Subaru moved through the dense forest, his boots crunching against dried leaves as he carried his axe over his shoulder. The morning air was crisp, biting at his skin, but he barely paid attention. His mind was elsewhere.
"Sigh… I swear, if I keep this up, my body's going to give out by spring," Subaru muttered to himself. "Kibo's growing fast… too fast. His mana's already dangerous, and yet—" He paused, rolling his shoulders. "Ah, well. I'll deal with it later."
He let out a short chuckle at his own joke, shaking his head.
Then, his steps halted.
The air shifted.
The silence of the forest became too quiet.
Subaru exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "Great… I can already smell the mutts."
A deep growl echoed through the trees. Then another. Then several more. Within seconds, seven hellhounds crept out of the shadows, their red eyes gleaming with hunger, their saliva dripping onto the forest floor as they slowly circled him.
Subaru clicked his tongue. "Come on, can't an old man chop some firewood in peace?"
One of the beasts lunged first. Subaru reacted instantly, swinging his axe with effortless speed—one clean strike, and the hellhound's head flew through the air before crashing onto the ground with a sickening thud.
The other wolves attacked in unison, but Subaru was already moving. He dodged left, slammed the blunt side of his axe into one's skull, cracking it open like a fruit, then pivoted and sliced clean through two more, their bodies collapsing in a heap of blood and fur.
Another hellhound leapt at his back. Subaru spun, catching the beast midair by the throat with his bare hand. The wolf snarled, snapping its teeth at his face. Subaru only sighed. With a swift squeeze, he crushed its windpipe and let the lifeless body drop.
The remaining three hesitated, their growls turning into whimpers. Subaru wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve and rolled his shoulders. "Oh? You're scared now?"
Then, the temperature dropped.
A creeping frost slithered across the ground, freezing the soil beneath their paws. The hellhounds whined, their bodies shivering. Before they could react, jagged spikes of ice erupted from the ground, piercing straight through their bodies. Their pained howls echoed before they fell silent.
Subaru remained still, exhaling as he felt the presence behind him.
"You know," he said casually, glancing toward the shadows, "if you were here the whole time, you could've saved me the trouble."
From between the trees, a woman stepped out, her boots barely making a sound against the frozen earth. She was dressed in a pristine maid's uniform, her black hair tied neatly in a bun with a butterfly pin in place. Sharp hazel eyes peered at Subaru through thin-rimmed glasses, her posture straight, composed, and radiating authority.
Saro.
She stared at the scene before her, the bloodied bodies of the wolves, the frost-touched ground, and then finally at Subaru. Her expression remained unreadable, but the subtle furrow in her brows hinted at her irritation.
"I apologize for not greeting you properly, Granduncle," she said, her tone clipped, but a sharp edge of frustration laced her words.
Subaru scratched his cheek, feigning innocence. "Oof, full title treatment. I must've done something to piss you off this time."
Saro inhaled deeply, composing herself. "If I remember correctly, you've neglected quite a few responsibilities in the time you've been gone."
Subaru sighed. "I meant to get to them."
"Really?" Saro adjusted her glasses. "You've missed the World Leaders' Summit since your disappearance. You're supposed to be a public figure, and yet, instead of handling your duties, you've been playing in the forest."
Subaru waved a hand. "Oh, come on, it's not like the world is going to collapse just because I wasn't there to listen to old leaders rambles."
Saro's gaze sharpened. "It's about more than that. Someone has to address the citizens when crises arise. You keep making it my problem instead."
"Because you're good at it," Subaru said, grinning.
Saro exhaled, clearly unimpressed. "What about the people you rescued?"
Subaru's expression sobered slightly.
Saro continued, her voice steady but firm. "Some of them have returned to their homes. The ones without families were taken into the nation. A few chose to leave on their own."
Subaru nodded. "That's good."
"And what of King Thorn? How is he handling the issue of the slaves' freedom?"
Saro adjusted her gloves as she replied. "As always, he is keeping things discreet. However, Queen Morganna has been keeping him occupied to prevent any… impulsive decisions regarding you. She sends her regards."
Subaru chuckled. "Ah, so Thorn's still got his hands tied. That woman really knows how to keep him on a leash."
Saro frowned slightly but didn't respond to the comment. Instead, she asked, "What is it that you need, Granduncle?"
Subaru grinned. "A favor, of course."
Saro's expression didn't change. "If this has anything to do with babysitting—"
"Ah, so you already know!" Subaru clapped his hands together. "See, that's why you're my favorite grandniece."
"You say that to all of us," she replied flatly.
"But I mean it with you," Subaru teased, nudging her.
Saro sighed. "You're asking me to watch over the young master."
"Well, not just Kibo," Subaru corrected. "You'll have two more."
Saro narrowed her eyes. "And you expect me to handle them and continue my responsibilities?"
"Of course not! That's why I'll be there."
Saro studied him for a long moment. Then she spoke.
"And the Bloodbound Covenant?"
Subaru's grin faded slightly. "I've been ignoring them, but I'm not stupid. They're making moves. We'll deal with them when the time comes. No point wasting energy on things that aren't our priority right now."
Saro gave a small nod, accepting the answer.
"And the second prince of the Imperial Kingdom?"
"No problem there," Subaru said. "His father sent him under Thorn's watch. Not our business unless he makes it our business."
Saro exhaled through her nose. "If that's all, let's leave."
Subaru knelt down, grabbing three of the hellhound corpses with one arm, slinging them over his shoulder effortlessly.
"Hold on," he said. "Let me grab today's breakfast."
Saro watched as he lifted the bloody carcasses, unfazed.
Then Subaru turned to her, holding up a particularly massive one. "Hey, be a dear and help me carry one of these, will ya?"
Saro gave him a cold, blank stare.
