A Defiant Rescue

That night, peace settled over them all.

It was a rare moment, a night where they bonded—not just as warriors, but as a family.

By morning, the world had shifted.

Takuma woke to a message from Hira.

"The King of Takion just died.

I'll meet you at his funeral—I need to discuss something important with you.

Looking forward to seeing you."

Takuma sighed, staring at the message for a long moment.

The weight of the news settled deep in his chest.

Dressed in black suits, flowers in hand, Takuma and Hira stood among the mourning nobles at the funeral.

The air was heavy, filled with quiet sobs and the rustling of the wind.

Hira's eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Takuma placed a firm hand on his shoulder, his voice low with grief.

"I loved him too,"

he said.

"He was like a father to me."

The two stood in silence, watching as the ceremony unfolded.

The man they had once followed, once respected, was gone.

And now, a new king would rise.

As they left the graveyard, making their way toward the castle, Hira suddenly broke the silence.

"So… I have a favor to ask."

Takuma raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

Hira cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully.

"I've been a healer for so long that I trust my instincts.

And my instincts tell me… that Yagami—the boy we saw yesterday—he's not a bad kid.

He's just lost.

No one understands him.

He's held his emotions back for so long that he's forgotten what love even means."

Takuma scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah, spill the beans. What about him?"

Hira exhaled.

"The new king is going to execute him."

Takuma froze.

"WHAT?!"

Hira sighed.

"Yeah… so, I'm asking you to help me stop the execution."

Takuma's mind raced.

The Yagami they met had been filled with rage and power, but even he didn't deserve to die like this.

"You're serious?"

Takuma asked.

Hira nodded. "His potential is incredible. If trained properly, he could surpass even the top 15"

Takuma grinned, the fire returning to his eyes.

"Count me in. How are we doing this?"

Hira smirked.

"Oh, that's easy. Don't forget—I'm Top 4, and you're Top 5."

Takuma burst into laughter.

"Ohhh, okay. I see what you're getting at. Even if they refuse… we'll take him anyway."

The two chuckled like old friends sharing an inside joke.

Then, without hesitation, they headed toward the castle of Takion.

The castle was in turmoil, the former king's death still fresh.

And yet, the execution was already set.

In the castle yard, a crowd had gathered.

Yagami stood in the center, bound in chains and cuffs of reinforced steel, his eyes burning with hatred.

At the head of the platform stood the Vice King, a man who had seized control in the chaos.

Takuma and Hira stepped forward, their presence alone enough to turn heads.

Hira was the first to speak.

"Your Majesty, step aside. This boy belongs to us now."

The Vice King's face twisted with fury. His voice thundered across the yard.

"HOW DARE YOU STAND BEFORE ME AND DEFY MY ORDER? I AM THE KING NOW! LEAVE AT ONCE BEFORE I DO SOMETHING YOU REGRET!"

For a moment, silence.

Then—

A surge of power exploded from both Takuma and Hira.

The ground cracked beneath them.

The sheer force of their combined aura sent waves of fear through the gathered nobles and guards.

Takuma's voice rang out, cold and commanding.

"We tried to do this peacefully."

Hira's eyes darkened.

"But you should know not to mess with us."

Takuma stepped forward, his aura still humming in the air.

"We're taking him. Whether you like it or not."

With that, their energy receded, but the warning remained.

No one dared to stop them as they approached Yagami.

Without ceremony, they unlocked his chains, the heavy metal falling to the ground with a loud clang.

But Yagami did not look grateful.

His face twisted with rage and confusion.

"You only saved me to use my power, didn't you?"

he spat.

"All of you humans are filth.

Filth! You should all die!"

Takuma simply met his glare with a calm gaze.

"You're free to do whatever you want,"

he said.

"I'm a magic teacher.

I have my own team.

But there's a missing piece in this so-called perfect team of mine.

And you—"

Takuma pointed at Yagami.

"You're the final piece."

Yagami tensed, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Takuma crossed his arms.

"But… it's your choice.

You can come with us, or you can roam the world alone.

Choose now."

Hira smirked, shaking his head.

Takuma always had his own reckless way of doing things.

Yagami stayed silent but continued walking with Takuma.

His steps were steady, his eyes filled with a quiet determination.

Halfway through the journey, Hira parted ways, returning to his duties as a healer.

