Derius pushed himself unsteadily to his feet, breathing hard.
"We still have to kill the Demon Monk," he said grimly, eyes narrowing toward the distant glow of the fountain.
"Hey—Drex is heavily injured," Lysa called, glancing at him with worry.
"Tch… we've burned through too much power already. Will we even be of any use?" Derius muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"I didn't use much of mine," Duke said, his voice steady despite the blood on his chin. "I can still go."
"You're cracking, and you still want to fight?" Derius shot back, disbelief in his tone.
Duke met his gaze without flinching. "We have no choice. And I can't let Miss Violet fight alone."
"I'm coming too," Samaira said quietly. Her eyes still shimmered with tears, but her grip on the glaive was firm.
"It's okay, Samaira… you should rest," Duke told her, his voice softening.
For a moment she was silent, head bowed. Then—
"No."
The word came out low, but unshaken.
Derius let out a short, breathless laugh. "I like the mentality of you guys… but I'm out. I'm completely drained—no chance for me."
"I'm coming too," Lysa said, already turning toward the fountain. "I just need to get my bow."
Derius smirked faintly under his breath. "Wow…"
Duke slipped an arm under Drex's shoulder, hauling him up.
"Come on," he said, guiding him toward the tent where Lucus was being held.
Behind them, Derius glanced at Samaira.
"I didn't think you'd actually kill him," he said flatly.
Samaira's hand went to her chest. "I… don't know. But after awakening my Kendra energy, I didn't feel any hesitation swinging my glaive at him."
"You murdered a person, and that's all you've got to say?" Derius pressed, his tone almost mocking.
"Hey, stop it," Lysa cut in sharply. "If she hadn't killed him, we'd all be dead right now."
Samaira's gaze fell to the ground. "I… think he's right, though. I killed him."
Derius looked at her for a moment—then burst into laughter. "Hah! I was just kidding."
"Idiot," Lysa muttered under her breath.
But then Derius's smile faded, his expression turning thoughtful.
"Wait… I get it now. Not your fault. The Void Room makes us colder."
Samaira frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Kendra energy isn't something you can awaken in a single week," Derius said.
"What are you talking about?" Lysa asked, confused.
"I read about it in one of the manuals," Derius said as they walked toward the tent. "The Void Room can only be used by a few chosen ones—people like Kairoz and Vairan, who either come from strong clans or have the potential to reach the top. Before us, there were only four recruits ever put in the special class. Now they've crammed thirty of us in there."
"Why?" Duke asked.
"Most likely because they're running out of powerful people," Derius replied.
"Lack of soldiers?" Samaira asked.
"Yeah," Derius said with a short nod. "Years ago, Stromspire climbed to the top of the world. King Keal Spire was unstoppable—took every nearby nation one by one. But after we lost to the Suryawansh Empire… we crashed to the ground. Enemies started attacking from all sides."
Duke's eyes narrowed. "So they're forcing us to get strong as fast as possible… to throw us into the battlefield."
"Exactly," Derius said. He smirked faintly. "And by the way, the Void Room can't affect me. I'm already cold. Was even thinking of abandoning you guys and running away before I got this idea ."
"Bastard," Duke muttered.
"Got a plan?" Duke asked. "If not, I'll listen to your sob story some other time."
"Plan? What are you talking about?" Derius said.
"The plan is simple—if Miss Violet gets brutally killed—"
Duke's fist cracked against his jaw. "Don't talk like that! You don't believe in Miss Violet, right?"
"Hey, Duke, calm down!" Lysa said quickly.
Derius rubbed his jaw, glaring. "Aren't you the same village boy who got his ass handed to him by Kairoz during the training test? If you ever hit me again, I'll beat you so hard you'll be begging to go back to your low-life village."
Duke slammed another fist into Derius's face.
"Ughhh—bastard! I'll kill you!" Derius snarled, swinging back—only to stagger. His body gave out, and he dropped to his knees.
"You're drained," Duke said, watching him wobble.
Derius's eyes narrowed. Then—
CHOMP!
"AHHHH! Stop biting me!" Duke yelled, trying to shake him off.
"Calm down!" Samaira snapped, her voice cutting through the noise. Her Kendra energy suddenly flared—red and blazing around her like heat haze.
Duke froze. Derius's teeth unclenched.
"What… is that?" Derius muttered, staring at the swirling crimson.
"We don't have time for this," Samaira said firmly. "Explain the plan."
"I was explaining," Derius said, glaring at Duke. "Until someone hit me."
"Stay quiet," Lysa told Duke.
Derius smirked, straightening up despite his exhaustion. "Right. As I was saying—if Miss Violet gets brutally injured, overwhelmed, or outnumbered, we jump in. By then, she'll have weakened the Demon Monk enough for us to finish him before he recovers."
"I'll go in," Samaira said immediately.
"So will I," Duke added.
"Me and Lysa will take position on a rooftop," Derius continued. "I'll look for his weak points, and Lysa will hit him with her bow to open an opening."
"Let's do it," Lysa said, determination flashing in her eyes.
In the mountain clearing…
"Uhh… uhh…" Regan gasped for air. All around him, exhausted soldiers swung their swords like men drowning in mud.
Vairan, his expression bored, casually sidestepped another assassin's sluggish slash. The man collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
Vairan's eyes slid to Regan.
Regan was still on the ground—still hadn't killed a single enemy.
"I can't understand you…" Vairan muttered, veins standing out on his forehead as he stepped closer.
Regan stared up at him.
"Why are you even still alive?" Vairan asked coldly. "You should be dead already."
Regan dropped his head into the dirt. "Please… give me one more chan—"
Vairan slammed his boot into Regan's face. Blood sprayed, teeth clattered onto the ground.
