An unexpected intruder and drifting platinum light—the woman wearing the mask of ancient wood scowled.
Something was wrong. A chilling aura made her skin crawl. Platinum eyes looked down on them as if they were mere insects.
The woman instinctively slammed her staff down to manifest her Arts, but the "Guardian" raised a hand, stopping her. Though she felt a surge of irritation, she withdrew her power at his gesture. This man was the pinnacle of the experimental subjects—the Graveyard Keeper who guarded the tombs of heroes. He was her Master‘s most prized creation.
Yujin glanced at the shattered silver hand-axe at his feet. Then, his gaze shifted between the woman and Raquelamalin.
Ultimately, his judgment was passed. The Guardian pulled another hand-axe from his robes and lunged. Simultaneously, the woman unleashed her Arts to provide cover. A barrage of magical light and silver steel rained down—a coordinated strike with no room for escape.
Yujin didn't even try to dodge.
He caught the incoming axe with his bare hand. He took the brunt of the Arts attack with his physical frame, simply ignoring the impact.
When the smoke cleared and Yujin was revealed to be completely unscathed, the woman let out a gasp of despair. This isn't something we can handle.
The suffocating killing intent, the rising platinum radiance, and the tip of Yujin‘s drawn blade… all of it pointed toward one thing: Death.
Then she remembered. Her Master had spoken of the Sarkaz who must be avoided at all costs. Listed among them, alongside the Last Wendigo, was this man.
Before she could finish the thought, Yujin charged. A single step closed the distance to the woman and the Guardian. The Guardian reflexively swung his axe, clashing with Yujin‘s blade. Even though it had been just one step, Yujin was already upon them.
Screech! Clang!
Sparks flew as their weapons shrieked against each other. The contest of raw strength lasted only a moment before the Guardian was forced back.
"His strength... exceeds the experiments?"
The Guardian was a product of artificial enhancement. Yet, he was being pushed back by the raw power of a single human? The Graveyard Keeper of heroes?
With every clash, the Guardian's hand-axe was chipped away. His perfected techniques began to falter, his posture crumbling. And all this against a boy who had barely reached adulthood.
The masked woman bit her lip. Winning was no longer the goal; she had to worry about making it out alive.
BOOM!
Unable to withstand the pressure, the Guardian‘s arms were blown wide, leaving him defenseless. As he struggled to regain his balance, Yujin delivered a sharp back-kick. While the experiment couldn't feel pain, the raw physical force couldn't be ignored. Breath was forced from the Guardian‘s lungs as he was sent flying through the air and into a wall.
"…Just what did that monster create?"
The woman let out a hollow, defeated laugh and drove her staff into the earth. There was only one way to escape this.
Yujin lunged toward her, but he couldn't stop the explosion that was already being triggered. The target wasn't Yujin… it was Raquelamalin.
The princess, dragging her wounded body, tried to raise her bone-whistle, but her reaction was too slow. There was no way to stop a blast at that range. Yujin wanted to protect her. The intruders knew his only weakness and their only path of retreat lay with the princess.
However.
They did not realize they were facing a monster whose limits were beyond their comprehension.
The world suddenly turned monochromatic, and platinum sparks flickered. In the moment the world lost its color, Yujin vanished.
The ground he had been standing on shattered. Larin, sensing the inevitable blast, shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she was in Yujin‘s arms.
"H-how?"
She couldn't understand it. What had just happened?
Seeing Yujin touch the realm of the incomprehensible, the masked woman could only laugh in disbelief. The Guardian managed to stand and regain his stance, but the tide had turned irrevocably against them.
"Ngh... ah!"
As they glared at each other, Yujin leaped again. Raquelamalin let out a small, surprised yelp, but held firmly in Yujin's grip, there was nothing she could do.
Yujin wanted to kill them all, but looking at Larin‘s wounds, he knew he couldn't prolong the fight. Moreover, the experimental subject and the masked woman were formidable in their own right. If he went all-out, he would win, but he couldn't guarantee Larin‘s safety.
Yujin cast one last, icy look over his shoulder.
"You. There won't be a next time."
Standing on top of a nearby building with Larin in his arms, his eyes were terrifying to behold. The Guardian immediately grabbed the woman and fled, but the woman could do nothing but stare back into Yujin's eyes until they were gone.
That was Yujin‘s first encounter with the organization known as the Confessarii.
Back at the park, Yujin performed emergency first aid on Raquelamalin using supplies he‘d managed to find. He worked in silence, watched by a concerned Kisha and a bewildered Kiril.
Larin‘s face was flushed. As a princess of the Banshees—a race where women were the vast majority—she had little experience with men. Being carried and cared for so closely by him was making her ears burn.
Moreover, her ankle was sprained, and Yujin was personally wrapping the bandage.
"This is just basic first aid. You need proper treatment. We should go to a clinic—"
"…I don‘t think I can do that."
Yujin paused, realizing his mistake. She was an Infected and an illegal entrant. Going to a hospital would likely lead to deportation rather than treatment.
"Sigh..."
His head throbbed. Why were these unknown assailants hunting a Banshee Princess? What was the connection between Kisha and Larin? The Major alone was enough to deal with, and now his problems were multiplying.
He put the explanations aside for now and exhaled a long breath. Both Larin and Kisha flinched at the sound, feeling responsible for the chaos.
"For now... let‘s get some rest. Follow me."
Yujin turned to lead the way, but noticed Larin couldn't walk on her injured foot. He stepped in front of her as she sat on the bench and lowered his back.
"What are you doing? Get on."
"Eh? W-what...!"
"Do you plan to walk on that foot, Your Highness? Hurry up and get on."
Remembering she was royalty, Yujin used a formal title. After a moment of hesitation, Larin leaned forward and climbed onto his back.
"…Master, should I head home now?" Kiril asked tentatively.
"No, you‘re coming too. It‘s messy enough as it is; I‘m settling all of this today."
The Kiril issue needed to be addressed as well. He had been teaching the boy in silence, but since forming an alliance with Daniel, he couldn't keep his disciple a secret anymore.
Yujin walked with Larin on his back, with Kiril and Kisha trailing behind him.
"Can I... talk to you normally?" Larin asked.
"Please do. Technically, I'm the one who should be showing deference."
Raquelamalin shifted slightly. "How did you know... that I was the Banshee Princess?"
"I was asked to find you. By my Master."
"So you're here to take me back...?"
"No. I figure if someone runs away, they have a good reason for it. I‘m not here to be your jailer."
The sun was dipping toward the horizon, painting the city in a warm, blood-red glow.
"You must have a reason for leaving that place, just like I had a reason to leave Kazdel. I just want to talk about it."
Yujin‘s voice was gentle. Larin went quiet, resting her head against his shoulder. She didn't know if he was being sincere, but it was the first time someone had actually asked why she fled with Kisha. Her other pursuers didn't care about her reasons; they saw her as a runaway child to be returned to her station.
"…I think I can tell you. Everything."
Larin decided to trust him. She trusted the kindness he had shown at their first meeting and the steady resolve he showed now.
Soon, the group reached their destination. It was a place Kiril knew all too well. It was his father‘s home.
Kiril looked at Yujin. The Master simply nodded.
"Let‘s go in. I‘m going to untangle every one of these knots tonight."
"M-Master... I...!"
Kiril was afraid. He was afraid that by going back inside, his choices would be denied again. He was afraid that his hope would be crushed by the weight of his own family.
"Kiril, trust me."
"..."
"I'm your Master. I‘m supposed to take my disciple‘s side, aren't I?"
With those words, Yujin pushed open the doors of the tavern.
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