The City Holds Its Breath
Smoke curled through the broken streets as Hayate continued walking, the weight of a thousand shifting eyes pressing from every direction. The city's fear clung to him like humidity—heavy, suffocating, electric.
Flare floated at shoulder height, her glow dimmed by exhaustion.
"Hayate," she whispered, "someone powerful is watching you…"
"I know."
He didn't look back.
Didn't slow down.
Didn't hide the aura simmering beneath his skin.
The Dungeon of Hellfire pulsed inside his veins like a second heartbeat—steady, oppressive, alive.
The people who had shouted for salvation moments ago now stepped aside, lowering their heads. No one dared stop him. No one dared speak.
Only the echo of crumbling buildings and distant sirens followed him.
But above them…
A blade hummed.
Not drawn.
Not swung.
Simply existing—yet its presence cut the air sharper than steel.
Lady Seraphine Arclight had moved.
And everyone felt it.
The Blade of Dawn Appears
A streak of silver light split the smoke.
In an instant, Seraphine landed before him—armor gleaming despite the soot, sword resting gently against her shoulder. Her expression was unreadable.
"Rengoku Hayate."
His steps stopped automatically. Not because he feared her. But because the world itself seemed to pause when she spoke.
Flare squeaked, hiding behind Hayate's shoulder like a nervous cat.
"O-Oh no… this is the woman who could slice a mountain in half with her lunch-break swing!"
Seraphine glanced at Flare.
"A dungeon spirit… an awakened one. Interesting."
Then her eyes returned to Hayate.
"You destroyed Ren's reputation. You humiliated the Hero Party. You tamed the dungeon. And now, the city chants your name."
Her hand tightened on her sword.
"That combination is… inconvenient."
Hayate's voice was emotionless.
"For who?"
"For the kingdom."
The Kingdom's Intent
Seraphine's cloak fluttered in the smoky breeze.
"King Aldric received reports earlier today. Reports of you."
She took a step closer.
"The king wants you summoned. Immediately."
Hayate didn't blink.
"No."
Whispers exploded around them.
Flare choked.
"Hayate—WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NO'!? That's the king!"
Seraphine's eyes narrowed something fierce.
"No? You refuse a royal summons?"
"Correct."
The tension snapped like a drawn bowstring.
"You misunderstand," Seraphine said. "A summons is not a request. It is an order."
Hayate looked past her—past the broken streets, the smoldering barricades, the people clinging to life after the monster assault.
"The kingdom failed to protect this city."
He raised his hand slightly; embers flickered around his fingertips.
"I did not."
Seraphine's jaw tightened.
She lowered her sword's tip to the ground—its presence still suffocating enough to crush iron.
"You walk a dangerous path, Hayate."
"So do you."
Clash of Auras, Clash of Ideals
The air thickened.
Crimson flame met radiant silver.
Hayate's Devouring Star energy swirled behind him, forming a shadow shaped vaguely like a monstrous celestial.
Seraphine's aura rose like a dawn wildfire—pure, blinding, righteous.
The cobblestone beneath them cracked and splintered.
Nearby soldiers collapsed to their knees, overwhelmed by pressure.
Flare screamed:
"STOP! At this rate the whole plaza will crumble!"
But neither backed down.
Seraphine's voice chilled.
"Do you realize what you've done? By claiming the dungeon, by defeating Ren so publicly—you've destabilized the entire region."
Hayate's expression didn't change.
"Strength is not meant to bow to weakness."
Her eyes sharpened.
"Then tell me—do you intend to challenge the kingdom?"
"No."
Hayate stepped forward.
Seraphine's sword flashed—just a warning shift of angle, not a strike.
"I do not seek conflict," Hayate said calmly.
"But I will not kneel."
Their auras pulsed again—
A shockwave tore through the plaza.
Windows shattered.
Torches extinguished.
The sky itself flickered like a wounded wound.
Flare was sent spinning backward, screaming:
"I AM TOO SMALL FOR THIS LEVEL OF TENSION—!!"
