ITYVA 26

Chapter 26

The words had barely left his mouth when another invisible force struck toward Achess.

He gave a short laugh, as if amused, and effortlessly dodged before moving closer.

“Einra, get back!”

At the same time As shouted, two masked men lunged at him.

“As—!”

In that instant, my mind snapped awake.

I tried to leap up, but before I could move, my path was blocked.

“You should be looking at me.”

Achess bent down toward me and slowly stroked my cheek with one hand.

I clenched my teeth and slapped his hand away.

“…What the hell are you doing?”

“Einra, that hurts. We haven’t met in so long, and that’s all you have to say?”

He deliberately drooped his eyes in feigned sadness.

I clenched my fists and bit out each word.

“That boy has nothing to do with this. Don’t you dare touch him. If you have business, take it up with me.”

“Oh? Is that really alright?”

Achess laughed as though he had just heard something amusing.

As he raised his hand, a sharp, refined surge of invisible energy completely engulfed me.

“Einra—!”

As’s scream calling my name felt distant.

I instinctively reached out to break free, but the moment my hand brushed against the mana barrier, a sharp pain flared and blood trickled down.

“I wouldn’t try struggling,” Achess said lazily, watching me.

“Aura is a battle-based mana. Just touching it will wound you.”

“……”

I ignored him and desperately tried to draw out my affinity with nature.

But it was blocked. No matter how I pulled, it refused to stir.

Why… why isn’t it working…?

Frustration welled up, bringing tears to my eyes.

My clenched fists dug my nails deep into my palms.

Watching me struggle, Achess tilted his head curiously.

“Strange. Didn’t you say I should direct everything at you?”

“……”

“And I am. Then why are you making that face?”

With a cold scrape, a silver blade lifted my chin.

Our eyes met. The blade’s tip grazed my throat, leaving a sting.

Even as tears blurred my vision, I could clearly see his face—Achess’s face—staring down at me with an expression as serene as ever.

Suddenly, a strange sorrow spread from deep in my chest.

Slowly, endlessly, as if consuming me.

He was someone I wanted to draw near to.

Yet he was someone who avoided me.

I feared seeing him turn away.

Because I wanted to reach him that much.

And now, that very person was pointing a blade at me without a trace of anguish.

My clenched fists went slack.

Slowly, all will drained from me.

“Einra—!”

As’s voice tore through the air, sharp and desperate.

That voice jolted me back.

Strength returned, little by little, to my hands.

Empty. Hopeless.

…Even so.

Even so, I—

“…I have to.”

Whatever it took, I had to protect As.

I didn’t know why. I just… had to.

I wanted to protect him.

So—

“I won’t give up…!”

Clenching my fists tightly, I scraped up every last drop of natural affinity within me.

A bitter taste filled my mouth, my hands trembled, but none of that mattered.

Just as I tried to pour that gathered power against the barrier—

Whoosh—

With a slicing sound through the air, the aura surrounding me suddenly vanished.

“Ah…!”

My affinity scattered immediately after.

The sudden void buckled my knees. I gasped for breath, my lungs burning.

“Haa… haah…”

I forced myself to steady my breathing.

As my vision cleared, the clash of metal rang sharp in my ears.

A sword…?

I lifted my gaze with effort, and the gleam of blades under the moonlight filled my sight.

Two swords collided in rapid, precise strikes, ringing out like clear bells.

I couldn’t even follow the movements properly.

Staring in a daze, I noticed something odd.

The one wielding the sword is…?

One was Achess. That was obvious. He’d tried to kill me, only to be intercepted.

But the one opposite him—

“…Achess?”

I muttered blankly.

Even in the midst of fierce battle, the man flinched at my whisper and pressed his assault harder.

Clang! Clash! Crash—!

Every sound a sword could make filled the room.

Sparks flew as the blades collided with savage force.

After a tense series of exchanges, one sword flew from its wielder’s hand and embedded itself in the wall.

In that instant, the opposing blade drove straight into its target’s chest.

Thud.

The sound of metal piercing flesh was chilling.

The “Achess” who had been struck through the heart staggered and collapsed.

The dull thump of his body hitting the floor reverberated.

The surviving “Achess” drove his sword once more into the fallen one’s throat to finish him, then whirled toward me.

“Einra…!”

He started toward me but suddenly hesitated, stopping a few steps away.

He faltered, turning slightly as if uncertain.

I stared blankly at his back, then whispered softly,

“…Achess?”

He flinched and turned toward me again.

“Is it… really you?”

“…Einra.”

He spoke my name in a low voice.

It was the same voice I’d heard from the other “Achess” moments ago—yet it felt entirely different.

I glanced at the corpse.

The dead man’s appearance had reverted to a stranger’s face, as though it had been cloaked in illusion magic.

My gaze shifted to the two masked men who had attacked As earlier.

They lay lifeless on the ground, shattered fragments of glass scattered beside them like broken illusions.

At last, my eyes returned to the man standing before me.

His black hair fell loosely, his red eyes glimmered with a maturity beyond memory.

A beautiful face, both unfamiliar and achingly familiar, framed by clothes that unmistakably had been As’s just moments ago.

So then…

As… was Achess all along?

My voice trembled on its own.

At that moment, the fact that I had nearly died, or that three corpses now lay around me, didn’t matter.

My mind, overloaded with shock, could process only what was right in front of me.

After a silence, Achess spoke slowly.

“…If my face troubles you, I can hide it for a while.”

He half turned, as if he truly meant to leave.

I scrambled up in a panic.

The only thought in my mind was to stop him.

Rushing from the bed, I tangled in my long skirts and stumbled.

“—!”

Before I could even cry out, Achess caught me firmly.

“Einra, are you alrigh—”

Before he could finish, I instinctively grabbed his arm tightly.

He flinched at my sudden grip.

Only then did I realize what I’d done.

“S-sorry…”

I tried to pull my hand back, but his hand caught mine again, holding it.

“…Why are you apologizing?”

“……”

“It’s all because of me.”

His voice was low, almost a murmur. Slowly, he raised his hand and brushed the lingering wound at my neck.

I shivered at the faint touch. His voice continued, close to my ear.

“There’s nothing you need to apologize for, Einra. It’s all my selfishness.”

His breath grazed my ear.

The strange sensation made me suddenly realize—this Achess before me was no longer the boy I remembered. He was a grown man, twenty-one years old.

My body stiffened.

Oh god…

I was alone in my room, in the middle of the night, with a man.

Heat rushed to my face.

My heart pounded, but now for a completely different reason.

I couldn’t ignore the hand firmly gripping mine, nor the fingers brushing against my neck.

I stiffly, awkwardly shuffled back a step, like a clumsy doll.

“R-right. Well, um… it’s late, so maybe we should just rest and… talk tomorrow?”