The air between them had turned solid.
Reinhard had not drawn his sword, but his hand rested on the hilt with a tension that none of those present had ever seen before. His blue eyes, normally serene like a clear sky, now shone with an intensity that made the knights watching from the shadows of the hall tremble.
—Kaito —Reinhard said, his voice retaining that characteristic calm, but with a new edge—. I do not wish to fight you.
—I know —Kaito replied, and his smile was almost kind—. But I'm not going to let myself be locked up either.
—Then —Reinhard exhaled slowly—. Allow me to accompany you to the outskirts of the capital. We cannot continue here; many people could be affected.
Kaito nodded, internally grateful that the Knight understood what was at stake; he didn't want innocent people to be compromised either. He said nothing more. He simply turned and walked toward the doors of the hall, with Reinhard following closely behind.
—Reinhard! —Bordeaux's voice thundered in the chamber—. Arrest him right now!
—Later —Reinhard replied without turning—. Protecting the citizens is my priority... After I have ensured that, I will do my job.
And they stepped out.
•••
The outskirts of the capital stretched out like a green mantle under the clear sky. A green prairie, small forests, and in the background, the faint line of the mountains and the majestic Flugel tree. Kaito stopped in the middle of a clearing, turning to face the Knight who had followed him in silence.
—All right —Kaito said, putting his gloved hands into his jacket pockets—. We won't disturb anyone here.
Reinhard stopped about ten meters away. His posture was perfect, as always, but there was something different in his eyes. It wasn't fear—Kaito knew that, as Reinhard had not felt such a thing until now. It was something closer to anticipation.
—May I ask something before we begin? —Reinhard said.
—Tell me.
—Why did you kill Roswaal?
Kaito looked at him for a moment. The question was sincere, without judgment. Only genuine curiosity.
—Because he did unforgivable things. And because I could do it —he replied simply—. Sometimes things don't need more reason than that.
Reinhard nodded slowly, as if that answer were enough for him. Then, his hand closed around the hilt of his sword.
—Then, allow me to show you why they call me the Sword Saint.
The first attack was like a bolt of lightning.
Reinhard's blade left its sheath with a sound that seemed to tear the sky. Kaito did not move. The blow passed centimeters from his face, the biting wind lifting his hair. Because Reinhard, even in his offensive, was not aiming to kill. Not yet.
—Aren't you going to counterattack? —Reinhard asked, already in motion.
—I just want to see how far you get —Kaito replied, dodging a thrust with a barely perceptible movement.
And then Reinhard became serious.
His strikes accelerated. Every cut, every thrust, every sweep was perfect. There was no waste, no doubt. The Knight moved with the grace of one born to wield a sword, and his technique was impeccable.
Kaito dodged, blocked with crossed arms causing the sound of clashing steel to ring out upon impact, and backed away. But he did not attack; even as Reinhard began to cause destruction that expanded by hundreds of kilometers each time, Kaito remained impassive.
—Are you looking down on me?! —Reinhard's voice changed for the first time. There was a hint of frustration in it.
—No —Kaito said, stopping a blow with the palm of his gloved hand. The impact raised a shockwave that flattened the ground for thousands of meters around them—. I just want you to understand something.
Reinhard stepped back, his blue eyes fixed on Kaito. His breathing was only slightly faster, but his posture remained perfect.
—What?
—That even you —Kaito said, and for the first time, his presence shifted—. Have a ceiling.
Kaito's aura expanded like an invisible wave. It wasn't aggressive; it wasn't oppressive. It was simply... immense. As if the sky had suddenly decided to settle upon the earth and look down on everyone from above.
As if a superior creature were descending from the heavens.
Reinhard felt his instincts scream. Every fiber of his being told him that the man in front of him was more than an opponent. He was a mountain. An ocean. The void itself... No, at the end, he even glimpsed a terrifying Black Dragon, with four horns on its head and scales as black as soot.
But Reinhard van Astrea did not back down from this sight; he had never backed down.
—Divine Protection of the Sword Saint —he whispered, and his sword glowed with a blinding white light.
The white lines appeared before his eyes. The ones that showed him the path to cut anything. He saw how he should attack, where, and with what force. He saw the image of himself piercing through Kaito. He saw the possibility of victory.
And he advanced.
