"What are you two maidens doing here in Akarawa Land?"
The voice cut through the darkness, deep and steady. I froze, my breath caught in my throat—until I looked up and saw a familiar supporting character.
Instantly, my shoulders relaxed. I bowed my head.
"Papa Rei," I said in relief—then quickly corrected myself. "Master Daichi."
"Master Daichi… greetings?" Akari repeated, tilting her head in confusion.
"Yes," I whispered sharply. "Rei's papa."
Master Daichi stepped forward, the firelight flickering across his calm face. "Greetings, young ladies," he said, his tone polite, yet carrying an unmistakable authority.
"You should be lucky that I was the one who found you first."
Akari's eyes widened. "Please don't expose us, Master," she said quickly, the realization hitting her that this man had the power to decide our fate.
"Don't worry. I am not going to." His voice was gentle, sincere.
Of course he wasn't. I knew his type—one of those rare Akarawa who didn't support the centuries-old grudge between our clans. A peaceful soul in a land of fire. Rei was practically a carbon copy of him, right down to the stubborn kindness in her eyes.
"So now," Master Daichi said, his gaze shifting between us, "tell me—what are Rei's maidens doing here?"
My brain stalled. "Wait, what? No! No, no, no! I'm not Rei's girlfriend!" I waved my hands frantically. "Me? Nooo! We're just here to see her—wanted to know why she didn't show up today."
Smack.
Akari's hand hit my shoulder.
Her lips barely moved as she smiled awkwardly at Master Daichi. "Can we trust him? What if he gets mad at Rei?" she whispered in the tiniest voice, trying not to be overheard.
Keeping my lips stiff in a forced smile, I whispered back, "We should be lucky we met the right father. If it was the other one, we'd already be tied up as hostages to get to your father."
Master Daichi's gaze lingered on us, his expression sharpening. "Rei is busy right now," he said, voice low but firm. "She is… serving punishment."
"Punishment?!" Akari and I exclaimed at the same time, our voices echoing off the furnace-lit walls.
"What did she do?" Akari's voice trembled—soft, caring, and heavy with worry.
Master Daichi's tone didn't change. "Rei disobeyed her father's orders… so she is being punished."
My chest tightened, but before I could speak, Akari suddenly dropped to her knees, bowing her head so low her forehead nearly touched the ground.
"What?! If this is because of me—then punish me instead!" she cried, her voice cracking as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I love her… and I cannot see her hurt!"
Master Daichi let out a long, heavy sigh. "Ugh… you two are going to be the death of me." He rubbed his temple and shook his head, as if already regretting the decision he was about to make.
"Fine," he said at last, his eyes narrowing with warning. "I will take you to where she is. But you must not make a sound until we get there. And you two need to change—wearing those clothes will get you exposed instantly."
"Yes! Yes! Thank you!" Akari's voice flipped from tragic despair to pure joy in a split second, her mood swinging like a festival lantern in the wind.
A few minutes later—
"Wow… this uniform is so tight. I've never seen Rei wear something like this before," I muttered, tugging at the stiff red fabric.
"If Rei wore this into Hoshino territory, she'd be exposed instantly," Akari replied, adjusting her own uniform and tying a band neatly over her hair.
"Oh… right," I said, glancing at her headband.
Master Daichi looked us over. "Okay, since you girls are dressed, let's go. And remember—no sound until we get there."
We fell into step behind him. Then he suddenly glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, by the way—no one calls me by my birth name. You said 'Daichi' earlier. How do you know it?"
"Eh…" My brain scrambled for an excuse. "Rei! She told me when we were together."
"I see," he said, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "You and Rei must be close for her to tell you her father's birth name."
"Ahn… ahn…" I laughed awkwardly, praying he wouldn't ever ask Rei about it.
We stopped before a massive door guarded by two soldiers.
"Open the door," Master Daichi commanded. The guards obeyed instantly. As he stepped inside, Akari and I followed—until the guards' spears crossed in front of us.
"They are with me," Daichi said, and the spears withdrew.
"Again!" a voice roared from inside.
We both froze as a massive fireball hurtled toward us. In a flash, Master Daichi whipped open a folding fan, catching the fire and redirecting it into the far wall with graceful precision.
"Wow…" I whispered, eyes wide. He didn't wield fire—but he could fight it, control it, turn it aside like a master. This man was seriously cool.
We stepped into the main hall, and my breath caught.
Rei—sweat dripping, breath heavy—was sparring with a giant flame-forged dummy, controlled by a man in a red karate gi, his lit-up fire tattoos pulsing with each movement. Rei wore a black gi, moving with fierce determination despite her exhaustion.
"That is enough for today," Master Daichi ordered.
The man dispersed the flame dummy, bowed to Daichi, and passed us. His eyes lingered on Akari and me for a moment—suspicion in his gaze—but he said nothing before leaving.
Daichi crossed to Rei, who lay sprawled on the floor, panting.
"Papa… this is too much. Two days without seeing the sun… or my moon…" Rei said dramatically, hands stretched toward the floor.
"You have visitors," Daichi replied, helping her to her feet and turning her toward us.
"Heh?" Rei rubbed her eyes. "Are those… another fire puppet?" She rubbed them again.
Akari—already blushing furiously—took a step forward.
"Baby!" Rei rushed over, throwing her arms around her. "You came!" She planted a kiss on Akari's lips.
"I missed you… I thought something bad happened to you," Akari sobbed into her shoulder.
"Don't cry… if you cry, I'll cry too," Rei said, and sure enough, tears welled in her eyes.
"Wow, I'm invisible now," I muttered, stepping aside to let them have their reunion. I wandered the edges of the room, admiring the intricate murals and the beauty of the training hall.
"You look different," Master Daichi said, joining me.
"Oh—what?" I blinked at him.
"I remember the last time I saw you. Everything about you has changed… your mannerisms too."
"Well… people change," I said, hoping he'd drop it.
"Congratulations on your marriage to the Ice Queen," he said casually.
"We're… not married yet," I replied.
"Hmm. Seems like you're being used for political gain. I thought the Hoshino clan would offer their own daughter, but they offer you instead."
"I don't think the Ice Queen sees me as a political gain… She just… wants me. For reasons I have no clue about," I said, my eyes drifting to a large wall painting. "That drawing… it looks like a map."
"Yes. I've wondered where those markings lead. But it's incomplete," he said.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. It's just like the one in Hoshino clan territory," I said.
"Can I ask you something, Master?"
"Go ahead."
"Do you know why both clans hate each other?"
"Trust me, girl, we're both curious. I've been asking the same question since I was young. No one could answer."
"So… no one knows the reason," I murmured.
Our conversation was interrupted by Akari and Rei's laughter as they played around the room like children.
"Wow… those two," I said, shaking my head.
"Seeing them brings back memories," Master Daichi said softly. "I just hope nothing separates them… and that their love brings an end to this blind hatred."
We both stood in silence, watching them—two bright flames in a world of shadows.