If it is for the sake of freedom

Walking through the underground passage, it was very quiet if you didn't speak. Footsteps echoed each other, along with the whooshing sound of the chubby dog ​​floating in the air next to Little Blue.

"Do you think Yishu and Lihua will come to stop us...?"

Xiao Lan guessed.

A tree and pear blossoms, the future Four Heavenly Kings of Chengdu. However, they are now the largest group of "Masked Sons" under Uncle Liu's command.

"No," Ze Shu said. "I've already spoken to them. If anyone tries to stop us, it can only be those two idiots, Gam and Carter."

"However, Sister Rika must have knocked them unconscious by now."

Even if Xiao Lan and Ze Shu manage to keep their departure from the Masked Base a secret from Uncle Liu, the other Masked Children who train together with them will surely notice something amiss.

So Zeshu made some preparations.

That's why I can now travel freely through this underground passage without any obstacles or interference.

"Ze Shu, you're amazing!" Xiao Lan praised without reservation.

Thinking about leaving this place, Xiao Lan was in a good mood. She smiled all the way, her fair and tender face glowing with excitement.

"Buee~!"

Upon hearing this, Ice Eevee, which had been walking silently with its small feet making no sound, also let out a rather loud cry.

"Sawaki is definitely the best~!"

Ze Shu: "..."

"Hehe!" Little Blue laughed, "Ze Shu is shy!"

No!

Ze Shu stubbornly insisted, "Your praise is well-deserved, and I will naturally accept it. There's no need to be shy."

Xiao Lan stopped talking, only looking at Ze Shu with a half-smile, "Really?"

Ze Shu chose not to answer the question: "Let's go!"

The underground passage was very winding, and they took many forks in the road. However, they were definitely heading in the right direction.

It relies on Glaceon's ability to sense water vapor.

The closer you get to the exit, the more moisture permeates the air.

then……

Ze Shu and Xiao Lan walked and gradually arrived at—

A room with an opening on the side.

"This is not an export route..."

"It's that guy's room!"

Xiao Lan gasped in surprise, then, upon seeing the scene inside, she abruptly covered her mouth. A chill ran through her; her previous good mood seemed to freeze and tremble.

In the center of the room stood a large ice sculpture.

An ice sculpture of a "masked man," resembling an incarnation of a demon, ruling over six "masked children." The masked man's sculpted hands, like a curse, manipulate the six children he abducted, who have become ghosts.

Of the six children in the ice sculpture, Xiao Lan and Ze Shu are the two youngest.

Undoubtedly, this ice sculpture showcases the masked man's twisted desire for control.

Xiao Lan felt a chill run through her body.

Ze Shu frowned slightly, then quickly whispered, "Then the only way we can resist his control is to leave here as soon as possible, right?"

"Yes..." Xiao Lan gritted her teeth, "Since we're here, it means the exit is not far away."

"And he's in there." She pointed to the curtain at the far end of the room, her voice filled with resentment towards the masked man. "He must be badly injured and unable to move at all!"

"Don't complicate things," Ze Shu said.

"Hmph..." Little Blue laughed, "Who said I was going to take any risks?"

She deftly rummaged through the ice sculpture, and soon, having mastered various thieving skills, she pulled out two feathers.

One is golden red, the other is azure blue; even hidden beneath the extreme cold of ice sculptures, they still radiate a vibrant and beautiful energy.

Rainbow feathers and silver feathers.

The feathers from Ho-Oh and Lugia, which were previously controlled by the Masked Man, are said to have incredible uses.

"I could tell at a glance that something was hidden here, something important," said Xiao Lan. "Let's take this with us!"

"Hmm..." She suddenly paused, as if noticing that she was holding bird feathers, then hurriedly stuffed the two feathers into Ze Shu's hands, "Here, take these!"

Ze Shu: "..."

He silently accepted the feather, which wasn't surprising.

Similar to his experience after time travel, Xiao Lan was also captured by Ho-Oh, but she developed ornithophobia afterward.

Initially, she only had a fear of birds, but within the oppressive Visored Corps, the cruel and repressive atmosphere of being captured by Ho-Oh and arriving there constantly replayed in her mind. The Visored men didn't care about them at all, and her psychological problems remained unresolved and untreated.

When Ze Shu first met her, Xiao Lan's psychological problems had worsened and evolved into ornithophobia.

"Buee~"

Glaceon called out softly, as if it had found an exit.

"Let's go."

Xiao Lan grabbed Ze Shu's hand, her pupils reflecting a bright light, "The outside world!"

As they drew closer, the light at the exit of the underground passage grew brighter, and a look of joy gradually spread across Xiao Lan's face.

But Ze Shu gradually frowned, as if he sensed something was wrong.

The air is a bit chilly.

but.

The journey that followed was smoother than Ze Shu had expected, causing his vigilance to wane slightly.

The two of them helped each other climb out of the hidden cave entrance.

In an instant.

The morning light of the outside world gradually filled their vision, and the exit led directly to the boundless sea.

Even Ze Shu couldn't help but feel excited at this moment.

They had been walking through the underground passage for a long time, and now they were finally able to leave.

This is the outside world!

The sun slowly rose from the sea, gently illuminating the clouds on the horizon and making the water shimmer. The fragrance of trees and the scent of damp earth mingled with the sea breeze, filling Ze Shu's nostrils.

The early-rising Bobo chirps crisply, already searching for the green caterpillar it's destined to be with.

This moment.

No matter how much you paid beforehand to leave the Masked Base, or how long you explored those underground passages, it was all worth it!

Although I had left the Masked Base before for doing bad things for Uncle Liu, how could my actions under surveillance at that time compare to the freedom I have now?

"Sawaki!"

Xiao Lan couldn't help but call out softly, and after Ze Shu replied with a puzzled sound, he fell silent.

After a while.

Looking at the vast ocean ahead, she said, "Jigglypuff, grow big! Take us away from here!"

"puff--"

The pink, round, chubby creature that had been floating beside Xiao Lan like a balloon suddenly swelled up with a "poof" sound after hearing Xiao Lan's words, becoming like a hot air balloon.

Little Blue leaped onto Jigglypuff's inflated back and reached out to Zeki, "Come on... Zeki, Eevee, let's leave here and go meet our..."

Her face showed anticipation, as if she was imagining how wonderful it would be to go on adventures with Ze Shu in the outside world after leaving this oppressive masked base.

whoosh-

Suddenly, a gust of extremely cold wind blew by.

Facing the cold wind, Glaceon instantly emitted a warning sound: "Eevee, Eevee!!"

Jigglypuff's bloated body swayed in the wind and almost shrank from the cold.

Even though it was freezing cold, Xiao Lan didn't retract her hand that she had stretched out from the air. Instead, she anxiously reached forward, trying to reach the person she was about to touch.

"Come on up quickly!" she shouted anxiously.

There was no response to Xiao Lan's call.

Ze Shu immediately turned around, his eyes blazing with golden, manic fire.

Accompanied by the cold wind, a figure gradually emerged from the frost.

A pale mask, from which swollen, dry hair extends; his black robe rustles in the cold wind, making him appear like a demon in a snowstorm, chilling one to the bone.

A cold, emotionless voice emanated from this body, hoarsely saying, "Ze Shu, you must stay."

I value you highly.