Kei walked alongside his team and Kissaki, maintaining a steady pace despite the lingering ache in his legs. The forest, which had looked like nothing more than a dark smudge on the horizon from afar, now loomed before them—massive and silent, a natural barrier separating two worlds.
"Well... we've reached the border," Yuto murmured, pausing for a moment.
No one replied.
The trees grew thick and crowded, their trunks twisting together as if competing for space. The canopy barely let any light through, and the air... the air felt strange. Heavier. Damp. As if something invisible were compressing it.
Kei inhaled cautiously. There was a faint scent, hard to place: wet earth, sap... and something else, metallic and nearly imperceptible.
He took a step past the forest's natural threshold.
The sounds of the outside world seemed to die away.
Eirene scanned the surroundings in silence, taking in every detail. That was when something caught her eye.
Among the grass, just off the barely visible trail, a flower was growing.
Its petals were a deep purple, but the color wasn't natural. The surface emitted a faint glow, as if reflecting light from within.
Eirene approached with caution, the grass crunching softly under her boots. She knelt before the plant and reached out to take it.
But she stopped halfway.
Her fingers hovered just inches from the petals.
...This is strange.
She knit her brows. The flower didn't sway with the wind. Instead... the air around it seemed completely still.
Eirene tilted her head, looking closer. The edges of the petals had tiny dark lines, almost like veins, and the glow wasn't steady—it pulsed, very weakly, at irregular intervals.
Like a heartbeat.
"Don't touch it," Kissaki said from behind, her voice low but firm.
Eirene slowly withdrew her hand without breaking eye contact with the flower. Kissaki stepped closer, looking at the plant with a grim expression.
"Residual Resonance," she whispered. "The energy in Lirathaine... too much of it accumulated. Now it's bleeding down into this area."
Silence fell over the group once more.
"This... isn't going to be an easy path," Kei muttered, his fingers trembling slightly.
Yuto looked around, more alert this time. The forest no longer looked like just a forest. It looked like a place that was... changing.
Kei clenched his fists. If this was already happening at the border, then Keshvar wouldn't be just a simple road.
Arata let out a sigh. "Let's not linger here. We have a destination to reach," he said seriously, stepping into the woods and eyeing every detail with caution.
Kei and the others followed him in. Kissaki remained motionless for a second longer, her brow furrowed as she observed the trees and the dense air.
They have no idea what they're walking into...
Without a word, she began to follow them.
Kei walked beside Kissaki, his fingers tapping lightly against the fabric of his shirt. Kissaki shifted her gaze from the trail to his hand. The mechanically designed chronograph on his wrist glinted faintly as light filtered through the trees.
That artifact... I think it's from Aurelia.
She closed her eyes for a moment and focused back on the path ahead.
Kei felt a slight vibration on his wrist. He immediately checked the chronograph. The hand of the lower sub-dial was moving slowly, approaching the 12:00 mark.
He watched it for a few seconds... then pulled his hand away from the watch, as if the contact made him uncomfortable. He looked up at the sky. It wasn't that time yet; dusk was only just beginning to darken the forest.
It's not the time... that sub-dial does something. I'm sure of it.
His shoulders tensed as he kept walking, a slight unease accompanying every step.
Kissaki walked with her hands slightly clenched and her shoulders tight, observing the woods. Her footsteps were nearly inaudible, barely brushing the damp earth.
The group was advancing a few meters ahead.
Then—
Crack.
A dry, small sound... but entirely out of place.
Kissaki stopped dead in her tracks. She whipped her head around immediately. Her eyes darted through the forest, jumping from tree to tree, stopping in the shadows and low branches—anywhere something could be hiding.
And then she saw it.
Between the trees, a shadow. It didn't have the shape of an animal.
Her breath hitched. Kissaki's shoulders tensed instantly.
She didn't think twice.
She lunged toward Kei and shoved him hard, throwing both of them to the ground.
Shingg—
The sound sliced through the air.
Kei's breathing became ragged. His body went rigid, his vision shaking as he tried to process what had just happened. Slowly, he looked toward the source of the impact.
A short sword was vibrating, buried deep into the trunk of a tree. Right where he had been standing a second ago.
Kissaki stood up fluidly and extended her hand to Kei.
"Quickly." She stared at him, her brow furrowed, her voice laced with urgency.
Kei didn't hesitate. He grabbed her hand and hauled himself up. With his other hand, he reached shakily for his sword, his eyes scanning every shadow in the forest—heart racing, muscles coiled, ready for any move from the shadow that had ambushed them.
