The One Who Doesn't Fall
"Boom!"
A sound cracked through the air, sharp as metal hitting stone.
A cloud of dust burst into the air, then smoke surged forward, drifting like heavy fog down the road, blurring every shape it touched. Underfoot, the earth shivered just enough to shake pebbles free, their clatter filling the silence - then stillness returned
Fog swallowed the world whole. Vision vanished without a trace. Everything disappeared into thick mist.
The air stilled as people waited. Every eye stayed fixed ahead.
"He's done for…"
"That hit was clean…"
"Not even a chance…"
Fog curled around quiet voices. Smoke carried hushed words away.
Then -
Footprints faded where the wind had passed through. Dust hung still above cracked earth.
Out of the blur, shapes began to emerge again.
What caught their eyes -
Caused a sudden pause in their breathing.
Leon stood there.
Right there, just like before.
Unmoved.
Unshaken.
Just a breath gone.
Smooth fabric hung over him, untouched by wrinkles. A loose stance held his frame steady. The Silver Rabbit sat cradled close, one of its ears twitching slightly under slow fingers that moved without hurry. His palm brushed the animal's back, softness meeting touch like morning light meets dust.
Just like it never occurred.
But -
Over there, though -
The fellow once whispering under his breath… now stood still, eyes sharp
Bent low, stretched out flat where nobody would want to be. Still. Not moving. Just breathing slow like it hurt.
Across the rough stones, his body left a trail, fabric ripped, dirt smeared on skin. From the edge of his lips, red stains crept out while he pushed himself upright, vision clouded by shock. What just happened? His gaze said it all.
Everyone was stunned.
A hush moved outward, sudden and wide. Stillness followed close behind.
"…What?"
"…Wait…"
"…What just happened?"
A sudden fit of coughing shook the man lying there.
"Cough… cough… Hit… why did you hit me?!"
Out of breath, his words shook - uncertain, laced with panic. A quiet break in his tone revealed how lost he felt.
"I… I didn't even do anything!"
His eyes darted everywhere, like maybe a face out there held answers he couldn't find.
No one answered.
For that reason, nobody got it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Leon shifted just enough to catch sight - head angling sideways like something had quietly grabbed his attention.
"…Interesting."
He never got the chance to speak
Hina moved.
Out came a slow shift of her chin, fingers rising to sweep across sunlit strands that fell like liquid gold. Pale skin caught the light along the curve of her throat, untouched by shadow. Then - again - the chill seeped into those blue depths, gaze drifting far beyond reach, folding back into silence.
Then -
Her eyes fell upon the figure lying still beneath her gaze.
Her gaze -
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
"I've been listening to you whispering nonsense for a long time."
Quiet came out of her mouth. She spoke like still water moving slow.
But heavy.
"You think no one notices when you plot and talk trash from the side?"
The man froze.
"You wanted to stir things up… maybe even take advantage of the situation."
Her lips curled slightly.
"Do you really think everyone here is deaf?"
Her fingers lifted a little, just off the desk
He turned, finger aimed without delay toward Leon.
"This guy's words may be a little annoying…"
She paused.
After that came a statement, firm without question
"But at least he speaks directly. No filth. No hidden tricks."
Out of nowhere, a soft snort slipped out between her lips.
"I don't hate that."
Her eyes narrowed.
"But you - "
Her voice dropped.
Cold.
"Jealous, sneaky, barking from the shadows…"
A beat.
"That's disgusting."
Bent steel pierced the air, each syllable cutting deep.
The crowd stiffened.
Some people who were talking quietly before suddenly looked down without thinking.
Hina stood there -
No longer playful.
No longer teasing.
Only authority remained.
Untouchable.
Decisive.
Frozen in place, the man on the ground shook.
He tried to speak, yet his mouth stayed silent. The words formed without voice. A breath passed, though nothing followed. Quiet hung where speech should have been.
His gaze dropped before it could reach hers.
Fear took hold, deep inside. It filled every part of him.
Then -
He scrambled up.
Stumbling.
Running.
Without looking back.
He left while eyes followed. Stillness settled where he'd stood. Movement paused on sidewalks. Dust rose behind his steps. Quiet grew louder after.
He walked through without a single person getting in his way.
No one spoke.
