A few seconds earlier—“Orion, I need you to protect Kaoru.”
Seraphine Orion hovered beside her, startled.
“What are you going to do?”
Akitsu stood up slowly. His eyes were calm—too calm.
“The answer is quite obvious…”
“I’m going to kill them all.”
Seraphine’s eyes widened.
“You’re genuinely crazy!! You’ll get killed!!”
“I know,” Akitsu replied quietly,
“but I’m still willing to take the risk!”
Before she could stop him, he turned.
Akitsu smashed his forehead into the small window beside the great chamber. The glass shattered completely, spraying outward into the courtyard.
Cold night air rushed in.
The guards saw him immediately.
“Fire!!”
Arrows screamed through the air.
Akitsu leapt forward, twisting his body mid-run. Some arrows he dodged by inches; others he deflected with his katana, steel ringing sharply with every impact.
He closed the distance.
One guard raised his blade—
Akitsu sliced straight through his neck, the cut precise enough to slip between the armor plates. Blood sprayed, and the body collapsed before it even understood it was dead.
Another guard rushed him.
Steel clashed against steel.
Akitsu ducked under a swing, stepped inside the guard’s reach, and drove his katana straight through the man’s chest.
More guards surrounded him.
Then—
A figure dropped from above like a falling star.
Kael Ardent landed among the guards with explosive force.
“Move.”
He dashed forward, blade flashing. Armor split apart as if it were paper. Guards fell in pieces, unable to even scream before being cut down.
Akitsu fought beside him, moving almost instinctively now—dodging strikes, countering, stabbing straight through hearts. The ground became slick with blood.
Above them—
In the window of the upper room—
The spirit girl with white hair and blue eyes watched silently.
“Father…” she whispered.
Tears slid down her face, vanishing into the night air.
When the last guard fell, silence returned—broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.
Seraphine Orion stepped outside through the shattered window.
She was no longer in her small fox form.
Now she stood tall, her body humanoid. Vines, branches, and leaves wove together to form a dress around her figure. Her emerald hair flowed like living ivy, and her eyes glowed with the same deep green light.
She carried Kaoru gently in her arms.
“Let’s run away!”
Akitsu turned sharply.
“…Who are you?”
She blinked.
“I’m Seraphine Orion! This is just my human form!”
Kael wiped blood from his blade.
“Let’s run before more guards come!”
“Got it!”
Vines erupted from the ground, lifting Kaoru safely over the fence. Akitsu and Kael followed, vaulting over as arrows began flying again from the distance.
They ran.
Past trees.
Past roots and rocks.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Through the forest until the sound of pursuit faded completely.
They finally stopped by a river, moonlight reflecting softly on the water.
Akitsu exhaled.
“That went according to plan.”
Seraphine tilted her head toward Kael.
“How did you do, Ardent?”
“It was pretty easy to deal with the enemy.”
Akitsu gave a small huff.
“Anything is easy for you.”
Kael knelt beside Kaoru, examining her carefully.
“She’s Ryozen Kaoru, from the noble Ryozen family, right?”
“Yeah.”
“The Ryozen family has a high status in the kingdom since they gave all their fortune to the kingdom during the Great Winter War.”
Seraphine crossed her arms.
“The Great Winter War was a blood fest. It’s all because the elves declared war on the humans.”
Kael looked back at Kaoru.
“How is she?”
“I checked her vitals,” Seraphine said.
“They’re stable. She’s just asleep.”
“We should go,” Akitsu said quietly.
“Before the guards find us.”
“Yeah. We can’t stay here for long.”
Akitsu stood and carefully lifted Kaoru onto his back.
By the time they returned home, the night had grown deep.
Kael Ardent parted ways with them without ceremony, vanishing back into the city.
Akitsu entered the mansion.
It was silent.
Too silent.
“Where is everyone?”
“Probably upstairs,” Seraphine replied.
“It’s always quiet in the mansion at night.”
They went upstairs.
The great chamber doors were open.
Inside, Renjiro and Rikuya sat on the bed. Renjiro was holding Rikuya close, whispering comforts as she trembled.
They looked up.
They saw Akitsu carrying Kaoru.
“Renjiro-san, Rikuya-san,” Akitsu said,
“there’s no need to worry. The hero found Kaoru!”
Rikuya broke down immediately, collapsing to her knees as she cried.
“Thank you… thank you, Akitsu-kun!”
Renjiro hurried to her side.
“How is she?”
“She’s sleeping,” Akitsu replied.
“I’m carrying her to her room.”
“You should thank the hero,” Akitsu added quietly.
“I’m going to put her in bed.”
“…Thank you.”
Akitsu carried Kaoru to her room and laid her gently on the bed, pulling the blanket over her.
“I’m tired,” he muttered.
“You should rest too,” Seraphine said softly.
“It’s been a long day.”
“Yeah…”
As he turned to leave, he noticed a letter on the table.
Half-written.
Seraphine glanced at it.
“It’s a love letter… for you, I believe.”
Akitsu looked away.
“We shouldn’t be going through her stuff. Let’s leave.”
They left quietly.
In the hallway, they passed Renjiro and Rikuya heading toward Kaoru’s room.
Akitsu reached his own room and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
“Oi!! You’re still in your academy uniform!”
He mumbled faintly, eyes already closed.
“It’s… alright…”
And just like that—
