Noiji: “Nothing is greater than the love of a family. Especially not the love of a sister for her little brothers.”

  Noiji and Jiggo stand directly across from each other. The rest of the people are spread all over the field, ready to attack. A single movement could provoke the fight.

  Jiggo: “You’re right. But a father’s love is also great. Perhaps even greater than yours.”

  Noiji: “I doubt that.”

  She begins playing with her hair. She wraps her long, dark strands around her fingers and then releases them. She straightens her long skirt and puts a piece of gum into her mouth.

  Noiji: “I won’t attack first.”

  Jiggo: “Neither will I. That would be rather unpleasant for me.”

  Both keep their word. Neither moves nor even shows the intention of attacking. Noiji has her principles, and Jiggo has his pride.

  Naki: “[What are you planning, Sister? Is she really going to fight or just stall for time?]”

  Right after that thought, Noiji turns toward him.

  Noiji: “Don’t worry, Naki. Your big sister has everything under control.”

  Out of sheer astonishment, Naki’s mouth falls open.

  Naki: “Huh? How did you—”

  A man from the surrounding crowd runs toward Noiji. He holds a small axe in his hand and swings it directly at her face.

  Naki: “Watch out!”

  The axe stops. From Naki’s perspective, it looks like it struck his sister’s face. The man puts on a devilish grin and pulls the axe back.

  Man: “Stupid brat. Talking so boldly to our leader…”

  Suddenly, he collapses to the ground. He tries to get back up, but something seems to be holding him down. The surroundings begin to vibrate slightly.

  Noiji: “An axe isn’t enough to kill me.”

  The still-living Noiji kicks the man in the head, triggering a chain reaction within the mob. Everyone rushes in. They are armed with knives, axes, short spears, and whips.

  Noiji: “I may not attack first, but I will defend myself.”

  She blocks all incoming attacks with a shield of vibrations. She grabs people by their arms and hurls them around. Her vibrations amplify her physical strength.

  Jiggo: “Impressive! I wouldn’t have expected you to be a frontal fighter.”

  One by one, she defeats them. Not a single one seems to stand even the slightest chance.

  She also continuously releases small vibration waves toward her companions.

  Zackory: “She should practice her Birth-Ability more. It’s uncontrolled and unstable.”

  Naki: “You’re completely wrong about that. Noiji is perfect in executing her abilities. The fact that you confused her Birth-Protection with a Birth-Ability proves that. She definitely has some kind of plan.”

  Zackory: “Excuse me?”

  Surprised, the knight candidate watches his younger half-sister as she thoroughly overwhelms an entire group of brutal men and women.

  Noiji: “Oh? Only one left?”

  The last person is a young woman. With trembling hands, she holds a knife. Slowly, Noiji approaches her—even though she should fear being stabbed.

  Noiji: “You’re lucky. You don’t look like a threat, so I’ll let you go.”

  With tears in her eyes, the woman runs into the forest and disappears into the darkness.

  Noiji: “What kind of group are you? Is no one here competent except you?”

  Jiggo: “That’s hard to say. I ordered my daughter and her guardian not to interfere in this massacre.”

  Noiji: “You call this a massacre? Not even a single person has died.”

  Jiggo: “Even so, it was painful for me to watch my people be defeated and humiliated so easily.”

  Noiji’s gum bubble pops.

  Noiji: “What about the woman who ran away?”

  Jiggo: “She has officially left our society and has been labeled a traitor. If we cross paths with her again, we must kill her.”

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  Jiggo takes off his cloak, revealing his broad upper arms. He assumes a fighting stance.

  Jiggo: “Shall we begin?”

  Noiji: “Yes. But which of us will start?”

  As stated before, neither wants to make the first move.

  Noiji: “I’ll tell you what. I’ll make the first move if I’m allowed to blow one more bubble.”

  Jiggo: “Go ahead.”

  She blows another bubble. It covers her entire face. The bubble trembles slightly before it bursts. At the same moment, Noiji presses her hands into the ground. She creates an artificial earthquake.

  Jiggo: “Was that all?”

  Noiji: “No. But that attack wasn’t meant for you.”

  Suddenly, Naki—carrying Najun on his back—along with Kitoka and Zackory, begins running. Jiggo immediately tries to go after Kitoka, but the ground forms into a cage around him. The vibrations of the cage and the air render him completely immobile.

  Noiji: “Go on ahead. I’ll take care of him and catch up.”

  Jiggo: “How did you overcome the effect of the mud so easily?”

  Noiji: “Vibrations are versatile. I can not only reshape objects or fire pressure-wave-like attacks, but also expel foreign substances from the body. I told you—I’m an icon. And since you’re not, you’ll lose to me.”

  Jiggo: “Nooooo! Silver Serpent!”

  At his shout, something silver suddenly coils around Noiji. She is instantly thrown into the air, lifted off the ground.

  Noiji: “What the hell? What are you doing, Kogiri?”

  She lands softly as her carriage driver and travel companion holds out his whip toward her.

  Kogiri: “Sorry, everyone. But that was my cue.”

  Noiji: “Your cue…”

  With a powerful punch to her ribs, Noiji is hurled into a tree, which splits in two upon impact.

  Jiggo: “I knew you were my son. I knew it from the very first glance.”

  Kogiri: “Hello, Father. Long time no see.”

  They embrace.

  Jiggo: “At last, all my children have returned to me. Now the next phase of our plan can begin.”