Because everyone knew -
Breathing came as a surprise to him.
A small twitch passed through Leon's gaze.
A small grin pulled one edge of his mouth upward.
"…This woman…"
His eyes moved back to Hina.
"…has personality."
Earlier, he caught bits of the man talking under his breath.
He did, just like everyone thought he would.
But to him -
Stillness made more sense than response.
Trash was trash.
Why waste effort?
But Hina…
She acted.
And that -
Things got slightly curious now. What happened next shifted everything just enough.
His hand moved on its own, tracing the cool silk of the Silver Rabbit's coat once more.
Her muscles softened against him, those pale eyes barely open, soaking up the heat without a word. Stillness settled between them, breaths slow, the moment stretching like smoke through air.
Meanwhile -
Hina looked at what was left of the people standing there.
Cold.
Sharp.
"You all have nothing better to do?"
Quiet, her voice carried no weight in the air.
Yet sliced through without resistance.
The crowd shuddered.
Within seconds -
Folks started moving away in different directions.
Step by step.
Faster and faster.
Empty space stretched behind them once everyone else had gone.
Silence returned.
Hina exhaled lightly.
Her Inner Spirit faded.
Apart from vanishing into thin air, the fox ears were gone without a trace.
A flash of gold faded through the air. Light swallowed it piece by piece.
Her steps carried her closer to Leon.
He came to a halt right before reaching her.
"You bastard…"
Yet her voice grew gentler, though irritation lingered beneath. A hint of frustration remained, even as she eased into softer words.
"You've been talking all this time, and not a single word sounded true."
Leon shrugged.
"I told you already. I don't have an Inner Spirit."
"Why don't you believe me?"
Hina crossed her arms tightly.
"Heh. Then let me test it."
Staring straight at him, her gaze didn't waver. Still fixed, it held every bit of weight without blinking once.
"If you really don't have an Inner Spirit…"
A pause.
Her chin rose a little, just enough to notice.
"I'll call you Darling every time I see you."
Leon blinked.
Yet he moved his head slowly from side to side, eyes steady.
"Forget it."
"You're younger than me. I don't want that."
For a second -
Hina froze.
Then -
"Pfft - you liar!"
Foot down hard went her step.
"You're just making things up!"
A flick of Leon's fingers cut through the air. His wrist turned slow, almost careless.
"Believe whatever you want."
"Anyway, I don't want that kind of title."
"Ahhh!"
Fists tight, Hina stared at him, ready to swing once more.
"You're so annoying!"
Then -
Suddenly -
Her expression shifted.
Curiosity replaced anger.
"How about… we be friends?"
A light flickered in her gaze, just for a moment.
"You're interesting."
"A little mysterious too."
Her eyes met Leon's gaze.
Then smiled faintly.
"You don't have to."
"If fate allows… we'll meet again."
Hina snorted.
"You sound nice, but you're just rejecting me politely!"
Her arms folded tight across her chest.
"What 'fate'? I stay inside the Soulforge Citadel all year."
She spoke a little more quietly.
"You'll probably never see me again."
Leon didn't argue.
"We will."
His tone -
Certain.
Hina moved her head from side to side, saying no without words.
"Impossible."
A quiet weight lingered behind her gaze. Not sadness exactly - more like memory wearing thin.
"You don't understand."
Now her voice dropped, a small shift in her stance.
"The saintess of the Soulforge Citadel… isn't someone you can meet just because you want to."
A quiet irritation lingered just beneath.
Some quiet limit lingers nearby.
Then -
Leon spoke casually.
"I can see the Supreme Empress anytime I want."
"Why would the saintess be any different?"
Hina's face shifted without warning.
Her eyes widened.
Her eyes darted sideways, first one way then the opposite.
"You - are you insane?!"
Out of nowhere, her voice took a steep dive downward.
"You dare talk about the Supreme Empress like that… in Soulforge City?!"
Leon just smiled.
Didn't explain.
Didn't argue.
Just -
Smiled.
Hina paused, her eyes fixed on him. A beat passed before she blinked.
Then -
She turned.
Walking away.
Steps quick.
Almost annoyed.
But -
One foot moves ahead. The air shifts slightly. Then another step follows, slower now. A pause comes before continuing onward
She stopped.
Turned back.
"Hey!"
