthur’s eyes.

Meeting Joshua’s bright, eager gaze, Arthur gently brushed his fingers against the corner of the boy’s eye.

Joshua frowned slightly but didn’t pull away; instead, he looked up at Arthur eagerly.

That had become their way of interacting lately.

Joshua would want something. Arthur would refuse. Joshua would blink up at him, pleading silently—and Arthur would give in.

Joshua seemed entirely accustomed to this rhythm, believing that so long as he acted that way, he could get anything he wanted.

Arthur couldn’t help but wonder how much Henry had spoiled him before, so Joshua could still remember this instinct even after losing all his memories.

Now, facing Joshua’s wide, innocent eyes—eyes that looked ready to tear up when Arthur said no—Arthur could only press a hand to his forehead and sigh.

Slowly, he explained, "Inside every person’s mind, there’s something called a Sea of Consciousness. It’s the most vulnerable part of a human being. My ability is to infiltrate that place—attack it directly—and manifest one’s consciousness into physical form, turning it into the strongest weapon. When that happens, there’s no defense I can’t pierce through."

"Of course," he added calmly, "it becomes much harder against people with strong willpower. Take Justin, for example. I can’t invade his Sea of Consciousness at will when he’s at his peak."