Back to Barrackwall
Hayate and Neshuda returned to Barrackwall Town under the deepest secrecy. They wore simple, dark travel clothes and moved like shadows, avoiding the main inns and markets.
Their mission was twofold: clear Neshuda's name from Henudra's baseless rumors and find any sign of the spy network that was weakening the kingdom.
"We need to find the people Henudra claims were robbed by a 'dark-haired criminal'," Hayate whispered as they moved through the silent streets. "If we can prove they were never robbed, we expose his lie."
"It's too simple, Hayate," Neshuda replied, his voice a low rumble of caution. "Henudra doesn't make simple mistakes. This is a trap to lure us out and separate us."
Neshuda, focused and alert, moved ahead, scouting the path. He was in his element here—the silent hunter, the master of stealth. He moved with a grace that was beautiful and deadly, the true strength of his Angelic bloodline partner.
They found the home of the supposed victims—a middle-aged merchant family. Hayate, using his charisma and gentle manner, convinced them to speak privately.
The merchant family swore they had never been robbed. In fact, they praised the Royal Guard for increased security.
"We were never robbed by anyone, especially not someone who looks like your friend," the merchant said, looking nervously at Neshuda's intense, guarded face. "Someone from the Citadel told us to report a theft, but we refused."
"Henudra," Hayate hissed, his voice tight. "He tried to force them to create a fake crime report."
The lie was exposed, but the danger was now immense. Henudra knew they were here.
The Rooftop Chase
Just as they were leaving the merchant's home, Neshuda's senses screamed.
"Hayate...Upstairs! Ambush!"
Neshuda didn't hesitate. He grabbed Hayate and shoved him into the dark alley behind the house, covering him with his body.
Three men, heavily armed with short, sharp blades, dropped silently from the rooftop. They were not common thugs; they were highly trained assassins, likely hired by Henudra.
"The King's Guardian is the target!" one hissed, recognizing Neshuda immediately.
Neshuda pushed Hayate farther into the darkness. "Stay back, Hayate! Don't move!"
Neshuda drew his dagger—a long, curved blade he carried beneath his tunic. The ensuing fight was fast, brutal, and silent.
Neshuda moved with desperate, purely protective instinct. He knew that if he was injured even slightly, Hayate would collapse, exposing them both. Neshuda didn't just fight; he danced around the attacks, using the darkness and the narrow alley walls to his advantage.
He moved with a speed that defied human ability, reflecting his past life as a survivor.
Neshuda disarmed the first assassin, then used the man's own momentum to slam him into the wall. The assassin dropped, unconscious.
The second assassin, aiming low, slashed at Neshuda's legs. Neshuda leaped backward, twisting mid-air to avoid the blade by mere inches.
CRACK!!
As Neshuda landed, he tripped over a stray piece of wood hidden in the darkness. He fell hard onto his knee.
The pain was searing, sharp, and immediate. Neshuda bit his lip hard, stifling the grunt. He scrambled back up instantly, refusing to show any sign of weakness.
The Agony Reflected
In the darkness, Hayate felt the impact.
A lightning bolt of pain—sharp, tearing, and crushing—erupted in his own knee. Hayate cried out, collapsing onto the rough stone ground. He clutched his knee, feeling a searing burn where there was no wound.
He felt dizzy, his vision blurring from the intensity of the reflection. The curse had struck hard.
Neshuda fell. Neshuda is hurting.
"Neshuda!" Hayate gasped, struggling to push himself up, his Angelic senses overwhelmed by the sudden agony.
Neshuda, seeing the reflected pain hit Hayate, became enraged. His eyes burned with terrifying fury. He realized that the assassins were not just trying to kill him; they were trying to use his body to assassinate his King.
"You will not touch him!" Neshuda roared, his usual silence broken by a primal shout of defiance.
He engaged the remaining two assassins with devastating ferocity. He moved without thought for his own pain, driven entirely by his desperate need to end the danger.
The third assassin, terrified by the Guard's sudden shift from calculated fighter to enraged force of nature, tried to run. Neshuda, ignoring the reflected pain stabbing into Hayate, launched himself forward, slamming his full weight into the man. The fight was over.
The Secret Confession
Neshuda rushed back to Hayate, dropping his dagger. He knelt beside the shaking King, his face etched with shame and panic.
"Hayate! I am so sorry! I tried to stop it!" Neshuda whispered, his voice choked with guilt. "I felt the wood, but I couldn't control the fall! I ruined everything!"
Hayate's body was trembling uncontrollably, the reflected pain crippling him. He grasped Neshuda's wrist, his grip surprisingly strong despite the agony.
"It wasn't... your fall," Hayate gasped, fighting for air. "It was... your shame. Your fear... that you failed me."
Hayate, unable to control his feverish, pain-driven emotions, whispered the deepest truth in his heart: "I chose you, Neshuda. I chose the pain. I chose the danger. I choose you over the kingdom, over the crown, over my own safety."
It was the most honest, pure-hearted declaration of dependence he could give. He was confessing that Neshuda's life and loyalty mattered more to him than everything else.
Neshuda froze. He heard the immense depth of devotion in the King's voice. He realized that if he ever left or died, Hayate would willingly let the kingdom fall.
Neshuda, overcome by a love and devotion he couldn't name, carefully pulled Hayate into a tight, protective embrace. He held the King close, ignoring the throbbing agony in his own knee.
"Then I will be your shield, even from the pain of the curse," Neshuda vowed, his voice raw. "Never doubt my loyalty, Hayate. Never."
A New Plan
They managed to slip back to the Citadel before dawn, undetected.
The physicians were shocked by Hayate's condition, believing he was suffering a severe relapse of the "King's exhaustion." Hayate had to stay in bed for two days to recover from the reflected injury.
While recovering, Hayate and Neshuda discussed the gravity of the situation.
"Henudra is using assassins," Hayate said, his voice weak. "He knows the curse is our secret. He will send men to hurt you until I am dead."
"I know," Neshuda replied, standing guard by the window, his eyes cold and distant. "I need to become invisible. I need to be a deadly blur that no one can touch."
Hayate realized that sending Neshuda out to clear his name was too risky. They needed to find a different target for Henudra's attention.
"We need a distraction," Hayate mused. "Henudra is trying to consolidate power in the nobility through VELDISWALL. If we can disrupt his support there, we force him to focus on politics, not assassination."
Neshuda's mind immediately went to the corrupted nobles. "I can move through Veldiswall without being seen. I can find the evidence he is forging documents, stealing taxes, and hoarding resources."
Hayate looked at his Life Anchor, his pure-hearted affection mixed with deep, cold political strategy. "No, Neshuda. Not alone. We go together. We travel secretly, under heavy disguise. We leave the Citadel for a prolonged journey, and we use that time to gather our evidence."
This journey would be different. It wouldn't be a simple trip to a grain town; it would be a dangerous, extended adventure into the heart of Henudra's power structure. They would be completely alone, testing the endurance of their bond against the full weight of the political conspiracy.