THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 289: 289. A RIDE

”You guys need a ride?” Sagiri said with a sadistic smile, the moment Salka and his team pulled away to either look for the missing instructor or

He was going to enjoy suffocating for a few seconds, if not a minute or two.

Sagiri stepped into the center of the cave and stretched his hands out to prepare for the movement. The Archive responded instantly. This was going to take a lot of energy, if not all.

The Archive expanded outward violently around them and ahead of them, Sagiri forcing it through the valley itself. It stretched farther and farther into Boni like an invisible hand tearing through distance, pushing past stone corridors, broken rocks, twisting paths, and collapsed terrain toward the distant exit of the valley.

The strain became visible almost immediately. The markings on his body fractured lightly, while the air trembled under the force required to maintain it. Then Sagiri opened his eyes. Without another word, he stepped forward, and the entire pocket moved with him. The twenty-one did not have time to react before they were swallowed.

The two got swallowed into the archive pocket, and Sagiri finally moved. Sagiri dragged the entire space toward the valley’s distant edge in one move, which took at least twenty heartbeats considering the weight of everything.

Sagiri stopped finally, just a few feet from the entrance of the valley, and let them tumble out. He staggered back a moment before steadying himself.

”Next time you try this feat, I will kill you myself,” Sagiri said, making sure his right eye met every one around before it turned back to the dormant red with a swirl of amber. There was silence as the group tried to take in their surroundings. Those who had been with him to Tatani had already experienced this and were familiar with the pocket, but the others looked like they had seen death for the few seconds they couldn’t breathe.

”Thank you,” Kaka said, bowing slightly.

That was the first time Sagiri had heard him utter such words, and he was taken aback, unable to process them for a second. Everyone turned to look at him with worry. Had he suffered so much, he would have gone mad.

”Why are you looking at me like that? I always show gratitude.” The words made even the still unconscious instructor sit up straight.

”Of course you do,” Maita said dramatically.

”What do you mean by that tone?” Kaka gritted.

Kiuga was fighting to say something, but before he could, Sagiri lifted his hand to silence everyone. He turned swiftly and retrieved Nokai. Everyone froze at the sudden change. Sagiri skulked low, ready to charge at anything. He was sure he had heard movement. Nothing moved after, and silence followed so much that Sagiri thought he had imagined it.

Suddenly, however, something moved, and Sagiri could see a shell of a rock crawler moving slowly towards the exit. He had not thought that he could see one so far out, but it was not completely out of the question.

”Aren’t you so far from the pack?” Sagiri said, moving quickly to dismantle the loner, but suddenly it fell sideways, and underneath there was a human. Sagiri stopped immediately and retracted his blades.

”Instructor!!” The girls wailed at the same time, and this time a tear fell from Gavina’s eyes, which she wiped away immediately.

”The instructor looked out of breath. Well, the rock shell was massive, and it looked like he had been moving for days. It was a wonder he had not collapsed or passed away.

”You are alive,” N’varu said with relief, echoing everyone’s thoughts.

The man staggered to his feet just as the girls swarmed his side. They had been unable to walk, but now they had crossed the distance in a few seconds.

”I am okay. I was about to go find help.” The man reminded Sagiri of someone careless. Lotaga. Not only had he led away the beast, but he also wore a shell. Even worse, he had not stripped the students under him of entering the valley. Sagiri’s fist tightened, and right when the man staggered past the girls, Sagiri moved and landed a blow to his cheek.

He had desired to beat some sense into someone, but he had not been able to do that until he saw the instructor. He could have beaten the other one if he hadn’t already been unconscious.

The man’s jaw cracked under the force of the punch before he went flying backwards and hit the valley’s rocky floor hard. No one had expected the move, and everyone gasped. Nokai snapped out again, and Sagiri held the blades to the man’s neck. It looked really ready for the cutting.

”Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now?! You are an instructor and a full-fledged warrior, yet you allowed these dumb kids to come in here.” Sagiri’s jaw trembled.

”Sagiri!!” Nvaru called, but Sagiri was not going to calm down so easily at this time.

”Stay out of it. Can’t believe my own sand shade could be this stupid either!!” Sagiri turned his head slightly and glared at Nvaru. ”You disappoint me.”

”You have three seconds.” Sagiri snarled, and the man trembled. He didn’t know who he was, but he had never felt such killing intent pressing on him.

”W-Who are you?” The man’s trembling voice.

”I am the last man you are going to see,” Sagiri said, his blade pressing into the instructor’s neck, drawing blood.

”Please calm down, you can’t kill him,” Kiuga said in a small voice.

”Yes, please...” More voices said in uniform, mostly the girls.

”Who gets to pay then for this stupidity?!” Sagiri snarled in a cold voice. The blade penetrated deeper and was just a whisper away from puncturing the artery.

”Sagiri. Put the blade away.” Another voice joined in. Salka. ”I want to kill them too, but I will make sure they are stripped of their rank,” Salka said.

Sagiri held the blade to the man’s neck as everyone waited with bated breath before they snapped back and disappeared into the pocket.

”Annoying,” Sagiri gritted, turning to face Salka. The man slithered away, fear still clear in his features.