14 Years Earlier
Snow drifted lazily from the gray sky, blanketing the small outdoor training area in a pristine white layer.
The crisp air nipped at Ao’s cheeks, but the cold didn’t bother him.
He stood at attention, his small frame trembling—not from the chill, but from excitement.
Ao, just a boy of seven, wore a white kimono several sizes too big for his small body.
His hands balled into fists at his sides as he stared up at the tall, imposing figure before him.
His master, dressed in flowing white robes, stood still, a serene presence against the stark winter landscape.
His long white beard swayed slightly in the breeze, his face partially obscured by the shadows of his hood.
Ao (Child): “I’m ready, Master!”
His voice was high and eager, filled with the boundless energy of a child who idolized the person standing before him.
He could barely contain the anticipation bubbling inside him.
Today was the day—his first day of intensive training with the great master he admired so deeply.
In his mind, he imagined miracles unfolding, impossible feats accomplished by his small hands in just one day under his master’s tutelage.
But his master didn’t respond immediately. He ran a hand through his long beard, his sharp eyes scanning Ao with an expression that was both thoughtful and... puzzled.
After a long pause, the master finally spoke, his voice calm and deliberate.
Master: “Kneel down, Ao.”
The boy blinked, surprised by the sudden command.
But he quickly obeyed, dropping to his knees in the snow without hesitation.
The cold seeped through the fabric of his kimono, but he didn’t care.
His heart pounded with excitement as he looked up at his master, waiting for what would come next.
The master moved closer, his steps slow and deliberate, the soft crunch of snow underfoot the only sound in the stillness.
When he reached Ao, he leaned down and placed a large, steady hand on the boy’s small head.
The gesture was gentle but firm, and the boy’s breath hitched as he felt the weight of it.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, the master’s voice broke through, low and warm, carrying with it a weight Ao couldn’t yet understand.
Master: “Before we begin, I must tell you something.”
Ao’s excitement faltered slightly, his wide, gleaming eyes searching his master’s face for answers.
The master’s hand on his head tightened slightly, and his next words came softer, almost as if whispered to the wind itself.
Master: “No matter how hard and strict I may be with you...”
Then, something strange happened.
The wind picked up suddenly, swirling snowflakes around them in a slow, mesmerizing dance.
As the master spoke, his voice seemed to deepen, layered with another—a distorted whisper, as if male and female voices spoke in unison alongside him.
The sound was otherworldly, both comforting and unsettling.
Master and Whisper: “... Don’t forget, Ao. We love you.”
Ao’s breath hitched. His wide eyes filled with tears, their shine reflecting the soft glow of the snow around them.
The words sank deep into his heart, the warmth of them spreading through his chest.
He felt the weight of his master’s hand, steady and protective, grounding him in the moment.
He didn’t understand everything—why the voice had changed, why his master’s words carried such an otherworldly presence—but one thing was clear to his young mind: it wasn’t just his master speaking to him.
It was something—or someone—else, too. Something vast and unexplainable.
Looking up, he noticed his master’s face fully for the first time.
His hood had fallen back slightly, and for a moment, the boy saw his master’s yellow eyes gleaming in the gray light of the winter day.
They weren’t harsh or menacing, but instead full of sincerity and warmth.
His master smiled softly, a smile that made Ao’s heart swell with emotions too big for words.
Ao (Child): “I...”
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
His small hands trembled slightly as he tried to form words, but his tears spoke for him.
His master chuckled softly, the sound low and kind.
Master: “... Right.”
He straightened, removing his hand from Ao’s head as he gazed down at the boy with a look of quiet determination.
Master: “Let’s begin”
The soft snow around them swirled again as the wind shifted, carrying away the echo of his words.
Ao wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his kimono and nodded, his small face set with determination.
He didn’t know what lay ahead, but in that moment, he was ready to face anything for the sake of the one he admired most.
Back to the Present
The cave was quiet except for the faint crackle of red sand beneath their feet.
