The sun stood high above the Elarion Skyhold Kingdom.
Clear sky.
Bright blue.
Warm light spreading across floating towers and marble spires.
It was an unusually calm day.
Inside the royal palace—
Ronóva's bedroom rested in quiet luxury.
Silk curtains hung from tall windows.
Gold-lined furniture stood untouched.
Soft sunlight slipped through narrow gaps in the fabric.
Behind a closed door—
Someone was vomiting.
The sound echoed faintly through the room.
Three maids rushed inside.
Black-and-white uniforms.
Long flowing black dresses.
Crisp white aprons layered neatly over them.
Frilled sleeves.
Lace headbands resting on their hair.
Soft stockings.
Polished shoes.
Their steps were quick.
Controlled—but panicked.
They hurried straight toward the bathroom.
Ronóva had reached four weeks of pregnancy.
Morning sickness had finally begun.
Several minutes later—
In another room.
The living room carried the same quiet luxury.
Velvet couches.
Carved marble tables.
Soft sunlight resting across the polished floor.
Ronóva sat on the couch.
Still.
Silent.
"I… I'm pregnant," Ronóva said softly.
Her voice carried disbelief.
Her eyes widened slightly.
A rare expression.
Something Ronóva almost never showed.
Across from her stood a tall, slender woman.
Long silver hair fell beneath a dark veil that concealed her eyes.
A thorn-like crown rested gently upon her head.
She wore a ceremonial black gown.
Silver patterns traced across the fabric.
White lace lined the sleeves.
A small pendant hung from her fingers.
From appearance alone—
She was clearly a nun of the Skyhold Church.
"Correct," the nun said calmly.
"This is a common effect between four and six weeks of pregnancy."
Her tone remained gentle.
Professional.
Ronóva leaned slightly back into the couch.
"This is… unexpected," Ronóva murmured quietly.
Her voice dropped low.
So low even the nun could barely hear it.
The nun tilted her head slightly.
Ronóva's thoughts were scattered.
Pregnant.
The word echoed inside her mind.
She felt happy.
Yet strangely lost.
Ronóva had no parents.
Only two siblings remained.
And the one man she was meant to marry—
Had died.
She had no one to rely on.
Ronóva slowly placed a hand on her stomach.
Her fingers rested there gently.
A soft smile appeared.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked down.
"Thank you, Sister Mary," Ronóva said quietly, lifting her gaze.
"Your service means a great deal to me."
Sister Mary smiled beneath the veil.
She waved her hand lightly.
"Oh no," Sister Mary replied nervously.
"I am only doing the will of my God."
Ronóva watched her.
Her smile softened.
Her gaze grew gentle—
As if she were looking at a flower.
Sister Marys smile slowly faded.
Her posture straightened.
Serious again.
Ronóva noticed immediately.
She always did.
"I know this may not be my place," Sister Mary said carefully.
"But I must ask."
She paused briefly.
"The father… is he a spiritual life-form?"
Ronóva blinked.
"Huh…?" she murmured quietly.
The question came out of nowhere.
Anyone else asking this would have been ignored.
But this was Sister Mary.
Ronóva trusted her.
"Yes," Ronóva answered calmly.
"He is."
She crossed her long legs slowly.
Smooth skin caught the sunlight.
"But why are you asking that?" Ronóva added.
Sister Mary folded her hands.
"I am simply informing you," she said.
"The life-form growing inside you will not be an ordinary mortal."
She paused.
"It will be a Spiritual Hybrid Life-form."
"A hybrid?" Ronóva repeated.
Her head tilted slightly.
"I am a semi-spiritual life-form," she said calmly.
"That alone should not create such a result."
"I'm afraid it does," Sister Mary replied.
"The child will inherit both physical and spiritual traits."
"You mean both states completely?" Ronóva asked.
"Yes," Sister Mary confirmed.
"The child will be more spiritual than the mother…
and more physical than the father."
Ronóva's eyes widened slightly.
A small reaction.
Rare.
"This outcome is extremely rare," Sister Mary added.
