Endi felt his heartbeat rising from deep within his chest.
Thump— each pulse resounded, a blend of unease and nostalgia.
Before him stood a hooded man clad in black. From his presence drifted a faint scent—something Endi had smelled before.
It was as though an echo of the past had suddenly come alive in this very moment.
"Who is that guy?" Rabesta murmured.
But Endi didn't hear him. His mind had expelled every thought except for staring at the man.
"Hehehe… hey, what's your deal?"
Valentino's probing voice cut through the tension, but the man gave no reply.
"Hehehe… I don't know who you are, but you look suspicious. You'll be coming with Endi. Resist, and I'll kill you."
Though his mouth was covered with a scarf, Valentino's eyes seemed to smile. Yet that gaze was not joking, not relaxed—only chilling.
The air grew taut. Passersby sensed something was wrong and began to stir.
In the heart of the capital, a Marshal now faced an unknown intruder.
Panic spread; some people fled in haste.
Valentino drew his blade. In the instant he swung for the man's throat—
The black-clad stranger unsheathed two swords. With his left blade, he parried the strike.
Boom! The clash burst the air into a shockwave.
The ground split open, nearby buildings crumbling in ruin. The city under reconstruction screamed once more.
"Waaah!" "Run for your lives!"
The townsfolk bolted in all directions.
The man countered with his right-hand sword, slashing at Valentino, who evaded effortlessly.
Inhuman reflexes. But the black-clad man matched him blow for blow.
These two were no ordinary warriors. Endi and Rabesta could sense it from the killing aura alone.
"Hehehe… impressive. A dual-wielder, huh? That's quite something."
Valentino spoke with feigned admiration. The man remained silent.
"Come on, say something," Valentino spat, irritated.
The black figure raised his blades once more, unleashing a cross-shaped wave of slashes.
The air was ripped apart, vision distorted by the force of the strike.
Valentino lifted his sword with both hands, calmly meeting the assault head-on.
The collision roared like an earthquake. But with a smirk, Valentino scattered the attack into mist.
By then, Endi, Rabesta, and the black-clad man were gone.
Valentino's certainty was clear—
They had escaped.
Yet he did not pursue. He only listened to the fading echo in the air.
The stranger carried Endi and Rabesta under each arm, racing with impossible speed.
From rooftop to rooftop, branch to branch, the scenery blurred like a rushing stream.
It felt as if they were flying on a magic broomstick.
Rabesta was bewildered, thoughts scrambling as he repeated What is going on!? inside his head.
Endi, however, felt an inexplicable peace. In the arms of this stranger—he felt warmth.
He tried to glimpse the man's face, but the hood's shadow and the blinding speed blurred it. His gaze drifted downward—
to the back of the man's hand, etched with countless wrinkles.
Thump! Endi's chest jolted.
"These wrinkled hands… I've seen them before… no way…"
The words slipped out, and a cold shiver raced down his spine.
At last, the man landed at the foot of a mountain range on the city's outskirts.
A hidden paradise—clear springs and mossy stones breathing in stillness.
He set them gently on the ground. Rabesta immediately cast a wary gaze. Endi collapsed, face tense.
"What's wrong, Endi?" Rabesta asked.
The man slowly removed his hood.
White-streaked hair, tall frame, a rugged face, and eyes steeped in sorrow.
"It's been a long time, Endi."
The voice was low, hoarse.
Endi gasped, breath stolen. The past and present fused into one.
—Four years ago.
A stormy night by the sea, when he lay helpless.
Through fading consciousness, he had heard a voice cry out—
"Endi!"
That unseen voice now had a face.
"That voice… it was you, back then…!!"
The oldest memory within him burned anew.
The old man was crying—tears of both joy and sorrow.
"Endi… I've longed to see you again."
And with those words, the emptiness in Endi's heart was gently filled.