Yumi and Gin were still unconscious, their bodies sprawled near the entrance.
Ao stood calmly, facing Kin, whose breathing was heavy, his fists trembling with rage.
Kin: “I’m asking you one last time: undo what you did to my brother and sister, or I’ll force you to do it!”
Ao sighed, his expression unbothered, his tone calm but cutting.
Ao: “You’re in the same state as them, you know.”
Kin: “Huh?!” He looked down at his hands instinctively, confusion flickering across his face.
Ao: “You’ve been bewitched by engram and soul magic. Like I told you earlier, I’ve woken you up.”
Ao’s voice grew sharper, as if forcing Kin to listen through his anger.
Ao: “It won’t be long before you remember who you really are.”
Kin: “What... What are you talki—”
Kin’s words stopped abruptly.
His face twisted in pain as he staggered, gripping his head.
A sudden wave of unease crashed over him, followed by a flood of fragmented memories—memories that didn’t belong to him.
He dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.
In Kin’s mind, he saw flashes of a life he couldn’t recognize.
A woman’s voice, soft and warm, called out to him.
The sound filled him with an inexplicable affection, an aching longing for someone he couldn’t name.
Female Voice: “Let’s stay together forever, Aiji.”
Kin: “Aiji...?” His voice was faint, trembling with confusion.
Suddenly, the warmth of the memory shattered.
It was replaced by darkness, an oppressive, suffocating void.
A large hand reached out in front of him, holding a document.
A deep, commanding voice echoed in his mind, dripping with authority and menace.
Authoritative Voice: “Sign it. Or she dies.”
A surge of panic gripped him as his younger self screamed, desperate and powerless.
Aiji: “No... NO!!!”
Kin’s breathing grew ragged as he gripped his head, trembling violently under the weight of the memories.
But before he could spiral further—
SMACK
Ao: “Wake up!”
Ao snapped him back to reality.
He stood in front of him, his hand still raised from the slap.
Kin gasped for breath, his eyes wide with anger and disorientation.
His voice broke into a roar as he lunged at Ao.
Kin: “You...!!”
But before his punch could connect—,
SMACK!
Ao slapped him again, this time even harder.
Ao: “What are the four fundamental aspects of a starbearer?”
Kin: “Fuck you...!!” He threw another wild punch, his rage unrelenting.
Ao sidestepped the attack with ease and—
SMACK!!
Slapped him a third time, the sound echoing off the cave walls.
Ao: “Wrong.”
Without giving Kin a chance to recover, Ao delivered a swift kick to his stomach, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Kin clutched his midsection, coughing and spitting bile into the red sand.
Ao: “The four fundamental aspects of a starbearer are body...”
He grabbed Kin’s head and slammed it into the ground with enough force to crack the sand beneath them.
Ao: “Intelligence...”
Kin groaned, trying to push himself up, but Ao lifted his index finger.
The sand beneath Kin suddenly surged upward, launching him into the air like a ragdoll.
Ao: “Imagination...”
Ao clapped his hands together, and the floating sand shifted, holding Kin suspended midair, spinning helplessly as blood and sand dripped from his mouth.
Ao: “And soul.”
The sand held Kin aloft for a moment longer before abruptly releasing him.
He crashed to the ground in a heap, coughing violently.
His body was battered, and his mind was still reeling from the memories that haunted him.
Ao: “Do you understand now why you’re weak?”
Kin’s body trembled as he slowly raised his head.
His face was streaked with blood and sand, but his eyes burned with a fiery determination.
Kin: “I... am not weak!!!”
He slammed his fists into the ground, shouting:
Kin: “MAGNETIC SUBMISSION MAX!!!”
The ground trembled as Kin unleashed his signature technique.
A massive magnetic force surged outward, pulling everything—sand, rocks, and energy—toward the earth.
The force was so powerful that even the air around them seemed to bend under its weight.