Ronóva simply nodded.
"That makes sense," she said calmly.
Sister Mary paused.
(She really is level-headed…)
(Not a single reaction to any of this.)
(That truly is Princess Ronóva.)
Sister Mary stood from her seat.
Her hands folded neatly in front of her.
"Apologies, Princess," she said respectfully.
"I must return to the church. They are likely waiting for me."
"You may leave," Ronóva replied calmly.
"I would not keep you here."
"Thank you," Sister Mary said with a small bow.
"And congratulations on your pregnancy."
"I will pray for both of you."
Ronóva responded with a small tilt of her head.
A gentle smile appeared.
The kind that could stop a man's heart.
Sister Mary left quietly.
The doors closed behind her.
Softly.
Ronóva remained alone in the room.
Silence settled again.
She placed a hand over her stomach.
"So… this is what you left me with," Ronóva murmured quietly.
Her fingers traced the fabric of her dress.
"My ~dear Haruto."
She smiled faintly.
"Two months," she said softly.
"The two of you will be born."
Her hand tightened gently around her belly.
"I already have names for you," she whispered.
A softer smile appeared.
"Am I a good ~mommy?"
The life-forms growing inside Ronóva were abnormal.
Their nature was different.
Their development speed—
Far beyond normal humans.
"Be healthy for ~Mommy," Ronóva whispered.
Then—
Her gaze shifted toward the door.
She sensed it before it happened.
A knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
"Princess Ronóva?" a gentle voice called from outside.
One of the three maids from earlier.
You have permission to enter," Ronóva said.
She slowly removed her hands from her stomach.
Rested them on the couch armrests instead.
The doors opened.
A maid stepped inside quickly.
Her shoulders tense.
Her expression tight with stress.
She stopped several steps away.
Then bowed deeply.
"You seem stressed, Neko," Ronóva said, straightening her posture slightly as her gaze settled on her.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes, Princess," Neko replied quickly, lifting her head only slightly.
"I'll get straight to the point."
Her fingers tightened at her sides.
"An envoy from the High Circle has entered your kingdom," Neko said.
"They will reach the castle in thirty-nine minutes."
Ronóva's lips curved downward—barely.
Her eyes narrowed.
Displeasure.
Cold. Immediate.
(How dare they place their filthy feet in my kingdom.)
Ronóva stood.
Slowly.
The movement carried quiet authority as she walked past Neko without another glance.
"Prepare the Throne Room immediately, Neko," Ronóva said.
She turned left down the hallway.
Her steps steady. Final.
"Understood," Neko said confidently.
The Royal Throne Room was vast.
Giant windows lined both sides of the chamber.
White marble walls stretched upward.
Golden trims traced every pillar and arch.
Sunlight poured through the glass.
Soft. Radiant.
Reflecting across the polished floor.
At the far end—
Ronóva sat upon the throne.
Still.
Elegant.
A calm aura surrounded her.
Serious. Composed.
Yet something dangerous lingered beneath it.
The throne rested atop a raised stage.
High enough for her gaze to fall downward.
Golden-armored knights stood along both sides of the hall.
Silent.
Unmoving.
Their armor was fully polished.
Gold plates layered with crimson trims.
Swords rested quietly at their sides.
They waited.
For orders.
For threats.
For anyone foolish enough to challenge the princess.
The massive double doors opened.
Anyone who entered would see it instantly—
The throne.
A young man stepped inside.
Beautiful.
Sharp features.
Messy teal-green hair fell over piercing turquoise eyes.
His build was lean.
Agile. Balanced.
The way he walked carried quiet confidence.
Black tactical streetwear wrapped his frame.
Straps. Belts. Chains.
Layered over a high-collared jacket.
His boots echoed softly as he approached.
Step.
Step.
Step.
He stopped halfway along the crimson carpet.
Then looked up.
Ronóva sat above him.
"I bear a message from the World Legitimacy Authority," the young man announced, raising his voice so it carried across the chamber.
Before Ronóva could respond—
A knight lifted his head.
His helmet turned slowly toward the young man.
