The healer took a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing.
"After the woman explained what had happened, I recognized the symptoms as Renshical sickness. I immediately went to find someone who could help him. Given his condition, I didn't expect him to survive without treatment."
"But when you returned?"
"He was sitting upright on the bed." The healer shook her head, still struggling to make sense of it. "He looked dazed, and he complained of a terrible headache, but the dark Renshi corruption was gone.
The scared man eyes narrowed.
"You're certain it was Renshical sickness?"
"Absolutely. His pulse was unstable, his body temperature was dangerously high, and black Renshi corruption was spreading through his veins. I've treated similar cases before. I know what I saw."
The scarred giant fell silent.
Renshical sickness was not something a person simply recovered from in a matter of minutes. Once the corruption spread far enough to destabilize the body, even experienced healers struggled to reverse it.
Yet the boy had recovered without treatment.
The scared man (VINTACURA) turned toward the door.
"Thank you. Don't discuss this with anyone else until further notice."
Before the healer could respond, a faint glyph appeared beneath his boots. Renshi flowed through its intricate markings, forming a teleportation circle that distorted the air around him.
A sharp crack echoed through the room.
In the next instant, Vintacura vanished.
The Castle of the Special Darkside Knight
Vintacura reappeared within the inner sanctum of Ashura's castle, the stronghold of its ruling Special Darkside Knight.
The castle was a monument to power and authority. Its vast corridors stretched beneath towering ceilings, their polished floors reflecting the light of countless crystals embedded in the walls. Silver pipes ran along the pillars, carrying electricity throughout the structure, while portraits of past Special Darkside Knights watched over the halls with stern, unyielding expressions.
Vintacura strode through the corridor, his heavy footsteps echoing against the polished floor.
He passed several guards before reaching a pair of enormous doors.
Beyond them lay the castle's private training chamber.
The moment he entered, the sharp crack of wooden swords colliding rang through the hall.
At the center of the chamber, the current Special Darkside Knight was sparring with his two sons, Hidari and Giri.
He wore a simple white dōgi, secured at the waist by a black belt. Despite his relaxed appearance, every movement was precise. He parried Hidari's strikes with minimal effort before turning aside Giri's attack, forcing both boys to adjust their footing.
He wasn't merely testing their swordsmanship. Every exchange challenged their timing, awareness, and ability to read an opponent.
Vintacura immediately dropped to one knee.
"Forgive the interruption, my lord. I've come with urgent news."
The Special Darkside Knight stopped moving and lowered his wooden sword.
"Raise your head, Vintacura. There's no need to kneel every time you enter this room."
Vintacura rose.
Hidari and Giri straightened at once and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Pro Darkside Knight Vintacura!"
Vintacura gave them a brief smile.
"You two are improving faster . Your movements are sharper than the last time I saw you."
"Thank you, sir," the brothers replied together.
Their father glanced at them.
"That's enough for today. Go and get some rest."
The boys bowed to him before stepping away from the training floor.
Once they had left, the Special Darkside Knight placed his wooden sword on a nearby rack and approached Vintacura.
"Come. Let's talk."
The two men moved to a seating area beside the training chamber. They settled onto polished benches facing a glass table, where a pot of freshly brewed coffee stood beside several cups.
The Special Darkside Knight poured himself a drink.
Then he looked at Vintacura.
"Now, tell me what happened this time that made you come here by this hour?"
Vintacura leaned forward, his expression grave.
"A group of four Shinras entered Ashura today."
"He exhales."
Two of them are children, but their abilities are far beyond what their appearances suggest."
The Special Darkside Knight took a measured sip of coffee.
"Go on."
"They passed the first trial under Protector Lucas's Renshical pressure. One of the boys struggled, but he eventually forced himself to stand. The other barely reacted to the pressure at all."
The special darkside knight expression remained composed, although his eyes sharpened slightly at the mention of Lucas.
"And the other two?"
"The woman is the one who concerns me most."
Vintacura paused, recalling the encounter.
"She didn't merely withstand Lucas's pressure. She overwhelmed him with her own. The difference was so great that he couldn't force her to remain for the trial. She crossed the gate using Switch Mode before he could do anything."
He shook his head.
"She moved as though she'd spent her entire life fighting opponents far stronger than ordinary Shinras. Whatever training she's received, it wasn't ordinary."
"And the fourth?"
"A man. His.....Renshi felt.....wrong."
The Special Darkside Knight slowly lowered his cup.
"Wrong in what way?"
"I can't explain it precisely. His energy was unlike anything I've encountered in decades. It felt twisted, almost unnatural, as though it didn't follow the same principles as ordinary Renshi."
The Special Darkside Knight's expression changed noticeably.
He looked down at the coffee in his cup, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
"Mysterious Shinras again huh..."
His voice was quiet.
"The clock is turning backward..... It seems history is preparing to repeat itself."
Vintacura frowned.
"My lord, I haven't even told you the strangest part."
"Then tell me."
"During the second trial, the man created Renshical weapons and threw one to each of the boys. One of them collapsed almost immediately. His body rejected the weapon's Renshi, and the reaction was severe enough that I thought he might die."
The Special Darkside Knight listened without interrupting.
