"So you've only completed two trials?" Kina asked, her eyes curious.
"Yeah, that's how far I've gone," Ryojin replied, leaning back on the wooden bench. His hands rested behind his head, and his tone was calm. "What about you? Planning to climb all the way to the top once you form a pact?"
"What makes you say that?" Kina tilted her head, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"I saw how your eyes lit up when Master Kazin talked about the different levels," Ryojin said, glancing at her. "You looked excited… Tell me, why do you want to become stronger?"
Kina's smile faded. She looked down for a moment. "You're right," she said softly. "I do want to become stronger. But it's not just for me. I want to protect the people I care about."
Her voice dropped, almost like she was remembering something far away.
"My parents and my brother… they died right in front of me," she continued, her voice trembling. "During the war. We were just eating together… then suddenly, part of a building crashed through the roof. It hit them before I could even understand what was happening."
Ryojin looked down. His lips pressed together, and he avoided her eyes.
"So next time, if something like that happens again," Kina said, her voice filled with quiet anger, "I'll be ready. I'll protect the children at the orphanage. I won't let anyone die like that again."
She turned to look at him. "What about you? What did you lose during the war?"
"In… my home… kingdom…" Ryojin stammered, but the words wouldn't come out. His throat tightened.
"Never mind, I'm sorry," Kina said quickly. "I didn't mean to make you remember anything painful. Let's change the topic, okay?"
Ryojin gave a small nod, his chest heavy with guilt.
The silence between them stretched. Rain had been falling for hours, and it didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. The sky was grey, and the sound of droplets filled the quiet space between them.
Meanwhile, in the city of Astraea…
Inside Lysara's chambers, three figures stood around a large map of the mortal realm. The map was spread over a round stone table. Lysara, Darius, and Seraphis studied it with serious faces.
"Where do you think he could've gone?" Lysara asked in a low voice. "If we don't pin down his location, we can't stop him."
"I'm pretty sure he's hiding in one of the six kingdoms," Seraphis said, spinning one of her daggers between her fingers.
"What makes you say that?" Darius asked. His body was still wrapped in bandages, but his tone was sharp.
"Because he's still human," Seraphis replied. "He needs food, shelter, clothes. You won't find those in any of the fallen kingdoms."
"That makes sense," Lysara nodded. Her finger moved across the map. "So he's either in Lupas, Karin, Yoda, Gadrid, Colonia … or Nefaria."
"Well, that narrows down the search," Seraphis muttered. "So, are we going to look for him and attack?"
"No, that won't work," Darius said firmly. "If we do that, there's a chance he might run. It's not like him, but we can't take risks. We need to strike when he's not expecting it."
"You're right," Lysara admitted, turning toward him. "What do you suggest?"
"I say we send Elite Sentinels. Disguised. Let them blend into the six kingdoms. If any of them finds him, they report back."
"Solid plan, Darius," Seraphis said with a grin, nudging him lightly. "Your brain's really something. Just curious… were you always this smart when you were human, or did you get smarter after?"
"Seraphis, focus," Lysara cut in, clearly annoyed. "We don't have time to play around."
"I was just curious," Seraphis shrugged and turned toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Lysara asked.
"I'm heading out," she said, opening the door. "Call me when there's some real action."
Lysara shook her head. "I don't understand why she acts like that," she said quietly, looking at Darius. "Your injuries… they're still not healed?"
"Not yet," Darius replied, easing into a chair. "But they should be by the time we go after Ryojin."
Lysara looked at him, thoughtful. "How powerful was he? Do you think he's on the same level as the Abyssal Clan's Elite Five?"
Darius leaned back, his voice low. "Ryojin is nowhere near that level. If I had fought one of them instead, I'd be dead by now. The abilities they unlock when exposed to abyssal energy… it's on another level."
"Don't you remember how hard it was to defeat them in the war?" Darius asked.
"Yeah," she whispered after a moment. "They only lost because their abyssal energy ran out. Even then, we couldn't capture them. They're monsters."
"Do you know what makes them more dangerous than Ryojin?" Darius asked.
She shook her head.
"It's not just their abilities," he said. "It's what they believe in. Ryojin fights for revenge. But the Elite Five… they say they fight for humanity."
"Fighting for humanity?" Lysara frowned. "Killing innocent people… how is that fighting for humanity?"
"Believe it or not, that's what they think. And when someone truly believes in what they're doing, even a weak man can fight a bear." He paused. "They mostly don't just kill anyone. They target criminals for the sacrifice . And before each sacrifice, there's a moment of silence. Like they're showing respect."
He looked down.
"Their leader, Veydris… he had a way of making us believe that we were doing the right thing."
"I hope we catch them too," Lysara said quietly.
"Yeah," Darius echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Darius," she said softly. "If we do find Ryojin… can you be able to kill him."
He looked up slowly, eyes meeting hers.
"What do you mean?"
"You said you two were once friends," she continued, her voice gentle but firm. "Will you hesitate when the time comes?"
Darius didn't answer right away.
"We were more than friends," he said finally. "He saved my life more times than I can count. We fought side by side. His like a brother to me."
Lysara took a step closer. "Then?"
Darius exhaled slowly. "If stopping him is the only way to protect this world… then no. I won't hesitate."
"But I'll pray," he thought as he lowered his head. "I'll pray that we never reach that point."
Lysara nodded, her expression unreadable. The storm was closing in. And so was the reckoning.