"Show respect before Princess Ronóva," the knight said, voice firm and disciplined.
"You should be kneeling."
"Kneeling?" the young man repeated.
He pointed a finger at his own chest, brows lifting in disbelief.
"You're the ones who should be kneeling," he said.
"I am Ryuu. Fifth seat of the High Circle."
The knight did not move.
"We are the Royal Knights," he replied calmly.
"Protectors. Shields. Sacrifices of Princess Ronóva."
His voice hardened.
"There is no authority higher than Princess Ronóva within this throne room."
Ryuu's eyes widened slightly.
Something clicked in his memory.
The Royal Knights…
He remembered the stories.
Before he could finish the thought—
The knight stomped one foot onto the marble floor.
A dull boom echoed through the hall.
Invisible pressure crashed down.
Ryuu's knees slammed into the carpet.
"Ghk—!"
His teeth clenched instantly.
The weight was crushing.
Gravity itself seemed to bend around him.
Ryuu tried to push himself up.
His muscles strained.
Arms trembling.
But the pressure only increased.
The harder he resisted—
The heavier it became.
High above them—
Ronóva watched.
Expression unchanged.
Silent.
Then she lifted one hand.
Just her palm.
A simple gesture.
The knight immediately stepped back.
The pressure vanished.
Completely.
Ryuu remained on his knees for a moment—
Breathing hard.
The throne room fell silent again.
Ryuu stayed on his knees.
Breathing slowly.
Shoulders tense.
His gaze lowered to the floor.
Embarrassment burned across his face.
Pinned down… by a mere knight.
"I am a busy person," Ronóva said calmly.
She leaned slightly to the side of her throne.
Elbow resting on the armrest.
Her head settled against her palm.
"Do not waste time on greetings," she continued.
"You already know who I am."
Ryuu took a slow breath.
His confidence had cracked.
Broken by a single knight.
His arms trembled beneath him.
Like jelly.
"The High Circle is requesting aid," Ryuu said, trying to steady his voice.
"In eliminating a growing Army of Monsters."
Ronóva's eyes narrowed slightly.
(A growing Army of Monsters…)
Her gaze sharpened.
(Don't tell me…)
"And where exactly is this happening?" Ronóva asked calmly.
Ryuu didn't answer immediately.
His lips parted.
Closed again.
For a moment—
He looked afraid to say it.
Then he forced the words out.
"It's happening in the Darklands," Ryuu said quietly.
His voice was soft.
But Ronóva heard it clearly.
Her senses were far beyond human.
(That's my darling's territory.)
Her fingers tightened slowly around the throne's armrest.
"Humans truly are disgusting creatures," Ronóva said coldly.
Her voice remained calm.
"You are attempting to attack the Satoria Federation," she continued.
"And you dare ask for my assistance in doing so."
Her gaze lowered toward him.
"You have no idea how fortunate your pathetic species is."
Ryuu's eyes widened in shock.
"If this request had been made before another council member," Ronóva said flatly,
"those words would never have left your mouth alive."
Ryuu's eyes narrowed slightly.
That alone told him everything.
It was a refusal.
(I have no choice…) Ryuu thought.
(I'll have to use it.)
A small smirk appeared on his lips.
He slowly lifted his head—
And locked eyes with Ronóva.
(Only direct eye contact activates my Unique Skill.)
His pupils pulsed faintly red.
("Mindless King".)
(Once it activates… she will fall under my absolute command.)
The same happened to Ronóva.
The skill activated.
Nothing changed.
(Game over. I win.) Ryuu thought with quiet satisfaction.
A pleased grin crept across his face.
He slowly rose from his knees.
Brushed the dust from his clothes.
Straightened his collar.
BOOOOOM!!
His head slammed violently into the floor.
Ryuu didn't even see it coming.
One moment he was standing—
The next his face was pressed into the marble.
Royal Knights surrounded him instantly.
One knight forced his head down with a gauntleted hand.
Two others drew their swords, blades hovering at his throat.
Another locked his arms, completely neutralizing his movement.