  In the middle of their conversation, they don’t even notice that they are being surrounded by their enemies.

  Naki: “What is this, Kogiri? Did you inhale too much of that mud?”

  Kogiri: “No, Naki. Unfortunately, it’s true: I am a traitor. Since we weren’t that close, I suppose it’s not such a big deal.”

  Naki: “What the hell are you talking about? Not a big deal? I thought our shared journeys brought us closer. Do you remember? We used to clean the carriages together at the temple.”

  Kogiri: “What are you trying to say?”

  Naki: “We had a damn friendship. You should have loyalty toward us just like we had toward you.”

  Kogiri: “You call us friends? We must have different definitions of that word. I’ll put it simply: everything I experienced with you had only one purpose—to mislead you. Nothing more.”

  Unintentionally, Naki lets Najun fall and charges at Kogiri with his sword in hand. He unleashes many strikes, but none hit their mark. With steady movements, Kogiri dodges every attack.

  Naki: “Fight properly! We’re not friends, so give it everything you’ve got!”

  With a leap, Naki propels himself into the air. A black ring forms behind him, from which a sword emerges and flies toward Kogiri.

  Naki: “First Sword: Cogitatio.”

  The battle between Naki and Kogiri intensifies dangerously, prompting Jiggo to step in. Before he can take a single step toward the fight, a sword stops in front of his face.

  Zackory: “I cannot allow you to interfere with my brother’s healing process and his duel. Let’s either wait—or engage in an honorable sword fight ourselves. I’ll even give you a sword.”

  Jiggo: “You’re quite a strange bird.”

  Soon, two major battles erupt. Naki moves across the ground and through the air like a snake, pushing his combat art to its maximum. Kogiri’s whip begins to glow. Jiggo’s fists bleed, and his adrenaline is higher than ever. Zackory fights with multiple large swords and his noble knight’s armor.

  Zackory: “Please put on armor and wield a sword. Please. Then we’ll have a truly spectacular fight.”

  Jiggo: “No thanks. I’m not as old-fashioned as you. Don’t you think a noble knight like you should have short hair?”

  Zackory: “Good question. I wanted to cut it, but my mother loves my hair, so I wear it this way for her.”

  Jiggo: “Wow. I wish my son would care about my wishes like that.”

  Several swords pursue Jiggo, trying to pierce him. With raw strength, he shatters them with his bare fists.

  Without realizing it, the two battles draw closer together.

  Zackory: “Now it’s two versus two. Is it still a duel?”

  Kogiri: “More like two versus one.”

  Kogiri leaves his fight with Naki and runs toward Zackory. Zackory prepares to face him, but Jiggo joins in.

  Jiggo: “Come on, my son.”

  Jiggo and Kogiri stand side by side, ready to strike Zackory with their fists simultaneously. Zackory instantly maximizes his defense, reinforcing his armor in front of him into a thick metal shield.

  In the next moment, Zackory is launched high into the air. His blood, falling from the sky, paints a red trail. Within seconds, he disappears from sight. He has been struck through half the forest and vanishes.

  Naki: “Zackory! No!”

  Jiggo: “I’d say he didn’t survive that. My son and I together possess truly monstrous strength.”

  With a trembling stance, Naki stands upright. He grips his sword tightly and breathes in and out deeply.

  Naki: “I will strike you down. Slowly and painfully.”

  Before the next round can begin, Naki is blasted into the forest by a pressure wave. Loud explosions of air and earth echo.

  Noiji: “What were you about to do? Sacrifice yourself? Get out of here before I get angry.”

  Noiji, having recovered from the blow, takes over the fight against father and son.

  Naki: “But Sister—”

  Noiji: “Go! You’d only die needlessly. Find the way to the hospital.”

  Naki: “Wait—what about Najun and the girl?”

  Noiji: “I’ve already handled that.”

  She stretches her hand to the left with a thumbs-up. There, the girl can be seen running away with Najun in his wheelchair.

  Naki: “Why is she doing that? We can’t trust her.”

  Noiji: “Don’t worry. She’s a good girl—I know that for sure. Now go.”

  Without further protest, Naki leaves. As difficult as it is, he knows there is nothing he can do for his sister.

  Naki: “[I have to reach that hospital quickly. The girl is probably heading there with Najun too. I have to hurry. I have to—]”

  His steps grow slower and weaker. He doesn’t even know how long he has been running. In any case, he can no longer hear or see the fight. Just before collapsing from exhaustion and fatigue, he sees someone running toward him.

  Naki: “I-I need h-help…”

  Back in the present:

  Naki: “That’s the last thing I remember. Was it you, Dr. Bunny?”

  Dr. Bunny: “No. I found you near the hospital, but based on your story, you were still quite a distance away from it.”

  Naki: “I see. Maybe I was robbed—or maybe it was a guardian angel.”

  Najun: “You’re saying Zackory is dead?”

  Naki: “Most likely. Unless he survived a fall from skyscraper height.”

  Dr. Bunny and Kanashimi notice that the conversation is emotionally charged. They gather their belongings and leave.

  Najun: “And what happened to that girl? Kitoka was her name?”

  Naki: “No idea. But since you ended up in this hospital, she must have made it here. Maybe she dropped you off and continued on her way?”

  Najun: “Maybe. I’d just like to thank her.”

  Najun: “[My gut feeling is awful. I don’t want to throw up again. Or is it something emotional? Does it have something to do with the girl?]”