Chapter Index

    Meanwhile.

    At Astro’s headquarters, an interesting scene continued to unfold.

    More precisely, it was the sight of the training ground located underground.

    A deep resounding boom echoed through the ceiling.

    *BOOM!*

    Two figures stood with swords aimed at each other.

    One was a white-haired fox, the other a red-haired man.

    They were none other than Irene and Kyle.

    The two exchanged fierce blows.

    “Hmph…!”

    The fox exhaled lightly.

    The pure white flame held at her fingertips then covered the entire blade in white.

    The strike originating from it momentarily dyed the vision with a flash of light.

    The ripple caused by that sharp line was truly overwhelming.

    However, the opponent receiving it was no pushover either.

    A hearty laugh cut through the moment.

    “Hahaha! This is hot indeed!”

    *CLANG!*

    Without anyone noticing how he reacted, the man had raised the blunt edge of his sword.

    His sword path danced smoothly, deflecting the flames.

    It was a flexibility unbefitting his large build.

    “This time, from my side…!”

    Kyle pushed off the ground.

    His contracted leg muscles then launched him through space.

    His body, shot forth, vanished as if flickering.

    And the next moment, the man was right in front of her with a dazzling flash of light.

    A speed so fast it caused an optical illusion. The surging brilliant light targeted the fox.

    However, Irene was just as capable of reading the flow.

    Her eyes were utterly calm.

    “Fast.”

    *SWISH!*

    Though the sword tip rushed forward, the girl merely tilted her head slightly.

    The missed attack grazed her cheek, dangerously close.

    Thanks to it, a faint warmth remained on her cheek.

    The fox did not lose her composure.

    “Excellent! Haven’t you perfectly crossed the wall…!”

    “…Stop talking during our sparring session.”

    Pointless banter.

    Unlike the casual atmosphere, the scene was utterly fierce.

    It was the collision of a star who was once at the peak, and a star who would soon reach the peak.

    The pure white brilliant light never left the training ground.

    The hot aura enveloped the surroundings.

    *WHOOSH!*

    The starlight scattered here and there illuminated the pitch black.

    Just a few months ago, it was a one-sided dynamic where one side received instruction.

    However, now they had reached a stage where they could discuss swordsmanship with each other.

    As proper swordsmen, they were discussing their own unique styles.

    Flashes of light fluttered.

    “Shall we bring this to an end soon?”

    “…”

    The two were attempting to conclude.

    Each holding starlight, they sharpened their sword tips to a fine point.

    Light and darkness glowed in their tightly gripped hilts.

    A scene as if capturing the night sky.

    And so, their steps pushed off the ground.

    *THUD!*

    Just as the brilliant rays of light were about to collide.

    A shadow cut between them.

    “That’s enough.”

    Shimmering silver hair.

    Indifferently shining eyes.

    It was none other than Astro’s Vice-Captain, Neria.

    She was mediating the preceding attacks of Kyle and Irene.

    She held each sharp sword tip in her hands.

    Her red lips spoke with a bluntness.

    “Didn’t I tell you? Violent collisions are forbidden.”

    Neria, who had been refereeing the sparring until just now.

    As the atmosphere gradually heightened, she stopped the two at an opportune moment.

    Because there was a risk of putting strain on the headquarters building.

    Neria blinked.

    “Please calm yourselves down.”

    Her hands held the starlight.

    Yet, her palms showed no burns or even scratches.

    Upon seeing this, Irene’s eyes momentarily showed surprise.

    Originally, starlight was not a power ordinary people could touch.

    Even though they had held back their strength for a sparring match, it meant the attack wasn’t something that could be casually caught.

    The fox looked at the silver hair with interest.

    “…How?”

    A short murmur.

    Instead of answering, Neria scolded the two.

    It was typical nagging from a superior.

    “Even if you spar, I’d appreciate it if you’d do it outside. The training ground becomes a mess, doesn’t it? There’s a limit to tidying up the broken equipment.”

    “Hahaha! Vice-Captain! Why are you being so strict!”

    “This time, the cost will be charged to Mr. Kyle.”

    “That’s petty!”

    On the other hand.

    Kyle reacted as if he were used to the girl’s behavior.

    The sparring match quickly drew to a close.

    The man shook off the hand that had gripped his sword.

    A slight sweat beaded on his forehead.

    “Amazing! To think you’ve grown this much in just a few weeks!”

    “Well… I still couldn’t defeat you this time.”

    “Still, wasn’t it pretty even! And with a human once called the strongest in his prime.”

    “That’s because it’s been a long time since you retired from the front lines. How would you compare your prime to me now?”

    “Hmm… If it’s the current you, your win rate would be about 40%.”

    “Higher than I thought.”

    “Doesn’t that just mean you’ve grown that much!”

    A brief exchange of small talk.

    As they tidied up the surroundings, a boy appeared from somewhere.

    His unsettling narrow eyes had been watching the sparring the entire time.

    The snake spoke with a light clap.

    “Excellent, Miss Irene.”

    “That’s good. I’m glad it pleased you.”

    “It was more than enough.”

    Yuda smiled with satisfaction.

    The fox, who had grown remarkably.

    Though she hadn’t yet overwhelmed Kyle, she would soon surpass him.

    In about a year, she would reach a level comparable to the ‘Red Sword Saint’s’ prime.