"You attacked the Princess in the presence of the Royal Knights," one knight declared coldly.
The blade lifted higher.
Then drove downward—
Aimed to behead him.
(Impossible… how did they know?) Ryuu thought, shock ripping through his mind.
His eyes trembled against the floor.
("Mindless King" shows no visible effect… no physical change.)
(They shouldn't have noticed anything.)
"Mindless King" was a Command-Type Skill.
A power that forced obedience.
Human or monster.
Anyone under its influence.
"Hold your blade."
Ronóva's voice echoed calmly.
The sword stopped.
Just inches from Ryuu's neck.
The knights obeyed immediately.
They stepped back.
Not far.
Just enough space.
Their weapons remained ready.
Their eyes never left him.
Ryuu's eyes widened slightly.
(Fufufu…)
(She's under my control.)
(That means she will automatically stop any harm directed at me… just like the former king.)
"Hm," Ronóva murmured.
She tilted her head slightly, studying him.
"A Command-Type ability," she said calmly.
"Is that how the High Circle always gets what it wants?"
Ryuu froze.
His pupils shrank.
"How…?" he said, disbelief cracking through his voice.
"How are you not under my influence?"
Unique Skill users could not affect an Ultimate Skill user.
That was a known rule.
Absolute.
Rarely broken.
Unless—
The Unique Skill existed on a far higher tier.
Only then could it interfere with an Ultimate Skill user.
But "Mindless King" was not on that level.
Not even close.
Ronóva looked down at him.
Her expression remained perfectly calm.
"That's what you're worried about?" Ronóva said.
Her voice was calm.
Flat.
Disappointment lingered beneath it.
"It only shows how little this world understands the power it uses."
Ryuu frowned.
His brows pulled together as he slowly tried to stand.
His legs trembled slightly.
His posture leaned backward.
"What are… you talking about?" Ryuu asked, confusion slipping into his voice.
Ronóva's eyes lowered toward him.
Cold.
"Your rude behavior ends here," Ronóva said.
Ryuu's body shook.
He tried to stand fully—
but his legs refused to obey.
Ronóva lifted one finger.
Slowly.
Then moved it sideways through the air.
A simple motion.
"Severance."
An invisible blade passed through him.
Clean.
Silent.
Like cutting butter.
Ryuu froze.
Blood streamed from his eyes like tears.
More burst from his mouth.
From his ears.
His upper body slid apart.
Then fell.
His torso hit the floor with a wet sound.
His lower body remained kneeling.
For a moment.
Guts spilled across the marble.
Blood spread outward across the polished floor.
Ronóva looked down at the scene.
Her expression tightened slightly.
Disgust.
She flicked her hand.
Hellfire erupted.
A burst of crimson flame swallowed the corpse.
In one second—
Nothing remained.
Only ash.
"My Royal Knights," Ronóva said calmly.
Her gaze drifted toward the armored figures beside the hall.
"Eliminate the two enemies lurking around my kingdom."
The knights immediately dropped to one knee.
Armor clanged softly.
Their hands rested on their swords.
"Consider it done, Princess," the Royal Knights said in perfect unison.
Their bodies blurred.
Then vanished.
Silence returned to the throne room.
Ronóva's fingers tightened slightly against the armrest.
"How dare they," she said softly.
Anger simmered beneath her calm tone.
"Haruto gave his life for them," she continued.
"So they could breathe another day."
Her eyes darkened.
"And yet they try to kill his people."
A pause.
"The worst part," she said quietly,
"They know exactly what he did."
Ronóva rose from the golden throne.
Her steps were slow.
Effortless.
She walked toward the exit.
"Humans truly are selfish creatures," Ronóva said.
Her voice turned colder.
"Perhaps I should erase them from the face of existence."
Across the countless rooftops of the Skyhold Kingdom—
Two figures moved.
Jump.
Step.
Jump again.
Roof to roof in seconds.
People walking the streets below sometimes looked up.
But by the time their eyes reached the sky—
The figures were already gone.
Still.
Something lingered.
A shift in presence.
