After healing the Xaviers, Kaiser went to the carriages, noticing the broken wheels and injured Omnimares. He quickly placed his hands on the horses, letting Bionfi heal their wounds, but when it came to the carriages… How the hell am I supposed to fix these?

Shizuka appeared behind him. “Need help?” she asked with a smirk.

Kaiser glanced at her, then the broken carriages. “Bionfi can’t do much with these.”

Without another word, Shizuka raised her hand. The ticking of Chrononfi filled the air, and within seconds, the carriages began to rewind—broken wood fixing back together, wheels reforming as if untouched by battle. In moments, they were as good as new.

“There. Now you can stop worrying,” she said, her tone light.

Kaiser nodded. “Chrononfi is impressive. Can you heal people with it too?”

Shizuka’s eyes widened with thought. “Not exactly in the way you’re thinking. When it comes to living beings, it’s a lot more delicate. I can rewind time for wounds, like turning back the motion of a broken leg, but the body needs enough Trionfi to sustain the change.”

Kaiser frowned. “I don’t get it. If you can reverse it, why wouldn’t it just be fixed?”

“Think of it this way,” Shizuka explained. “If I turn back the clock on a broken leg, your body still needs the energy—Trionfi—to support that shift. Without enough Trionfi to stabilize the ‘rewound’ state of the body, the injury would just return. Simply put, Chrononfi doesn’t allow one to recover energy.”

“Ah, I get it,” Kaiser said. “So if you keep using it on the same person, they’ll—”

“Run out of Trionfi,” Shizuka finished for him with a smile. “Exactly. It drains their reserves over time. Smart of you to catch on so quickly.”

“Trionfi studies weren’t something I could skip,” Kaiser replied with a shrug.

Shizuka’s smile deepened slightly—her emerald eyes narrowing in amusement. “I like to think of it like this: Bionfi is a gift, but Chrononfi… it’s merely a second chance at a price. We are not as benevolent.”

Kaiser looked at the carriage where Kerisa had been since the battle. His heart twisted at the thought of her alone inside, shaken and frightened after taking a life for the first time.

“I need to speak with my Guardian first,” Kaiser said, turning to Shizuka. “I’ll need a bit more time.”

Shizuka nodded. Her expression was as serene as ever. “There’s plenty,” she replied lightly. “I have to reset the seal anyway.”

Kaiser frowned. “Reset the seal?”

“Yes. The entirety of the Aizawa territory is woven with Chrononfi seals,” Shizuka explained, idly brushing a speck of dust from her kimono. “They are anchored across the land, accessible only to the Viceroy or those I deem worthy.”

Kaiser blinked. That explained how she had managed to reverse time on such a massive, battlefield-wide scale without burning out her core. The magic wasn't just hers; she was pulling from the land itself.

“How long did it take to set a nationwide seal?” Kaiser asked.

“Generations,” Shizuka answered calmly. “It is why Aizawa is the smallest of the nine supernations. But we make up for our lack of borders with… other advantages.”

Kaiser went perfectly still as the political reality crashed over him. He wasn't just talking to a skilled noble.

“You’re the Viceroy,” he stated, the disbelief bleeding through his Ascendant mask. “But High Enfas are governed by ancient hierarchies. You can't be older than—”

“Seventeen,” Shizuka interrupted, her lips curving into a terrifyingly amused smile. Clearly, his shock fed her ego.

Kaiser stared at her. Seventeen Enfa years. She was two years older than him, and she held absolute control over the time and space of an entire supernation.

“That’s… incredible,” Kaiser admitted, forcing his respect past his wariness. He took a deep breath, glancing toward the carriage where Kerisa was hiding. “We can discuss politics later, Viceroy. Right now, I need to check on my Guardian.”

“Take care of what you must,” Shizuka replied, her serene smile never wavering.

Kaiser pushed open the carriage door. As he stepped inside, he saw Kerisa sitting in the far corner in a fetal position. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, and her body was motionless except for the occasional tremble. The Dirvah markings on her moved erratically across her skin.

The sight only reaffirmed his fears. Kerisa had always been strong, wild, and fearless—but this was something he had never seen from her before. The blood still stained her hands and face.

“Kerisa…” Kaiser spoke softly, but she didn’t respond or even look up.

He moved closer, sitting beside her, his arm slowly wrapped around her as he laid the side of his head against hers.

“Soulsis,” he called with a tender tone. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Her body shuddered at the sound of his voice, but still, she didn’t meet his gaze.

Eventually, she slowly began to relax under Kaiser’s touch. The warmth of his presence provided a much-needed tranquility. For a brief moment, her breath steadied, and the tension in her muscles eased as she allowed herself to melt into him.

But then, without warning, her bloody hands shot out, gripping his shirt with bruising force. She yanked him down, her lips crashing into his with a violent, terrifying desperation.

Kaiser froze. His mind reeled as she kissed him—hard, messy, and entirely devoid of romance. It was the feral, panicked reaction of a girl trying to drown out the sensation of warm blood on her hands by replacing it with the only heat that felt safe.

