Preparations were nearly complete. The equipment Daniel had commissioned was ready, the brackets were locked in, and the arena where Yujin would have his first match was finalized.
Yujin himself had reached a state of near-perfection. His first opponent was a slug wearing the mask of a knight. Part of him wanted to crush the man with his bare hands without even drawing the Nearl blade, but Yujin had set rules for himself, and he intended to follow them.
"How does it feel? I hope the fit is to your liking," Daniel asked, sipping his coffee. The armor Yujin wore was a custom order, forged by the finest artisans Daniel could reach. The silver-white plating was sleek and well-crafted.
"I could have added more combat features... but you insisted on keeping it simple."
Modern armor in Terra was a marvel of over-technology, featuring internal ventilation, heat management, and even localized physical enhancement circuits. Yujin had rejected most of it. He wanted a suit that did its job as armor and stayed out of his way—requesting only decent ventilation so he wouldn't overheat.
"Master, you look amazing!" Kiril shouted.
"Save the flattery, kid."
Yujin pulled on the final piece: the helmet. As he buckled it into place, a light flickered in the visor, and the world came into focus through a digital display.
"The full-surface display was where I spent the most money. Durability shouldn't be an issue—"
"Daniel, it‘s throwing an error."
No sooner had Daniel spoken than a red window flashed across Yujin's vision, accompanied by a sharp warning tone.
[Error]
[Error]
[Error]
[OS Unidentified. Initiating Reboot.]
The display was beautiful—cleaner than the human eye could naturally perceive—but the glaring red windows were intrusive. Yujin sighed and pulled the helmet off.
"Sigh. Looks like there‘s a glitch."
"…The technicians I used shouldn't make mistakes like that. I‘ll look into it."
Yujin had incredible eyesight. It was his greatest weapon. Master Netsalem had once noted that if Buldrokk possessed a god-given body, Yujin possessed god-given eyes. This was why he was wary of the helmet—relying on a screen felt different from seeing the world directly. He preferred his own judgment.
Daniel looked at the flashing red screen inside the visor and began calling his contacts. Yujin put the helmet back on to check the calibration errors himself.
Then, in a heartbeat, everything changed. The red warnings vanished.
[Neural Connect established. Identity verified.]
"Did the reboot fix it?" Yujin muttered. The red strobes were gone, replaced by a steady, cool blue light.
[Retinal scan complete. Identity confirmed. Identifying user...]
Windows scrolled past at blurring speeds until a single name appeared in the center of his vision.
"…PRTS?"
[Welcome. Code Name: Knight. Recognition complete. Commencing support protocols.]
PRTS. He didn't know what the acronym stood for, but the display shifted again. His field of vision expanded dramatically. The colors, the contrast, the depth—everything felt perfectly tuned to how Yujin naturally saw the world.
[Settings have been adjusted to mimic previous usage patterns. Due to hardware limitations, perfect replication is impossible, but the approximation should be sufficient.]
The voice was female—monotone and mechanical, yet strangely familiar. It felt like a voice he should have known for a lifetime.
"Previous usage? What is that supposed to mean?"
He directed the question at the system, but the AI remained silent. Just as he was about to pull the helmet off again out of suspicion, it spoke.
[Insufficient authority. Knight lacks the required clearance level. Authorization must be transferred from Priestess or Oracle.]
"Wait. Priestess? Oracle? Who are they? What the hell are you talking about?"
The mechanical voice sent a shiver down his spine. It was a primal, instinctual reaction. He felt that if he learned the truth behind those names, the secrets of his current existence would finally be laid bare.
[…Warning. Warning. Insufficient authority. No entities on this land are currently capable of answering your query.]
"Answer me!"
[Negative.]
For reasons he couldn't explain, Yujin—usually a master of his own emotions—lost his temper and shouted. He squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to tear the display out of his skull.
[Knight.]
"…What?"
After taking a moment to cool his head, Yujin narrowed his eyes. PRTS continued in that same, unwavering voice.
