[Hiro POV]
I looked at Sophia as she lay in front of me on the ground.
She wasn't in good shape.
She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling unevenly. Blood seeped from dozens of small cuts scattered across her body. None of them were fatal—but together, they told a story of a brutal fight.
From her condition, I could tell she was suffering from mana exhaustion. She had overused her element.
She had pushed herself too far.
If only I had arrived earlier.
But there was no point in thinking about that now. Regret wouldn't change anything. It was time to act.
"You did well," I muttered to Sophia before turning back to the enemy. "Leave everything else to me."
I stood with my back to Sophia as I faced the girl.
She had black, raven-like hair and red eyes filled with madness.
The more I looked at her, the more that face stirred something in my memory.
I recognized it.
But from where I didn't know.
But before I could say anything, she lunged.
A stream of blood shot toward me from my right. I quickly dodged, turning to see the source of the attack.
A red sphere—formed entirely of blood—floated in the air. It grew larger with every second, absorbing the blood scattered across the courtyard.
Was this her Act? Or her element?
I didn't know.
But I knew one thing—
I had to stop her.
I moved, keeping the blood sphere in the corner of my vision.
Clash!
My blade met hers before she could continue her assault. Steel shrieked against steel. I shifted my weight suddenly, breaking the deadlock, then drove forward my free hand with everything I had. Light surged through my body, concentrated enhancing my strength as I launched a punch straight into her face.
trying to knock her with one punch blow.
Crack.
I heard something break.
But when I looked at her, a crazed grin stretched across her face.
My eyes widened in realization.
She had blocked the strike with throwing her arm up to shield herself. I was certain the impact had shattered it.
And yet—
She was smiling.
Before I could press the advantage, I jumped back.
Just in time.
A spear of blood shot from the sphere behind her, piercing through the space where my head had been a heartbeat earlier.
The projectile sliced through the air with terrifying speed.
Before I could continue my assault, multiple blood spikes shot out from the sphere, forcing me onto the defensive.
They came one after another, sharp and relentless, keeping me on my toes.
But my eyes never left her.
She still wore that strange smile.
Then, suddenly, it faltered.
Confusion crossed her face as she tried to move her hand.
Her right arm barely responded.
"Oh… it… it doesn't heal. It doesn't heal. It's broken…" she muttered, staring at her trembling arm in disbelief.
The moment I heard her voice, realization struck me.
I knew who the person in front of me was.
"Yuzuki!" I shouted as I deflected another blood shot, the impact ringing through my blade.
"It's broken. I'm broken. Everything is broken. The world is broken…"
She kept repeating the words over and over, her voice slowly growing emotional less and distance with each word she repeated.
The barrage of blood shots doubled, surging wildly as if her emotions were fueling them. I deflected what I could, dodging the rest, but my focus was no longer just on surviving.
There was madness in her eyes.
Something was deeply wrong.
This wasn't the same Yuzuki I had grown up with.
What happened to her?
Another wave of blood shot screamed toward me.
I moved forward instead of falling back.
I deflected or slashed aside most of the blood shots I could, dodging the others. A few managed to slip past my guard, slicing through cloth and skin.
But I ignored the pain.
It wasn't the real problem.
"Yuzuki!" I shouted again, louder this time. "Look at me!"
Her eyes were on me.
But her mind… her mind wasn't here. It was somewhere else entirely.
"It's broken," she whispered again.
Then she swung her sword toward me.
I dodged to the side and slammed the hilt of my blade into her arm.
There was a sickening crack.
"Ahhh—!"
Her cry of pain echoed through the courtyard, and I gritted my teeth.
I didn't want to hurt her.
Slam!
Her head crashed into mine, sending a sharp ache through my skull.
The blood around her began to change—shifting, thickening, turning into something denser.
Then—
A massive wave of blood burst outward.
I summoned a large barrier just in time. The crimson surge slammed into its surface, the impact forcing me to slide backward across the stone.
But my resolve didn't break.
When I looked at her, she had stumbled back, clutching her broken arm to her chest.
Her breathing was ragged.
"Yuzuki!" I shouted again, trying to reach her.
Her red eyes flickered.
"I'm so alone…" she whispered, her voice softer now.
The blood surrounding her condensed, the floating sphere reshaping itself into crimson shards of blades that hovered at her sides.
"Everyone just leaves me."
At first, there was only one.
But soon it multiplied—two, then three.
Then… dozens.
They rose.
Slowly at first… then all at once.
The crimson blades shot toward me like falling stars.
I reinforced the barrier, but the impacts hammered against it again and again. Each strike vibrated up my arms, rattling my shoulders, pushing me backward across the blood-slick stone.
"Yuzuki! Stop!" I shouted. "There's still time for me to make things right!"
Her eyes trembled.
"You left too," she whispered, her voice hollow. "You left me all alone."
"I didn't leave you," I said quietly. "I left to become strong enough… so I wouldn't lose you."
The blades around her spun faster, their edges catching the dim light like shards of glass. The air vibrated with their speed, slicing the space between us.
I took a deep breath, forcing my legs to stay steady despite the pressure each strike pressed against my barrier.
"Yuzuki, listen to me. I know I was unfair to you. I know I shouldn't have left you there alone. I know I wasn't a good friend. I'm… sorry."
Her red eyes flickered.
For a brief second, the fury in them wavered. The barrage of shards slowed… then stopped.
"You… what?" she whispered.
"I'm… sorry," I repeated, my voice firm yet gentle.
Her red eyes widened, flickering between rage and disbelief at the words she had just heard from my mouth. They were so foreign to her that the floating crimson shades quivered, wobbling in the air as if unsure what to do.
"You… you lie," she whispered, her voice trembling, barely audible over the wind and chaos around us. "Everyone… everyone lies!"
The air thickened with blood magic. The shades began to spin again, but slower this time, hesitating as if she were testing me, trying to see if I was truly being honest.
I stepped closer, lowering my blade, keeping it ready but showing her I wasn't going to hurt her.
"Yuzuki… I'm not lying. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. We can change things—it's not too late. You're not alone. I'm here. I've always been here, even when it seemed like I left."
Her hands trembled.
"I… I can't… I can't," she whispered, tears mingling with blood on her face.
"Then let me help," I said. "I don't care about the blades, the attacks… nothing else matters right now. Just… look at me."
Her eyes met mine, and for the first time in this battle, the madness wavered. The crimson shades slowed, hovering almost lazily at her sides, beginning to dissolve into blood. The air lightened slightly, as if the storm itself was holding its breath.
I stepped closer, slowly, one deliberate step at a time, letting her see I wasn't here to fight.
"I'm not leaving you again," I murmured. "Not now, not ever."
She smiled slightly as I moved toward her.
For a moment, the world seemed to pause. Everything felt normal again—just us.
Then, as I took another step forward—
Stab.
Gasp.
My eyes widened in shock as I saw a sliver of steel jutting from Yuzuki's chest.
"Nooo!" I shouted as I saw Yuzuki being stabbed from behind.
I spun to see the attacker—a figure with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. Recognition hit me like a punch.
"Stop, Mair!" I yelled, my voice raw as she plunged the blade again into Yuzuki's throat.