The summons came without warning.
Pinky had reached the peak. The highest rank a knight could achieve. And with that rank came the inevitable duty.
The Demon Queen.
The Knight Council delivered the mission scroll with great ceremony. They spoke of honor, of duty, of the sacred purpose that every knight was born for. Pinky stood in silence, listening to words that meant nothing.
He thought of his father, who had walked this same path. His mother, who had followed. His teacher, who had promised to end the cycle.
None of them had returned.
He accepted the scroll. What else could he do? This was the tradition. The culture. The only truth he had ever known.
***
Zero X heard the rumors while training alone.
"Did you hear? The Silent Blade has been chosen."
"About time. He's been at the peak for months."
"Think he'll actually kill her? The Demon Queen, I mean."
"If anyone can, it's him."
Her sword fell from numb fingers.
No.
She ran. Through the streets, past startled villagers, toward the Knight Guild headquarters. Her lungs burned. Her legs screamed. She didn't care.
He couldn't leave. Not yet. Not without her.
She reached the Guild. Pushed through the doors. Searched the faces of every knight present.
He wasn't there.
"Sir Pinky?" she gasped to a nearby knight. "Where is he?"
"Already left. About an hour ago."
An hour. She had missed him by an hour.
She ran again. Out of the Guild, out of the village, down the road that led to the Demon Queen's domain. The same road his father had taken. The same road his mother had followed. The same road Izak had walked.
She saw him in the distance. A lone figure, walking steadily forward. His pink hair was unmistakable even from far away.
"PINKY!" The shout tore from her throat before she could stop it.
He didn't turn. Too far. He couldn't hear her.
She kept running. Closer. Closer. Her body screamed at her to stop, but she pushed through. Just a little more. Just a few more steps.
But then she slowed.
And stopped.
What would she say? What could she say? "Don't go"? He had no choice. "Let me come with you"? She wasn't strong enough. She would only be a burden.
The familiar voices whispered in her head. Weak. Useless. You'll only get in his way. You'll only drag him down.
She hid behind a tree as Pinky crested a hill and disappeared from view.
Gone.
Zero X slid down the tree trunk, her legs finally giving out. Her chest heaved. Her eyes burned.
She had let him go. Again. Like she always did.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to no one. "I'm so sorry."
***
She returned to the village at dusk.
The training grounds were empty. The streets were quiet. Everyone had gathered at the Guild to celebrate the departure of their greatest knight.
Zero X went to her room. Picked up her sword. Walked to the training grounds.
She would train. That's all she could do. Train until she was strong enough. Train until he came back.
If he came back.
And maybe, when he did, she would finally have the strength to stand beside him. To remove her mask. To keep the promise she had made as a child.
Maybe.
She raised her sword and began to swing.