Kojo stood like a statue behind Yukio, his gaze fixed on the still form of Cassandra lying on the bed. The room was heavy with a silent tension, the only sound the faint hum of the building's ambient energy. Ascalon, the sacred blade of time, gleamed softly in Yukio's grip, an unsettling contrast to the peaceful stillness of Cassandra's unconscious face. Kojo's muscles were coiled, his senses screaming at him to be ready.
He wondered if he could even draw his own blade before Yukio decided he was a threat. The thought of Ascalon's edge flashing towards him, ending everything in an instant, made his heart pound. He then shifted his thoughts to the morbid, wondering if his Regeneration would allow him to survive decapitation.
"(Are you truly this dense?)" Sysia's voice echoed in his mind, sharp and exasperated. "(Focus on preventing your head from becoming a projectile, not on reattaching it.)"
Kojo mentally cursed.
He needed to be focused, not dwelling on the gruesome possibilities. He activated his skills, a cascade of heightened senses flooding his awareness. Accelerant, his precognitive ability, offered fleeting glimpses of the immediate future, fragmented and indistinct. His 7th sense, the primal alarm of danger, probed the atmosphere for any subtle threat. And his extra-sensory perception, a finely tuned awareness of his surroundings, registered the slightest shifts in the air, the minute vibrations in the floor beneath his feet.
"(Don't you think you're being a bit over dramatic? You're twitching like a cornered rodent.)"
He extended his fingers, the tips hardening into razor-sharp claws, poised to strike. He felt like a predator, coiled and ready to spring.
Sysia sighed.
"(All this is pointless. She wouldn't even need seconds; she could just terminate you in an instant. What good is seeing it coming if you can't act fast enough? If that's the case, she wouldn't bother wasting time and would have killed you the moment she got here.)"
He ignored her, his focus laser-sharp. He meticulously monitored Yukio's every movement, every subtle shift in her posture. He couldn't afford to be distracted by Sysia's cold, logical assessments.
"Can't ever be too careful," he mumbled. He needed to be prepared for any eventuality. He noticed the rise and fall of Cassandra's chest, a reassuring sign. He then noticed the minute tension in Yukio's shoulder, the way her grip tightened around Ascalon.
"(The only reason you'd be tensed up like this is if you'd done something wrong. Which you don't have the heart to do, so why are you acting like this?)"
Kojo didn't answer.
Sysia sighed again.
"(Yuki, could you put this fool's mind at ease? He's beating himself up for nothing.)"
"Shit, I forgot she could hear you," Kojo thought.
Suddenly, Yukio turned, her gaze locking onto Kojo's.
Yukio's face was an unreadable mask. Kojo gulped. Yukio sighed, and the sword in her hand disappeared.
"Sorry about that, Kojo," she said. Immediately, Kojo felt at ease. He blinked, wondering what he was doing. He relaxed.
"Don't blame Kojo, Sysia. It's my fault. He was under the effects of my armor."
"Armor?" Kojo repeated.
"It has an enchantment that's been cast; it's a mental attack when activated, making everyone within a specific range lose all reason and act irrationally. The severity varies depending on one's mental fortitude. I'm surprised, Kojo. Actually, I'm not. You're one of the few people who've managed to control yourself well. I was worried I'd have to punch you back into your senses." She said.
"You know you could have just deactivated the enchantment, right?" Kojo said.
"That wouldn't be fun."
"Huh?"
"(I see, so when used on enemies, it makes them lose their edge and makes them easy to defeat.)"
"Uh huh," Yukio grunted in agreement.
Kojo just stood there, feeling silly that he had let a simple augmentation get the better of him.
"(Gathering Data. Complete.
The enchantment 'Chaotic Confusion' has been assimilated.
Applying skill 'Power Modification' elements of other skills; 'Split Psyche'.
Info Data
Universal Negation
All elements successfully added.
New skill, 'Mental Attack Resistance' has been created.
Notice: Further elements are required to evolve skill into a Nullification.)"
Kojo blinked.
"Awww, thank you."
"(Don't you 'awww' me. I only did it 'cause I was interested in the make of the spell. You thought if I made it into a resistance since you're too dumb to resist, and we may encounter something like this in the future.)"
"Sure," Kojo said with a smirk.
"(And wipe that stupid grin off your face. It's upsetting me.)"
Yukio walked past him. Kojo watched her go then followed. In the hall, Sharone and the others sat waiting. Leo, who had been unconscious, had awoken and sat up, holding his head and wincing. The girls cast uncertain glances at him. Mekna and Keo, who still hadn't recovered from the fight with Leo, declined when Sharone told them to rest, and they stood between Leo and their mistresses, ready to act should the knight make a move. Yukio appeared with Kojo behind her. All eyes turned to them.
"Kojo?" Sharone called, looking at Yuki who walked past and went to stand in front of Leo.
"Lady Yukio," he said quickly, scrambling to his feet. He knelt down on one knee, but before he could stabilize his posture, Yuki slammed his head back into the ground.
"What is the meaning of your actions?" she said in a cold, unfriendly tone. "Randomly attacking innocent people and nearly killing two. Your actions almost caused harm to Lady Cassandra."
With his head in a small crater on the floorboard, he knelt down with both knees now on the ground and folded his arms behind him.
"My apologies, Lady Yukio. I seem to have been under some kind of spell," he said.
"You got that right. If I hadn't gotten here in time, you would have caused more damage before you finally broke free. Your Faith is lacking, Sir Leonard Dortfille," Yuki said, mentioning his full name. She let go of his head and came to stand beside him. "I have no need for your apology. Instead, direct your contrition to those you assaulted."
Leo raised his head and put his hands in front of him.
"I sincerely apologize for my actions. I will not blame any enchantment, spell, or magic, as what transpired was my responsibility and happened as a result of my own incompetence. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me," he said and bowed.
Kojo was surprised. He didn't see Leo as the type to apologize so easily. But then again, he was prideful, and such an event surely left a mark on his pride. Kojo began to make a small reassessment of his opinion of the knight, though he still didn't like him.
He noticed movement from the corner of his eye and moved his eyes to see Yuki bowing as well.
"In some ways, what happened was also my fault. Please forgive us for what has happened. We will do whatever it takes to make up for this error."
Kojo raised his hands and took a step forward. He opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure of what to say.
"This all seems like a very big misunderstanding," Sharone said.
"No one got hurt, and you seem to be sincere with your apology," Koniko added.
"I think it's fine," Sasha said.
Lin and Adriana just nodded.
Kojo was sure they were saying that for Yukio's sake, but he didn't mind.
He looked at Mekna and Keo.
"Well, do you accept their apology?" he asked them.
Mekna and Keo glanced at each other.
"They did say they'd do anything," Mekna said. Keo nodded.
30 minutes later, they were all seated at the table. Both Leo's cheeks were swollen from the slaps he received from the butler and the maid. Kojo tried hard not to laugh. Leo glared at him, and he covered his mouth, failing woefully to stifle his giggles.
"It'd be too generic. I would have given him more than a punch, but well....." Kojo said, finally calming down.
"So, Leo, who cast that magic on you?" he asked.