    Such was the brilliance of Irene’s talent.

    The boy conveyed his regards for their hard work.

    “Everyone, you’ve worked hard.”

    After that, the sparring concluded.

    Everyone returned to their respective places.

    However, Neria, who had been the referee, remained in place.

    Clenching and unclenching the hand that had just been in contact with starlight.

    “…”

    She wasn’t injured or anything.

    As someone originally beloved by the stars, she was accustomed to such power.

    Though her starlight was currently sealed, Neria herself could handle a certain degree of light.

    The girl looked down at her still warm hand with a complicated expression.

    A discernible sense of unease.

    “Miss Neria?”

    “Ah… It’s nothing, Master.”

    She seemed to be swayed by some emotion.

    Soon, the girl collected herself and stepped back.

    The snake, feigning indifference, observed her troubled complexion.

    ***

    After Irene and Kyle’s sparring ended, dawn arrived.

    A visitor came to me, sitting in the Captain’s office.

    It was none other than the Vice-Captain.

    “Master…”

    Her silver hair lay calmly.

    The girl stood hesitantly, looking up at me.

    Perhaps it was because I had already checked her complexion during the day.

    I opened the door as if I had been waiting.

    “Come in. I was waiting for you.”

    “…Excuse me.”

    A troubled expression, as if plagued by anxiety.

    I already knew the reason Neria had come.

    ‘The seal.’

    It was about the seal I had placed on her starlight to prevent it from rampaging, back when we first met that winter.

    Perhaps it was because she had been surrounded by the starlight of two other people all day.

    The anxiety that had been dormant for a while seemed to have resurfaced.

    “It’s just that, I was worried the seal might have loosened…”

    Neria periodically wanted the seal checked.

    Normally, she harbored not even a trace of doubt about anything related to me, but when it came to her starlight, she seemed unable to maintain her composure.

    After all, it was a trauma that had completely ruined her life.

    I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

    ‘Is she afraid?’

    Neria was a kind person.

    What if she hurt someone?

    What if her precious people were injured?

    What if she returned to a solitary life like before?

    Even though the girl possessed overwhelming power, she couldn’t even bring herself to handle it.

    Because the terrible memories of the past were gnawing at her heart.

    The distrust was deep, profoundly deep.

    “I’m sorry. To doubt Master’s will…”

    “I’m fine, Miss Neria.”

    “…”

    “And the seal is perfectly fine. You can rest assured.”

    “I see… I apologize for harboring such presumptuous distrust.”

    “Really, it’s fine.”

    Neria bowed her head.

    Even so, relief lingered in her silver eyes.

    Such emotional shifts made the girl even more pitiable.

    I spoke with a faint sincerity.

    “Miss Neria.”

    “Yes.”

    “The seal is strong enough. It should last at least 100 years without issues. But… if Miss Neria makes up her mind, you can release it anytime. It was originally set up that way.”

    “…”

    “What’s important is your mindset.”

    “But… Master, I’m not ready yet…”

    “You’re not alone anymore. Even if it was impossible back then, the current Miss Neria can definitely do it. I believe that.”

    “…”

    “Because you’re always only fearing that time.”

    The girl naturally became dejected.

    I gently extended my hand and stroked her silver hair.

    Her docile acceptance of my touch hadn’t changed at all.

    What flickered before my eyes was a certain winter.

    -You don’t have to be in pain anymore. -Let’s go home together.

    The girl, covered in wounds, and I.

    The blizzard of dawn, where starlight fluttered.

    It was also a scene that now remained a corner of a memory.

    With the same smile as then, I whispered the same words.

    Hoping her nightmare would subside even a little.

    “Because I… will always be by your side.”

    Don’t worry about anything.

    The reverberation lingered in her ear.

    Neria couldn’t respond for a long time.

    She merely nodded in silence as the quiet continued.

    We were lost in thought like that.

    ***

    Meanwhile.

    In Kingdom, the Empire’s largest underground city.

    The domain ruled by a monarch once called the apex of the underworld.

    An unusual current was flowing there.

    “Hmm…”

    The old man let out a low groan.

    His golden eyes scanned the alley filled with corpses.

    A terrible stench of blood lingered around him.

    A chilling killing intent subtly crept into the monarch’s eyes.

    “Bulmyeong.”

    “You called, Your Majesty.”

    Standing beside him was the young man known as the monarch’s right-hand man, Bulmyeong.

    Bulmyeong was also observing the scene in the alley.

    His expression was unusually disturbed.

    As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

    “I need to send a message to the snake.”

    Regardless.

    The old man spoke without losing his composure.

    “Tell him that the situation we feared has become a reality.”

    *Chuckles.*

    He added a low chuckle.

    Only a faint wisp of smoke scattered behind the lightly burning cigarette.

    In a city where not even a trace of light entered, the monarch stood on the pitch black ground.

    A deep sense of disgust flickered in his characteristic golden eyes.

    “Finally… it seems night is coming even to this place.”

    Lying sprawled before the monarch was a corpse.

    It was the body of ‘Anxiety,’ one of his elite guards, known as one of the Five Negations.

    Its appearance was horrific, as if it had been torn apart and eaten by something.

    The old man murmured with a thin stream of cigarette smoke.

    “Is this the start?”

    Shadows were falling over the world.

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