Conan and Victor quickly move forward. Bear Gregor looks at them, anger in his eyes, "I've been searching for you two for 10 days. But I never thought I'd find you here."
Conan "Let's see the girls to safety first, then settle this wherever you want."
Gregor, laughing slyly, "Ha...ha..ha..ha.. There's no such thing. I've been imprisoned for 10 days, and searching for you everywhere these 10 days. That means I haven't had fun for almost a month. First, I'll deal with you, then with these servants."
Victor, warning, "Don't be foolish, they are General Lorand's servants. Do you realize what will happen to you!?"
Gregor, smiling, "Very well, that means I will also get my revenge on Lorand, the one who had me thrown into prison."
Conan looks at Victor and signals with his head. He quickly overturns the nearby barrels of liquor and shouts, "You go left, I go right!"
Conan grabs Elena's hand and starts running. Victor also runs in the opposite direction with Laura. Although Laura does not want to go, Victor forces her to escape.
As Conan runs with Elena, Elena stumbles.
Elena, in pain, "My foot!"
Conan, concerned, "Excuse me, milady!"
Elena, confused, "Why!?"
Conan picks up Elena in his arms and runs swiftly. Elena's face flushes for a moment, and she calls out, "Idiot! Do you realize what you're doing!? Do you know who I am!?"
Conan, excited, "Yes, I realize! Right now, I'm a hero saving a beautiful princess!"
Elena blushes even more from embarrassment.
Elena, questioning, "A hero should fight, not run. And who are they? Why are they chasing us?"
Conan, calmly, "Princess, they are devils. Think of it that way."
Elena, softly, "I didn't imagine it this way."
Conan, laughing while running, "You don't need horns or a tail to be a devil."
They run very fast through the side streets.
Kaelhor, laughing, "You probably now understand the benefits of 1000 rotations with 100 kg ha..ha..ha..ha.."
At that moment, five of Gregor's men block their path. Conan stops and sets Elena down at the side.
Conan, "Princess Lisa, you wait here for a bit."
Elena, shocked, "Stop! You'll fight five against one!?"
Conan, proudly, "How did you say? Heroes don't run, they fight!"
He turns his back to Elena, drawing his sword from his left side with his right hand, and charges at them.
They attack Conan. He strikes the first man in the chest with his sword, injuring him, then spins on the spot and thrusts his sword into the stomach of the second man running at him.
The third man charges from behind, Conan turns toward him. Elena wants to warn him, but Conan pulls his sword from the other man's stomach and spins again, striking the stomach of the one coming from behind, injuring him.
The other two, seeing this, become cautious and try to encircle him. They attack at the same time. Conan raises his sword, stopping both attacks in mid-air. Then, swiftly pulling his sword back, he slashes and severely injures both of them in the chest.
He then sheaths his sword and, with pride, "Fools, I may be weak in hand-to-hand combat, but you should have taken my sword skills seriously."
Elena watches in wide-eyed astonishment, witnessing a real battle for the first time in her life.
Conan approaches Elena and extends his hand.
Conan, politely, "Princess, with your permission."
Elena blushes and reaches out her hand. Conan picks up Elena again and begins moving with proud steps.
After a while, they meet Victor at the exit of the side streets. Laura runs to Elena's side.
Laura, concerned, "Nothing happened to you. Are you okay!?"
Elena, smiling, "Don't worry, Leona. I'm fine."
At that moment, as Gregor tries to leave the street, he shouts, "Did you think you could escape me and survive? Catch them!"
Conan looks at Elena, calmly, "You two get away immediately. Ahead you'll encounter guards. We'll delay them."
Elena, worried, "But your life is in danger!"
Conan, confident, "Don't worry, princess. Trust me."
Laura, urgently, "Let's get out of here immediately. Hurry!"
They run away. At the same time, Conan and Victor draw their swords, ready to fight the incoming men.
Suddenly, an angry voice echoes from afar, "Everyone stop right where you are!"
Gregor, angry, "Who came now?"
Then Ardin appears behind Gregor, walking fiercely and dragging his large sword.
Gregor, trembling with fear, "Ge..ne..ral A..Ar..Ardin!"
Ardin, angrily, "What is this? Are you forcing me to spill blood again, child!?"
Gregor quickly bows his head and pleads for forgiveness.
Ardin, commanding, "Take your men and get out of here, damn it! Don't you dare bother my students again!"
Gregor, obediently, "Of course! As you wish!" and quickly flees.
Conan and Victor smile at each other.
Ardin, impressed, "You are truly a walking danger. One day I let you go, look at what you've done."
Conan, respectfully, "Thank you for your help, master."
Victor, sincerely, "Master, I've always said you are the strongest and the best teacher. Thank you, master."
Ardin, serious, "Starting tomorrow, training will intensify. People like you, troublemakers, must learn faster."
Victor, whispering, "I take back what I said a moment ago."
Ardin, questioning, "Did you say something, Victor!?"
Victor, quickly, "Yes, master. I meant that harder training will teach us faster."
Ardin, satisfied, "Very good. It's getting dark, time to go home."
The three head back toward the streets.
Meanwhile, Elena and Laura have moved far away. Not seeing anyone behind them, they realize they are no longer being chased.
Elena, relieved, "There are no guards here!"
Laura, guessing, "Most likely they lied to send us away!"
Elena, hesitant, "But..."
Laura, firmly, "Princess, forget this. If the king hears about this, he will punish both you and me severely. Let's return to the palace without telling anyone."
Elena lowers her head, "Alright, Laura. As you say. Let's go."
Ara streets, Conan's house.
Conan says goodbye to Victor, removing his sword and armor, and lies down, placing a hand over his eyes.
Conan, quietly, "Every day of mine always passes with an adventure."
Kaelhor, "I must admit, your sword skills are better than your close combat. But not perfect!"
Conan, curious, "What would happen to you if I died?"
Kaelhor, calmly, "Interesting question. If you die, I'll become an energy moving in the void again. Then, when I find a worthy one, I will merge with them."
Conan, understanding, "So, even you are capable of leaving like this and going to someone else."
Kaelhor, solemnly, "Human, I am not your lover. I am a power, currently an energy. But if I merge with you, I will stay with you forever."
Conan, sighing, "Anyway. I don't want anyone around me anymore. Especially to love someone."
Kaelhor, softly, "I am not around you. I am within you, human."
He falls silent. Conan closes his eyes and drifts into sleep.
Celaria Kingdom Palace.
Laura tidies Elena and leaves the room. Elena lies on her back, thinking deeply about the kingdom's justice and the state of the side streets, then recalling her moments with Conan. Her face flushes. She hugs her pillow and turns in place. Suddenly, she remembers the last moment.
Elena, sadly, "Kael, I hope you are alright."
"I had to do this… Otherwise, you would have destroyed everyone…"
"But… I loved you…"
"Your death will be a new beginning…"
A sword pierces her heart. Conan screams, waking from sleep. He clutches his chest.
Conan, startled, "Damn it. Another nightmare again."
Victor's voice calls from outside, "Conan… Conan, are you awake!?"
Conan, groaning, "Yes, my friend, I'm coming."
Victor's voice, urgently, "Hurry. I don't want to anger that sadistic old man."
Conan, gripping his chest, "What kind of nightmares are these!?"
Kaelhor, quietly, "In the near future, you will know everything, human…"