The sun was high in the sky as Saikyō, Hanako, and Miyamoto walked away from the ruined Ghost Village.
The quiet fields around them were no longer dark and scary. The dark red sky that had covered the village for so many years was completely gone. In its place was a bright and clear blue sky.
The warm summer wind rustled the tall green grass along the dirt path. Small wild birds were singing sweet songs in the pine trees. Hanako walked happily between Saikyō and Miyamoto.
She held Saikyō's hand with both of her small hands. She looked up at the sunny sky and smiled because she felt truly happy and safe for the first time in a long time.
Miyamoto stopped for a moment and looked back at the old village one last time. He saw the black stone walls and the broken roof of the main hall fading into the distance.
The terrible aura of Lucifer was no longer felt in the air. Miyamoto turned back to Saikyō and asked where they were heading next. Saikyō did not stop walking.
His dark eyes were fixed on the long dirt road ahead of them. Saikyō said they needed to go to the Royal Capital city.
He explained that even though Lucifer was defeated, the dark power of the Boron stones was spreading across other distant lands.
He needed to find the King's ancient library inside the capital to learn how to seal his own dangerous red aura forever.
Miyamoto nodded his head in complete agreement.
He knew that Saikyō's chest still hurt every time he used his red energy in battle. Every big fight took away a small part of Saikyō's life, and Miyamoto wanted his young friend to live a long and peaceful life.
Miyamoto said that the Royal Capital was three full days of walking toward the south. They would need to cross the Great River, pass through the Valley of Whistles, and cross the Green Plains before reaching the main gates of the city.
As they walked through the late afternoon, the dirt road became bumpy, steep, and full of sharp stones. Hanako began to slow down because her small legs were getting very tired. She did not complain or cry because she was a brave girl, but her steps grew heavier and heavier. Saikyō
noticed her slow steps right away. Without saying a word, he stopped walking and knelt down on the dusty path.
He picked up Hanako with great care and placed her gently on his broad back. Hanako rested her chin on Saikyō's shoulder and closed her eyes with a peaceful sigh.
Within two minutes, she was fast asleep, listening to the steady and reassuring rhythm of her brother's heartbeat.
Miyamoto smiled as he watched the brother and sister. He walked beside Saikyō, carrying both of their heavy travel packs on his shoulders. He said that Saikyō was a very good brother. Saikyō did not answer, but the cold look in his dark eyes softened just a little bit.
They continued walking south as the shadows of the pine trees grew longer and longer across the ground.
By the time the big orange sun began to set behind the high western mountains, the cool evening air grew chilly. Miyamoto pointed toward a small clump of big pine trees near a clear running stream of freshwater.
He suggested they set up their camp there for the night. Saikyō agreed and carefully laid the sleeping Hanako down on a soft patch of dry grass under a big pine tree.
Miyamoto gathered dry fallen branches and small twigs from the forest floor. He arranged them into a neat wooden pile near the stream. Saikyō stepped forward and touched one of the dry sticks with his index finger.
He sent a tiny spark of his red aura into the wood. The fire lit up instantly, crackling softly and filling the camp with warm yellow light and cozy heat.
Miyamoto pulled three dried fish and a small cloth bag of white rice from his travel pack.
He filled a small metal pot with clean water from the running stream and set it over the crackling fire to cook the rice.
When the food was hot and ready, the delicious smell woke Hanako up from her sleep. She sat up, rubbed her eyes with her small hands, and happily accepted a wooden bowl of hot rice and fish from Miyamoto. They ate their evening meal together in peaceful silence under the starry night sky.
While Hanako fell back asleep under Miyamoto's thick cotton cloak, Miyamoto sat beside Saikyō near the low fire.
Miyamoto whispered quietly so he would not wake the sleeping child. He asked Saikyō if he was worried about going to the Royal Capital. Miyamoto explained that the King had many strong guards, brave knights, and ancient Boron warriors who did not like outsiders.
