(Chapter unfolds:28)
Time slipped away. The darkness of the forest thickened, and the pain in Sai's leg began to turn into a numbing ache. The confidence he felt when he left home in a rage and blamed Isuma was now visibly draining away.
"If he sees me like this... that's it. I won't be able to face him again in this lifetime!" Sai muttered in frustration.
Suddenly, Sai noticed something the rustling of dry leaves behind him.
The sound of someone walking forward... he realized someone was coming to attack him. Sai gripped his sword tightly.
"Whoever you are, come forward!"
Sai spoke, certain that it was Ray. In reality, Sai could barely even stand up.
However, it was someone else who had come looking for him. A figure emerged from between the trees. It wasn't Ray; it was a form dressed in ash-colored clothes, wearing a mask. His hands were terrifying to look at thick and powerful.
"Who are you?!!" Sai demanded.
The figure remained silent. Instead, he pointed a weapon he held toward Sai. It was then that Sai noticed the figure's eyes—they were completely white.
"What kind of Seek is this? Is it even a Seek at all?" he wondered to himself.
Suddenly, the figure lunged toward him. Sai couldn't react quickly because he couldn't even stand properly. He managed to raise his sword in a desperate attempt to defend himself. When the stranger's weapon collided with Sai's sword, the blade was knocked away, and Sai was thrown to the ground along with it.
"Aahhh!"
Pain flared again in his injured leg.
"Bastard... just as it was starting to feel okay, he ruined it again!"
The figure approached again. Sai quickly grabbed his sword and tried to awaken his inner power. Energy began to flow from within him into the blade, but his fear cut the power off halfway.
The attacker swung his weapon through the air, preparing to thrust it with all his might into Sai's chest.
Death was certain. He couldn't dodge or slide away. The wound in his leg was throbbing painfully. Alone in the forest, without even his strength, he was about to die. There was no one to help him.
Facing certain death, Sai squeezed his eyes shut...
Suddenly...
"CLANG!!!"
The thunderous sound of two metals colliding echoed through the wind.
Sai slowly opened his eyes. Before him stood a shadow, shielding him from the strike.
"Izuma?!!"
Sai spoke, his voice trembling.
It was Izuma. He had intercepted the attacker, blocking the weapon with his own sword. Even in that intense moment, Isuma's eyes remained calm.
"Sai... are you always going to be like this?"
izuma asked the question without even turning back to look at him.