Ao’s clothes rustled slightly as they were pulled downward, but he remained unmoving.
Kin: “Im... Impossible!!!” His voice cracked in disbelief as Ao stood there, completely unaffected.
Ao: “Huh... A white dwarf, huh?”
He crossed his arms, studying Kin with a curious expression.
Ao: “Normally, white dwarfs don’t become great warriors. But you...” He smirked faintly.
“You seem to have potential.”
Kin: “Stop talking to me like you’re an archmage!!!”
Ao: “An archmage? Please.” He sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I don’t sit in an office all day contemplating the world’s existential crises.”
Kin: “Tss... What kind of bullshit lesson is this?!”
Ao: “Oh, but what’s happening is the lesson.”
Ao snapped his fingers.
Instantly, the magnetic force surrounding him disappeared... and reappeared on Kin.
The sudden shift sent Kin crashing into the ground, the force slamming him down hard enough to crack the red sand beneath him.
Ao: “For you to be a good starbearer, the four fundamentals must be balanced and mastered.
It’s the foundation of the foundation.
The Pendragons are depriving you of that to keep you in check—to prevent rebellion.”
Kin: “ARGH!” He struggled against the force, glaring at Ao with defiance.
“What have you got against the Pendragons?! They... saved us all!!!”
Ao: “Saved you?” His voice turned cold, his expression darkening.
“By brainwashing you?
By erasing your old life and turning you into puppets?
Is that how they saved you?”
Kin froze, his defiance faltering as Ao continued, his voice filled with quiet fury.
Ao: “And the dark power infection? Who do you think caused it?”
Kin: “The infection... it’s receded!”
Ao: “Three-fourths of the continent has fallen to the infection!
And in a few months, there’ll be nothing left!”
Kin’s eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat.
He wanted to deny it, to fight back, but the weight of Ao’s words left him shaken.
Kin: “I... don't believe you!”
Ao: “It's all right, you don't need to believe me.
You'll just have to look around you,
and soon you'll see those around you turning into demons too!”
Ao clenched his fists, thinking of Zack and his old friends.
Behind them, Gin and Yumi began to stir, their groggy voices breaking the tense silence.
Gin: “What... what’s happening?”
Gin pushed himself to his feet, stumbling toward Ao and Kin.
His voice was hoarse but steady as he demanded:
Gin: “Release my brother, Ao!”
Ao sighed and snapped his fingers.
The magnetic force vanished, and Kin collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Ao turned to Gin, his expression hardening with anger.
Ao: “What are you doing here, Gin?
Didn’t you get your fill after the massacre of the Silver Fang bandits?!”
Gin: “I.. My sister needs the tournament prize to survive!!! She's no longer bound to a star... she'll soon die of natural radiation if we don't do something..”
Ao: “Huh, the prize is a link to a Celestial?”
Gin: “A piece of Celestial living flesh.”
I see. Unfortunately, the way the tournament's going.. They're planning to kill everyone here
Yumi: Comes closer to Gin and Kin “The red cult is killing all the participants, it's a real bloodbath..”
Kin: “I don't like it.. but we have to join forces with you, Ao”
Ao: Sneers softly “Given your condition, they must have been alerted..”
Kin: “Huh?!”
Ao: “Okay, I'll protect you from the red cult, but you'll have to obey me!”
Kin: “Tss.. Your arrogance knows no bounds.”
Ao: “Yeah, I get that a lot..” moves closer to Kin, and observes him quickly
Kin: “What are you doing?!”
Ao: “Nothing..” Takes a closer look at Kin, who seems increasingly annoyed “Yeah, that'll do”
The cave grew colder as night began to fall, a faint orange glow on the horizon giving way to shadow.
Yumi and Gin were tending to the fire when Ao approached Kin, his calm demeanor in sharp contrast to the tension that lingered in the air.
Kin, still scowling, stiffened as Ao walked closer.
