Hakari and Kage's eyes burned with questions. Kage was the first to move, his steps slow but heavy with dread, as he went to check on Heena.
She lay unconscious on the bed, her breathing shallow. Kage bent close, scanning her for injuries. At first, he found nothing—but on her face, though peaceful, he caught a fleeting shadow. A glimpse of fear that seemed etched into her even in sleep.
Doubt tightening his chest, Kage checked her arms, then her neck. And then—when he brushed the hair from behind her neck—he froze. His breath quickened.
"Hakari!" His voice cracked.
Hakari rushed to his side. "What is it?"
Kage's tone trembled as he answered. "There's… a burn. Behind her neck."
Hakari's eyes widened, the blood draining from his face. "Is… is it serious?"
Kage exhaled with shaky relief. "No. Not life-threatening. But still…"
Hakari's heart pounded with fear and doubt. His voice came heavy. "Kage… I think we should check her back."
Kage's eyes darted to him. "What… what do you mean, her back?"
"Just listen to me," Hakari pressed.
Kage hesitated, then nodded. "A-alright…"
With trembling hands, he shifted Heena carefully and pulled back her garment just enough to see. What they revealed was beyond imagination.
Hakari stumbled back immediately. "Wh-what the hell?!" His scream cracked the air, raw with confusion, anger, and horror.
Kage froze where he stood, his eyes wide, his whole body locked.
Nicolas, drawn by their reaction, leaned forward to see. The sight shook him to his core. His face broke with sweat. "How… how could anyone treat a child like this…?"
Scars. Burns. Marks of cruelty written across her back like an unspoken history.
The room fell into suffocating silence—until the door creaked open. A servant entered, carrying food for Heena and Akami.
Hakari's rage snapped. He rushed forward, grabbing the maiden by the arm. "What happened here?!" His voice thundered, shaking the walls.
The maiden flinched, her tray rattling in her hands. "I… I don't know, my lord! I swear, I'm unaware!" Her voice cracked with fear.
Hakari's grip tightened, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
"My lord—it hurts!" the servant cried.
"You will speak the truth!" Hakari roared, his teeth clenched. "No lies!"
"I—don't—" she stammered, but before she could finish, Nicolas stepped forward.
"Listen to me," he said, his voice calm but sharp, cutting through Hakari's rage. He faced the servant, his gaze like steel. "If you tell us the truth, it will be better—for us, and for you. If not…" His tone shifted, deep and thunderous. "Then understand this: I am the holder of Code Chaos. And that will have consequences."
The maiden's face went pale. Her knees nearly buckled. With tears gathering in her eyes, she confessed in a trembling voice: "They… they were held in the prison. For reasons I do not know. It was there that the girl—Heena—received those burns…"
Hakari's fury erupted. His grip tightened again, so hard the maiden cried out. But before he could go further, Kage snapped out of his shock. He stormed forward, shoving Hakari back and grabbing him by the collar.
"LISTEN TO ME, HAKARI!" Kage's voice shook with both rage and desperation, his teeth grinding. "I don't care if I die—if anyone dies—as long as my sister is safe!"
Hakari froze. His eyes filled with guilt. "I… I know. I'm sorry. It was my fault. Akami got hurt. Heena got hurt. Because of me."
"I don't want to hear sorry," Kage growled, loosening his grip but not his glare. His voice lowered, calm and final. "I want a promise."
"A… promise?"
"Yes. A promise." Kage released his collar, his tone heavy as stone. "Promise me you will protect Heena and Akami. Promise me you'll keep them safe."
Hakari drew a long, shaking breath. Then, with a solemn nod, he declared: "I, Hakari Shinzowa, swear it. For as long as I live, I will protect them. I will keep them safe."
The oath settled over the room like iron.
Nicolas stepped forward, his eyes hard. "Then should we begin?"
Hakari nodded. "Yes."
The three of them—Kage, Hakari, and Nicolas—marched toward the royal chamber.
Guards tried to bar their path, but it was like throwing pillows at a storm. The three cut through the resistance with brutal precision, until finally, they stood at the chamber's massive iron gates.
Inside, ministers whispered nervously.
"My king," one said, bowing low, "we sense presence outside. Shall we allow them in?"
The king, his face shadowed in gloom, waved dismissively. "No."
The word had barely left his lips before the chamber shook. Metal screamed, stone cracked, and the iron gates shattered into a thousand shards, exploding inward.
The ministers gasped in horror. Even King Yami rose from his throne.
Through the broken doorway strode Kage, Hakari, and Nicolas.
The king's eyes narrowed. "Kage. Hakari. And you—who are you?"
Nicolas stepped forward, his presence commanding. "I am Nicolas Campo."
The king's expression shifted, his jaw tightening. The name struck him like thunder. "Campo…?"
"Yes," Nicolas said firmly. "The son of Lucas Campo."
Recognition lit Yami's eyes. His voice faltered, then steadied. "Lucas Campo… the Hand of the Sword."
"Yes." Nicolas's hand drifted toward his blade. "And I know exactly who you are."
The chamber filled with the clang of drawn steel. Guards braced themselves. Hakari and Kage stepped beside Nicolas, their weapons ready.
The clash was instant. The three stormed forward, striking down the king's guard, their fury sharp as fire. They launched their combined assault, a devastating attack so powerful it shattered half the chamber.
But when the dust cleared, King Yami stood unfazed. His face, still gloomy, held only weariness.
"Boys," he said calmly, "my mood is already foul. Do not test me."
Before they could react, he moved. With speed that defied his age, he had already countered, disarming their strike. The three of them staggered, barely able to move, forced down to their knees.
"Children," King Yami said, his voice steady, almost gentle. "You misunderstand. I did not harm Akami, or Heena."
"What?!" Kage and Hakari cried in unison.
"I sought to protect them," Yami said, his eyes heavy with truth. "To protect all of you."
Hakari's voice shook with rage. "Protect us? By throwing them into prison? By burning her like that?!"
King Yami sat back onto his throne, his presence towering even in stillness. "Listen. Listen carefully. Now, I will tell you the story… the story of the just, and the unjust. Be prepared."