“Kerisa,” he murmured against her mouth, gently trying to pull back by her shoulders. “Kerisa, stop. You’re in shock.”

She didn’t let go. Her fingers dug into his arms, smearing rebel blood against his clothes. “Make it stop,” she begged, her voice cracking with a frantic, broken sob against his lips. “Kin, please. I can still feel it. Soothe me. Please.”

Kaiser’s heart shattered. The golden rule of Guardian and Ascendant screamed in the back of his mind, but looking at the wild, traumatized terror in her eyes, the rule didn't matter. He couldn't leave her drowning in this.

Slowly, he stopped resisting. He wrapped his arms around her trembling frame, pulling her fully into his chest, and kissed her back.

He poured every ounce of his calming Bionfi into the touch, trying to manually force the panic out of her system. He could taste the salt of her tears and the faint, sickening metallic tang of blood she hadn't managed to wipe away. It wasn't beautiful. It was a desperate, tragic triage.

Gradually, the violent trembling in her shoulders began to ease. The frantic, bruising kisses slowed, softening as the life network between them stabilized her fractured nerves.

Suddenly, a sharp knock rapped against the carriage door.

Kaiser stiffened, his instincts flaring as he pulled back slightly. But Kerisa immediately tightened her grip on his collar, a fresh wave of panic hitting her eyes as she tried to drag him back down.

“No,” she whispered, her voice panicked and raw. “Don't go back out there. Don't leave me.”

“I have to,” Kaiser murmured, gently but firmly untangling her bloodstained hands from his shirt. “I have dead Xaviers to send home, Kerisa.”

The harsh reality of his words hit her like cold water. The desperation in her golden eyes dimmed into a hollow, exhausted resignation. She let her hands drop to her lap, pulling her knees tight against her chest.

Another knock came, more urgent this time. Shizuka’s voice broke through.

“Kaiser,” her voice called from outside the carriage, “I’ve finished resetting the seal. Everyone is ready to depart.”

As he exited the carriage, he found Shizuka standing next to Ikarus. The air lingered with the scent of blood. Ikarus wiped his brow as he said,

“Heartkeeper, everyone’s ready.”

Kaiser scanned the battlefield before he asked the question he dreaded. “How many casualties?”

Ikarus sighed. “Thankfully, most were saved by your quick healing and their own healing factors. But… we did lose a handful.”

Kaiser knew the deaths were inevitable, but it never made it easier.

“I spoke to Shizuka about sending an envoy back to Apex Camp with the bodies,” Ikarus continued. “They deserve to be buried by the Sanguine Tree.”

Kaiser nodded as his mind already turned to the next steps. “Then we leave.”

Shizuka looked over at Kaiser with a calm expression. “May I ride along with you and your Guardian? I find your company more… intriguing than most.”

Kaiser blinked, her directness catching him off guard. He glanced back at the carriage, then to Ikarus, who nodded.

“Of course,” Kaiser replied. “You’re welcome to join us, Viceroy.” He opened the door, allowing Shizuka to step inside. “After you,” he said. The lessons of formalities exchanged in letters between Kaiser and Sapphire had never been more vital. Shizuka let out an amused huff and lightly bowed before entering.

When Shizuka stepped in, her eyes fell upon Kerisa, sitting with her knees tucked against her chest. Her golden eyes were still soft from the recent vulnerability with Kaiser.

Kerisa lifted her head, her gaze meeting Shizuka’s with the slightest hint of curiosity. She straightened, though her body remained relaxed against the seat—still recovering from the shock of earlier events.

Shizuka smiled politely, though her posture remained elegant. “Guardian Kerisa, I presume,” she said smoothly, inclining her head slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Kerisa nodded in return. “Nice to meet you,” she said. Though her tone was respectful, Kaiser noticed a subtle guardedness.

Shizuka took her seat across from Kerisa. “I hope I’m not intruding,” she added, but her voice made it clear she wasn’t concerned about it.

Kerisa shook her head as she glanced at Kaiser briefly before replying. “Not at all.”

Kaiser could sense some tension, not from conflict but from the difference between the two women. He sat beside Kerisa, feeling the carriage slightly shake as they prepared to leave.

“We’re thirty-three minutes away—it shouldn’t take long,” Shizuka remarked.

Kaiser glanced out the window, watching the landscape pass by. Despite the weight of the battle, a tiny spark of excitement bubbled up in his chest. “This will be my first time in Hisakizora,” he said faintly. “Kerisa and I always talked about trying the food there.”

Shizuka smiled. “You’ll find it lives up to the reputation. Hisakizora’s cuisine is quite… refined.”

Kaiser chuckled softly, feeling the tension in the carriage ease. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Kerisa, still quiet beside him, leaned into his side slightly. Though she hadn’t said much since Shizuka joined them, Kaiser could feel her relaxing in the moment. The battles were behind them for now.