Let’s go. It’s time to piss off their ‘handler'
Before Kin could even move Ao placed his index finger firmly against Kin’s chest.
Ao: “Particle Chaos”
The air around Kin seemed to shift, charged with unseen energy.
The ground beneath him trembled slightly as the technique took hold.
Kin froze for a moment, his eyes widening in shock, and then—
Kin: “AAARGH!!!”
He fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
His body convulsed violently, veins bulging beneath his skin as if trying to escape.
His screams echoed off the cave walls, sharp and primal.
Gin: “Kin?! What’s wrong?!”
Dropping the twigs he was holding, Gin rushed to his brother’s side, panic etched across his face.
Ao, however, walked casually around Kin, his hands clasped behind his back, as if he were observing a science experiment.
Ao: “I know... it burns, doesn’t it? But you’re not on fire. So why does it hurt so much?”
Ao crouched down near Kin, watching him with a detached, almost clinical expression.
Ao: “Because your power is changing you.”
Kin’s cries grew louder as the veins in his body twisted and pulsed unnaturally, crawling beneath his skin like living things.
He clawed at the ground, his body contorted in pain.
Particle chaos is an Archmage-level technique that works on an atomic level.
The user can reproduce atomic phenomena that he has studied beforehand, if, of course, the atoms to be manipulated are present where the technique is launched
Ao has produced a phenomenon in Kin's body that causes his power to circulate through his body in a “natural” way, i.e. his body receives a quantity of power equivalent to if he had performed the **Enhance: Full Body** technique 100 times in a row
Gin: “What have you done to him?!”
Gin’s voice cracked with anger as he charged at Ao, his fists clenched tightly.
But before he could get close—
SMACK
Ao slapped him across the face with startling precision.
Gin fell to the ground, stunned by the force of the blow.
Ao: “The first step to becoming someone in this world...”
As Kin’s screams filled the cave, Ao’s mind drifted to a distant memory—a memory he had tried to bury but could never forget.
Snow fell gently on a small training ground, blanketing the earth in silence.
Ao’s Master: “The first step to becoming someone in this world...”
Ao knelt before his master, his small hands clutching at the ground as his body burned with indescribable pain.
Tears streamed down his face as he cried out.
Ao (Child): “Master... please stop!”
The master’s yellow eyes glinted coldly, his voice both commanding and detached.
Master: “Get used to this feeling, because every second of your old life...”
Ao screamed as the burning intensified, his small body trembling violently.
Master: “... will come down to this burning sensation.
But one day, maybe, it won’t burn anymore.
And that will mean you’ve completed your evolution.”
The master turned away, his white robes billowing in the wind as he spoke his final words.
Master: “And then your life will begin.”
Ao’s focus returned to the present.
Kin’s body continued to twist unnaturally as he screamed, veins surging beneath his skin.
His cries were raw, desperate, as tears streamed down his face.
Kin: “AAARGH!!!”
Ao: “You probably hate me right now, but you’ll thank me later.”
With a low chant, Ao extended his hand toward Kin and incanted:
Ao: “Sleeping Curse”
Kin’s body went limp as the curse took hold.
His breathing slowed, and his face relaxed into a semblance of peace.
But beneath his skin, the changes continued, his body still adapting to the immense power coursing through him.
Gin staggered to his feet, his face twisted with rage.
His fists clenched as he glared at Ao, his voice trembling with fury.
Gin: “Damn it! When are you going to stop torturing us like this?!”
Ao turned to him, his expression calm and unbothered, as if Gin’s anger meant nothing to him.
Ao: “When I’ve achieved my goal. If you have a problem with that...” He gestured casually.
“Feel free to challenge me.”
Gin’s teeth ground together as his body tensed, but he didn’t move.
He knew he couldn’t win, and the realization only fueled his frustration.
Ao: “That’s what I thought.”
He took a step closer to Gin, his tone growing sharper.
Ao: “We’re not in your kingdom anymore.
There are no laws here, except one: the law of the strongest.