They especially feared anyone who carried a powerful red aura. Saikyō stared silently into the glowing red embers of the campfire. He spoke in a low voice and said he did not care about the King, the guards, or their weapons. He only cared about protecting Hanako and finding a way to remove the red curse from his body before his time ran out.
Suddenly, a soft rustling noise came from the dark bushes across the narrow stream.
Miyamoto immediately reached for the handle of his wooden sword, his entire body growing tense and ready for a fight.
Saikyō did not move a single muscle, but his sharp black eyes shifted toward the dark shadows between the tall trees.
A small silver fox with glowing blue eyes stepped out slowly from the bushes.
The fox did not look wild or angry. It stood on the other side of the stream, looking directly at Saikyō for a few long seconds as if it understood human thoughts. Then, the silver fox turned around quietly and disappeared into the dark night forest.
Saikyō told Miyamoto to relax and put his sword away. He said the silver fox was a messenger spirit from the northern mountain temple, simply watching their journey.
Miyamoto let out a quiet breath of air and sat back down on the ground. Saikyō told Miyamoto to sleep first, saying he would stand guard and watch the camp for the rest of the night.
Miyamoto lay down on the dry grass near the warm fire and closed his eyes. Saikyō sat alone in the dark, watching the flames die down one by one, keeping his loved ones safe under the cold night sky.
When the early morning light began to fill the sky, the air was cold and misty. Small drops of dew hung from the green needles of the pine trees. Saikyō was already standing by the edge of the stream, washing his face with the ice-cold water. His face was calm, but he felt a dull ache deep inside his chest. He knew his body was still recovering from his fierce duel with Lucifer.
Miyamoto woke up and stretched his arms wide. He checked his wooden sword and packed their sleeping mats into his large travel bag. Hanako woke up shortly after, smiling bright when she saw the morning sun.
She ran over to the stream and washed her hands and face just like her brother. Miyamoto gave each of them some dried fruit and clear water for breakfast. After finishing their meal, they put out the small campfire completely with dirt so no smoke would attract unwanted attention.
They resumed their journey toward the south, walking along the winding dirt path. By mid-morning, the flat grassy fields gave way to rocky hills and tall stone cliffs. The path became narrow and dangerous, winding along the edge of a deep canyon.
Far below at the bottom of the canyon, a wide river roared furiously over big black boulders. Miyamoto explained that this was the Great River, the natural border between the wild northern lands and the kingdom's central territory.
As they walked along the cliff edge, the wind picked up, blowing cold gusts from the canyon below.
Miyamoto held Hanako's hand tightly so she would not slip on the loose stones. Saikyō walked slightly ahead, his sharp senses scanning the rocky high ground above them. He could feel strange variations in the surrounding air. It was not the dark shadow power of Lucifer, but a different kind of energy, cold, sharp, and hostile.
"Saikyō, do you feel that?" Miyamoto asked in a low whisper, stepping closer to his friend. "The air feels heavy, like a storm is coming from the mountains."
Saikyō stopped walking and held up his hand to signal them to halt. "It is not a storm," Saikyō said quietly.
"We are being watched by bandits."
No sooner had he spoken those words than four men jumped down from the high rocks above the trail.
They landed heavy on the dirt path, blocking the way forward and backward. The men wore rough leather armor and carried curved iron swords. Their faces were dirty, and their eyes were greedy. The leader of the group was a large man with a thick black beard and a deep scar across his nose.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" the leader sneered, pointing his curved sword at Miyamoto. "A helpless traveler, a weak little girl, and a skinny boy. Leave all your money, your food packs, and your clothes right here, and maybe we will let you jump into the river instead of cutting your throats."
The other three bandits laughed loudly, stepping closer and brandishing their weapons. Miyamoto immediately drew his wooden sword and stepped in front of Hanako, shielding her behind his back. Hanako gripped Miyamoto's shirt tightly, but she did not scream. She knew her brother was standing nearby.