Now, only Takuma and Yagami remained.

As they walked toward the island, Takuma glanced at the boy.

"Can you tell me why you chose this path?"

he asked.

Yagami smirked.

"Oh, it's because I wanted a team.

That way, I can join missions."

Takuma frowned.

"Why do you want to go on missions?"

Yagami reached up and clutched his necklace, his fingers tightening around it.

When he spoke, his voice was laced with rage.

"I want to kill every damn demon in this world."

Takuma's expression didn't change, but he understood immediately.

Revenge.

Yagami's hatred mirrored his own, but unlike Takuma—who had failed to take revenge—Yagami still had a chance.

He was young.

He had time.

"Interesting,"

Takuma muttered, observing him carefully.

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

Arrival at the Island

As soon as they stepped onto the training grounds, the atmosphere shifted.

The team had gathered, and as soon as they saw Yagami, Hiritsu immediately exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?!"

Takuma smirked.

"This is Yagami."

Then, he turned to Yagami and pointed at the fuming boy.

"This is Hiritsu, the dumb-looking one."

"HEY! I'M NOT DUM—"

Before Hiritsu could finish, Akemi waved her hand, using magic to cover his mouth while giggling.

"And he's annoying too,"

she added playfully.

Takuma let out a hearty laugh.

"And this,"

he gestured toward Akemi,

"is Akemi, our magic expert."

Akemi flashed a wide, bright smile.

"Hi, Yagami."

Yagami felt his face heat up, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks.

"H-Hi,"

he stammered, quickly looking away.

Takuma grinned and moved on.

"And this,"

he said, turning to the last member,

"is Aiki, our ninja."

Yagami extended his hand, but the moment he shook Aiki's hand, he felt a strange sensation.

No aura.

There was nothing.

No magical energy, no presence—nothing at all.

It was as if Aiki didn't exist.

Yet Yagami knew better.

He had seen Aiki's name in the rankings.

A high rank.

A strong one.

Yagami's eyes narrowed in fascination.

"You're an interesting one,"

he muttered.

Takuma chuckled.

"Don't mind him. He's always quiet, but he's kind. Maybe even kinder than me."

Yagami didn't respond.

He was still thinking.

For the first time, he had met someone who had completely erased their aura.

Could he do the same?

The thought burned in his mind.

Takuma suddenly clapped his hands.

"Well, since you're part of the team now, I need to test your strength."

Yagami's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Choose one of us to fight."

Yagami didn't hesitate.

He turned to Aiki.

"You."

Aiki's unreadable gaze met his. He nodded silently.

Takuma smirked.

This will be fun.

Takuma clapped his hands.

"Aiki, duel Yagami."

Aiki nodded without hesitation, stepping forward and unsheathing his katana.

The blade gleamed under the sunlight.

Then, in an instant, he unleashed his aura—a massive surge of energy.

Yagami's eyes widened in shock.

So he was hiding his power this whole time…

Without hesitation, Yagami let out his own aura in response.

The ground beneath them cracked from the pressure of their clashing energies.

Aiki watched carefully as Yagami entered a fighting stance.

No weapons.

No magic enhancements.

Just his fists.

Yet Aiki could tell—those fists were dangerously strong.

Aiki dashed around, moving unpredictably, throwing his katanas like projectiles.

Each throw was precise, aimed directly at Yagami's vital points.

But Yagami barely flinched.

Annoyed, he suddenly burst forward with full speed, charging straight at Aiki.

Aiki reacted instantly, slicing down with his katana.

But the blade didn't cut.

Yagami had compressed all of his aura into his body, forming an impenetrable armor of raw energy.

A perfect defense.

Except…

That's exactly what Aiki wanted.

The moment Yagami focused all his energy on defense, Aiki vanished.

Yagami's eyes darted around in confusion.

Then—

BOOM!

An invisible force lifted Yagami into the air and slammed him into the ground.

Dust exploded from the impact.

Aiki was completely unseen.

Yagami coughed but then—

He laughed.

"I was so damn stupid," he admitted, grinning. "I focused too much on his katana, not realizing he has a damn strong body too."

Takuma smirked.

He had expected Yagami to rage after losing.

To lash out.

But instead, Yagami simply laughed.

He was learning.

Takuma looked at the sky, feeling at peace.

This was a perfect team.