Okumura Syndicate

Chapter 104: Identity

Out in the field, Aster, Fleur, Craaq and Sulena were reunited. Fleur was curled up on the floor due to her legs giving out during the trial. "Fleur, are you alright?", asked a concerned Aster. "I-I did the trial…", she muttered, slightly disappointed in her performance. "I can't believe I passed…", she reveled, exulting from all her running. "I'm glad you're okay, ma'am.", remarked Craaq.

Aster picked up Fleur and lifted her across his shoulder. "I can walk…", Fleur insisted, but Aster wasn't taking any chances. "You need to recover, it's just his way of thanking you for doing their trial", explained Sulena. Aster was blushing hard, "I've never been this close to Fleur.", he thought. Meanwhile the small elf girl couldn't help but feel humiliated being carried around. "I'm future underboss, surely you can put me down…", she commented. "Nope, not safe.", insisted Aster.

"I'm starting to think these trials are meant to test us individually rather than as a group.", Fleur exclaimed. Aster nodded while still keeping her close. "I suppose they have enough information to do that…", Craaq mumbled. "Craaq, you worried?", asked Sulena. "Well...I suppose I am. If Aster and Fleur have already been targeted, it means I'm next…", he feared. "I'm sure you can handle it Craaq!", enthused Fleur. The boy smiled at his capo for believing in him.

After 2 hours of more walking, it was the middle of the afternoon and the temperature was getting really hot, so much so that Craaq was sweating in his armour. "Do you ever take that off?", asked Aster. "Nope, and I don't plan to either.", answered the short boy. Due to the heat, the group slowed down to catch their breath. Suddenly, the zap of a wand casting a spell was heard. At first the group didn't notice, but then it happened again. What on Earth could be going on?

"Hey!", yelled Aster angrily at the nouse. He turned around, no one was there. "Aster, it's probably just something far away, relax.", said Sulena, focused on walking. "Are you sure Sulena?", Craaq questioned. "I heard it too, it sounded close to me.", he informed. The anthro bunny looked around their entire area and couldn't see anyone either. However, he he turned, the others noticed something very peculiar.

"Craaq! Your helmet!", pointed out Fleur, clearly worried. The right side of Craaq's helmet was turned to fragile stone, which was slowly cracking. Upon noticing, the small man started running around panicking. "It can't be…", he jittered. Sulena held onto him, "You'll only make it worse if you don't stand still. Now calm down.", she reassured as she settled him. 

"I-I can't let it hit me again…", he began to sob, clutching onto the cracked part of his helmet. He broke out of Sulena's embrace and held onto Aster's leg for dear life in an attempt to shield himself, but the same thing happened again. Consumed by his own fear, he began to hyperventilate, "N-no….", he blubbered. Aster was slightly annoyed, yet sympathetic of Craaq's situation. "Come put you cretin!!!", he shouted as loud as he could.

Gradually, the helmet disassembled more, and Craaq got more and more paranoid. By this point, almost all of the hamlet's right side was destroyed, and the anthropomorphic rabbit's ear was on the verge of popping out of it. His breathing couldn't be controlled as his headwear cracked more and more. For a split second, his ear finally emerged, only for Craaq to pull it back down into the broken disguise it once had.

"Craaq, you…", Fleur tried to console him upon noticing his rabbit-like part. Already knowing of his identity, she was unphased, and was optimistic about her other two teammates. Another strike, and Craaq was clutching onto his head and refused to let go. "Craaq! It's okay!", called out Aster. He looked on at his friend, Aster's face showed no pity, no resentment, only acceptance. Following the black haired boy, Sulena turned to him as well, with an expression of comfort and no sign of violence.

A small tear shed from Craaq's eye, everything he'd never expected to come true was happening. At his own pace, he lifted his hands, letting the broken helmet fall to the floor. With both his ears on show, he felt slightly anxious, but his friends never faltered in their assurance that he'll be just fine. Behind the helmet was a mask, only showing his eyes, and a pig nose covering his own. Craaq, at first hesitantly, but eventually confidently removed it, revealing his face.

The anthro bunny had yellow eyes, white hair and a rabbit's muzzle. He covered up initially, until finally running to his friends for a hug. "I think...I don't need this...anymore…", he announced, building back his strength. At the moment, the wand user emerged from the bush she was behind, "I see you've found who you really are.", she remarked. 

The group turned to see a young woman with long pink hair that faded to lilac. "I'm Violet, caporegime of sorcery in the Renegard syndicate.", she revealed. "I was sent here to expose Craaq to his greatest fear, but I wasn't expecting this.", she states in relief. "Seems you're not one to kill.", remarked Craaq. "I'm just glad this moment that I was terrified of happening worked out for the better…", Violet replied.

"Congratulations on your third trial", she cheered, but that smile on her face was quickly wiped away. "Violet, is it? Are you doing alright?", Aster enquired. "You have one last trial…", she states in a fearful tone. "And what is it?", asked Fleur, slightly suspicious. "All I can say is it's going to be incredibly difficult for any of you to handle…", she cried. The final trial was underway, and with Violet's warning, they tried to prepare as best they could, but what they were going to discover was going to change their outlooks on life.