An excruciating pain coursed through his mangled arm, and he found himself screaming while holding onto it. His vision turned blurry as he tried to understand what had happened to him. No, he couldn't think straight.

Klaus's mind was completely taken over by the pain. His brain tried to come up with a method to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing that he could do at the moment. He had to do something before he lost too much blood. Klaus understood that his life was in great danger.

He had to run away to save himself. It was the most logical option he could take in a situation where he couldn't fully grasp how he got injured.

Was it an attack? If so, he didn't see it coming at all.

His chance of winning was so slim that he had begun to crawl away to the exit without thinking about anything else.

"Klaus!"

Brynhildr raised both of her hands and pointed them at the dark-haired boy. In an instant, a green aura covered the entirety of his being and he gasped from it. Brynhildr had used her power to heal his injury while keeping an eye on the Crown's Keeper.

'I didn't expect that the Keeper would attack the very moment she appeared,' she thought. 'Judging from that attack just now, her strength should be about the same as a B-rank Draugr's.'

Brynhildr bit her lip when the Keeper who resembled Freda tilted her head, gazing at Klaus. In the next moment, a conspicuous murderous intent pierced straight across the spacious room. One way or another, Brynhildr had to take Klaus away and help him escape! He was in a state where he couldn't fight, much less stand on his own.

The shock from having his arm crushed in the blink of an eye was too great for the young boy.

Suddenly, a ray of light escaped from the Keeper's open palm and went straight for Klaus. Without hesitation, Brynhidr flew back to the winding staircase leading downwards as an invisible force breaking the laws of physics lifted Klaus.

Brynhildr looked over her shoulders and sighed when she saw Klaus behind her, carried along by her power. Both of them flew to the first floor unhindered as they watched the hidden floor's entrance closed abruptly behind them. They had escaped from the Keeper successfully.

"...Klaus, how do you feel?" Brynhildr asked as she prompted Klaus to sit down.

"...What kind of question is that? I..."

Klaus hung his head as he tried to recall the event that had just transpired minutes ago. The Keeper appeared without warning and somehow crushed his arm at the very same moment. That was a terrifying show of strength no doubt.

Still, to get to Freda in her Personal Dimension, Klaus had to defeat the Keeper and get the Crown. But as he was right then, fighting her was like a death wish. Without Brynhildr's help, he was certain that he would be dead right now.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, but his body wouldn't stop shaking.

"I think this is enough for today, Klaus Weber," declared Brynhildr.

"What?"

"You can't fight the Keeper right now. But, I'm certain that after you have gained more experience from fighting strong Draugrs and get better loot, you can defeat her."

"...You're right. I have to train and improve myself," Klaus admitted.

His goal hasn't changed in the slightest. The Keeper was an obstacle that he must overcome to get there.

After Brynhildr bid goodbye, Klaus closed his eyes and wished to himself that he was in his room. A few seconds passed by and he could feel the fatigue catching up to him. He groaned as he tried to open his eyes and get out of his bed. Instinctively, he raised his hand and stared at it for a few long moments.

His previously mangled arm had gone back to normal because of that Bynhildr. Mentally, he thanked her a few times. That entity would surely find a way to tease him if he ever expressed his gratitude directly to her. Perhaps she wouldn't do such a thing, but his intuition kept telling him otherwise.

"...Can I defeat that Keeper?" Klaus questioned himself.

Knock.

Knock.

"Klaus, you're still on your bed? It's seven-forty. We'll be late."

Akeno Aoi walked into Klaus's room and looked at him up and down. This person had just woken up from sleep. She could tell this much.

"A-Aoi!?"

"We have school today," said Aoi as she adjusted the sleeves of her school uniform.

"W-Wait for me at the front door! I'll be there in five minutes!"

Aoi tilted her head. "But you haven't had breakfast yet."

The dark-haired girl looked over shoulders as Klaus went into the corridor on his way to the restroom. A thin smile appeared on her face. Yes, this is the relationship that she didn't want to let go no matter what.

Even though Aoi didn't like being at home, at least she could look forward to seeing Klaus during weekdays. After all, she only had this connection with him. The bond she truly wanted to protect.

○ ○ ○

"Heyo! You two want to have lunch together?"

Nishihara Ryota, the most athletic student in the class called out to Klaus and Aoi after the morning class session ended. Aoi cast a sidelong glance at Klaus and he returned it with a smile.

"Let's go, Aoi. We don't have this kind of opportunity being handed over to us quite often. We should take his offer."

"Hey, Kitabayashi, want to come too?" Ryo called.

Kitabayashi Arisu, the class representative nodded in agreement. Her waist-length dark hair fluttered when she strode over to Ryo's side. She clearly had been waiting for someone to invite her. At one moment, she turned her head to look at Aoi, and then averted her gaze just as quickly.

"Oh, it's the class rep. This is a good chance for you to be friends with her," said Klaus enthusiastically.

Aoi shook her head in response, her bangs covering her eyes.

"I'll come with you, so let's go," insisted Klaus.

At the cafeteria, Aoi quickly took her seat next to Klaus while Ryo and Arisu took the opposite seats across the table. This girl sure didn't want anyone else to sit next to Klaus. Ryo and Arisu told themselves this as they smiled at Aoi who hung her head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." Klaus was the first to say anything after the four of them had settled down. "She's not being rude or anything of the sort. Aoi is a very shy person."

Arisu giggled when she heard Klaus's explanation. "There's no need for you to apologize, Klaus. Can I call you Klaus?"

"Yeah, I would prefer it if you call me by my first name."