"No."
Subaru pouted dramatically. "That's not fair!"
Saro turned, already walking away.
Subaru sighed, shaking his head as he hoisted the remaining bodies onto his back.
"Why are all my grandnieces so heartless?"
Meanwhile
Raphael lay motionless on the bed, drenched in sweat, his breath shallow. His blindfold, damp with perspiration, clung to his skin as he twitched in restless sleep. His mind was not at peace.
It was trapped.
In his nightmare, he stood alone in a desolate village, swallowed by thick, lifeless fog. The sky bled crimson, the sun a glaring wound in the heavens. Ruins stretched endlessly, houses reduced to nothing but charred remains. The wind carried whispers—no, laughter. Low, mocking, cruel.
Shadows slithered forth, stepping into view, and his blood ran cold.
They were all him.
Twisted reflections, sneering and leering, their eyes hollow with malice. They circled him like predators, their movements unnatural, as if the world itself rejected their presence.
One shadow broke the silence with a snarl.
"Is this all you've got? Pathetic!"
A strike landed across Raphael's face, sending him staggering back. The pain was real.
Another shadow loomed over him, its voice a hiss.
"You should've left with Elara. She was the only one who cared. But you?" It kicked him to the ground. "You stayed behind. Weak. Useless."
The third shadow crouched beside him, its smirk stretching too wide, too unnatural. "You raised that little girl all on your own... but look at you now. A beast in a cage of his own making. You're afraid. You always have been."
They laughed. A chorus of ridicule, their voices merging into something suffocating.
Raphael gritted his teeth, shaking, but he pushed himself to his feet.
"What do you know about me?!" His voice was raw, filled with pain. "My life has been nothing but a fight! I've killed, I've bled, I've lost—everything! And yet, here I am, still standing!"
But the shadows only loomed closer.
"And for what?" one whispered. "To suffer more?"
"To keep running from what you are?"
"You want to end it? Then do it!"
A blade materialized in Raphael's hand—his own hand. His own mind, forcing him to choose. His fingers trembled as he lifted it.
"Go on."
"Or will you keep lying to yourself?"
The laughter grew deafening.
And then—
A pressure. A presence.
A wave of something immense crashed into his nightmare, shaking the very fabric of the illusion.
The shadows froze. Their eyes snapped upward, bodies tensing. Something—someone—had entered.
And then—
His eyes flew open.
Raphael sat up with a violent gasp, his chest heaving. His whole body felt like it had been plunged into ice water. The nightmare's echoes still clawed at his mind, but something else had pulled him out. Something real.
Lily was beside him, her small hands gripping his own. Her voice wavered.
"Big brother… you're finally awake."
She threw her arms around him, holding on tightly. Her warmth was the only anchor keeping him from falling back into the abyss.
But the air was still heavy.
Something was here.
The door creaked open.
A presence.
A raw, unfiltered force.
Raphael's instincts flared—his entire body tensed. He had felt many auras before, but this… this was something different. It wasn't wild, nor was it malicious. It was boundless. Untamed, yet pure. A storm, barely contained.
Without hesitation, Raphael moved.
His hand shot forward, fingers wrapping around the handle of the knife Lily had been using to slice apples. In a blink, he lunged.
Steel flashed.
A whisper of movement—
His blade met nothing but air.
His opponent had vanished.
No—he was still there. Just a hair's breadth away, standing in the doorway with an amused, lopsided smile.
A child.
A two-year-old child had just dodged a killing strike.
Raphael's breath hitched. What—
The boy grinned. "Whoa, hey! I'm not your enemy!"
Lily gasped, stepping between them. "Big brother, stop!" Her hands trembled as she looked up at Raphael with pleading eyes. "Kibo's grandfather was the one who saved us!"
Raphael's grip on the knife tightened before his shoulders relaxed. Slowly, he lowered the blade.
His expression unreadable, he murmured, "I… apologize."
Kibo, though still slightly nervous, waved it off with a chuckle. "No harm done."
No harm done?! Raphael's mind raced. A child had dodged him. A child with a presence so overwhelming it had pierced through his nightmare. Who—what—was this boy?
Lily turned to Raphael with a glare. "Big brother, you can't attack people like that!" Her voice wavered, frustration mixing with worry. "What if you hurt him?"
Raphael exhaled through his nose, averting his gaze. "It was reflex."
Kibo, meanwhile, tilted his head slightly, his bright eyes gleaming with curiosity. He felt something off about Raphael.
Silently, he activated his mana perception.
And then—
Darkness.
Raphael's aura was unlike anything Kibo had ever seen. Where others had mana that flowed like rivers or burned like flames, Raphael's was shackled. Bound in chains of his own making. It wasn't dead, but it wasn't free either.
It was… cursed.
Kibo frowned. "Strange…"
Lily blinked. "Kibo? Are you listening?"
The boy snapped out of his thoughts. "Ah—sorry, Lily!" He turned back to Raphael and extended a hand, smiling once more. "Nice to meet you. Name's Kibo."
Raphael clasped his hand, then leaned in close.
His voice was dangerously low. "If you ever harm my sister, I'll make sure you regret it."
Kibo's smile twitched.
This guy's scary.
"Uh… nice to meet you too, Raphael."
Lily, now fussing over the fallen apple slices, quickly apologized to Kibo. "I'm so sorry about my brother. He didn't mean it!"
Kibo laughed nervously, waving her off. "It's fine, really. Don't worry about it."
Then he glanced outside, his expression shifting.
"Let's go see if Grandpa's back."
Lily nodded, brightening up. She took his hand without hesitation, a small, innocent gesture.
Raphael's chest tightened as he watched them leave. The warmth of Lily's presence, the trust in her eyes, the weight of his past—
He exhaled sharply.
"I'm such a fool."