"Steen!" Raiden's anxious shout rang out from nearby.
Stuck by lightning, Steen remained motionless. After taking some time to confirm there would not be a second strike, he moved stiffly and toppled to the side.
His once black-and-white fur was now charred and smoking, with small wisps curling up from his body.
Under his protection, Button seemed unharmed beneath him. Still lying on the ground, it let out two soft whimpers, confirming it was safe.
Raiden rushed over and nearly broke down in tears after seeing the scorched Steen. Then, the latter suddenly stirred and let out a pitiful groan. "That really hurts…"
Plus, his fur was burned. Benson had better supply him with a whole year's worth of snacks. That was the only fair compensation for this suffering!
He'd tried so hard!
Seeing he was alive, Raiden was furious. He kicked Steen's butt. "Don't you know your limits? How could you take a lightning strike for someone else? Serves you right!"
Raiden couldn't understand. How could the lazy and whiny Steen go this far for a panda who wasn't enlightened?
Or perhaps, it wasn't just for Button; it was for the person who raised it.
Raiden's kick might seem heavy, but it used very little force, yet Steen exaggerated the pain and wailed dramatically.
Hearing the commotion, Button, who'd lain prone, immediately scrambled up. It ran over to shield Steen.
Though clearly scared of Raiden's supernatural energy, it growled and forbade him from hurting Steen.
Raiden scoffed. He could deal with this chubby thing with one swipe. How dare it growl at him!
With another snort, he turned away and decided to ignore the dumb duo. Instead, he headed back to help with splitting the mudslide.
When Shannon and Benjamin teleported over, they saw Kai, Cornelius, and Raiden all back in human form and collapsed on the ground. Kai was still making fun of Steen, who had some burned fur.
The other panda sat quietly beside Steen and dared not move around the three demons.
Shannon recognized the panda as Button and approached. After taking a closer look, the death calamity that once hovered around it was now gone.
Seeing a stranger approach, Button looked up warily, only to meet Shannon's gaze.
The moment their eyes met, she sensed a subtle change. It seemed as if there was a subtle change and a newfound opportunity on Button.
Beside her, Benjamin said, "It's enlightened."
Though he wasn't sure what had just happened, Button had clearly gained a new opportunity. If he was right, it was an opportunity to become a demon.
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