Sharp. Sudden.
Impossible to ignore.
One of them had silver-white hair.
Icy blue tips framed a pale, sharp face.
Calm blue eyes watched the horizon.
His figure was tall.
Slender.
White and gold robes flowed behind him with each jump.
A long blue stole trailed in the wind.
Black boots landed softly against the tiles.
Beside him—
A girl moved just as quickly.
Short black hair cut into a bob.
Crimson eyes burned with restless intensity.
Her frame was petite.
Light.
A black cloak fluttered around her shoulders, oversized sleeves shifting with each movement.
Purple lining flashed in the wind.
Short shorts.
Thigh-high boots.
A wide witch hat sat firmly on her head.
Dark.
Gothic.
Striking.
"...Sai," the girl said while leaping to the next rooftop, her voice cutting through the wind.
"Is Ryuu really dead?"
Her crimson eyes flicked toward him mid-jump.
Sai landed smoothly.
"Yes," he replied calmly.
"I looked into the future with my Unique Skill."
His gaze stayed forward.
"Why would I tell you that," Sai added evenly, "if I wasn't one hundred percent certain, Kai?"
Kai puffed her cheeks slightly.
"Ow… that's a big hole in our paycheck," Kai said, wiping imaginary tears from the corner of her eye.
Sai glanced ahead.
His eyes widened slightly.
A faint shift appeared in his expression as he slowed his pace.
Kai noticed immediately.
She turned her head toward him, brows knitting together as she matched his slower steps.
"Kai… it seems we've got company," Sai said quietly.
Kai stopped beside him.
"Company…?" she asked, her eyes widening a little. "What do you mean?"
Sai didn't answer with words.
He simply gestured forward with his gaze.
Kai followed it.
Far in the distance—
Three knights stood on a rooftop.
Still. Silent.
They weren't looking past them.
They were staring directly at them.
Straight into their souls.
"How did they know about us…?" Kai said under her breath, taking a small step back.
"I don't know," Sai replied, frowning slightly. "I even made sure to separate us from Ryuu before entering the kingdom."
Kai nodded slowly.
"Perhaps he sold us out," she said.
"No," Sai said firmly, shaking his head once. "He didn't."
Sai exhaled.
"He only delivered the High Circle's message," he added. "Then got humiliated immediately after."
"I see," Kai said, her confusion clearing. "Then let's head another way."
"Good idea," Sai said quickly.
They turned left.
Only to run into more Royal Knights.
They changed direction again.
More knights.
Every street.
Every path.
No matter where they went—
Another knight appeared.
Kai stopped.
Her teeth clenched as she scanned the rooftops around them.
"They've surrounded us," she said. "There's no way out."
Her jaw tightened.
"We're just running in circles."
Sai looked around quietly.
Then nodded.
"There's only one option," he said calmly. "We force our own path."
"Yeah…" Kai said, rolling her eyes slightly. "As if that wasn't obvious."
Her tone carried a faint mocking edge.
Sai's eyebrow twitched.
A vein popped lightly near his temple.
He looked at her for a moment—
Then simply smiled.
Just this once.
He decided not to argue.
Without a second thought—
They bolted.
Straight toward the three Royal Knights.
At the speed of light.
Just to slip past them.
Sai's eyes widened slightly as he rushed between them.
Too easy.
He glanced back over his shoulder.
Confusion flickered across his face.
That's it?
The answer came instantly.
A flash of steel.
Sai's leg separated from his body.
Clean.
His body jolted forward as the severed limb spun across the rooftop.
Sai's face twisted in pain.
His teeth clenched.
But the wound closed almost immediately.
Flesh regenerated.
Bone reformed.
Even the torn fabric restored itself.
Sai slid across the rooftop tiles before stopping himself.
"That was close," Kai said calmly.
She stood several meters away.
Completely unharmed.
She had already outrun the attack.
Kai was faster than Sai.
Fast enough to outrun light itself.
"You almost lost your head," Kai continued, glancing toward him.
"You should go ahead. I'll hold them back."
"Hey!" Sai snapped, irritation flashing across his face.
