Somewhere in the corridors…
A small group of knights advanced, led by Fukuchi. Their steps were tense, yet their postures still carried the weight of hard training.
Fukuchi, on the other hand, walked in silence, his expression distant.
A few moments earlier…
He had been walking the same way down an empty, dark corridor. Completely alone.
Only the sound of his footsteps could be heard. Slow. Heavy.
Then… he stopped abruptly. He still didn't turn around, but his face had gone serious.
"…Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Leaning against the wall with a relaxed expression was the hooded man.
"I'm taking care of them, sir. Everything will be ready soon."
Fukuchi remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he turned and began walking toward him.
"I gave you one single order… and look at the mess you've caused…" He stopped right in front of the hooded man. "You think it's funny to play with the lives of innocent people…?"
The hooded man shook his head.
"Of course not. All of this is necessary for—"
CRAAASH!
The sound of the impact exploded through the corridor.
For a moment, everything went silent.
The wall behind the hooded man had been destroyed by the blow, a massive crack spreading across the structure like a spiderweb. Fragments of stone slowly fell to the floor, raising a cloud of dust between the two of them.
The hooded man had moved his head at the last second.
Just a few centimeters.
Enough to avoid the strike. But not enough to ignore the power behind it.
Even so, his expression remained calm. No fear. No surprise.
Only indifference.
The two of them stayed silent.
One second.
Two seconds.
The sound of debris falling was the only thing breaking the silence of the corridor.
Then, as if nothing had happened, the hooded man continued.
"Anyway… there's no going back now. All we can do is wait and see what happens…"
"Thousands of lives are being lost right this moment, and you're telling me to wait and see what happens?!" He growled, clenching his other fist. "Who the hell do you think you—"
The hooded man cracked a small smile.
"…How ironic. Someone who ordered me to wipe out an entire village because of two people… lecturing me about innocent lives…?"
Fukuchi's punch froze mid-air. His eyes widened slightly.
The hooded man placed a hand on his shoulder.
"'At all costs,' wasn't it?" He spoke calmly, never looking away. "That's what you told me before all of this started. A few less lives wouldn't hurt your ambitions in the slightest… sir."
He then stepped back, turning his back.
"You can rest easy. It may not look like it… but you're already closer to getting what you want than you realize. I just need one more piece to fall into place. That's all…"
Fukuchi clenched his fists tightly, grinding his teeth in silence.
Several footsteps could be heard from the far end of the corridor.
"Your squad is arriving," the hooded man commented without looking back. "…Do what you do best, sir. Be the leader they so admire. Leave the rest to me…"
And with that, he simply vanished, leaving only the sound of the wind behind.
Fukuchi stood in silence for a few seconds before taking a deep breath.
It didn't take long for the entire squad to gather around him. One of them spoke, alarmed.
"Fukuchi-sama! This is terrible—"
The first one froze upon seeing the massive fissure in the wall, but swallowed hard before continuing.
"Someone has infiltrated the interior of the festival! The guards who were protecting the gate have disappeared!"
Fukuchi crossed his arms.
"Where are Hatchins and Noriebell?"
The one on the left straightened his back, though his posture remained tense.
"They went to investigate the other routes, sir! As soon as they're finished, they'll join us as well! What are your orders?"
Fukuchi remained silent for a few seconds before turning and beginning to walk.
"Split up, men. I want one group evacuating as many civilians as possible while the others provide cover for Hatchins and Noriebell. The rest of you come with me. At the slightest suspicious movement, you have permission to neutralize the enemy."
"Yes, sir!"
They all nodded in unison and began separating in an organized rhythm.
But Fukuchi's expression had darkened.
Back to the present…
Fukuchi huffed and let out a sigh.
One of the knights approached him.
"Sir, no suspicious activity has been recorded in the last ten minutes." He paused briefly. "We still haven't received any new information from the other members."
"Maintain constant vigilance, men. The enemy is intelligent—don't let yourselves be deceived."
The knights answered in unison.
Koby, the youngest among them, swallowed hard, his eyes scanning the corridor.
"Something wrong, Koby?" one of the veterans asked without looking at him.
Koby shook his head, though he couldn't hide his nervousness.
"I don't know, sir. I feel… like we're being watched."
The veteran raised an eyebrow.