The blow was devastating. The earth split beneath his feet, the air tore like paper, and the white light of his sword illuminated the sky like a second sun, appearing like a pillar connecting heaven and earth. All the power of the Holy Sword concentrated into a single movement.
Kaito raised a hand.
The impact detonated with the force of a cataclysm. Centuries-old trees were uprooted, the earth rippled like the surface of a lake, and thousands of kilometers away, the citizens of the capital felt the ground tremble beneath their feet as structures around them began to show cracks.
But when the light dissipated, Reinhard saw something he had never seen in his entire life.
Kaito was still there. Standing. His hand had caught the sword —the Dragon Sword Reid— as if it were a child's toy. The blade that only unsheathed against worthy opponents, which had cut through heaven and earth, which had generated terrifying destructive power, was motionless between that man's fingers.
—Impossible —Reinhard whispered.
—No —Kaito said, and his voice was soft, almost kind—. It is just an irrefutable fact.
Gently, as if he were bending a dry branch, Kaito twisted his wrist. The sword emitted a crunch and shrieked in agony, as if feeling the pain of being damaged; then it went flying from Reinhard's hands, tracing a silver arc in the air before plunging into the earth meters away.
As the blade splintered and small pieces of its material fell onto the messy ground, Reinhard looked at his empty hands. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.
Kaito advanced. One step, another. He was in no hurry. When he was in front of him, Reinhard looked up. He expected a blow. He expected punishment for his failure.
Right now he could do nothing; his greatest strength was himself with his sword, and now it was gone. Then there were his blessings... Now he didn't feel his connection to them; he felt like an ordinary person.
Reinhard waited for the crushing attack, but instead, he felt a dry impact on his chest.
It wasn't a mortal blow. It was barely a push, a touch that hardly displaced the air. But it carried within it the force of a dragon awakened. Reinhard flew backward, his body crossing the field like a stone skipped across water, carving a ravine thousands of meters long.
Breaking and tearing apart everything in his path. Until he finally crashed into a mound of earth rising in the distance.
Reinhard was injured... gravely injured, but it didn't truly affect him due to his healing blessings, which apparently returned to him at the last second. But as he lay there, looking at the sky that suddenly seemed further away than ever, Reinhard van Astrea understood something he had forgotten a long time ago.
Humility and feeling so... weak.
Kaito walked toward him. When he arrived, Reinhard had already stood up, although his white uniform was torn, covered in dust and dirt. The Knight looked at him with an expression that was difficult to read: surprise, admiration, and something Kaito recognized as gratitude.
—You have taught me a lesson today —Reinhard said, bowing his head slightly—. I will not forget it... You broke my connection with the blessings I possess... If you had wanted to, you could have killed me.
—It wasn't my intention to humiliate you —Kaito replied—. Nor even to kill you; I only wanted you to understand that there are things beyond what you can see.
Reinhard nodded. Then, without saying anything else, he approached the place where his sword was planted, knelt, and picked it up from the ground. When he stood up again, his face had regained that characteristic serenity, but there was something new in his eyes. Something deeper.
—Let's return —Reinhard said—. I will give my report to the King.
•••
Royal Hall.
•••
The throne room was in silence when Reinhard and Kaito returned.
The councilors, the knights, even the King—everyone watched the two men walking toward the center of the chamber. Reinhard was disheveled, his uniform stained with dirt, but his bearing was as upright as ever. Kaito walked beside him as if nothing had happened.
—Your Majesty —Reinhard said, bowing—. I have personally verified this man's power. It is... beyond what our forces can contain.
The silence grew deeper. Bordeaux wanted to speak, but Miklotov stopped him with a barely perceptible gesture.
—And you —King Randohal looked at Kaito—. What do you want?
Kaito stopped in front of the throne. He looked at the King, the councilors, and the knights surrounding him with cautious gazes. And for a moment, he almost felt pity for them.
He could feel the fear they had; even he was surprised by the amount of magic Reinhard expelled in that attack. Now, if after that Reinhard's enemy remains fine, for these people who place all their trust in Reinhard for everything, it is a hard blow.
—I don't want anything —he finally said—. I am not interested in a title, nor lands, nor your favor. I only want to be left in peace.
—And Roswaal's territory? —Prince Fourier asked with genuine curiosity.