"But the other boy was different," Vintacura continued. "He caught the weapon and held it without suffering any visible reaction. He continued holding it even after the fight ended. Eventually, the weapon disappeared on its own."
His brow furrowed.
"That shouldn't be possible for someone his age as you described. A personalized Renshical weapon carries the signature of its creator. Another person's body should reject it unless they possess an extraordinary ability to withstand or accommodate that Renshi."
Vintacura paused, allowing the significance of his words to settle.
"And there's more. The boy who collapsed was taken to the hospital with severe Renshical sickness."
The Special Darkside Knight's gaze returned to him.
"Renshical sickness.... that's the side effect of it anyways."
"That's what the healer diagnosed. His body was overheating, and the foreign Renshi had destabilized his system. The healer went to find assistance, expecting his condition to worsen."
Vintacura's expression tightened.
"But when she returned, he was sitting upright and fully conscious. His Renshi corruption had vanished. The only symptom remaining was a severe headache."
He leaned forward.
"My lord, he recovered without treatment. His body somehow forced itself back into balance after reaching the point of collapse... And that woman was in the same room with the kid."
Silence settled over the room.
The Special Darkside Knight took another sip of coffee, his eyes fixed on the table as he considered the information.
Four newcomers.
Two children with extraordinary potential.
A woman whose Renshical pressure could overwhelm a trial protector.
And a man whose Renshi seemed to defy everything Vintacura understood.
After a long pause, he set his cup down.
"Another generation of elites shrouded in mystery."
He rose from his seat and walked toward the training floor.
"Listen carefully, Vintacura. No one is to interfere with those four. Let them move freely through Ashura and continue whatever brought them here."
Vintacura's expression hardened.
"With all due respect, my lord, I can't agree with that decision."
The Special Darkside Knight stopped.
Ohh?
"Explain why."
"These trials exist to measure the strength of those seeking entry and identify individuals who may pose a threat to Ashura. We've already encountered several abnormalities in a single group. Allowing them to wander around without further investigation is reckless."
Vintacura clenched his fists.
"What if one of them is dangerous? What if their presence puts the kingdom at risk? We can't afford to ignore the warning signs simply because they're talented."
The Special Darkside Knight regarded him for several seconds before turning away.
He picked up a towel from the rack and wiped the sweat from his face.
"You're mistaken if you think I'm planning to ignore them."
He draped the towel over his shoulder.
"I intend to observe them myself. I want to understand who they are, what they're capable of, and why their abilities are so unusual."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"But I won't allow the other Pro Darkside Knights to interfere. The moment they hear about newcomers with extraordinary abilities, they'll start making assumptions. Some will want to recruit them. Others will see them as potential threats and try to eliminate them before understanding what they're dealing with."
His eyes narrowed.
"I won't let their politics interfere with my judgment. Until I know more, those four are to be left alone. Is that clear?"
Vintacura remained silent for a moment.
Then he lowered his head.
"...Understood, my lord. I'll keep this matter to myself."
"Good."
The Special Darkside Knight's expression softened slightly as he glanced toward the doorway through which his sons had left.
"Besides, there's no need to make a spectacle of every talented youngster who enters Ashura. If those boys are as exceptional as you claim, they'll have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves."
And don't underestimate Ashura Vintacura....you sometimes forget we're called the strongest kingdom in the country for a reason.
He returned to the center of the training floor and picked up his wooden sword.
Hidari and Giri, who had been listening from the entrance, exchanged glances.
Neither brother said a word, but the determination in their eyes was unmistakable.
Their father noticed them.
"Still here?"
The brothers immediately stepped forward.
"We were just about to leave, Father," Hidari answered.
"Then come here first."
The Special Darkside Knight motioned for them to approach.
Both boys exchanged another glance before walking onto the training floor.
Their father stood before them, holding his wooden sword loosely at his side.
"Vintacura just told me about two boys who managed to pass Ashura's first trial despite their age. One of them even withstood a level of pressure that should have overwhelmed someone his size."
Hidari's expression grew serious.
"And you think they're stronger than us?"
"I don't know," their father replied. "I've never met them. But if they're as talented as Vintacura says, then you should be prepared to encounter people your age who can challenge you."
Giri tightened his grip on his wooden sword.
"Then we'll train harder."
Their father smiled faintly.
"That's the answer I wanted to hear."
He walked to the center of the training floor and placed his hands behind his back.
"Now, both of you. Come at me together."
Hidari hesitated, looking at the wooden sword rack behind their father.
"But Father, you don't even have your sword...."
He never finished the sentence.
His father vanished.
Hidari's eyes widened as a sudden movement flickered behind him.
THUD!
A sharp strike from the edge of his father's palm landed between his shoulder blades.
Hidari was sent sprawling across the floor, his wooden sword slipping from his hand as he struggled to catch his breath.
Giri stared in shock.
He stood where Hidari had been moments earlier, his expression perfectly calm.
"Never assume your opponent is helpless just because they're unarmed."
He turned toward Giri.
"And never give someone enough time to finish explaining why they think they've already won."
Giri swallowed hard and raised his wooden sword.
The Special Darkside Knight smiled.