Havel lifted his head and met the violet gaze of Cragar's son. There was a moment of silence, during which the Blendbreeds were too stunned to speak.
Havel Granbish, leader of the Equinox Flowers, representative of Sidal's children, the most powerful Blendbreed in Lilies Park, had just been defeated without much effort.
The crowd of spectators erupted into loud applause, while whistles and shouts were directed at both contestants. Marina, Ada, and Elaine rushed to the two Blendbreeds to make sure neither of them had been harmed. Havel was still lying on the ground, unable to utter a single word. He had released his grip on his weapons and stopped pumping mana into his body. He stared motionless at Shirei, whose expression remained unreadable.
Marina ran up to them and, without thinking, grabbed his cold forearms with her hands. "Ghost! Are you okay?"
Cragar's son simply nodded but didn't pull away from her touch.
"Thank goodness," she sighed in relief. "Congratulations on your victory!"
They looked at each other for a moment, then the crowd overwhelmed them. Marina lost her hold on the boy as other Blendbreeds rushed past her, eager to speak with the park's new champion. Shirei's eyes widened slightly and he stepped back, but he was already caught in the storm of the crowd.
"You're so strong!"
"Incredible!" said a Blendbreed, punching him on the shoulder with a grin. "I thought you were a ghost when those blows passed through you!"
Some girls—daughters of Ognia, judging by their makeup—looked at Shirei with wide, deer-like eyes. "You were amazing, really. Our hearts were beating so fast."
The Blendbreed scratched his cheek with his index finger. "You should be careful. A frequency that high can lead to tachycardia and, in serious cases, cardiac arrest."
"Wow!" the girls said in unison. "You're super smart, too! You've got that mysterious guy vibe…"
No! Not this too! Marina groaned inwardly. She had no intention of putting up with the daughters of the goddess of beauty, nor with the rumors they'd spread within the next few hours.
Shirei stepped back again, but the circle of the crowd moved with him.
"A classic," Ada commented with a smirk.
Rutia's daughter looked down at Havel, who sighed. Elaine was kneeling beside him, mana condensing on her fingertips in the form of pale green light.
"I'm not hurt," he said absently.
"He gave you a solid beating," added the light-haired girl.
"And he's not even nineteen yet. His particle hasn't matured."
Those words from Rutia's daughter stirred Havel's irritation over what had just happened. He had just been defeated by someone whose core hadn't even reached the peak of its power. Calling it frustrating didn't come close to describing the fury he felt in that moment.
At the same time, Ada was curious to learn more about what she had seen through her Intervision, but she decided it could wait. Aena, however, would absolutely have to give her answers—about the boy, and about Darryl's mysterious disappearance—sooner or later.
Rutia's daughter was about to help her companion to his feet when some Blendbreeds approached them with bad intentions.
"What a show-off!" said one of them.
"Finally, someone put you in your place."
"You're supposed to be the strongest Blendbreed in Lilies Park? Don't make me laugh, mocked another. You got beaten by a newcomer."
The boys kept crowding around, and a kick almost landed on Sidal's son. Havel didn't respond, keeping his head down and taking the hit.
Ada extended her arm and drew her blade in front of the group. "Not another word."
Some backed off, but the bolder ones puffed out their chests.
Hypocrites, Ada thought. You accuse someone of something, then act just like him.
"And what do you think you're doing?" asked a son of Corgi, eyeing her. "You're probably just as weak as he is. We should be the ones sent on missions."
Ada took a breath. She had to stay calm. "You're free to go, if you're that eager to die," she said with a mildly acidic smile, before turning toward Marina. "Time to leave!"
Shirei heard Rutia's daughter and, relieved, prepared to vanish into nothingness.
"We'll meet at the Lyceum office!" the girl added.
"Okay!" Marina nodded.
She quickly made her way through the crowd and grabbed Cragar's son by the hand just as the darkness enveloped him.
"Damn…" she muttered as the landscape around her shifted into a greenish ocean.
They were back in the Interworld.
The daughter of Ien shut her eyes and bent forward, waiting for the unpleasant sensation to pass. Her head started spinning, and her stomach flipped, fighting not to bring up the half-finished meal from before. She wondered what would happen if she threw up from within the Interworld. Would it stay there? Would it reappear with them in the Otherworld? These weren't questions she should have been worrying about at that moment, but her damned curiosity pushed her to open her mouth.
When she finally did, the strange sensation—typical of the Interworld—was gone.
"What are you doing?" Shirei asked.
Marina opened her eyes. Her mouth was still open, tongue out. She was standing, but her torso was leaning forward, right up against Cragar's son's abdomen.
Marina's eyes widened in shock and she flung herself backward. Her hand was still clasped in Shirei's, but she realized it too late and ended up falling to the ground, bumping her head against a mattress. She didn't need a mirror to know she was now completely red from embarrassment. She buried her face in her hands and kicked her feet lightly, only making Cragar's son more concerned.
