Chapter 7: Soft Landings and Sharp Words

Later, Ito arrived home to find Sara and Rayan waiting for him.Rayan grinned as soon as he saw him walk in.

"Knew you'd be fine," he said confidently. "You were with Captain Zeth—everyone knows how insanely strong he is."

Sara stepped closer, her eyes narrowing with concern as she leaned in, her face just inches from Ito's.

"Ito… are you really alright too?" she asked softly.

Ito stiffened, his cheeks flushing bright red.

"Y-Y-Yeah! Don't worry—I'm totally fine! Still breathing and everything!"

He awkwardly backed away, nearly tripping over his own feet.

Rayan chuckled, watching Ito grab a snack and munch away.

"So, how's training going? You gonna start flying or shoot lasers from your eyes next?"

Ito shrugged, voice casual.

"No way I'm doing anything like that—and you're totally making fun of me, aren't you?"

Rayan smirked."No, not at all." He paused, then added, "Oh—and I almost forgot. Did you hear about the Knights Festival?"

"Hmm… yeah, I heard a little—fireworks, tons of food, game stalls, that kind of stuff."

"That's right. But did you know there's also going to be a knight tournament?"

"No, I didn't! What's that about?"

"Basically, all twenty-five nations send their trainees—students working to become knights. They compete in a huge tournament against each other."

Ito's eyes lit up.

"W-Wow, that sounds amazing! Did you ever take part in it, Sara?"

Sara shook her head."Nope. Never really interested me, so I never joined."

Rayan nudged Ito with a grin, his tone teasing. "You know, Ito… the truth is, my little sister here just can't stand the idea of losing—right, Sara?"

From the kitchen, a fork flew past Rayan's neck, stabbing into the wall with a sharp thunk.

Sara's voice followed, calm but deadly, "Brother, it sounds like you're not hungry for dinner tonight."

Rayan froze, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek as he forced a shaky laugh.

"H-Haha... I was just praising your modesty, sis! Really!"

He slowly edged behind Ito for cover.

"Ito, buddy, protect me. You're the hero here, right?"

Sara turned to Ito, her voice softening a little.

"What about you, Ito? Are you planning to take part in the tournament?"

She leaned in slightly, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"I do want to take part, but wouldn't that go against the rules? Only students are allowed to participate, and I'm already a squad member."

Rayan said, "Well, I think you should talk to your captain about it. They might be able to pull some strings."

"Yeah... you're right. I should talk to Vice-Captain and Captain Zeth about it."

Sara gave a small shrug, her tone casual but firm. "If you're joining, I'll come along too."

The next morning, Ito was all set to head out. But the moment he opened the door, he walked face-first into something soft—Shion's chest, pressed right up against him before he could react.

"Huh... what is this soft sensation?" Ito mumbled, blinking in confusion—

A loud slap echoed through the air a second later.

"I'm really sorry, Shion! It was all my mistake!" Ito said, flustered and panicking as he bowed repeatedly.

"Oh no, I'm also sorry for slapping you!"

Ito tilted his head and asked, "Hmm... Shion, are you here to see Sara?" His tone was casual, but a hint of curiosity slipped through.

"Yeah, I came to ask Sara something about the festival."

"So that means you're also going to take part in the Knight's Tournament?"

"Knight's Tournament?" Shion blinked. "Well, I've never participated before, so I'm not really sure. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm reallly excited! That's why I'm planning to ask Captain Zeth if I can take part too."

"I can tell you're really looking forward to it," Shion said with a faint smile.

"Oh no, I'm already super late for training! The Vice-Captain's gonna eat me alive—bye, Shion!" Ito blurted out, scrambling off in a panic without waiting for a reply.

Somewhere far away, in the mountainous region of the Valles Nation...

High atop a jagged cliff shrouded in mist, the wind howled like a warning. At the very edge, a lone figure sat still as stone, legs crossed, cloak fluttering gently in the breeze. The sun had yet to rise fully, casting long shadows that clung to the rocks like ghosts.

Flanking him on either side were six silent figures—three to his left, three to his right—all standing at attention. Their faces were hidden beneath dark hoods, their presence more like phantoms than men.

The tension in the air felt like the calm before a storm.

The seated man finally opened his eyes, his tone calm but laced with quiet authority.

"Did you get any information about Nectar and Marco?"

One of the figures spoke in a steady, loyal tone.

"They both went after the kid's head in Nation Yonor… but after that, we lost all contact. Most likely, they were taken down by that knight—Zeth."

"We're still missing two more members," the figure added, his eyes narrowing as he glanced toward the distant horizon.

"About that," one of them said grimly, "we found out Lyniyan was killed… by the last surviving elf girl. As for Spike—he's gone dark. No contact since."

"I see," their boss said, his tone steady, unreadable.

The rumble of engines echoed through the mountain pass as dust rose from the narrow trail. Several armored vehicles came into view, speeding toward the cliffside. At the sight of them, one of the figures standing beside the seated man scoffed.

"Tch… do they really think they can catch us?" he said, cracking his knuckles with a smirk."I'll go and finish them off right away."

Their boss stood up and began walking toward the approaching army, his coat billowing in the wind.

"Don't move, Harnok," he said calmly. "I'll take care of them myself."

The army captain narrowed his eyes, gripping his sword tightly as the enemy came into view.

"We're ending those lousy bounty hunters right here, once and for all!" he barked with conviction.

Some soldiers murmured among themselves as they marched.

"W-Whoa… Captain's fired up today."

"Yeah, looks like he's out for blood. Must be personal this time. What do you think, Jayson?"

There was a pause.

"Jayson?"

He blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "Ah—sorry. I was just thinking…"

A small, wistful smile tugged at his lips.

"After all this time… I'm finally going to see my wife and daughter again."

The others fell silent, the weight of his words settling over them like a quiet prayer.

In an instant, chaos erupted.

The screams of men were drowned by the sickening sound of flesh tearing and armor cracking. One by one, the knight soldiers collapsed, their bodies ripped apart by an unseen force. Blood sprayed into the air like a fine mist, splattering across the jagged rocks beneath their feet.

Vehicles skidded to a halt, engines stalling mid-charge as fear gripped the remaining troops. No one could see what was attacking—but they could feel it. A crushing, invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe.

The rocky cliffside, once still and silent, was now drenched in red—slick with blood and strewn with broken weapons and lifeless bodies. The wind howled through the chasm like a mourning cry, as if the land itself had just witnessed a massacre.

It ended as fast as it began—swift, brutal, and absolute.