—I will handle it. I will maintain order, protect those who live there, and ensure that Roswaal's crimes do not go unpunished. If Your Majesty wishes to send someone to collect taxes and such, do so. But I will not be your dog.
The word fell like a lash in the room. Several councilors stood up in indignation, but the King raised a hand and the noise ceased.
—And if we refuse to accept your conditions —Randohal said, his red eyes fixed on Kaito—. What will you do?
Kaito smiled. It wasn't a threatening smile. It was the smile of someone who already knows the end of the story.
—Nothing will happen. I will leave. But —his gaze became more serious—. If anyone tries to harm those I have decided to protect, then we will have a problem. Besides, you wouldn't be that foolish, right? Everyone with at least some strength felt what happened in the distance.
Everyone remained mute at Kaito's words; they truly weren't fools, far from it.
After this uncomfortable silence.
The King observed Kaito in silence for a long moment. Then, slowly, he nodded.
—Reinhard —he said.
—Yes, Your Majesty.
—Accompany this man to the limits of the capital. And ensure that the competent officials receive a detailed report on the situation in the Mathers territory.
—As you command.
Kaito bowed his head in a gesture of respect. He expected no more. He turned to leave, but Crusch Karsten's voice stopped him.
—Kaito.
He turned. The young green-haired woman looked at him with those eyes that seemed to see beyond appearances.
—Will you also protect the people who served Roswaal? —she asked.
—I am already doing so —Kaito replied—. There are two girls who need a home. And others who deserve a chance away from that man.
Crusch nodded, as if that answer were enough for her. Kaito said nothing more; he just looked at this girl once more before leaving. He left the hall with Reinhard at his side, leaving behind a room full of whispers and glances from people who no longer knew what to think.
•••
When they were in front of the palace gates, Reinhard stopped.
—I can teleport from here —Kaito said—. You don't need to accompany me any further.
Reinhard nodded but did not move. His blue eyes studied him with an intensity Kaito already knew.
—Do you believe what you did was right? —Reinhard asked suddenly—. Killing Roswaal, I mean.
Kaito looked at him for a moment. The question was sincere.
—I don't know —he admitted—. But I know that if I hadn't done it, he would still be causing harm. And I wasn't going to allow that if I could help it.
Reinhard nodded slowly.
—May I ask you one more thing?
—Sure.
—Are you human?
Kaito smiled. He truly smiled—not with irony or mockery, but with something akin to warmth.
—No —he said—. Not anymore. Not entirely, at least.
Reinhard seemed to process that information. Then, to Kaito's surprise, the Knight sketched a small smile.
—Then —he said—, I suppose I should be grateful that such a powerful being has decided to protect the weak instead of crushing them. I also thank you for not breaking my sword completely.
—I am no hero —Kaito replied—. Just someone who got lucky. And don't thank me for your sword; besides, it is recovering from the damage on its own.
And without waiting any longer, a blue aura appeared beneath Kaito's feet. In a flash of light, he vanished.
Reinhard stared at the empty space for a long moment. Then, he sighed and turned to return to the palace. He had a report to deliver.
And perhaps, also, a new perspective on the world in which he lived. Obviously, he would also have to deal with the consequences of the fight; it was truly going to give him a headache to fix the terrain he had destroyed.
•••
Mathers Mansion.
•••
The Mathers mansion stood silent under the sunset sky. When Kaito appeared in front of the entrance, the doors opened before he could touch them.
Frederica received him with an expression that mixed relief and concern. Behind her, peeking from the shadows of the hallway, were Rem and Ram, their eyes still reddened but calmer than before.
—How did it go? —Frederica asked.
—Well —Kaito replied, entering—. We won't have problems with the capital. For now.
He walked toward the lounge, and on the way, he felt Emilia's presence before seeing her. She was sitting on the sofa, with Puck on her knees, and when she saw him enter, her violet eyes lit up.
—Kaito —she said, her voice having that tone she always used when she was relieved—. You really are okay.
Kaito smiled, and for a moment, all the events of the battle, the negotiations, and the threat he had launched at the King dissipated.
—I'm fine, Emilia. I came back, like I promised.
He sat down beside her, and the others began to gather around. Frederica brought tea. The sisters approached slowly, still shy, but seeking his presence. And as night fell over the mansion...
Kaito felt that finally, he was fitting into this new world... with, apparently, a new family.