The grand doors shut behind Cedric with a soft, deliberate thud — a sound that carried farther than any shout.
Kazuo remained kneeling on the cold marble floor, hands tied, legs folded beneath him in rigid silence. His wrists stung, but his mind was louder than the pain.
Setsuna stepped forward without a word.
The ropes fell free with a quick flick of his blade. No gloating."Get up," he said, already turning toward the exit.
Kazuo didn't move."That's it? Untie me and pretend none of this is normal?"
Setsuna stopped at the doorway, glancing back over his shoulder."You're not in chains anymore. Might as well act like it."
Kazuo rose slowly, unsteady. He followed in silence as Setsuna led him through a quiet corridor into a pale sunlit courtyard. The silence stretched between them like a pulled wire.
"You realize that bluff could've gotten you killed," Setsuna said, calm but edged.
Kazuo stayed quiet.
"You didn't know your Gramps was nobility, did you? That whole bit with the king… wasn't a plan. It was a gamble."
Kazuo's voice was low, honest."I remembered his violet eyes, but I never thought about what they meant. I just… used it."
"You rolled dice against a man who doesn't lose," Setsuna said. "Cedric could've ended you right there."
"But he didn't."
"No," Setsuna replied, "because someone convinced him not to… you idiot."
Kazuo narrowed his eyes."Wait… you're saying—"
"Yes."
Kazuo blinked."This whole thing was to save my life?"
Setsuna smirked faintly and kept walking. They crossed into the shaded part of the courtyard, vines creeping up polished stone walls, the breeze moving hanging banners.
"Why…?" Kazuo asked.
"When I heard you went into the Hollow Veins, I figured you were either brave or insane," Setsuna said. "Then I saw you — backed into a corner, using water magic like your life depended on it. And when I caught sight of your eyes… I realized there's something in you this system hasn't crushed yet. You fought back."
A beat.Setsuna's gaze sharpened.
"So you saved me because of my eyes?" Kazuo asked. "Because they're mismatched?"
Setsuna shook his head. "I saved you because you're a possibility."
Kazuo frowned slightly. "A possibility of what?"
"So you saved me because of my eyes?" Kazuo asked. "Because they're mismatched?"
Setsuna shook his head. "I saved you because you're a possibility."
Kazuo frowned. "A possibility of what?"
"Who knows," Setsuna said with a faint smirk. "But that alone scares people more than rebellion ever will."
Kazuo gave a dry smile. "Great. First I'm a threat, now I'm a possibility."
"Get used to it," Setsuna said. "From now on… you don't get to be invisible."
Kazuo stopped walking. "That's true," he murmured. "I don't have to hide anymore."
His voice steadied as the thought sank in."My whole life… I kept my hood low, avoided patrols, always watched my back. And now—" He caught his breath. "Gramps. Rei. I have to tell them."
"You can't. Not yet," Setsuna said. "We both know that."
Kazuo clenched his jaw but said nothing.
"Soon," Setsuna added, resting a hand on his shoulder.
They walked on until Setsuna opened a wooden side door out of the main courtyard. Guards nodded as they passed into a quieter wing."This way. You're with my squad now. Quarters near the Upper Crescent — close to the palace, but not inside."
They reached a modest but elegant building. Dark stone, ivy on the corners, bridges overhead. Inside, warm torchlight on polished floors.
Setsuna pushed open a door."This is yours."
Small, clean. A desk by the window, a bed already made, a shelf, a basin. On the bedding sat a sealed parcel and folded clothes.
"Uniform," Setsuna said.
Kazuo frowned. "How did you—? You didn't even know I'd be in your squad."
"I prepare for chaos," Setsuna said easily. "And you, Kazu, are chaos."
"Stop calling me that."
"Besides, I keep spares for recruits. Your size is average — guessed on shoulder width."
Kazuo unfolded the uniform. Navy-blue jacket, water-resistant, tight at the waist, light in the arms. Black sleeveless undershirt. Dark, tapered trousers and reinforced boots. The Royal Guard emblem stitched on the sash. Beside the boots, fingerless black gloves.
"These?" he asked.
"Grip, blade control… and they make you look cooler."
Kazuo slipped them on. They fit perfectly. "You really plan ahead like this?"
"You think I'd let you end up with the noble elitists? Trouble stays with me." Setsuna pointed at the corner. "Your sword's there. Cleaned and repaired. You're welcome."
Kazuo's gaze flicked to the weapon, then back to Setsuna.This guy had predicted this far ahead. He carried me all the way from the Hollow Veins, kept me alive through a gamble that should've gotten me killed… and somehow made it all seem effortless.
I have to admit it. This man is terrifying.
"You had that done too?"
"Didn't want you stinking and unarmed."
Kazuo adjusted the collar, catching his reflection in the mirror — unfamiliar in uniform, but still him. A version not hiding.
"Shower, then nap," Setsuna said, stepping into the hall. "Later, you'll meet your teammates. We'll get you in shape for the tournament."
"What kind of people are they?"
"They'll make you question your life choices."
"Like I had any," Kazuo muttered.
"You'll survive. Probably." Setsuna raised two fingers in a lazy wave."See you soon, Kazu."
"KAZUO!" Kazuo shouted after him, but only laughter echoed back.
Kazuo glanced at the uniform, the sword, and the door closing behind him.A long breath escaped him — the kind that pulled every last knot of tension from his shoulders. His body felt heavier now that he didn't have to stand guard over every heartbeat.
He sat on the bed, boots off, and a yawn broke free before he could stop it. The mattress was too soft, almost suspiciously so — like it was trying to bribe him into forgetting everything that had happened.
"Shower can wait…" he muttered.
He fell back, arm over his forehead, eyes closing the instant his head met the pillow.
For the first time in days, the chase had stopped.No threats at his back. No watchful eyes tracking his every move.
Only silence now, and the steady pull of breath — with a future, uncertain yet opening, somewhere ahead.