"Just because you're faster doesn't mean you're stronger," he said, pointing at himself.
"In magic, I'm the genius."
A Royal Knight appeared directly in front of Sai.
No warning.
No sound.
Sai flinched—caught off balance.
The knight's sword flashed upward.
A brutal rising strike.
The blade slammed into the barrier around Sai.
The shield shattered instantly.
Sai's eyes widened.
The impact launched him skyward.
His body shot upward like a ragdoll.
Two knights moved on Kai.
One appeared directly in front of her.
Sword already swinging downward.
The other appeared beside her.
His blade cut horizontally.
Both strikes passed straight through Kai.
Clean.
The knights froze for half a second.
Afterimage.
Kai reappeared on a different rooftop.
Higher than the others.
Her feet hadn't even touched the tiles yet—
A knight hurled his sword.
Like a spear.
Kai twisted midair.
She dodged.
Barely.
The blade still sliced her leg.
Blood spilled instantly.
The sword embedded itself deep into the roof.
Kai gritted her teeth as she landed.
"Damn it…" she muttered under her breath, jaw tight.
Before she could move—
The knight who threw the weapon vanished.
Then appeared again.
Directly beside the sword.
Zero delay.
His hand closed around the hilt.
He pulled it free in the same motion.
The blade swung immediately.
Kai's eyes widened.
She was still mid-landing.
No footing.
No balance.
Too fast.
Kai thrust her hand forward.
Her palm struck the knight's chest plate.
A small sphere of energy formed instantly.
Bright.
Violent.
She fired.
The blast detonated point-blank.
The knight was hurled backward.
Kai exhaled sharply—
Then froze.
A barrier formed around the knight.
Perfectly sealed.
A second later—
The energy sphere exploded.
Flames erupted inside the barrier.
Dark smoke churned violently.
Heat distorted the air.
Over one thousand degrees burned inside the sphere.
Cracks spread across the barrier's surface.
Kai stared.
Eyes wide.
"No way…" she said under her breath, disbelief tightening her voice.
"It created a barrier around itself," Kai said, narrowing her eyes as realization hit.
"So the explosion wouldn't affect the surroundings."
Her gaze shifted toward the streets below.
"The people."
High in the sky—
Sai raised one hand.
Water gathered instantly.
Flowing. Twisting.
Using Water Magic, he shaped it.
The liquid stretched outward.
Long. Coiling.
A massive serpent dragon formed from the water itself.
The creature roared.
Its jaws opened wide—
rows of jagged, shark-like teeth glistening in the light.
Below—
The knight raised his sword.
The dragon lunged.
It came down fast.
Ready to swallow him whole.
In the same instant—
The knight moved.
From the far distance, his blade dropped in a clean downward strike.
A single slash.
The water dragon split perfectly through the middle.
Both halves rushed past the knight.
Then burst apart.
The severed body collapsed into sparkling droplets, scattering through the air before vanishing in the heat.
Sai didn't hesitate.
His eyes sharpened.
Mind already moving.
Next attack.
Moisture gathered in the air above the knight.
Drops formed.
One.
Ten.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Sai thrust his hand downward.
The droplets fired like thin beams.
They rained toward the knight in a storm of piercing water.
The knight raised his blade.
Steel flashed.
Several beams shattered against the sword.
But many slipped past.
They tore through the buildings below.
Roofs exploded.
Walls collapsed inward.
Dust spiraled upward in thick clouds.
Citizens looked up immediately—
panic spreading through the streets.
The knight's sword ignited.
A deep red aura wrapped around the blade.
Heat surged outward.
Violent. Boiling.
The air itself began to burn.
He swung the sword horizontally.
A blazing arc ripped through the sky.
Every water beam in its path turned instantly to steam.
Even the endless water Sai continued generating—
Boiled away.
Steam flooded the battlefield.
A thick cloud swallowed the sky.
Visibility vanished.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then—
Thunder cracked.
The knight exploded forward from the steam.
Sai's eyes widened.
Too late.
A gauntleted hand slammed onto his face.