Yuto, moved by curiosity, approached the sword lodged in the tree. He noticed something bizarre: the blade seemed to be softening. Small bubbles rose from the metal, and the edge slowly began to dissolve, dripping a glowing, corrosive liquid onto the bark and the ground.
Without thinking, he reached for the hilt.
"Yuto, wait!" Kissaki barked, leaning toward him, her voice as sharp as a blade.
But it was too late. The moment he touched it, an intense stinging shot through his fingers, as if tiny living flames were crawling over his skin. He jerked his hand back, gasping, while the hilt slowly became coated in the same liquid that had once been the blade. Even holding the weapon was a mortal risk.
The sword's edge vanished completely, leaving only a glowing puddle that hissed softly—a reminder that the threat was not just physical, but magical. Every breath, every movement, and every glance was now tainted by urgency and imminent danger.
Kael watched the liquid, his eyes trembling and his breath coming in short bursts.
This can't be happening now... he thought. Frowning, he took a step back, his foot slipping slightly in the damp forest mud.
Kei tensed his shoulders, sword in hand, as Kissaki moved to his side, alert to any shadow among the trees. The mercenary emerged slowly, each step calculated, his daggers gleaming with a venomous liquid that dripped menacingly. The air smelled of humidity and peril. Every movement the enemy made seemed to be testing their reflexes, preparing a lethal strike. The tension in the forest was almost tangible, as if every leaf held a whisper of death.
Eirene clenched her right fist so hard her nails left marks in her skin. She slowly raised her left hand; the air around her grew denser and heavier.
He must be close... she thought, her shoulders tight.
Suddenly, a silhouette emerged from the trees: a burly man, a corrosive dagger in each hand.
Kei sensed the change in the air—a metallic, sulfurous smell that made him grimace. He rubbed his nose; his fingers came away stained with drops of blood. His breath hitched, eyes wide, tensing instantly.
"You son of a bitch!" Eirene shouted, her jaw set. With a quick gesture, she thrust her left hand forward, expelling compressed, poisonous air like a jet toward the mercenary.
"Formation!" Arata commanded with authority. His trembling hand barely grazed the sword he drew with speed, the edge glinting under the last rays of the sun. He took a firm stance, feet planted in the dirt, both hands on the hilt, ready for any attack.
Kael moved up behind Eirene with fluid grace. Leaves crunched under his boots, but he closed his eyes, blocking out the noise to concentrate. A root erupted from the ground, followed by a vine that he guided with precision, seeking to ensnare the mercenary.
The silence was lethal; the tension could be cut with a knife. A cold wind whipped past them, kicking up dry leaves that danced around them—a reminder of the danger of the place they had entered.
The mercenary moved between the trees like an unpredictable shadow, his steps barely whispering over the dry leaves. When they least expected it, he hurled a corrosive dagger straight at Arata, the air whistling as it flew. Arata managed a partial dodge, but the blade grazed his leg, leaving a deep gash. A groan of pain escaped his lips as the corrosive heat seared his skin.
Why...?Why does it hurt this much?! he thought, teeth clenched, breath frantic, trying to keep his composure as a trickle of blood hit his boot.
"Arata!" Kael cried, abandoning the vines and roots to rush to his side.
Kissaki snatched the sword from Kei and took a stance unknown to any of them. A lesser spirit... interesting, she thought, closing her eyes and frowning as she channeled her magic into the blade.
The mercenary threw another dagger from behind, aimed straight at her. "Don't get distracted," he mocked with an enigmatic smile.
Kissaki tensed, spinning with the sword raised. The flying dagger stretched in the air, but as it reached her, Kissaki's sword split it in two with a clean, precise strike, sending sparks of ethereal light toward the nearby trees.
The mercenary's smile twisted; he arched an eyebrow and set his jaw before throwing another dagger, testing her.
The projectile slowed for an instant, as if time itself were warping. Kissaki tilted her head slightly to the right, dodging it fluidly; by the time it regained its normal speed, the dagger had already passed her. It slammed into a nearby rock, shattering it into pieces and lightly scorching the forest grass.
Kissaki focused. He really is... yes, he's weakening... but how? she wondered, watching the mercenary's every move.
Kael healed Arata while trying to neutralize the corrosion. "This has to end soon..." he murmured, casting a worried look toward Kei.
Arata scanned the forest. Finding a suitable rock, he discreetly opened his hand; Nexus flowed through his veins with increasing control. He's strong and fast... but does he have the reflexes? he wondered as his fingers made a subtle gesture. Threads of Nexus emerged and tightened over the rock, vibrating with precision.