"Didn't I beat you earlier?" Vairan growled. "And you still don't get it. You're not even worth hitting."
Regan sobbed. "Please… kill them off…"
Vairan looked down at him, emotionless. "What are you talking about? We're dying here—together. I don't even want to kill you."
Regan cried harder.
"I can't rule like this…" Vairan muttered.
"Please…" Regan begged again, voice cracking.
Vairan's eyes narrowed. "I don't know why I had any hope for you. You… even knocked me into the dirt earlier. None of these assassins have managed that."
Regan froze.
Wait… he's right.
None of them have even pushed Vairan back… but I did.
That means… I'm stronger than them.
His eyes widened. His hands stopped shaking.
He stood up, wiping away his tears.
Vairan watched him—and for the first time that night—smiled.
An assassin lunged at Regan from behind, blade flashing.
In a blink, Regan spun and cut him down.
"I'm faster… stronger than them," Regan said, his voice steady.
Then—BOOM!
Kendra energy erupted from his body, swirling around him like a storm.
The assassins froze. "Boss… what's wrong with him?" one muttered.
From across the battlefield, Vairan laughed. "Hahahaha! After you finish them, you're fighting me! Got it?!"
Regan surrounded with blue energy.
And with that—he charged, moving faster than anyone could follow.
Regan tore through the assassins, his blade flashing.
Clang! Clang! Steel rang with every strike.
"Ahhh!" he shouted, his voice raw with adrenaline. "I've never felt this strong… That's right—I've awakened my Kendra energy!"
Behind him, Vairan's laughter echoed through the mountain pass. "Hahahaha! This is fun! He's tearing them apart—" Then his grin widen. "But… what about that one?"
Regan's sword met another with a deafening crash.
CLANG!
The man standing before him didn't budge—his presence was heavier, his eyes sharp.
"Shit…" Regan muttered. "He has it too."
Clang! Clang!
Steel screamed as Regan and the assassin boss traded blows, sparks scattering into the snow.
A shallow cut burned across Regan's cheek. Shit… I barely dodged that, he thought, blood trickling warm against the cold air.
His eyes flicked toward Vairan. The man wasn't even moving to help—just watching. He wants me to kill this guy… or die trying.
Vairan's smile deepened, like he was watching a show reach its finale. Slowly, almost lazily, he walked over to where his twin axes lay in the snow and picked them up.
Regan clenched his teeth. I have to kill him. I'm not dying here.
The assassin boss narrowed his eyes. "What the—? His energy's rising!"
Regan's movements blurred, his strikes growing sharper, faster. The boss swung desperately, but Regan's blade slipped past and cut into his arm.
"Ahhh! Bastard!" the boss howled, staggering back.
Regan didn't let up—he dodged, pivoted, and slashed across the man's back.
"Too slow," Regan said coldly.
The boss's sword slipped from his trembling hands and fell into the snow. He collapsed to his knees. "P-please! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
Regan stood over him, breath steaming. "You were the one who laughed at me… and now you're crying? Pathetic. I'll kill you where you kneel."
The boss threw a handful of snow and dust into Regan's face. "Ahhh!" Regan staggered back, coughing.
The man turned and ran, boots pounding across the frozen ground.
Regan raised his weapon to throw after him—but Vairan's voice cut in. "Stop. Let him go."
"What? He's running away!" Regan snapped.
Vairan grinned. "He won't get far. Most likely he's going straight to his hideout."
"That's dangerous," Regan said, frowning.
"That's why we're going," Vairan replied.
"I… am not coming," Regan muttered.
Vairan hefted his axes and glanced at him. Regan's stomach tightened. "I mean… we should tell the captain," he added quickly.
"Fine," Vairan said, turning away. "I'll go alone. But remember— you'll always be a coward who hides behind women."
The word hit Regan like a punch. Images flashed—Touka. The ambush. Running away, leaving her behind.
"I… I left her," Regan whispered.
"The girl? That weird one… with violet eyes?" Vairan asked over his shoulder.
"Yes." Regan's voice shook. "Let's go help her."
"Don't worry," Vairan said calmly. "She can handle herself."
He started walking in the direction the assassin boss had fled.
"Wait!" Regan called. His heart pounded. Do I go to save her… or follow him?
His hand tightened around his weapon. Why do I care so much about her, anyway?
In the end, his feet moved before his mind could decide—
Regan followed Vairan into the snow.
Meanwhile, near the cliff…
Touka knelt in the frozen dirt, her hands working to dig a shallow grave. Four bodies lay beside her—the ones she had killed.
"What a mess…" she muttered under her breath. Blood stained the snow in wide, ugly splashes. The coppery scent clung to the air.
She clicked her tongue. "Tch… this was all Regan's fault. He made me this angry." Her grip tightened on the shovel. " I would've killed him too… but a missing student would've been too suspicious."
Her voice was low, simmering with restrained fury.
One by one, she rolled the corpses into the hole, the dull thuds muffled by snow. The dirt and ice bit at her fingers, but she kept working until every last body was covered.
By the time she stood, the wind had already started to scatter snow over the fresh mound.
Touka glanced down at herself—her dress was soaked in blood, the crimson stains dark and sticky in the cold air.
"I have to clean this…" she muttered. Stepping over one of the fallen assassins, she tugged at his clothing, stripping off a dark tunic and trousers. "These will do."
She slung the clothes over her shoulder. "I saw a river nearby… I'll wash them there first."
As she made her way down the slope, mist rolled in, thin but clear enough for her to see the village below.
Her steps slowed.
From her vantage point, she spotted something strange—on the rooftop of a house near the central fountain stood a lone figure, perfectly still. A monk… but floating just above the tiles, his robes swaying in an invisible wind.
"What is that?" she whispered.
Then, almost despite herself, she smiled.