chapter 11

Chapter 07 Part 2:

Zhui's Point of View

The events unfolding before me were beyond my wildest expectations, especially the sacred flames—our clan's pride as warriors—revealing a flaw. To me, this was unacceptable, a weakness that demanded immediate resolution.

Yet, what happened next caught me off guard. As I prepared to strike, the man lunged forward, grasping my leg with surprising tenacity. "Wait—what am I doing?" I gasped, shock coursing through me.

I couldn't believe this frail being, who should have succumbed to unconsciousness long ago, could hold me. There was nothing special about him—or so I thought. Who was he, truly?

He was different. My power as a Soul Eater should have begun devouring his soul the moment he touched me, yet I felt no urge to end his life. "Unhand me, you are an insolent fool!" I shouted, kicking at him in a fury.

Our Soul Eater lineage was feared for our ability to consume the souls of others, transforming them into our power source. As a royal, my strength surpassed others, meaning his soul should have been drained instantly upon contact. So why could this lowly creature endure my touch for so long?

A thought struck me—could he be the special being the elders spoke of, the one destined to be my soulmate? No, no, no. Impossible. They couldn't mean a weakling like him.

Our clan's threat to others had once united rival races against us, nearly wiping us out. The survivors' mission was to find our soulmates, our kadiwas, to replenish our numbers.

For fifty years, I'd searched without finding anyone who could withstand my abilities, clinging to the hope I'd meet my match. This was the first time a being had held me this long. The idea was absurd, yet… could this pitiful man be my kadiwa?

The shame of it gnawed at me—a nightmare for a member of the Khan royalty. My peers would mock me mercilessly if they knew. He had to disappear before word spread.

Panic seized me, my resolve hardening to eliminate him and avoid further disgrace. But before I could act, my spirit pet, Serphia, intervened. "Think carefully about your next move, my noble princess," she hissed, her voice a soothing yet firm whisper.

Serphia, a serpent spirit beast, had guarded the Khan clan for millennia. When our kingdom fell, the right to claim her was entrusted to me, making her my protector. "If you kill him, you may never find another like him," she cautioned.

She reminded me that since becoming mine, she'd never encountered a soul compatible with mine—until now. She also noted the dwindling number of Soul Eaters with each passing day. "I don't know why this weakling is your soulmate, but you have no choice but to accept it," she added.

Her words sent a shiver down my spine, as if she urged me to embrace him as my kadiva. I understood the need to preserve our lineage, but it felt unjust for a princess like me to be bound to one person—especially him. "I don't need a weakling like him!" I protested to Serphia.

She persisted, reminding me I couldn't shirk my duty or the needs of my body. She slithered into my clothing, coiling around me with a teasing grace. As a spirit beast, she was part of me, free to reside within my body as her home. "What are you doing, Serphia? Stop that!" I snapped, a flush creeping up my neck.

Her playful nature sometimes exploited my sensitivity to her movements, the ticklish sensation embarrassing me. Yet, I knew her intent. Who wanted to be alone for fifty years? Perhaps she had a point—not all humans were weak; some, like those from the Irish Kingdom, held warrior potential.

I turned to the man. "Hey, human, are you from the Irish Kingdom? What rank do you hold?" I demanded, hoping for a promise.

His response dashed my hopes. "Rank? I don't understand, but I know I came from a grand mansion, imprisoned beneath it," he said, his voice trembling.

I winced, disappointment and irritation flaring. "Imprisoned? Don't tell me you're just a lowly slave?" I sneered.

This was a grave misjudgment. Not only was he a useless crybaby, but also the lowest of the low. Rage erupted within me, and I raised my sword to strike. "This is nonsense! I gain nothing from you—vanish already!" I roared.

But in an unexpected twist, he threw his arms around me, his embrace halting my movement. I couldn't comprehend it, yet my body froze, feeling the warmth of his trembling form. For the first time, my heart pounded—not from fear, but something unfamiliar. Was this desire, or could he truly be my kadiva?

Despite the strange sensation, my mind screamed it was wrong. "Please, I'll do anything you ask—just don't kill me!" he sobbed, his tears soaking into me.

All I heard was his begging, fueling my irritation at his display of weakness and cowardice. "Release me! Do you know no one has survived touching me?" I snapped.

He ignored me, tightening his grip, murmuring he didn't know why he'd ended up here. "They probably cast me out like they did my companions from the mansion," he whispered.