Eirene noticed Arata's strategy. Without a word, she swung her left hand, firing a blast of compressed air that made the mercenary lose his balance for a split second.
Arata's breathing grew more labored. Without wasting time, he channeled all his strength and hurled the rock at the mercenary. The enemy tried to slice it with his daggers, but it wasn't enough; the impact hit his face, making him stagger and spit blood.
Eirene felt her hands and vision shake. But she didn't stop. She raised her right hand and quickly brought it down, exerting gravity on the mercenary's position.
"You bastards..." he wheezed, spitting blood through his teeth. "If I die... then I'm dragging you into the abyss with me."
The mercenary began to liquefy into a black mass, easily escaping Eirene's gravity.
Kissaki immediately went on guard. What...? A lesser spirit can do that?... she thought, her jaw and shoulders tense as she adjusted her grip.
Kei looked at the mass for a moment and then stepped up to Kissaki.
"Hey... I think my magic can help..." he whispered, reaching for the sword's hilt.
Kissaki looked at him, confused. She closed her eyes and finally let go of the sword, letting him take over. Kei gripped the hilt with both hands, watching the mercenary slowly return to his original state.
A mass... physicsmight not work here, but... He looked at Yuto, then at Eirene. If I force him to divide again...that might work.
[1%]
A chill ran through Kei's body, from his shoulder to his fingertips. His breath hitched. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, sprinting directly at the mercenary.
The mercenary reacted instantly. With a twisted smile, he threw a dagger aimed straight for Kei's skull.
Kei reached for his chronograph and activated the Slowdown sub-dial.
The flow of the world began to thicken.
He seized the moment and slid to the right. The dagger hissed past his head—slow, lethal... a second earlier, it would have killed him.
Time slowly returned to normal.
Kei curved to the left and launched a diagonal slash at the man's stomach. The metal of his sword glowed softly under the dim moonlight. The mercenary took the hit, unable to dodge. His eyes wide and trembling. He staggered, clutching his abdomen, gasping through gritted teeth.
"I'm not dead yet..." he melted again, his body transforming back into that strange mass.
Kei turned to Eirene. "Eirene, use your air!" he shouted.
Eirene concentrated, gathering a massive amount of condensed air. I can't... I can't fail now. she thought, her legs growing weak. With a final cry of fury, she thrust her left hand toward the liquefied mercenary, releasing the air with a lethal echo that rolled through the forest.
Trees leaned away, leaves and branches flew as the attack cleared its path. Kael covered his face with his arm, his body shaking as he tried to maintain the healing on Arata.
"Arata... I can't..." he whispered. He didn't finish the sentence; his eyes closed, and he fell backward onto the damp ground.
In that same instant, the mercenary tried to regain his form, but he was too late. The cold, condensed air hit him like a shell. A harrowing scream pierced the forest. The dark mass began to harden. With every passing second, his body solidified, slowly becoming covered in a layer of ice.
When the blast finally dissipated, Kei advanced toward the mercenary's frozen body. He stopped before him, shifted the blade... and with one final swing, delivered a clean cut.
The head slid from the neck and hit the ground with a dull thud.
"Finally..." he muttered, breathing heavily before letting out a long sigh. He sheathed his sword.
That was close... if I hadn't activated it, I'd have been dead long ago.
He turned to his companions. Kissaki crossed her arms, closing her eyes to combat the mental fatigue. Yuto pulled the map from his pocket.
"I think... there's a cave in a nearby mountain," he said, squinting at the details. "I guess we could spend the night there."
Arata stood up with effort, holding Kael in his arms. "That's for the best... we're in no condition to go on."
The group moved in silence toward the cave as the sun fully disappeared. Exhaustion weighed on every step. After a few minutes, the vegetation opened up to reveal a small mountain slope. There, partially hidden by rocks and exposed roots, was the cave entrance.
Yuto gathered some branches and dry leaves. He channeled his magic, and a small flame appeared between his fingers. Soon, a campfire was burning, lighting the interior with a warm, flickering glow.
"Hey... Kissaki," Kei said, taking off his backpack and using it as a pillow. "Why do you always cover your right eye?"
Kissaki looked away. She was silent for a moment, as if hesitating.
"That... is not something you should concern yourself with," she finally replied. Her tone was still serious, but her voice sounded... just a bit softer.
The group settled around the fire. Kael slept deeply against the stone wall; Arata sat by the entrance, sword across his knees, on watch; Eirene lay on her side, eyes closed; and Yuto was already out next to the fire.
Kei watched the cave ceiling. The crackle of the fire. The breathing of the group. The silence of the world outside.
He exhaled slowly. Then, he closed his eyes.