In an abandoned building area, the fight between Joker Roulette and the Arcane Keepers continued. The air was thick with dust and the echoes of clashing powers.
A short guy in a convertible jacket suddenly appeared, his presence immediately drawing the attention of everyone nearby, including Ridley and Owen.
"Gregory! You came!" Ridley said, relief washing over his face.
"Of course, I am," the short guy replied.
He turned his gaze toward Noah and Asher, studying them briefly. "I believe you guys are the new members," he said. "I've heard a lot about you from the boss."
"Yes, I'm Asher," Asher said, dodging a punch before countering with one of his own.
"Noah," Noah said with a smile. "What did he tell you about me?"
Gregory grinned. "What do you think—"
"Forget it! No time to talk!" Owen cut him off, his voice booming. "Let's do that thing! Come on!"
Gregory sighed. "Way to ruin the mood."
"Gregory! Hurry!" Owen urged.
"Seesh! Shut up already!" Gregory snapped. "This is why I prefer to work alone."
His eyes scanned the battlefield until they met Liam's. The boss gave him a small nod.
"Fine," Gregory muttered. "I really don't want to follow your egoistic request, but considering the situation..."
"Hurry!" Owen barked.
"Shut up, you loud brute!" Gregory shot back, slapping Owen's back. It wasn't just out of anger—something happened the moment his hand made contact.
"What is he doing?" Asher asked, watching closely.
Ridley grinned. "Just watch."
A strange transformation overtook Owen's body. At first, Asher thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but soon it was undeniable—Owen's arms, legs, and entire frame were swelling, growing larger and larger.
"I see," Noah said. "Size manipulation."
Ridley nodded. "His primary job was smuggling stuff," he said. "With his power, he can make things super small and hide them in ordinary objects. Or keep it hidden in his pockets."
"And he can make things bigger too," Noah observed, tilting his head up to take in the now-gigantic Owen. "I assume this isn't just visual—it gives extra strength as well? Impressive."
Ridley nodded again. They had been practicing this combination technique for a while now. Noah and Asher were in for a treat.
With a boost from Gregory's power, Owen rampaged like there was no tomorrow.
The sudden shift in the battle didn't just surprise Noah and Asher—it sent a wave of panic through the Arcane Keepers' ranks.
"What the hell is that?" Hairo muttered from the back of their group.
Fiona gulped. "A giant…?" she said, her voice shaky. "Is that even possible?"
Hairo didn't respond. Asking that kind of question was meaningless when what stood in front of them was the proof they needed. It was useless to think something like that was impossible when Owen was hitting you with his giant arm.
"Gahahaha!" Owen's laughter boomed louder than ever. "Come, you Arcane Keepers scum! Fight me!"
The members of the Arcane Keepers were tossed around like toys, their attacks bouncing harmlessly off Owen's massive form. This giantification was working flawlessly with his own power to harden his skin.
"Everyone, get back!" Jasper ordered, desperation creeping into his voice.
"Aren't he too powerful?" Noah asked. "If you can do something like this, how come you never completely defeat them?"
"Nah, it only lasts about five minutes," Gregory explained. "And their scary members haven't even shown up yet."
"Ah, I see," Noah said. His earlier assessment had been right—this wasn't the full extent of the Arcane Keepers' strength.
Still, the battle had turned one-sided. The Arcane Keepers had no way to counter the giant Owen, forcing them to retreat.
That wasn't the only reason. Ever since Noah arrived with Alexis's corpse, some of them had already lost their will to fight. Their minds were clouded with worry about what might be happening at their headquarters across the city.
As they fled from Owen's rampage, Hairo spoke up. "We're sorry, leader. Despite our numbers, we were completely defeated."
"Forget it," Jasper said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Let's just go back for now."
Jasper created a wall of lightning, giving his followers a chance to run away and stopping Owen in his tracks. Soon enough, the rest of the Arcane Keepers managed to escape from that place.
Owen laughed triumphantly. "That's right! Run away, you stupid ants! I can't be stopped!"
Noah shook his head at Owen's arrogance. "He sure is getting full of himself."
Ridley and Gregory nodded in agreement. "Sure he is," they said.
Noticing that their boss was getting closer, Gregory turned his head toward him and smiled. "Isn't that right, boss?"
"It's fine," Liam said as he walked toward them. Milo and Willow followed closely behind.
"Let him enjoy the victory."
Gregory shrugged. "If you say so. But I think you're being too lenient on him."
"Thank you for coming," Liam said, smiling at him.
"Not at all!" Gregory replied, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry I only managed to get here now."
"All good. But what about her?" Liam asked. "Didn't she come with you?"
"Ah... it's complicated," Gregory admitted, scratching his head, not sure how to explain that specific girl—the last member of Joker Roulette.
"Is that so?" Liam said, seeming to understand a little. "Then we'll talk about it in more detail later."
By then, Owen had already returned to his normal size.
"Ah, I feel so refreshed!" Owen declared. "Did you see that, boss? Aren't I the strongest?"
Ridley snorted. "Sure you are," he said mockingly.
"What is that?!" Owen growled. "Praise me more sincerely!"
Noah smiled at their bantering but discreetly glanced back at the top of a nearby building. He had noticed someone watching them for a while now but chose to keep quiet about it.
Up on the rooftop, two figures stood in the wind, their hair ruffled by the breeze. Just as Noah suspected, they had been observing the entire fight.
One of them, a guy with sharp shark-like teeth, grinned widely.
"When they told me to come here," he said, "I was skeptical that we'd find anything interesting in this unknown city. But I was wrong! This place is more exciting than I ever hoped."
"Indeed," his partner replied. "But don't lose sight of why we're here. We're trying to expand our group, not pile up more corpses. Hey, are you listening?"
"Oh, shut up," the shark-toothed boy said. "If they die when I play with them, then they don't deserve to join us anyway."
His partner sighed. "Just don't overdo it."
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