[I am an AI designed to assist you. That fact is absolute. However, I possess no data explaining why I have awakened in this specific unit at this specific time.]
Yujin toyed with the hilt of his sword, helmet still on. This nameless AI claimed it was here to help. But could he trust a voice that had appeared out of nowhere? It could be an enemy or a hidden trap.
"…Then tell me. What can you do?"
[Data logging. Tactical analysis. Interface with external electronic networks. I can perform any function consistent with a high-tier support AI.]
The voice didn't come through the helmet's speakers this time. It echoed from Yujin‘s phone, sounding as if it belonged there all along.
Yujin‘s mind raced, but there were too many unknowns to reach a conclusion. Seeing Daniel approaching from the distance, he forced a smile and spoke.
"Ah, Daniel. It‘s fixed."
"Fixed? Is it functioning normally?"
"Yeah. I think it just needed a hard reboot. It‘s working perfectly now."
Yujin decided to keep PRTS a secret. He didn't know why it was there, and for all he knew, it might suddenly declare "the end of the era of men" like some movie villain. But for now, it was helpful and friendly.
"…You‘re useful. I‘ll give you that."
Yujin hated to admit it, but PRTS was incredibly efficient. It could interface with any local electronic device, and he could watch combat footage just by thinking it. More importantly, it could analyze opponents. Kazimierz Sport Knights were celebrities; their matches were archived everywhere. PRTS was already categorizing their patterns.
[It seems you have finally recognized my value, Knight.]
"Yeah, yeah. You‘re the best."
The Nearl family records were no exception. Terra‘s technology, fueled by Originium, was advanced enough that high-quality archives from decades ago were still accessible. PRTS had devoured them all.
The time was almost here. The Champions League—the greatest event in Kazimierz, where three Nomadic Cities would dock to host the finals—was only days away.
"Murchal Ingra..."
[Projection: If you so desire, you can neutralize the target in under sixty seconds.]
Murchal‘s individual skill was mediocre compared to the masters. Yujin had no intention of losing, and even less intention of showing mercy. He had a point to prove.
He had to announce that the Golden Pegasus had returned. That the Nearl name was still a force to be reckoned with. After Yujin cleared the path, Daniel and Kiril would have to take over.
He didn't expect to win the entire Major—he didn't know what monsters were waiting in the higher ranks. Especially this year, as rumor had it the "Uninvited Guests" were attending.
The Silverlance Pegasi.
The strongest military force in Kazimierz. Normally, they were forbidden from entering the Nomadic Cities, but an exception had been made for the Major‘s security. Everyone knew the competition would be a hotbed of violence and corporate sabotage; they needed the Pegasi to keep the peace.
Even the Ingras had been bold enough to target Larin. If she had been an ordinary civilian instead of a high-tier Caster, she would have been captured already.
"…Sigh. I miss the guys."
Yujin watched Kiril and Kisha playing through the glass. If Theresis, Buldrokk, or Kalaisha were here, his anxieties would be cut in half. Except Theresa... she was far too dangerous to bring into a city like this. Even though they had only been apart for a short time, he felt the pull of his surrogate family.
It felt like only yesterday he had arrived in Kazimierz. Now, he had found Raquelamalin and was on the verge of the Champions League.
Did they miss him too? He wondered.
Meanwhile, in Kazdel...
"God dammit."
"Kill me. Just kill me now..."
Theresis and Buldrokk were sprawled across the library floor, looking like they were at death‘s door. Netsalem looked up from his book and clicked his tongue.
"If you have the breath to complain, you have the breath to find a solution."
Theresis looked up with a broken, hollow face. "Master, you have no idea! We‘re going to die of stress before the week is out!"
Yujin was the one who left, yet they were the ones suffering.
"Aaargh!!" Buldrokk roared, while Theresis simply slammed his head back into the floorboards.
Theresia and Kalaisha had been in foul moods ever since Yujin departed, and they were using the remaining disciples as their primary targets for venting.
But that was not something Netsalem felt he needed to get involved in.