Chapter 4
While Yukina was strolling back to the meeting point with Kyle and her group of friends, she noticed the group of thugs almost at the same time than Kyle. She felt slightly disgusted but continued her way with the others without paying them too much attention.
When the thugs forced them to stop she was slightly annoyed but that was nothing much. And when this filthy guy grabbed, she was assailed by a debilitating wave of disgust and anger.
But something didn’t felt quite right. She felt something. A creeping feeling of danger that, even though it wasn’t aimed at her, dreaded Yukina far more than the filthy man grabbing –and groping- her. When she looked back, she saw Kyle, trembling like she never saw him. Then, he shouted and, in a blink of an eye, struck the thug grabbing her hard enough to hear something crack.
Then, everything went extremely quickly. The student threw a devastating kick at the leader charging him and, after taking the little knife previously held by the leader looking thug, took a stance that reeked of desire to fight.
The thug flew, and, seeing Kyle trying to hold himself back, trying to repress a grin that was making its way through his face, she put her hand on his shoulder.
With a heartfelt smile, she said “Thank you.”, and Kyle looked like he was coming back to his usual calm self. He smiled in return too. A tired but relieved smile. She blinked slowly.
*****
The story spread quickly its way through the high school, and from it to the middle school and finally the primary school of their district.
In the afternoon of an average day of studying, Kyle was coming back home after picking up his sister at her school. Their parents died some years ago so Kyle had to take care of his seven years old sister. Not that it bothered him though, she was bright and intelligent and reminded him of their mother.
While they were going home, she looked at him and asked. “Ky, they said at the school that you beat up mean guys yesterday. My brother is strong, and also kind!”
Kyle replied. “I would rather not force my way through sheer firepower, it’s not good to hurt people you know Esper?” She nodded happily. ‘I can’t say that I want to avoid the brutal way because I’m way too attracted by it.’ Kyle thought while stroking his sister’s black hair.
*****
Nails teared off, blood gushing out.
‘Does it felt good?’
“…” A pair of red eyes were staring in the void.
*****
Yukina and Kyle were doing their homework at Kyle’s house. His sister was staring at them while drawing some cute drawings on a sheet.
The two didn’t realized the slightly teasing aspect of Ester’s smile. They were too focused on their “homework” to recognize the world surrounding them.
*****
Powerful whip slash making their way through the skin and muscles until the bones.
‘Do you miss them?’
“…I think?”
**
Violent kicks launched at the chest, shattering what was already broken.
‘Do you hate them?'
"…"
Teeth grinded against each others.
**
Bones broken by expert hands, slowly regenerating. A disgusted voice followed by a putrid stench. “Monster.”
**
A lone figure hanging in a cell.
‘Who is the monster?'
"…They are"
**
A pen fell to the ground, two hands reach out to catch it and meet one another. Bright red faces and, somewhere, an amused snicker.
**
‘They are keeping you away from them all.’ Slightly teasing tone ‘From your sister and…’
“Yukina…”
The guard on watching duty bore a stupid expression when he heard the “tank” speak.
**
A tall figure wearing a large hood stood in the midst of the cell while Kyle was barely awake. The guard around him looked at him with reverence. “I came to say thanks to the “tank”. Thanks to you my profits jumped by two-folds, continue being my milking cow till you die, you will please me.”
He left without a single gaze behind. He didn’t felt the waves of hatred emitted by the “tank”.
**
‘Do you want to kill them?’
“I… really want.”
**
Slashed multiples times by whips, wounds healing in a handful of seconds. Mutters echoing through the cell. “Monster.” “Monster.” “It isn’t human anymore.”
**
‘Even if you have to forsake your humanity?’
“… I don’t know.”
**
A beautiful night sky. Under it, a young couple experiences the tingling sensations of a first kiss.
**
‘Will you look after her, after them even if you have to forsake your humanity?’
“…I will.”
*****
It’s been 17 years. Gwyneth Fox said. “Yup, we have learned a lot in this time at the academy.” Haedrig, habitually silent spoke.
It was the award ceremony of the end of the year at the Swordhold Royal Academy. The students in last year were receiving their diploma and were saying goodbye to the school and hello to their adult life.
Suddenly, the hundreds of people present at the ceremony felt cold shivers run down their spine. They looked below, in direction of the Royal Capital.
Farah felt the pouch were she was always keeping the strange mana stone eat up incredibly fast. It emitted an enormous amount of mana. Urged by her instinct, she threw away the pouch that exploded right at the moment it touched the tough ground, leaving a 3 meters wide crater.
This exact moment, all the stones similar to this one in the Continent broke and caused a handful of inexplicable casualties.
The otherworlders looked at each other, dreaded beyond words by the sudden surge of mana that saturated the air. A sudden shriek echoed above Swordhold. At this moment, even the thick-headed Lyann was shaking in fear.
*****
‘Even if you become a monster?’
“I don’t fucking CARE!”
The deep voice shut itself up.
The next instant, the pentacle broke, unbearably thick mana filled the room. Wall, cell and even the floor fractured like an empty shell. A sinister chrysalis that nurtured a being beyond common sense.
*****
A girl tied to another pentacle, white hair and skin, lifted suddenly her head, eyes wide open in astonishment and hope. The guard in front of her was drenched in cold sweat.