And it’s always the strongest who decides. That’s been true since the dawn of time.”
Suddenly, Yumi lunged at Ao, her fist flying toward his face.
But Ao sidestepped with ease, and her punch slammed into the ground with a loud crack, sending shards of rock flying.
Yumi: “So, if I beat you, it’s up to me, isn’t it?”
She stood straight, a wicked, sadistic smile curling her lips as she glared at Ao.
But Ao, unshaken, simply grinned back.
Ao: “Ha. So, your orc friend’s death didn’t affect you that much after all?”
The comment struck a nerve. Yumi’s face twisted with fury, her body trembling with rage.
Yumi: “What did you just say?!”
Her thoughts burned with hatred, her mind flashing back to memories of Mu’s brutal death.
But amidst the rage, something else stirred—fragmented memories of another life.
A deep, familiar voice echoed in her mind.
??? : “The bloodthirsty beast, Freddith.”
Yumi’s eyes widened as she remembered.
She extended her arms, her body trembling as she took on a strange stance.
Yumi: “If these memories are mine... then this technique belongs to me!”
Her voice was low and guttural as she incanted:
Yumi: “Freddith”
Her body began to change.
Coarse hair sprouted across her skin, her nails lengthened into razor-sharp claws, and a strange green streak spread across her torso like a brand.
Her eyes gleamed with primal intensity as she fully embraced her transformation.
Ao stood calmly, his eyes locked on Yumi, now transformed into her semi-beast form.
Her hair bristled, claws gleamed in the dim light, and her green-streaked torso glowed faintly.
Her beastly scream reverberated through the air, shaking the walls of the cave entrance.
Ao's Thoughts:
A half-beast... probably a human-Goùd crossbreed.
Rare... and dangerous.
A Nebula.
He slipped into a fighting stance, his body loose but radiating an aura of readiness.
Ao: “You’re resourceful. It’s rare to come across a Nebula.”
Gin’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Yumi’s monstrous transformation, his voice trembling.
Gin: “Yumi... What the...?”
Yumi turned to Gin, her voice guttural but still retaining a thread of humanity.
Yumi: “Don’t worry. I’ll make him regret his words!”
With a primal scream, she lunged at Ao, claws slashing through the air like blades.
The cave erupted into chaos as the two clashed.
----- Kingdom of Kamelott – Royal Castle -----
Inside the grand audience hall of Kamelott’s royal castle, King Arthur sat on his opulent throne, his expression weary as he listened to the complaints of two peasants and his 'official' bread taster, Karadoc.
The hall was long and adorned with golden banners, but the king’s slumped posture reflected his exhaustion.
Arthur: “Care to elaborate?”
Karadoc: “There’s nothing to elaborate on. It’s just crap.”
The two peasants, deeply offended by Karadoc’s bluntness, cried out in protest.
Peasants: “Sir! Taste our bread and judge for yourself!”
One of them threw a piece of bread to the king, who caught it with practiced ease.
Arthur took a bite, chewed thoughtfully... and then grimaced.
Arthur: “Ah... no, there’s nothing to do. It’s awful.”
Peasants: “IMPOSSIBLE! THIS IS A CONSPIRACY!!!”
Suddenly, the grand doors of the audience hall flew open with a thunderous boom.
The crowd of petitioners turned to see William Shakespeare, Siegfried Pendragon, and a contingent of royal guards storming in, their auras oppressive and their expressions grim.
They moved quickly down the hall, shoving aside anyone in their path.
One peasant stepped forward, refusing to move aside.
Peasant: “We need to see the king just like you! Wait your turn—”
Siegfried didn’t hesitate. His hand shot out, grabbing the peasant by the collar and hurling him violently to the floor.
His voice boomed with authority, startling even those who knew him as a calm and composed figure.
Siegfried: “GET OUT OF THE WAY, YOU IDIOT! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!”
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to Arthur, who had risen from his throne at the commotion.