I dismissed his words, having no stake in his fate, and threatened to kill him if he didn't let go. I wanted this over, but Serphia slithered into my sleeve again. "You're too hot-headed, princess. Calm down," she chided.

She argued that even as a slave, he possessed a unique trait making him my kadiva, a potential waste if I acted on emotion. She suggested his strength could grow with guidance and training. "You want me to mentor him? I can't take him with me against my enemies," I countered.

Serphia knew his vulnerability would make him a target, but she proposed a solution. "Your souls are compatible. Lend him the Sanitoshi sword, bless him as your kadiva, and it will recognize him as its new wielder," she said. "What do you think of that plan, my noble princess?"

I paused, weighing her words. Despite my disdain for his lowly status, wasting his potential was foolish—especially if another fifty years passed without a match. I didn't respond, but Serphia knew I had no better option. She addressed the man. "Hey, human, would you like a chance to live? If you agree to our terms, we'll give you the means to defend yourself," she offered.

Without hesitation, he nodded. "I'll give myself to you, ready to do anything for my safety," he vowed.

I trusted Serphia's wisdom, though her next words irked me. "Are you prepared to please the princess every night?" she teased.

Her loyalty was unwavering, but her mischief annoyed me. "I don't understand, but I'm willing to do anything to make the princess happy," he replied earnestly.

Before the conversation veered further, I intervened. "Enough with this nonsense—stop it!" I snapped, pushing her face away.

He knelt before me, pledging his loyalty. "I don't understand everything now, but I'm ready to do all I can to be a worthy kadiwa for you."

Unexpectedly, his words stirred a flutter of excitement in me. He didn't grasp the kadiva bond, yet his sincerity warmed my heart. For the first time, someone wanted to accept me—a being shunned and labeled a plague by the world.

My life, a relentless cycle of fleeing and fighting to survive, had buried my childhood dream of finding a companion, building a peaceful family. That hope, shattered by war and our clan's curse, seemed a fantasy in this dark world—until now, a faint light flickered.

As I pondered my next move, a sudden presence jolted me. "I sense hounds from afar—they won't let us be," I said.

Serphia warned me to decide quickly; if the hounds spotted him, they'd kill him to spite me. "They're over two kilometers away—I doubt they've found us yet."

I needed to act fast. Summoning the Sanitoshi sword's spirit, I plunged it into the ground. "I am Khan Zhui, princess of the Khan clan. If you truly wish to be my kadiwa, prove yourself to me," I declared.

I introduced him to the sword, stipulating he could wield it only for me, and it would slay him if his loyalty wavered. I tasked him with using it to grow strong and win Crimson Games. I sought no glory for him—only his ability to protect himself.

"Weakness is a sin in this world," I said. "The strong kill the weak. If you want to live, strive to become strong. Born a lowly being, I now grant you the right to rise and endure in Endoryo."

I proclaimed him mine, the property of Princess Khan Zhui, answerable only to me. "Your heart, spirit, and body belong to me alone," I added.

The sword's crystal glowed, affirming the blessing and its conditions. Turning away, I strode off, eager to evade my enemies. But before I could escape, he chased after me, pleading,

"I don't know how to fight—please take me with you! I'll do anything for you!"

I halted, turning to challenge him. "If that's so, do everything you can for me. Obey my commands."

I gambled by entrusting him with the Sanitoshi sword, a treasure equal to my life—half my existence now rested with him. It was madness, yet I clung to a sliver of hope. I promised that if he proved worthy to stand beside me, I'd give him all I had. Then, with a swift leap, I fled, needing distance from him.

I hoped my fate wasn't this dark—please, don't let me down.

End of Zhui's Point of View

As Zhui departed, the slave pursued her. This slave, marked by the number twenty-five etched on his chest, was known as XXV. He hailed from Hezo, a territory under the warlord Gabito, who used slaves for experiments.

Terror gripped him, his mind racing with fear of what might come. Yet, he knew he must obey his princess. Approaching the sword embedded in the ground, he pulled it free. "The princess wants me to use this to become strong," he murmured.

With the blade in hand, he fled to hide, certain the princess had given him a chance he couldn't squander. "I don't know if I can survive here, but I must grow strong to be worthy of her," he resolved.

Days turned to weeks, then months, as he struggled to survive alone. He trained himself to battle weaker beasts, risking his life daily in exhausting fights to see another dawn. "I must be strong," he whispered. "I'll live for the princess and prove myself worthy of her."

For a hundred days, he endured hunger, trials, and searing pain, his resolve fueled by their mutual promise to reunite one day.