"Are you okay?"
Breathe. He doesn't understand the situation. You're friends. There's nothing wrong.
She inhaled and opened her fingers to peek in front of her. Shirei was kneeling beside her, watching her with raised eyebrows. He looked concerned, but the daughter of Ien didn't miss the faint pink tint on his cheeks. A scream echoed through her mind, spreading into every hidden corner of her skull. He hadn't stayed indifferent—he'd had a wrong thought too.
He's still a boy, Marina. What did you expect?
Shirei remained silent until the blonde finally moved her hands away from her face.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she lied as convincingly as she could. "Just a bit of nausea from the spectral travel."
"I see."
Marina looked around to understand where they were. They had just reappeared in the Thirteenth House. The wooden floor creaked beneath her weight. Silence cloaked the place like a heavy veil, broken only by occasional sounds and a faint hiss from outside. There was no sign of Dahlia, which only made her worry more. It had already been too long since she'd last seen her.
I need to figure out where she is… maybe I should talk to Lyceum? Or should I just ask Shirei?
Focusing back on the Blendbreed, she lowered her gaze. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I just wanted to get you out of there."
Cragar's son narrowed his eyes. "You knew I could do that with spectral travel."
"I did," she laughed awkwardly. "It totally slipped my mind."
Silence. Shirei was clearly thinking about something, but unsure whether to say it.
"What is it?"
"I thought you'd remember… it's not hard."
Marina froze for a moment, then stared at him. He'd paraphrased the thought, but she understood the core of it. "Are you saying I'm stupid? Me?!"
A daughter of Ien, goddess of wisdom, being called stupid. That was a first for her.
"Coming from the guy who doesn't get jokes," she huffed. "Why do I even listen to you?"
She stood up. Her face was still red, but no longer from embarrassment—now it was from anger. Shirei took a step toward her, though he didn't seem to fully grasp why she was upset. The blonde gave the room one last glance, hoping to see Dahlia suddenly appear—but nothing.
Finally, she moved toward the door. "Come find me when you figure out how to treat people who care about you, idiot!" she snapped before slamming the door behind her.
She knew she had overreacted. After all, she was the kind of person who reflected on her actions immediately—but she wouldn't accept being insulted by him.
For all the time she'd spent outside of Lilies Park—not long, really, as she was only sixteen and had arrived there at thirteen—she had lived under the thumb of her damned family and their petty behavior. Her stepmother had always treated her cruelly ever since she found out Marina would be the heir to their house—unless a male child was born. She had made her suffer the torments of the Underworld when she was just an innocent child, guilty only of existing.
She would never again stay silent after being insulted by someone she cared about. That was the promise she'd made to the little girl hiding under the bed—the same girl who used to shut her eyes tight at the sound of footsteps outside her door.
Shirei did it innocently, unlike her stepmother, but maybe that's what hurt even more.
The thought that he truly believed it—the person I…
She stopped walking.
The person I… am I maybe… no, that's not possible, she shook her head and started moving again. I care about him because he seems like a good person. But our relationship exists only because of the mission Aena gave me. I'm not…
Without realizing it, Marina walked straight into a Blendbreed. She nearly fell, forced to grab his arm to stay upright.
In love…
The Blendbreed caught her, wrapping his free arm around her waist.
"Careful, you should watch where you're going."
They locked eyes.
He was tall—though not as tall as Shirei—but his presence exuded a mysterious aura of power. Marina corrected herself: superiority, as though she might kneel before him out of sheer respect. His strong build wasn't burdened by fat; it was shaped by clearly defined muscle visible in his arms. His eyes, pale blue like a daytime sky, held a depth that intrigued her. His long ash-blond hair, messy and tied in a loose ponytail, swayed gently in the wind.
He wore a golden tunic that reached his knees, and underneath it, ripped jeans poked out—an odd pairing that Marina found oddly amusing. As she looked him over, she noticed a strange protrusion behind his back. At first glance, it could have been a hump, but the shape was too symmetrical, too precise to be a deformity. The Blendbreed looked at her with curiosity, as if he found her astonishment almost delightful.
Marina felt her cheeks burn under his gaze and shook her head. "You're right! I'm sorry!"
She quickly wriggled out of his grasp and, without another word, darted back inside the Thirteenth House. The mysterious Blendbreed watched her go and was tempted to follow, but stopped when he saw his own dwelling beyond the small black house of Cragar's children.
"Shame. I hope to see you again soon, blondie."
The daughter of Ien slammed the door behind her and closed her eyes. "Another ridiculous scene—what a lost cause." After mentally deleting the incident, Marina looked up and saw Shirei holding a letter in his hands. Cragar's son noticed her and shot up from the bed, rushing to meet her.