The knight didn't slow.
He drove forward like a bolt of lightning—
Dragging Sai with him.
They blasted through the sky.
Past the kingdom's walls.
Far beyond the city.
The ground rushed up.
Open fields stretched ahead.
Rolling hills.
Scattered trees.
The knight crashed down.
Still gripping Sai's face.
He dragged him across the earth.
Stone shattered.
Soil tore open.
A long trail carved through the ground behind them—
Dust rising violently into the air.
High in the sky—
Sai raised one hand.
Water gathered instantly.
Flowing. Twisting.
Using Water Magic, he shaped it.
The liquid stretched outward.
Long. Coiling.
A massive serpent dragon formed from the water itself.
The creature roared.
Its jaws opened wide—
rows of jagged, shark-like teeth glistening in the light.
Below—
The knight raised his sword.
The dragon lunged.
It came down fast.
Ready to swallow him whole.
In the same instant—
The knight moved.
From the far distance, his blade dropped in a clean downward strike.
A single slash.
The water dragon split perfectly through the middle.
Both halves rushed past the knight.
Then burst apart.
The severed body collapsed into sparkling droplets, scattering through the air before vanishing in the heat.
Sai didn't hesitate.
His eyes sharpened.
Mind already moving.
Next attack.
Moisture gathered in the air above the knight.
Drops formed.
One.
Ten.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Sai thrust his hand downward.
The droplets fired like thin beams.
They rained toward the knight in a storm of piercing water.
The knight raised his blade.
Steel flashed.
Several beams shattered against the sword.
But many slipped past.
They tore through the buildings below.
Roofs exploded.
Walls collapsed inward.
Dust spiraled upward in thick clouds.
Citizens looked up immediately—
panic spreading through the streets.
The knight's sword ignited.
A deep red aura wrapped around the blade.
Heat surged outward.
Violent. Boiling.
The air itself began to burn.
He swung the sword horizontally.
A blazing arc ripped through the sky.
Every water beam in its path turned instantly to steam.
Even the endless water Sai continued generating—
Boiled away.
Steam flooded the battlefield.
A thick cloud swallowed the sky.
Visibility vanished.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then—
Thunder cracked.
The knight exploded forward from the steam.
Sai's eyes widened.
Too late.
A gauntleted hand slammed onto his face.
The knight didn't slow.
He drove forward like a bolt of lightning—
Dragging Sai with him.
They blasted through the sky.
Past the kingdom's walls.
Far beyond the city.
The ground rushed up.
Open fields stretched ahead.
Rolling hills.
Scattered trees.
The knight crashed down.
Still gripping Sai's face.
He dragged him across the earth.
Stone shattered.
Soil tore open.
A long trail carved through the ground behind them—
Dust rising violently into the air.
Back at Kai and the other knight, the barrier around the knight shattered.
Smoke spread in all directions.
Through the haze, a figure emerged.
The knight sheathed their sword.
No injuries. Still standing.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
Adjusting. Focusing through the smoke.
Step by step, the knight walked forward.
Dark shadows crawled along Kai's arms.
She readied herself.
A single clap of the knight's hands.
The shadows froze.
Suppressed.
"What the…"
Kai stumbled backward.
She landed elsewhere.
The same place Sai was standing.
She hit something behind her.
Turned.
Saw Sai.
Slightly bruised, hair messy.
"Sai?!"
Kai's voice trembled, suppressed.
"You… you're alive!"
"Huh!!"
Sai blinked. Shocked.
"Were you expecting me to die?"
Four Royal Knights stood at the corners.
Longswords planted into the ground.
A faint blue shimmer rose.
Translucent. Opaque.
A massive geometric magic circle appeared beneath their feet.
Trapping Kai and Sai inside.
Kai's eyes widened.
"This… I don't know what it is, but it looks… horrible."
Panic laced her voice.
Sweat formed on Sai's forehead.
He knew this circle.
Of course he did.
He was a magic genius.
"It's not bad…"
Sai's grin was tight.
"Actually… we're totally fucked."
I