He gestured for Siegfried and William to approach.
Arthur: “What’s going on? Why all this fuss? You could have contacted me telepathically.”
Siegfried grabbed Arthur by the arm, his grip firm as he led him out of the audience hall and into a private corridor behind the throne room.
William followed closely behind, his face pale with worry.
In the narrow, dimly lit corridor, the tension was palpable.
Siegfried and William exchanged uneasy glances before Siegfried finally spoke.
Arthur: “Well? What’s going on?”
William: “The Red Cult is attacking the inter-kingdom tournament in the desert of Artand.
We must intervene—immediately! My childrens are there!”
Arthur: “What?!” His shock turned to fury as he clenched his fists.
“What would the Red Cult be doing there?! How could they infiltrate one of our official tournaments?”
Siegfried: “We don’t have all the answers, but... there’s someone else involved.”
Arthur: “Who?”
Siegfried: “Aotahi. The Blue Light.”
Arthur: “The Blue Light? That’s supposed to be a rumor.”
Siegfried: “It’s not.. Gin Shakespeare told me he met Aotahi during his mission against the Silver Fang.”
Arthur: “Wh... WHAT?! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SOONER?!”
Siegfried: “I didn’t think it was relevant. At the time, I thought someone was just playing tricks on him.”
William: “Enough! I don’t care about your excuses—we have to intervene now!
My children’s lives are at stake!”
Arthur took a deep breath, his body radiating a golden aura as his anger surged.
His voice was low but resolute.
Arthur: “You’re right. Let’s go.”
----- Back in Artand's Tournament -----
Gin stared in shock at the scene before him.
Yumi, still partially transformed, lay on the ground, defeated in a single blow.
Ao stood over her, his expression unreadable, but his words carried a tone of exasperation.
Ao: “I told you, it’s the law of the strongest here.” He sighed, shaking his head.
“It didn’t have to come to this.”
Gin’s fists clenched as he glared at Ao, his voice trembling with anger and confusion.
Gin: “Why are you doing this? Implanting strange memories... trying to make us believe the Pendragons are the enemy... when all you’ve done so far is hurt us!”
Ao’s expression remained neutral, his eyes distant as if lost in thought.
He gave no indication of wanting to explain himself.
Ao: “Well... If I’m not mistaken, we have just tomorrow to win the tournament.
Otherwise, the prize will be lost.”
Gin: “What? The tournament doesn’t end until there’s a winner!”
Ao: “Your kingdom has been alerted to the Red Cult’s invasion.
They’ll shut the tournament down as soon as they arrive.
That means no prizes for anyone.”
Gin: “How do you know that?!”
Ao ignored the question, his gaze shifting toward the horizon.
His voice grew softer, almost as if he were talking to himself.
Ao: “The tournament veil is rigged. Nobody knows the Red Cult is here.. except your kingdom.
I made sure of that.”
Yumi: “H-How?”
Ao didn’t answer.
His thoughts were elsewhere, focused on the changes he had tried to bring to the group.
His brow furrowed slightly.
Ao’s Thoughts:
From what I can see...
I haven’t managed to completely free them from the grip of engram and soul magic.
They’re still tethered to the Pendragons’ control.
But... there’s progress.
He looked back at Gin and Yumi, his expression hardening.
I’ll have to keep investigating.
I’m not done with them yet.
The cave was dimly lit, the flickering flames of the campfire casting long shadows on the rocky walls.
Outside, the desert stretched endlessly, its crimson sand reflecting the eerie glow of the moon.
Night had fallen, but rest eluded them. The silence was suffocating.
Kin lay still, deep in an unnatural sleep, his chest rising and falling steadily.
Gin and Yumi sat near the fire, their eyes occasionally darting to Ao, who was quietly roasting skewers of desert reptiles over the flames.
Their distrust of him lingered, thick and heavy in the air.
Neither dared to close their eyes.