"Shirei?" the blonde exclaimed, flattening herself against the house entrance.
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
The boy lowered his head toward her, only then realizing how close they were. He stepped aside, giving her space to move away from the door.
"I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry if that's what I made it seem like."
Marina smiled. "I overreacted too. I shouldn't have gotten so mad. It's just… a promise I made to myself when I was a kid."
"What do you mean?"
"I won't let anyone hurt me again—especially not someone I care about," replied the daughter of Ien, sitting on her bed.
Shirei's pupils widened slightly. "You care about me?"
"Yes," the blonde answered, almost without thinking. "Why? Does that sound strange to you?"
"I didn't want to hurt you."
"I know, don't worry—"
"No," he interrupted her, "in fact, I admire you. I'm not good with people, unlike you, and the only thing I know how to do is fight. You work hard every day to help the other Blendbreeds, always reminding everyone you're there for them, and yet no one ever gives you credit for it."
Marina's heart skipped a beat.
"The world I lived in before coming here was very different. I thought only gods and evil creatures existed, always chasing their own selfish gain in every action," he paused. "Thank you for showing me the kindness I hadn't seen before."
She was speechless. She hadn't expected a speech like that from him—much less the very words she had longed to hear for so long. Everyone treated him negatively, but to her, the son of Cragar was the most human of them all. He was naïve, sometimes ambiguous, but kind at heart.
"Shirei…" her voice softened. "Can I hug you?"
But she didn't wait for his response. She stepped toward him and buried her head in his chest, trying desperately to hold back her tears.
It was the first time— the first time someone recognized her efforts.
She felt so happy she could have flown.
The two stayed like that for a few minutes, until the moment became awkward. Marina pulled away and tried to hide her tear-streaked face.
"I want to tell you something too," she searched for the right words. "I don't know why you try to hide behind all your powers… but people deserve to see who you really are—not just the son of Cragar they despise, no matter how strong you are."
Shirei lowered his gaze, sadness washing over him.
Behind my powers… without them, who am I?
The daughter of Ien wiped her face and blinked, trying to shift the mood. She hadn't noticed that she had managed to draw a smile from him with those words—but perhaps they had been the catalyst for something even more important.
"Did you get a letter from Mr. D'Agostini?"
Shirei nodded, showing her the already-opened paper envelope. "A sprite brought it just after you left. That's why I didn't follow you."
The daughter of Ien smiled. So he did want to stop me! Okay, enough—I sound like a six-year-old.
"What does it say?" she asked at last.
"I have to get ready to leave by tonight and head to the Grand Manor as soon as I'm prepared."
Marina's smile faded. "Oh…"
She knew he would have to leave the Lilies Park as a new member of the Equinox Flowers, but she hadn't imagined it would happen the same day they returned. She wondered how long it would be before they saw each other again.
What if he dies during the mission? she couldn't help but think.
She didn't even want to consider the possibility, yet she felt she had to speak to him seriously. There was an inner conflict—she struggled to view the son of Cragar that way—but the clues were clear. She needed to steer him toward discovering his past identity. Even she didn't know much, but she had figured out the only way to learn more.
She had to find Rakion, the Severe.
"Shirei," she began, "there's something important you need to know."
The Blendbreed waited patiently, and Marina bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn't have told him like that. Maybe she should've spoken to Aena and Mr. D'Agostini first to be sure—but he deserved answers.
Consider it a service for the protection of this place and the Blendbreeds who live here. Will you do it? Aena's voice echoed in her mind.
The daughter of Ien looked into his eyes. At last, she said, "I'm really worried about Dahlia."
She shut her eyes. She couldn't do it. She hadn't managed to tell him the truth—and guilt gnawed at her. Worse, she'd blurted the first thing that came to mind just to avoid being caught off guard. She had used Dahlia to cover for herself.
Some friend I am…
"Can you explain?" he asked.
"I mean, yes, well, I've been thinking about it and her behavior kind of makes sense, but I don't know if that's really it, so don't take my words as a problem and…" she was nearly hyperventilating.
Shirei remained expressionless.
"You…" Marina hesitated. "Why are you so calm?"
Shirei tilted his head. "Cragar cares a lot about her, especially about her powers."
"And?"
"He called her to the Underworld to figure out how to cheer her up and help her improve her control. I just put two and two together. Her instigating song isn't a technique I can use, so I'm no help to her."
Despite the topic, the blonde gave a relieved smile. "Are you sure?"
The son of Cragar nodded.
"Do you think we should visit her?"
Shirei glanced toward the center of the room, where the hatch to the Garden of Kore was hidden. "No. Not yet. We'll go together after I return."
Marina lowered her gaze, saddened. "Alright."
She didn't want him to leave, but she couldn't exactly go against the decision of the divine Aena. She lifted her head to give him a parting smile—only to find herself wrapped in his arms. She froze, tense with surprise, then slowly relaxed and welcomed the gesture.
