When Yujin revealed the truth about his immunity to Oripathy, the atmosphere froze as if time had stopped.
It was like walking on a razor's edge—his words carried that much weight.
Oripathy. Originium. A mystery and a curse that every race on Terra had longed to solve.
A person immune to Oripathy stood right before her eyes. Sona stared at him, realizing he might be a living testament to humanity's next leap, or perhaps a walking historical anomaly.
"…I‘m going to wipe what you just said from my memory."
After several minutes of silence, Sona rubbed her temples and spoke. Immunity to Oripathy was too heavy a topic to discuss here. But at the same time, she couldn't understand why he chose to stand with the Infected.
"Sona."
"I know what you want to say. But this isn't the place. If anyone else hears..."
If this leaks, everyone in Terra will hunt him down.
This was a simple fact. The cure for Oripathy was the wish of all mankind.
Yujin knew this, which was why he had never told anyone. Those close to him had guessed, but this was the first time he had spoken it aloud.
Kisharsinagh and Kiril remained silent. They were children; this was beyond their ability to intervene.
Only Raquelamalin‘s eyes deepened as she assessed the situation.
A moment of silence, collective worry, and a shocking revelation.
Yujin scratched his head, wondering if he shouldn't have said anything, but it changed nothing. Finally, PRTS broke the silence.
[Knight, several hostiles are approaching.]
"…How close?"
[Not immediate, but their patrol route intersects with our location.]
If they were grunts, the group could handle them. But if a search party disappeared, it would draw attention and potentially escalate into a larger conflict.
"PRTS, do you have control of the systems here?"
[Not total control... but I can interfere.]
"Then we're breaking through the front gate of Sector Zero."
Time was running out before the match. Waiting for the Silverlance Pegasi meant waiting with a blade to their throats.
Yujin had to make a choice.
"Break through? Is that possible?"
Sona frowned, asking if it wasn't too big a gamble. Yujin hadn't made the decision lightly.
They could ambush the approaching search party, but the Armorless Union was comprised of skilled hunters. They would notice the gap in patrols.
If they realized a squad was missing and rallied the knight orders currently within Sector Zero...
That would lower their escape chances significantly.
As Yujin explained the plan, Sona couldn't hide her anxiety. Too much time had passed, and they hadn't rested properly. Yujin had a hole in his thigh and his mobility was questionable, while Larin was exhausted.
But Yujin focused on his wounded leg.
’This much... is manageable.‘
Kisha‘s healing Arts were exceptionally skilled. His condition was stable enough to attempt a breakthrough.
"Larin, are you okay with this?"
"…I'll follow your lead. There's no one here better at judging the situation than you."
Larin was tired, but she could squeeze out enough strength for one push. The children were uninjured and capable of running.
"Ugh, fine. Let's do it."
Sona rubbed her head and stretched. Standing still meant death; struggling meant a chance at life. The odds were about the same.
"Kiril, Kisha. Focus. You might see blood. It might be harder than you imagine."
Yujin spoke gravely. Kisha smiled softly, while Kiril nodded stiffly.
"It's okay. I've seen worse."
"I-I'll try not to be a burden! Master!"
He didn't want to show this to the children.
But he couldn't afford the clumsy mercy he had shown before.
Yujin took point. Larin took the rear. Sona and the children were in the center. They opened the door and stepped out.
[Incoming!]
The moment the door opened, eyes met.
'I didn't even see him move...!'
Sona gripped her sword in panic. The knight facing Yujin collapsed with a hole in his head. The search party member behind him lost his head in a single stroke.
Two attacks, two kills. Yujin rushed the ones behind them. Before they could raise their bows or spears, hands were severed and throats pierced.
"..."
Kiril watched Yujin‘s movements with wide eyes. Flawless. Not a single wasted motion.
"He's... stronger."
Even Kisha was stunned. Before, Yujin‘s movements felt mixed with something else. Now, they felt focused on the essence of swordsmanship.
Moreover, Yujin disliked thrusting, yet the thrust he just delivered was perfection itself.
Killing four enemies before anyone else could react, Yujin flicked the blood from his sword. His eyes were cold and settled.
[Knight, I am running interference and disruption. You must leave this area and keep moving.]