Minutes passed in silence, the crackling of the fire the only sound.
Then, suddenly—
A loud, bone-chilling war horn shattered the stillness, its deep, resonant sound echoing through the desert.
The cave walls seemed to vibrate with its force, and a chill ran down Yumi’s spine.
Yumi: “What the...?! What was that?!”
Gin: “Yumi!!! Look at the moon!!!”
Yumi turned her gaze toward the cave entrance, her heart pounding.
The once-bright moon had transformed, now glowing a deep, ominous blood red.
Its light bathed the desert in an otherworldly crimson hue, making the sands look like a sea of congealed blood.
Gin and Yumi froze, the eerie sight filling them with dread.
Meanwhile, Ao remained seated by the fire, entirely unbothered.
He reached for one of the skewers, inspecting the roasted reptile as if the world weren’t unraveling around them.
Yumi: “Do you know what’s going on?!”
Ao didn’t answer right away.
He took a bite of the reptile, chewing slowly and thoughtfully, as if savoring the taste.
Ao: “Maybe... or maybe not.”
His nonchalant tone made Yumi’s blood boil.
Yumi: “Stop messing around! What’s going on here?!”
Ao: “What’s the point in telling you?” He glanced at her with an arched brow.
“You won’t believe me anyway.”
Yumi: “For God’s sake, don’t tell me we’ve upset him!”
Ao’s lips curled into a faint smirk as he placed the skewer back over the fire.
His gaze shifted to Yumi, his expression unreadable but unnervingly calm.
Ao: “The only thing I’ll say is this: stay safe in the cave. Unless, of course, you want to die.”
He locked eyes with her, widening his gaze slightly as if to unsettle her.
The flickering firelight made his features look almost sinister.
Yumi’s breath hitched, but she held her ground, refusing to show fear.
The sound of the war horn echoed again, closer this time.
Its haunting call reverberated through the desert like a death knell.
Yumi clenched her fists, her ears straining as another noise emerged beneath the horn’s wail—the distant roar of a crowd.
Chanting.
Screaming.
It was the sound of bloodlust, of a hunt.
Yumi stepped closer to the cave entrance, her instincts screaming at her to run, even though she didn’t know where.
Gin grabbed her arm, his voice low and panicked.
Gin: “Yumi, don’t. Stay here.”
Yumi nodded reluctantly, backing away from the entrance as the noise outside grew louder and louder, until it felt as if the war horn was right above them.
Ao: “The Red Cult is looking for survivors.”
His calm voice broke through the tension, startling them.
He picked up the skewer and bit into the reptile again, chewing quietly.
Ao: “They’ll kill anyone they find.”
Gin stared at Ao in disbelief, his face a mix of anger and frustration.
Gin: “How can you be so... calm?”
Ao paused, lowering the skewer.
For a moment, his usual detached demeanor faded.
His eyes darkened, and his expression grew somber as memories flooded his mind.
In his mind, images flashed—scenes of torment and horror burned into his memory like scars.
A battlefield drenched in blood, bodies strewn, their lifeless eyes staring into nothingness.
A village engulfed in flames, its people screaming as they were consumed by the inferno.
The twisted laughter of knights echoing in the distance.
Ao blinked, returning to the present.
The flames of the fire reflected in his eyes as he spoke, his voice low and steady.
Ao: “Ten years.”
Gin furrowed his brow, confused.
Gin: “What?”
Ao: “Ten years I’ve been living this kind of crap every day.”
He turned to look at Gin, his gaze piercing, filled with determination that bordered on obsession.
Ao: “And it’s nothing compared to what will happen... when I finally enter the main stage.”
Gin stared at him, speechless.
The cryptic words only deepened his confusion and unease.
Yumi, who had been silently watching, stepped closer to the fire, her expression wary.
Yumi: “The main stage? What are you talking about?”
Ao didn’t answer.
Instead, he poked at the fire, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere as the war horn blared again, shaking the cave walls.