Saikyō turned his body slowly to face the bandit leader. His black eyes were completely hollow, devoid of any fear or anger. "Move out of our way," Saikyō said in a flat, even voice. "I am not in a good mood today."
The bandit leader laughed even harder, holding his stomach. "Listen to this little brat! He thinks he can talk tough to the Mountain Crows! Boys, cut off his arms first!"
One of the bandits, a lean man with a missing eye, lunged forward with his curved sword aimed at Saikyō's shoulder. The blade moved with decent speed, cutting through the mountain air with a sharp whistle. But to Saikyō, the attack was painfully slow.
Saikyō did not even raise his red aura. He simply stepped half an inch to the left, allowing the iron blade to pass harmlessly through the air right next to his ear. Before the bandit could recover his balance, Saikyō jabbed two fingers hard into the man's throat.
The bandit let out a choked gasp, dropped his sword onto the dirt, and fell to his knees, clutching his neck and struggling to breathe.
The other bandits stopped laughing instantly. The leader's eyes widened in shock as he looked at his fallen comrade. "What did you do to him, you little monster? Kill him!"
The remaining two bandits rushed forward together from the left and the right, swinging their heavy swords in wide horizontal arcs. Miyamoto prepared to jump in to assist, but Saikyō moved faster than the human eye could track. He ducked under the first blade, grabbed the second bandit's wrist with his bare hand, and twisted it hard.
SNAP!
The bandit shrieked in pain as his sword fell to the ground. Saikyō did not stop there. He spun around and delivered a swift backkick to the third bandit's chest. The force of the kick sent the man flying backward ten feet through the air, crashing hard against the rocky cliff face before sliding down unconscious into the dirt.
In less than ten seconds, three of the four mountain bandits were completely defeated without Saikyō even drawing a weapon or channeling his Boron power.
The bandit leader backed away slowly, his face turning pale as paper. He dropped his sword onto the ground, his knees trembling violently. "What... what are you? You are not a human child!"
Saikyō took one slow step toward the leader. "I told you to move. If you do not run away in three seconds, I will throw you into the canyon."
The leader did not wait for two seconds. He turned around, scrambled up the steep rocks like a scared goat, and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, leaving his injured companions behind on the dirt path.
Miyamoto lowered his wooden sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked at Saikyō with deep admiration. "You did not even use your red aura. Your physical speed and martial arts are incredible, Saikyō."
Saikyō looked down at his hands. "Using my aura wastes my lifespan. I will only use it when I must kill a true monster."
Hanako ran up to Saikyō and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Brother, you are so cool! You beat the bad men so fast!"
Saikyō placed his hand gently on her head, letting out a faint breath. "Let us keep moving. We must cross the bridge over the Great River before nightfall."
They walked past the groaning bandits lying on the trail and continued along the cliff path. After another hour of steady walking, the narrow path opened up into a wider valley.
Spanning across the roaring Great River was a massive suspension bridge made of thick hemp ropes and heavy wooden planks. The bridge swung gently in the strong mountain wind, looking ancient but sturdy.
On the other side of the bridge stood a tall stone guard tower. Banners bearing the royal crest—a golden hawk holding a sword—fluttered proudly in the wind. Standing at the entrance of the tower were two royal guards dressed in shining steel armor and holding long iron spears.
Miyamoto stopped at the edge of the bridge and looked at the guards. "That is the Royal Checkpoint," Miyamoto said quietly. "They check everyone who enters the central territory. We must be careful not to cause any trouble."
Saikyō looked at the guard tower, his black eyes calm and steady. "I only want passage across the river. If they let us pass peacefully, there will be no trouble."
With Hanako holding Saikyō's hand and Miyamoto walking closely behind, the three travelers stepped onto the wooden bridge, their boots making rhythmic thuds against the planks as they crossed the roaring waters of the Great River toward the Royal Capital territory.