"Must just be your imagination," he concluded, turning his attention forward again.
Koby stopped for a few seconds, then nodded and resumed walking, his eyes more alert than before.
***
The group continued walking in silence through the dark corridors, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Just as they were about to cross another—
BOOM!
A massive crash drew the group's attention. Every hand went to the hilt of a sword.
Only their tense breathing could be heard.
The wall beside them had been completely destroyed, debris scattered everywhere.
And on top of the rubble… stood the mysterious man, injured, blood trickling from his lips.
Emily stood just ahead of him, advancing calmly in his direction.
The man spat blood, grinding his teeth slightly.
"Damn it, nobody told me it would be like this. Who the hell is this crazy woman?!"
For a moment, his eyes widened as he saw Fukuchi and his squad on the other side, their swords already drawn.
Emily stopped a few meters away, placing her hands on her hips and smiling.
"So… are you going to tell me now?"
The man was about to get up again when two crimson thorns erupted from the ground, pinning his feet. He groaned in pain.
Fukuchi stepped forward, stopping right beside Emily.
"Ah, Fukuchi-san, what a coincidence!" She clasped her hands beside her face. "I suppose you already know about the situation at the festival."
Fukuchi remained silent for two seconds before nodding.
"Yes…" He lightly brandished his sword, never taking his eyes off the man. "And I suppose this is one of those involved."
He pointed the tip of his blade at the man's neck, his expression deadly serious.
"Start talking, bastard. Who is your master, and who are you people?"
Cold sweat slowly ran down the man's face.
Then a smile began to form on his lips.
Fukuchi raised an eyebrow.
"What's so funny?"
"Ah, I was just thinking… it's twelve against one…" He cast a brief glance over the small group of knights, who instinctively took a step back. "Don't you think it's a little unbalanced?"
Before Fukuchi could say another word, countless threads burst from the man's body in every direction.
Emily and Fukuchi managed to leap back in time, but the knights' eyes widened as they realized the threads were coming at an insane speed.
"R-retreat—!"
It was too late.
THWIP!
The threads pierced through every one of them, blood spraying through the air. Koby had barely managed to dodge, shoved aside by his veteran at the last second, stumbling backward with a look of pure terror.
One by one, the knights began to collapse as a massive pool of blood formed on the floor.
Fukuchi stood paralyzed by the scene. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and charged.
"You bastard!" he roared, raising his sword high as energy radiated from it.
With a swift and brutal motion, Fukuchi delivered a precise downward slash that struck the man, cutting down to his waist.
The man leapt backward, clutching his left shoulder and groaning lightly in pain, never taking his eyes off his opponents.
The silence between them lasted only a few seconds.
Then his skin began to reconstruct itself, the wounds sealing as if being stitched shut, leaving Fukuchi stunned.
The man huffed, flexing his shoulder.
"You're going to need more than that to kill me, old man." A smile spread across his lips. "Now… allow me to truly demonstrate my capabilities…"
Several threads connected from his fingers to the bodies of the knights, and with a slight tug, a sickly glow illuminated their bodies for a fraction of a second.
Nothing happened.
Then, little by little, they all began to rise, their bodies cracking in an agonizing way.
Koby froze when he saw his veteran's face — completely empty, with lines appearing around the cheeks.
As the knights stood, the man raised his hands in an almost theatrical gesture.
"So, what do you say now? Ten against three… I've leveled the playing field, haven't I?"
"Bastard…" Fukuchi ground his teeth, preparing for another attack.
Emily, on the other hand, shot him a serious look, the palm of her hand bubbling lightly in shades of red.
The man snapped his fingers.
"Finish them off, everyone!"
The knights charged forward at a terrifying speed, their blades gleaming in the darkness of the corridor.
Taking advantage of the distraction, the man ran toward a staircase that led several floors down.
"Good luck with that. It's not worth risking my life fighting you two, so I'm out of here!"
He threw himself down the stairs, disappearing completely into the darkness.
For a few seconds, no one moved.
Emily narrowed her eyes, ready to go after him.
But then—
SHIIING!
A metallic flash cut through the corridor.
Emily instinctively leaned back as a sword passed mere centimeters from her face.
Fukuchi raised his own sword, blocking the second strike.
The knight who had attacked showed no emotion whatsoever. His eyes were completely empty.
