Gazing at the breathtaking blue sky that seemed capable of stealing one's breath away, Yuko felt strangely at peace.
He had no idea how many days he had spent inside that dark sewer.
But it didn't really matter anymore.
After all, he had made new friends.
And he had gained some battle experience.
…If you could even call it that.
Most of the time, he had simply run away.
Yuko sighed quietly.
He didn't want to keep hiding behind someone anymore.
He was tired of feeling like a burden.
His eyes drifted to Rasona, who was walking ahead of him.
Even the way she walked radiated confidence.
Back in the sewer, when they were about to lose against a single opponent, Rasona had solved everything by herself.
Yuko clenched his teeth.
I want to be like her.
At that moment, Rasona turned around.
— Do you need something, Yuko?
Yuko snapped out of his thoughts and quickly looked away.
— N-no? I mean… I was just… uh…
He panicked for a moment.
— Oh! What kind of place is Khorveth?
Rasona chuckled.
— Well, well, Yuko. Were you staring at my perfect face so long that your brain stopped working?
Yuko's mouth fell open.
— Huh? No way! Besides, you look really old, Rasona-senpai!
There was a brief moment of silence.
Then—
THWACK!
Rasona smacked Yuko on the head.
Watching from the side of the road, Chicot and Frenzy shouted in perfect unison:
— He deserved it!
Jax grabbed both of them by the back of their collars and pulled them to their feet.
— We still have a long way to go. Get moving.
Chicot giggled and walked beside Rasona.
Frenzy, on the other hand, pushed Jax's hand away irritably.
Chicot turned around and stuck her tongue out at Frenzy.
— Racist onii-chan!
While Jax and Chicot laughed, Rasona sighed.
— Come on… we don't judge people based on their traumas.
The group continued walking.
Chicot looked around with excitement.
— Look! Birds!
She pointed at a small flock flying nearby.
— Look at that fox's tail! It's so fluffy!
Then she suddenly turned toward Jax.
Without hesitation, she started touching his goat-like fur.
— Wow… it's so soft!
Jax's face immediately turned bright red.
Before anyone realized it, Jax had somehow ended up carrying Chicot on his back.
Chicot happily continued looking around.
After a while, enormous walls appeared on the horizon.
Khorveth.
Yuko's eyes widened.
The massive white walls shimmered under the sunlight like polished quartz.
In the front line alone, twenty towers rose toward the sky.
Yuko instinctively counted them.
…T-twenty?
This place was incredibly well defended.
The main gate had several entrances.
While Yuko wondered about the other gates, the group had already reached one of them.
Rasona showed the guard the palm of her hand.
The guard bowed his head.
The gates opened.
The moment Yuko stepped inside, he froze.
The sight before him was completely different from anything he had imagined.
Buildings colored in soft navy blue, yellow, and white…
Crowded marketplaces filled with the scent of spices…
Countless goods he had never seen before…
But something else caught his attention the most.
Among the humans…
There were monsters as well.
Yuko stared at Rasona in shock.
Rasona chuckled.
— What are you staring at like that with those wide eyes?
She shrugged.
— In Khorveth, Ritualists, humans, and monsters live together in peace.
Yuko stared at her.
— Wow… you might as well become a tour guide, Rasona-senpai.
Rasona narrowed her eyes.
Yuko immediately panicked when he noticed.
— I mean—uh—I meant that in a good way…
He slowly stepped backward.
— Rasona-senpai?
Rasona's face darkened.
Yuko shouted:
— RASONA SENPAI!!!
And started running.
Rasona chased after him.
Then—
THUD!
Yuko slammed into someone and fell to the ground.
Rasona stopped beside him.
— Hey, are you okay?
Then she shrugged.
— I was only going to give you a small punch. Is your butt okay?
Rasona burst out laughing, but then she noticed the person Yuko had collided with.
The man's hair was a mix of black and white.
But streaks of blood-red ran through it.
His bright orange eyes gleamed like burning embers.
Rasona's voice filled with surprise.
— Well, look at that… Carnifex!
Carnifex's face lit up.
— Head Teacher Rasona?
He laughed.
— What a pleasant surprise to see you here.
Rasona waved her hand dismissively.
— Head teacher? That's not necessary.
Carnifex's gaze shifted toward Yuko.
For a moment, Yuko thought the man was going to kill him.
But suddenly Carnifex burst out laughing.
And hugged him.
Yuko was relieved the mountain of muscles didn't crush him.
Carnifex turned back to Rasona.
— So this little brat is joining our school?
Rasona smiled.
— Yes. And I thought it would be best to place him in your class.
Carnifex's face brightened.
He smacked Yuko on the head.
— Perfect! Thank you very much!
Then he looked down at Yuko.
— My name is Carnifex.
He tilted his head slightly.
— And I'm your new teacher.
Then he grinned.
— Try not to die, alright?
Before Yuko could even process what was happening, Carnifex turned around.
— Come on. I'll show you your school.
Carnifex began walking.
Yuko followed him instinctively.
As they disappeared into the distance, the smile slowly faded from Rasona's face.
Her expression hardened.
She walked through the streets between the navy and white buildings toward a massive structure.
This building looked different from the others.
Its colors were red and black.
She stepped inside.
Behind the reception desk stood a large, muscular wolf-man with pitch-black fur.
Rasona approached him.
— Hello, Fenris.
Fenris bowed his head.
Rasona's voice was now completely serious.
— Prepare the council.
There was a brief silence.
Then she continued.
— Something far bigger than we expected is coming.
Her eyes darkened.
— And plans we are not going to like are already in motion.
Chapter 14 – End