Out of nowhere, her words slipped through with a hint of restlessness. A quiet tension curled around each syllable she let go.
"What are you even doing here?"
Her eyes met Leon's gaze.
Then answered casually.
"Nothing special."
"There was a woman… who once said she wanted to marry me."
He paused.
A faint memory surfacing.
"So I came to ask her… if she still means it."
Hina froze.
"What?"
Her eyes widened.
Something sharp flickered inside them.
"Who is she?"
Leon shrugged.
"No need to say."
"You wouldn't believe it anyway."
Biting her lip just a little was something Hina did.
"I don't believe that."
"Say it."
A small smile touched Leon's mouth.
"I said… she's the most important person in the Soulforge Citadel."
Hina stood still, yet a small shake ran through her frame.
Her voice dropped.
"…The most important…"
Out of nowhere, her thoughts snapped into place -
One figure.
A name.
Back her eyes turned, fixed on Leon once more.
As if her eyes had landed on someone wild.
"You're courting death!"
Her voice dropped fast, sudden like a snapped wire.
"If anyone else heard that - you'd be thrown into prison immediately!"
"Do you even know what you're saying?!"
Out came Leon's hands, wide open.
"I told you."
"You wouldn't believe me."
Faster now, Hina moved ahead, her sharp edge traded for haste.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
"You dare speak like this about the Supreme Empress?!"
"You really want to die?!"
Head moving slowly from side to side, Leon let out a quiet refusal without words.
Amused.
"No one believes the truth anymore…"
Hina looked his way. She held her gaze without moving.
Then spoke seriously.
"Listen."
"Even though we just met… I don't dislike you."
Her tone softened.
"So I'm warning you."
"The Supreme Empress… is cold, ruthless."
"She has never shown interest in any man."
"Even a Champion-level confession would end in death."
Something in her gaze held him still. A quiet intensity passed between them without words.
"If you keep talking like this… you will bring disaster on yourself."
Leon blinked.
Then laughed lightly.
"Nonsense."
His chin dipped slightly, one ear angling toward the sky.
"She's quite gentle in front of me."
Hina's eyes grew wide one more time.
"Bold! You really don't know life from death!"
Fingers curled tight into palms, pressure building at her sides.
"From what I know of my teacher… she would never behave like that!"
Leon shrugged.
"Then maybe… you don't know her well enough."
"I don't know her?!"
Hina spoke up fast.
"You - !"
Calm stayed in Leon's voice.
"I probably understand her better than you."
Hina looked his way. She held her gaze without speaking.
Speechless.
After that, she moved her head from side to side.
"Ridiculous…"
"You're talking nonsense because you don't understand our relationship."
She spoke a little more quietly now.
"…Forget it."
"I won't try to convince you anymore."
She turned.
Walking away again.
But this time -
She moved a little slower now.
Her thoughts lingered.
"…I still want to see you again."
Her voice stayed silent on that point. Still, her eyes gave it away - clear as morning light.
Still held tight inside her chest.
Her footsteps faded as Leon stood still, eyes following the door long after it closed behind her.
Her figure - graceful, alluring - fading into the distance.
Those long legs.
That confident stride.
That stubborn personality.
He smiled faintly.
Then looked up.
At the towering palace ahead.
"Soon…"
Quiet, his voice barely filled the space between words.
Blown forward when gusts rise. Winds lift it without asking. It moves where air flows. Carried along, never choosing.
"…we'll meet again."
No one knew -
Could it have been Hina he was thinking of.
Or -
The woman waiting at the top of the world.
In his arms -
A small movement came from the Silver Rabbit. It adjusted its position just a bit.
Softness spread through her blue eyes as he touched her, every muscle letting go. Stillness followed, quiet settling where tension had been.
"…Benefactor…"
A quiet shake ran through Selena's mind. It hovered, barely there, like breath on glass.
His hand… warm.
Gentle.
A small movement passed through her ears. They shifted just a fraction, catching the air.
Sensitive.
But -
He walked away while she stood still.
"…Should I tell him…"
A pause.
"…that this is a sensitive spot…"
Warmth spread through her limbs, settling into a quiet ease.
Then -
A quiet thought.
"…Forget it."
"As long as he likes it…"
She stayed still.
Letting him continue.