Seraphine's True Mission
Then, suddenly—
Seraphine sheathed her sword.
The moment the blade clicked into place, the pressure disappeared like it never existed.
Hayate didn't lower his aura immediately, but he did loosen his stance by an inch.
Seraphine studied him. Really studied him.
"…You're not lying."
Hayate didn't respond.
"You really don't desire power over the city. Nor over the people."
Still no response.
Seraphine exhaled.
"Good."
Flare blinked.
"Huh?"
"King Aldric assumed you wanted to overthrow the city," Seraphine said.
"If you had admitted as much, I was ordered to kill you."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Even Hayate's aura stilled for a moment.
Flare froze mid-air.
"Oh… oh that's… nice. Murder orders. Wonderful."
Seraphine lifted her chin.
"But if you truly have no intention to rebel…"
Her gaze locked onto Hayate's.
"…then I am allowed to negotiate."
A Proposal of Tension and Fire
Seraphine stepped closer—so close the heat of Hayate's aura brushed her skin like burning silk.
"Your strength," she said, "is unprecedented. Even for us."
Flare sputtered.
"E-Excuse me, define 'us' exactly?"
"The Royal Order," Seraphine replied without looking at her.
"The elite force protecting the throne."
Then she looked back at Hayate.
"The kingdom wants you to cooperate with us."
Hayate arched a brow.
"In what capacity?"
Seraphine's lips curved—barely visible, but something between respect and challenge.
"As a weapon."
Flare screamed,
"NO, BAD KINGDOM! BAD! HE'S NOT A PET DRAGON!"
Seraphine ignored her.
"You would act under royal sanction. You would be free—mostly. But when the time comes, the king will call upon you."
Hayate's eyes glowed faintly.
"So the kingdom wants my power."
"Correct."
"And if I refuse?"
Seraphine's smile vanished before it fully formed.
"Then the king will assume you are a threat."
Flare clapped her hands together frantically.
"I vote we don't let the kingdom hunt us! I like living!"
Hayate tilted his head.
"A threat… to who?"
Seraphine answered without hesitation.
"To everyone."
Hayate's Decision
Ash fell from the sky.
Hayate closed his eyes—not in fear, but in contemplation.
The dungeon pulsed inside him.
His bloodline roared.
His path called.
"Cooperate with the kingdom…"
He opened his eyes again.
"…on one condition."
Seraphine raised an eyebrow.
"You dare to bargain?"
"Yes."
Flare whispered,
"Oh no. Oh no no no. He's doing it again—negotiating like he's the final boss."
Hayate's voice was steady.
"No one commands me."
Seraphine considered him.
"…Elaborate."
"You may request my aid," Hayate said. "But I will decide when and how I answer."
Seraphine crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"That is… not how the Order usually works."
"Then change it."
Her eyes widened—a flash of disbelief, then something sharper.
Interest.
"…You're a terrifying man, Rengoku Hayate."
Hayate didn't reply.
At last, Seraphine looked away, exhaling.
"I will relay your terms."
She turned, cloak snapping behind her.
"But know this—"She looked over her shoulder, voice colder than steel.
"The king will not accept arrogance. He will test you. Challenge you. Perhaps even provoke you."
Hayate's expression remained blank.
"He is free to try."
Seraphine stared a moment longer—then smirked.
"…For the first time in many years, I am curious."
And with a burst of silver light, she disappeared.
Flare's Panic and Hayate's Truth
Flare slowly floated up to Hayate's face.
Her eyes were huge.
"Hayate…"
"Yes?"
"…YOU JUST THREATENED AN ENTIRE KINGDOM."
"No."
He resumed walking.
"I simply told them the truth."
Flare groaned loudly.
"I swear you're going to give me a spirit-heart attack one day!"
Hayate didn't smile.
But his eyes held a faint spark.
The path ahead was clear.
A new arc had begun.
The Kingdom Arc.
And the first move…belonged to him.