"Ahh, that was delicious."Kael leaned back in his chair, rubbing his full stomach with a satisfied sigh. "Kana, you full?" he asked, glancing over at the girl beside him. Kana nodded silently in response, her lips curving in a small, content smile.
Kael straightened his posture, his expression shifting to something more serious as he turned toward the old man sitting across from him, still chewing his food."Elder," Kael began, his tone calm but probing, "your son isn't home, is he?"
The words hung in the air like a spark over dry leaves.The middle-aged man who had been sipping sake froze mid-drink, while the woman beside him—who had been kindly placing food into the old man's bowl—stiffened as well. The elder's expression darkened, and he seemed about to speak—when the "son" quickly cut in.
"Haha, what are you saying, Mage-sama?" The middle-aged man laughed awkwardly. "I am his son! And she's my wife!" He pointed to the woman beside him, his tone rising as if to prove it.
"Shut up," Kael's voice snapped like a whip. "I wasn't talking to you."His tone turned low and cold, but when he looked back at the old man, his expression softened, a gentle smile forming on his lips. "It's all right, old one. You can tell me. You're safe now."
The elder's lips trembled."N–No… They're not… my son is… help… help…"His words came out haltingly, like stones forced through a narrow crack—each syllable trembling with effort, as though his voice had been sealed away for too long.
"Clatter!"The woman's hand loosened, and the bowl she'd been holding crashed to the floor, shattering. The man stopped pretending entirely. His panicked expression vanished, replaced by one of cold indifference. Calmly, he raised his cup and drained the last sip of sake.
"Tch. What a pain," the woman said, tossing away her apron. "We're so close to finishing anyway. Why bother acting anymore?"Her hair fell loose as a ripple of magical energy surged through her body. In an instant, her face transformed—no longer the gentle, dutiful wife. She became someone entirely different—beautiful, dangerous, and filled with malice.
Kael rose slowly from his chair, Kana mirroring him at his side. He rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles with a faint grin."Well then, old man," Kael said lightly, "I'll take your request from here."
Both he and Kana's eyes hardened—cold and sharp as winter frost.
"Cocky little brat!" the woman hissed, her fury spilling over. Her mouth opened and a chilling shriek tore through the air—an ear-splitting sonic wave that rattled the walls and sent dust flying. It was Sound Magic, a technique that weaponized vibration and resonance itself.
Kael's voice, however, came calmly from beside the old man."Do you mind not screaming? There's an elder here, you know."As he spoke, he placed both hands gently over Kana's ears. Kana did the same for the old man. Meanwhile, faint golden light flickered over Kael's own ears—a thin magical shield dampening the waves. A ring of light expanded outward, forming a protective barrier around them.
The woman froze, her attack abruptly cutting off."When—!?" Her eyes widened in shock as she turned toward Kael, who stood there with his easy smile, completely unharmed—Kana and the elder perfectly fine behind him.
The middle-aged man's casual mask fell away. His face grew grim. He finally understood this opponent wasn't to be underestimated.
"Kana," Kael said gently, never taking his eyes off them, "take the elder inside. I'll handle this."
"Okay. Just… be careful, Kael."Kana's tone carried both trust and worry as she guided the trembling old man back toward the house.
Kael chuckled lightly. "Relax. It's nothing big—I'll be done in a minute."
The woman scowled, clenching her fists."Nothing big? You're looking down on us too much."Still, even as she tried to steady herself, a shadow of unease crossed her eyes. She could feel it—that his strength dwarfed theirs completely. She looked toward her companion, the man now standing rigid, hand tightening around the hilt of a dark blade.
His body tensed, muscles coiling like steel cables. His gaze locked onto Kael.That boy… I didn't sense a single fluctuation of magic earlier. Not one.That could only mean one thing: his control over magic was absolute—or his power existed on a level far beyond their own.
Either way, it didn't favor them.The man's resolve hardened, battle spirit igniting in his chest. With a flash of light, his black blade appeared in his hand. He raised it, every muscle on edge.
Kael, seeing their tension, finally dropped his playful smile. His magic began to surge—golden light swirling around him as an invisible pressure flooded the air, slamming into the two foes like a stormfront.
"Now," Kael said, his voice low and cold, "tell me—where are the villagers you've taken control of?"His golden aura flared, and the pressure doubled.
The woman gasped, her eyes wide with terror. "Wh–what is this power!? I… I can't move!"Her knees buckled, but her body refused to fall. She stood frozen, trembling, her face drained of all color.
The man beside her managed to withstand some of it, though sweat poured down his face. Blue light pulsed along his blade as he summoned his strength, forcing himself to move through sheer willpower.
Kael watched him calmly, then eased off his magic. The woman collapsed immediately, her strength gone.
The man gritted his teeth and lunged forward, his blade flaring with a sharp blue slash that tore through the air toward Kael.
Kael didn't even flinch. His hand opened, gathering radiant energy.With a soft whoosh, a sword of pure light formed in his grasp. He swung it once—his own energy slash colliding with the blue one midair. The resulting shockwave exploded outward, scattering dust and debris in all directions before both attacks neutralized each other in midair.
"Let's make this simple," Kael said, lowering his glowing sword. "Tell me where the villagers are, and we can end this peacefully. Sound fair, old man?"
The man's jaw tightened. "No. We're too close. We can't stop now!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Kael smirked.The light sword in his hand floated up, spinning slowly as it split apart into dozens—then hundreds—of smaller blades, each one gleaming with golden light and forming a circle around them.
The man's eyes widened, his expression grim. He shifted his stance, stepping protectively in front of the stunned woman, black blade ready.
Kael sighed lightly. "You know, old man… doing that makes me look like the bad guy here."He tilted his head with a wry grin. "Try not to die, all right?"
Then—he unleashed them.
The sky rained blades of light.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"Dust and rock exploded upward, filling the air. Every few moments, one of the light swords was deflected and dissolved into particles at Kael's casual wave.
When the storm settled, Kael raised his hand again. This time, an enormous sword of light—ten times the size of the others—materialized, pointing downward at the pair through the haze.
"Not bad, old man," Kael said calmly. "To still be standing after that… and to protect your companion at the same time—you must be the strongest in your guild."
"Kh… gah—"The man coughed up blood, bracing himself on his sword, his breathing ragged. His face was pale, but his eyes still burned with stubborn defiance.
This kid… he's a monster, he thought bitterly. That kind of attack, and he didn't even break a sweat…
"We never meant to hurt the villagers," the man finally rasped out. "We only needed their magic—to open the ruins. The others… the mages who disappeared… their power was used as fuel."
Kael's golden eyes narrowed."You think if you'd really hurt them, we'd still be sitting here eating with you?" His voice was ice-cold. "You're lucky."
The man couldn't answer. His shoulders slumped.
"Now you've got one option," Kael said, lowering his sword slightly. "Release the villagers—and come with us to face judgment before the Council."
Before the man could respond, Kana's voice called softly from behind."Kael, what about the ruins?"
Kael smiled faintly over his shoulder. "Don't worry. I already took care of that—while we were eating."
"What?"The man's head snapped up in disbelief.
"The ruins…?" he muttered.Far away, in the direction of the mountain ruins—
A small, frail boy stood trembling, one arm limp at his side, staring at the figure before him."So strong… you're…" His voice faded into silence.