Only the crimson threads attached to his body revealed the true source of the movement.
Fukuchi ground his teeth.
"…Bastard."
The other knights began to advance.
Emily extended her hand.
"Fukuchi-san, I'll handle them—!"
"No."
Emily's eyes widened slightly as she looked at him.
But he continued, his gaze darkened.
"You're going after that man."
Fukuchi dodged a slash and struck one of the knights in the arm, sending the sword flying.
Even disarmed, the man kept advancing.
Emily furrowed her brow slightly.
"Will you be alright…?"
Fukuchi remained silent for a few seconds. His eyes swept across the faces of the knights.
Men who, mere minutes ago, had stood by his side.
Men who had followed his orders without hesitation.
Now they were nothing more than puppets.
"…I'll take care of this."
Emily stayed quiet.
Then she nodded.
"Alright."
She turned and began running toward the staircase.
Fukuchi remained alone before the knights.
Or rather… almost alone.
Koby stood a few meters behind, completely still.
His eyes were fixed on one of the knights.
"…Captain?"
The man slowly raised his head.
It was the same veteran who had saved Koby moments earlier.
The face was still the same.
But something was terribly wrong.
That empty gaze…
Those threads connected to his body…
Koby took a step back.
"Captain…?"
No response.
The knight advanced.
"C-Captain!"
Koby tried to raise his sword, but his hands trembled violently.
The veteran lifted his blade.
Koby squeezed his eyes shut.
But at the last second—
CLANG!
Fukuchi had appeared in front of him, blocking the sword.
"Run."
Koby opened his eyes.
"B-but, sir—"
"I SAID RUN!"
Koby flinched.
For a moment, Fukuchi no longer seemed like the same man as before.
His face was serious, but his eyes…
Looked tired.
Koby swallowed hard and began to back away.
"Yes… sir."
Fukuchi turned his attention back to the knights.
They began to surround him.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
The blades were raised simultaneously, illuminating the corridor.
Fukuchi gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands.
"…You fulfilled your duty. Rest now… men."
The knights charged.
CLANG!
The first strike was blocked.
Fukuchi spun and struck the second in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall.
The third came from the side, but Fukuchi ducked.
The sword passed over his head.
He spun on his axis and delivered a precise cut.
The knight fell, but immediately began to rise again.
Fukuchi narrowed his eyes.
"…So that's how it is."
The threads remained attached to their bodies.
As long as those threads stayed connected, they would keep moving.
The knight who had been thrown against the wall advanced once more, raising his sword and delivering a vertical slash.
Fukuchi blocked the blow, but another came from behind.
He dodged.
Another.
And another.
The situation was beginning to become unsustainable.
Fukuchi took a deep breath, and his expression hardened.
Then—
A powerful wave of energy surged through his sword.
The knights paused for a moment.
Fukuchi breathed in deeply.
"…First Stance…"
The instant the tip of his sword touched the ground, the world dissolved into a blur that lasted only a few seconds.
SHIIING!
In one moment, Fukuchi was in the center. In the next, he appeared at the other end of the corridor, his blade still dripping blood.
The knights behind him stood completely still.
Then they began to fall. One by one.
This time, they did not get up.
The threads snapped completely, vanishing into the air.
The corridor returned to silence.
Koby watched everything from a distance.
Around them, his comrades lay scattered across the floor.
Dead.
This time, truly dead.
Koby slowly lowered his sword.
"…They… were our comrades…"
Fukuchi did not answer.
His eyes remained on the bodies.
Then he closed them for a few seconds.
The hooded man's voice returned to his mind.
"A few less lives wouldn't hurt your ambitions in the slightest…"
Fukuchi gripped the hilt of his sword.
Koby looked at him.
"…Sir?"
Fukuchi opened his eyes.
His expression had returned to normal. Or at least, it seemed that way.
He took a deep breath and turned toward the staircase.
"Return and report to the others…"
Koby blinked.
"But… sir—"
"That's an order, Koby."
Koby fell silent, pressing his lips together before nodding and running in the opposite direction.
Fukuchi began to walk, passing by the bodies of the knights without looking back.
But after a few steps…
He stopped.
For a brief moment, his eyes returned to them.
"…Forgive me."
Then he continued descending the stairs, until he disappeared into the darkness.