"Come back soon," she whispered before stepping away.
With a deep breath, she rose from the bed and walked toward the door. The two Blendbreeds exchanged one final glance, then Marina left the Thirteenth House, and Shirei got to work.
The son of Cragar needed only a handful of minutes to get ready. He grabbed a few clothes, some cans from his stash of Morsucus, and was tempted to look for some food to swipe.
Once he had filled the space in his backpack, he knelt and reached under the bed. He grasped the briefcase and opened it to reveal its contents.
The first thing to catch his eye was a light, thin chainmail shirt. Its rough surface was adorned with dragon-scale threading, giving it a unique appearance. Beside it, a hooded sweatshirt in the same deep black sat folded alongside a padded jacket for warmth. Further in, he found comfortable, loose jeans that were slightly short, designed not to hinder movement during combat. The outfit was completed with black shoes featuring grooved soles, crafted for solid grip on any terrain.
Shirei examined each piece carefully, then began to dress. Once he was ready, he packed everything and let himself be consumed by the darkness of Spectral Travel.
── ⋆⋅❂⋅⋆ ──
Shirei reappeared inside Lyceum's office, startling those present. He looked around and, with surprise veiled behind a calm facade, noted Aena's absence.
The Equinox Flowers, however, were all present. Havel sat in one of the armchairs with a hand covering his face. Elaine watched some Blendbreeds chasing each other outside. And finally, there was Ada, standing with her fists pressed against Lyceum's desk, her expression tense as if in the middle of a heated discussion with the headmaster. Mr. D'Agostini still sat in his chair, but his glasses were off and his tie loosened.
"S-Shirei," the man spoke his name with hesitation.
"I received the letter and came as quickly as I could."
Ada glanced at him but suppressed her anger and stepped back.
Lyceum took the chance to tidy himself up quickly. "Perfect, then I'll explain the divine Aena's instructions."
The headmaster pulled out a map of central Italy and drew a circle roughly along the border between Umbria and Marche.
"Daffodils Academy has sent several notices about monster outbreaks in the north. There are four in total," he drew three more circles on the map, "and while enough forces have been deployed to handle the others, they've requested someone to deal with this area."
"Monster outbreaks in the Mortal World?"
"That sounded strange to me too, but those were the exact words used in the message."
Havel said nothing. His fingers were tangled in his hair, as if he were seconds from tearing it out.
"That's all?" asked the son of Cragar.
"That's all?" Ada echoed. "You don't get it. An entire outbreak and there's only four of us. We need Darryl if we're going to face such a large horde."
"Three…" Elaine corrected her.
The daughter of Rutia's eyes widened as she burst out, "What?!"
"Aena instructed Elaine to stay behind," Lyceum explained. "She needs her assistance."
"And where is Aena right now?" Ada asked before collapsing into the armchair. "You're insane… You're sending us on a suicide mission. Can't we bring someone else? I know Gliomede would be willing to join."
"The directives are clear: the three of you are to leave for the mission."
"You overestimate the power of a Forbidden Heir if you think we're coming back alive—"
"Ada," Havel cut her off, "that's enough."
Shirei remained silent, observing the scene, which only irritated the girl further.
"Hey, say something, new member. You're really okay with this?"
The son of Cragar nodded without a word.
This guy's even crazier than Havel, she thought, then turned toward the headmaster.
"How are we supposed to manage food, water, clothes, and other supplies if the battle drags on? And what if one of us gets injured?"
Lyceum raised his hands in an attempt to calm her. "These areas on the map are marked as uninhabited. You can hide there if necessary. All essential provisions will be delivered promptly, so you won't need to worry about that."
Ada was about to retort, but someone spoke first.
"Let's go."
The voice came from the son of Sidal, who repeated, "Let's wipe them out."
Havel was seething with anger, clearly not thinking straight. Ada knew that. In a single day, he had lost a match, and his entire reputation had collapsed. For someone with his ideals—someone who wanted to be seen as an unbeatable hero—that must have been a devastating blow, especially after being mocked by those who once hailed him as the strongest.
Ada sighed. She had no intention of dying, but the entire situation reeked of a setup to get them out of the way. Aena had ordered their healer to remain in the park, most likely to prolong the mission and keep them away.
She didn't want them around. Or more specifically, she was trying to get the Forbidden Heir away from Lilies Park.
"At your command, Havel," the daughter of Rutia said simply.
Before leaving the room—and soon after, the Grand Manor—Ada figured she had the right to ask about the goddess of love. "If I wanted to speak with the divine Aena, how would I do that? Will she return before we leave?"
Lyceum put his glasses back on. "Aena is here, but she's not available."
"Why not?"
"She's attending to a Blendbreed who arrived a few hours ago," the headmaster explained, then added, "Another Forbidden Heir."