(Two years later)
The crimson sunlight touched Renji's face gently.
His elegant features, paired with that infamous smirk...
made him look even more striking than usual.
But it was fake.
It always had been.
I've been with him for two years, and still...
I still don't really know who he is.
Renji stood in front of the big tree. And two girls stood beside him.
"Slaves who attack—or even try to attack—their master," he said in that familiar mocking tone, "don't deserve mercy. But me? I'm a very merciful man."
He's been saying strange things lately.
Especially about slavery.
This camp has been just ours for two years...
Why does he want to change that now?
I was kneeling on the ground, lazily swinging my katana against a wooden post.
I still don't know how Renji convinces me to go along with his nonsense.
Even in this heat, he trains me for hours.
And he never gets tired himself.
"That's why I'm giving you a chance," he said.
"Hayato. Come here."
I looked up.
Our eyes met again.
Slowly, I stood.
He is sometimes very annoying.
No.
Most of the times.
And yet... I still don't want to disappoint him.
"I bought two slaves for you," he said.
I turned around.
They were about my age.
Their faces... completely identical.
Same fiery red hair, same piercing blue eyes.
They looked like they had stepped out of another world.
Twins.
"Why don't you show them how merciful I am," Renji said.
I sighed.
"What nonsense are you on about now..."
"See what I mean?" he chuckled.
"I'm the most merciful slave owner in the world. So if you kill me, it's basically murder."
The twin on the left stared at me.
The other one stayed silent.
Afraid.
But the one on the left…
she was probably the one who had attacked Renji.
I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it:
"Is what he said true, slave?"
I rolled my eyes and shrugged.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm no slave. Renji's just messing around."
But something stirred inside me.
Familiar... and uncomfortable.
Am I really free?
"Anyway," Renji said with that irritating curl of his lips,
"let's make a deal. Defeat Hayato, and you're free."
"So if we beat this slave, we can go?"
"You don't trust me, Kana?"
Renji put on a dramatically wounded expression.
After two years, I'd gotten used to his theatrics.
But thanks to this one, I now knew the name of the girl he hadn't bothered introducing:
Kana.
Kana stepped toward me.
She shot Renji a sharp look and said:
"You're a freak. This boy looks sick. We'll beat him easily."
Sick?
It's been two years...
If I still look sick...
What did I look like when Renji found me?
Renji let out a quiet laugh.
"Feisty, huh? Do you have a dragon hiding in there, little girl?"
"If you win... you go free," he added.
"I'll even throw in two silver coins."
Kana turned to her sister.
"Alright then. You just lost ten silver for nothing, old man. This'll be over quick, Yui."
Those words... gave courage to the hesitant Yui.
I still hadn't moved.
But Renji's eyes were on me.
And then... he whispered:
"This is impossible. Don't underestimate Hayato. I trained him."
It was a real smile.
And in that moment… something stirred again inside me.
Two years ago...
He pulled me back from the edge of a cliff.
He told me, "You have worth now."
Now, he was looking at me with the same unwavering resolve.
Kana grabbed the katana Renji offered her.
Yui hesitated at first, but in the end, she reached for weapon too.
I... just looked at Renji.
He said nothing.
But he didn't need to.
That look...
Was more than enough.
And I... looked at twins with my single eye.
I raised my katana.
Pointed it at the twins.
My body—
it ignited into its Second Flame.
I could feel the blood moving in my veins.
The katana in my hands felt lighter.
But a pressure weighed down on my arms.
The twins hesitated.
Only for a second.
But that one second...
was more than enough.