Raithasu finally escaped the castle walls.
The moment he entered the city, the atmosphere completely changed.
Gone were the sounds of clashing armor and shouting soldiers.
Instead, the streets were alive with ordinary life.
Merchants called out to customers.
Children laughed as they chased each other through the market.
Wooden shops lined both sides of the road, displaying colorful fabrics, fresh fruits, handmade jewelry, and warm bread.
The scent of roasted meat drifted through the air.
Green vines climbed the walls of nearby buildings, and flower baskets hung from wooden balconies.
For the first time in hours, Raithasu felt a small sense of peace.
He tied his horse beside a stable and continued on foot.
Yet his mind refused to rest.
His thoughts were a tangled mess.
What happened to Michael?
Did Hiyori win her fight before we entered the past?
That power...
Raithasu lowered his eyes.
When Hiyori fought, I felt something terrifying awaken inside her.
A monster...
What happened after that?
Are my friends safe?
Did everyone survive?
Should I return to the castle and rescue Michael?
Where is everyone?
What exactly happened in this era?
Question after question flooded his mind.
There were no answers.
Only uncertainty.
Lost in thought, he failed to notice someone approaching from the opposite direction.
Bump.
Raithasu collided with a young woman.
The impact forced both of them to stop.
Her long pale-pink hair swayed gently in the wind.
Crystal-like eyes stared back at him.
For a brief moment...
Time seemed to freeze.
Raithasu blinked.
The girl blinked.
Neither spoke.
Then she lowered her gaze and continued walking.
Raithasu simply scratched his head.
"Sorry."
He turned away and kept moving.
He never realized who she was.
But the girl knew.
Beneath the cloth covering half her face...
Yuki's eyes followed him for a moment.
A mixture of relief and sadness flickered within them.
She wanted to call his name.
She wanted to stop him.
Yet something held her back.
Without a word, she disappeared into the crowd.
Neither knew how close they had been to reuniting.
---
Raithasu wandered deeper into the city.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with him.
He found an empty wooden bench beneath a large tree and sat down heavily.
The afternoon breeze brushed against his face.
Yet his mind remained restless.
How am I supposed to find everyone?
This city is enormous.
Where do I even begin?
As he stared at the bustling marketplace...
A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
---
Meanwhile...
Back at the castle...
Elysia and Daiki watched helplessly as soldiers dragged Michael away.
Chains rattled.
The prison doors closed behind him.
And Hina had vanished from sight.
Elysia immediately grabbed Daiki's arm and pulled him into a quiet corner.
"Daiki."
Her voice was serious.
"When we fought Weston, everyone collapsed afterward."
Daiki nodded.
"Yeah."
Elysia crossed her arms.
"If we ended up here, then the others might be here too."
Realization flashed across Daiki's face.
"We completely forgot about everyone else."
"Exactly."
For a moment, silence hung between them.
Then Daiki sighed.
"I just want to find everyone and go home."
He rubbed his stomach dramatically.
"And honestly..."
"I'm starving."
"We still haven't had a proper meal."
Elysia rolled her eyes.
"Trust you to think about food."
"I'm serious."
"When we get back, we're having the biggest banquet ever."
Elysia couldn't help smiling.
"Agreed."
Suddenly—
Footsteps approached.
Several soldiers marched past them.
One soldier spoke loudly.
"The boy who escaped the castle has fled into the city."
"The king wants him found immediately."
Another soldier asked,
"What's his name?"
The captain shook his head.
"We don't know."
A third soldier suddenly snapped his fingers.
"I heard it."
"When we captured the other guy, he shouted his friend's name."
The captain looked at him.
"What was it?"
The soldier answered.
"Raithasu."
Elysia and Daiki immediately looked at each other.
"Raithasu...
The same thought crossed both of their minds.
He's here.
Daiki quickly made a decision.
"We need to split up."
Elysia nodded.
"You find Michael?"
"Yeah."
Daiki looked toward the prison wing.
"You search for Raithasu."
"If we split up, we'll find everyone faster."
Elysia hesitated.
"What about Weston?"
Daiki smirked.
"If my aunt fought him..."
"Then I already know who won."
For a moment, both felt guilty.
They had been so focused on survival that they had forgotten about their friends.
Elysia clenched her fists.
"We were careless."
Daiki shook his head.
"No."
"This isn't the time for regrets."
He extended his fist.
"We find them."
Elysia bumped her fist against his.
"We find them."
The two immediately separated.
Elysia slipped away toward the city.
Daiki headed deeper into the castle.
Toward the prison.
---
Daiki moved quietly through the corridors.
Every step had to be careful.
Every corner could contain guards.
Then he spotted them.
Several soldiers were escorting prisoners down a staircase leading underground.
Daiki narrowed his eyes.
Michael...
Without hesitation, he followed.
Keeping to the shadows.
---
Elsewhere...
Far from the castle...
Yuki sat silently atop a large rock overlooking a magnificent waterfall.
ROOOOOSH...
Crystal-clear water crashed into the river below.
Mist drifted through the air.
The setting sun painted the sky in shades of gold and orange.
Yuki held her sword across her lap.
The cloth still covered half her face.
Her expression remained unreadable.
Yet her eyes were distant.
Lost in memory.
The sound of the waterfall slowly faded.
And the past returned.
---
After losing consciousness...
Yuki slowly opened her eyes.
Everything was dark.
A cave.
The scent of burning wood filled the air.
A small fire crackled nearby.
Crackle...
Crackle...
Still weak, she pushed herself up.
That was when she noticed someone sitting beside her.
An old woman.
Quietly watching.
Waiting for her to wake.