Hearing PRTS, Yujin started running, and everyone followed.
PRTS guided them audibly. Whenever they encountered enemies, Yujin, at the vanguard, cut them down cleanly, leaving no room for Sona or Larin to intervene.
Passing through corridors and walls, the number of enemies increased, but Yujin swung his sword without a single falter. Sona watched blankly as she ran.
She had never seen Yujin fight properly. She had only seen a glimpse in the sewers and assumed he was a knight reliant on Arts.
But this...
Seeing Yujin‘s sword, Sona felt awe.
Leaving the depths, they headed for the perimeter. There were only two ways through the thick walls of Sector Zero. The sewer route was blocked by the collapse Yujin caused, leaving only the front and rear gates.
Yujin chose the front gate. The Silverlance Pegasi he remembered wouldn't come through the back door. He boldly chose the front, hoping to run into them.
Numbers increased. If a swarm of Platinum-level fighters attacked, Yujin might be bogged down, but there were no such enemies.
"Yujin, if you're tired, switch with me..."
"It's fine. Just focus on breaking through fast. Sona, you and Larin take care of the kids."
Though trained, the children were still young. Prolonged running drained their stamina.
Larin looked at Yujin with concern, but he gritted his teeth. The pain Kisha‘s Arts had suppressed was returning, and his thigh was going numb.
At the very least. Please.
He had to get the children and his people out of here.
None of the search parties were particularly strong. Even those wearing Sport Knight armbands were on the same level as the Union members.
Cut down those who approach. Move forward. No guilt. Saving those by his side was more important.
If someone tries to kill him, he returns the favor.
At the end of the frantic run, the massive iron gate marking the end of Sector Zero came into view. The gate, which should have been open, was firmly shut.
"…As expected. I figured you would try this."
Age spots on his face, a slightly stooped back, but eyes that hadn't lost their shine. Like a sturdy old tree, the old man holding a bow looked at Yujin.
Yujin exited the tunnel, forcibly breaking the door. He used a bit of Arts, but his fingers were stiff.
"So, how was the blood of my granddaughter you spilled?"
The cold eyes of a killer stared at Yujin. Breathing heavily, Yujin raised his sword.
"I killed her because she tried to kill me first. There's no other reason."
"Is that so? And the others you killed just now?"
"Old man... no. Darkiron. You seem to have forgotten where I came from."
Yujin extended his sword. No helmet, no armor. Just light clothes, but he showed no fear.
"I am a Sarkaz. Did you think such words would plant guilt in me? You, who have killed countless people?"
If someone who had never killed, who had saved many lives, said those words, Yujin would accept them humbly.
But in this ridiculous scene of a murderer criticizing a murderer, Yujin did not bend.
Kill or be killed. That phrase was carved into the bones of every Sarkaz.
Yujin didn't want to be a hero for everyone. He just wanted to gift a better world to those who looked at his back, to the innocent, to those who kept their conscience.
Even if that path was paved with blood and corpses.
Behind the old man stood Darkirons, Lazurites, and a Platinum.
They were likely the forces left to guard the main gate. There were also shield-bearers.
But their numbers were clearly few.
"Sona, protect Kiril and Kisha. Larin and I will go."
"…Can you do it?"
"Even if I can't, I have to."
Yujin closed his eyes. In that instant, his Master's words from not long ago surfaced. At that moment, Originium gathered in Yujin‘s hand, taking shape.
「 Yujin, my disciple. 」
「 A moment will come when you will want to stain your hands with blood, even if you don't want to. It could be in the distant future, or right after meeting me. 」
「 I know you are a man who walks the Righteous Path. So, if you must fight. 」
「 Do not obsess over the reason you must win. Focus on the reason you must not lose. 」
「 Think about what will happen if you lose and die, and what comes after. That is... 」
「 How one who protects something fights. 」
Originium follows human will. Black and orange. As the stone harboring ominous light elongated, the old man watching grimaced.
Yujin opened his eyes. And looked at the enemy. He recalled what the Knight had given him at the very end.
The glowing black and orange transformed into silver, shining like a feather. Finally, something was grasped in Yujin‘s hand.
What Yujin held was the Silver Lance of the Silverlance Pegasi.
On the earth, a single knight aimed his spear at the Armorless Union.
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