"Damn it…" The Suzaku Guard Captain was seething with rage. He wanted to beat the gray-robed man into submission, forcing him to comply through brute force, but he was afraid of losing control of his emotions — either beating the man to death or leaving him crippled, or perhaps no matter how hard he hit, the gray-robed man still wouldn't comply. Either way, it would only make things worse instead of resolving them.
In the end, the Suzaku Guard Captain suppressed the fury in his heart and held back from striking the gray-robed man. Seeing the Guard Captain's hesitation, the gray-robed man knew he wouldn't dare harm him, and the smug grin on his face grew even wider. "So," he said, "if you let me go right now, I'll consider taking the monster away with me."
"You used that creature to slaughter so many of our people — you've committed unforgivable crimes — and you think I'm just going to let you go?!" the Suzaku Guard Captain spat furiously.
"If you don't let me go," the gray-robed man replied, "there'll be no one left who can control that beast. You can just sit back and watch it tear this city apart."
"You…" The Suzaku Guard Captain glared at the gray-robed man with burning eyes, yet was completely powerless against him.
At that moment, Rulu spoke up. "Suzaku Guard Captain, don't worry. I have a way to make this guy talk — he'll tell me everything he knows."
"Are you serious?" The anxiety on the Suzaku Guard Captain's face instantly dissolved, replaced by a look of hopeful expectation as he turned toward Rulu.
Rulu nodded. "Yes. You two, step outside for a moment. I need to be alone with him."
The Suzaku Guard Captain studied Rulu's expression. He noticed that Rulu looked remarkably calm and thoroughly confident, so he took him at his word. "Alright then," he said. "This one's on you."
The Suzaku Guard Captain and Kallen left the room together, pulling the door shut behind them, leaving Rulu alone with the gray-robed man. During this time, the Hydra in the distance remained motionless, just as it had been before.
Before long, the door swung open again. The gray-robed man came limping out, clutching his injured leg, with Rulu following close behind. The Suzaku Guard Captain rushed over to Rulu. "Well? Did he talk?"
Rulu held up an object that looked like a bamboo flute, displaying it in front of the Suzaku Guard Captain. "He just told me everything. As long as you use the sound this thing makes, you can lure the beast away."
The Suzaku Guard Captain glanced at the flute-like object in Rulu's hand, then pressed further. "Did you ask him why he sent the monster to attack Yufei City? Does he have any other accomplices? Who's behind all this?"
"I didn't ask. If you want to know, you can ask him yourself."
The Suzaku Guard Captain gave a curt nod, his expression darkening as he fixed a hard stare on the gray-robed man. "Someone who can command a beast that powerful to attack us — his background can't be simple. There must be others behind him. I'm going to root out every last one of his associates and whoever's pulling the strings."
A sharp whistle sliced through the air as five or six arrows suddenly appeared nearby, hurtling toward Rulu and the others. Kallen sensed them in time and threw herself over Rulu. A series of metallic clangs rang out as the arrows struck her armor and were deflected away.
With a dull thud, the gray-robed man crumpled and collapsed to the ground. Rulu looked down and saw several arrows embedded in the man's chest — one had struck him directly in the left side, piercing his heart. The man twitched a few times on the ground, then went completely still.
"Who's there?! Shooting from the shadows like a coward!" The Suzaku Guard Captain cursed, spinning toward the direction the arrows had come from. On the roof of a low building nearby stood several figures in gray robes, their faces hidden behind masks and hoods. Each of them held a bow — clearly the ones who had fired.
"They must be his associates," Rulu said, watching the figures on the roof, his voice low and steady. "They're silencing him."
"Damn them — I won't let them escape." The Suzaku Guard Captain immediately charged toward the rooftop figures, intent on capturing them.
The gray-robed figures on the roof drew their bows again. The Guard Captain assumed they were targeting him and slowed his advance, bracing for the attack — but instead, they shifted their aim and fired their arrows at the Hydra.
The arrows struck the Hydra's head. The creature was immediately enraged and began crawling toward the rooftop figures. Since the Hydra's position happened to be directly between the gray-robed men and the Suzaku Guard Captain, it completely cut off his path.
"Cunning bastards — they actually thought to use the monster to block me." Unwilling to risk getting close to the Hydra, the Guard Captain was forced to fall back. Seizing the moment, the figures on the roof leaped down and fled at remarkable speed, vanishing from the Suzaku Guard Captain's sight in no time at all.
The Hydra was on the move again, searching for a target within Yufei City. The nearest one was the Suzaku Guard Captain himself, making him its primary target. With no choice but to abandon his pursuit of the fleeing gray-robed men, he returned to Rulu and Kallen's side and looked down at the arrow-riddled gray-robed man on the ground. "What's his condition? Is there any hope?"
Rulu shook his head. "He was shot through the heart. He's dead."
Though the Suzaku Guard Captain had expected as much, he still felt deeply disheartened. "In that case," he said, "we have no choice but to figure out how to lure that creature away. Give me the flute — I'll try to draw the beast out of Yufei City myself."
Rulu immediately handed him the flute-like object. "Hold down the green button on top and blow. The Hydra will follow you wherever you go and won't attack you."
The Suzaku Guard Captain took the flute and examined it. Several buttons of different colors were set into its surface. He pressed the green one and blew. The flute let out a sharp, piercing sound. Upon hearing it, the Hydra paused in place for a few seconds — then began moving, crawling toward the Suzaku Guard Captain at a moderate pace.
"Good — it's working." The Suzaku Guard Captain's spirits lifted. He blew the flute as he made his way along the street toward the city gate, the Hydra following close behind, crawling alongside him in the same direction.
Along the way, the Suzaku Guard Captain contacted Lord Euphemia and Lady Jessica through his communication device, informing them that he had successfully brought the Hydra under control and was now leading it out of Yufei City.
Lord Euphemia was overjoyed at the news. She dispatched a squad of soldiers to accompany the Suzaku Guard Captain. Before long, under his guidance, the Hydra left Yufei City behind. The city finally returned to calm, and every soul within it breathed a long sigh of relief.