Unexpectedly, she took out her sword and pointed it at me.
She looked at me with steady eyes, a chilling light flashing from her blade. I didn’t understand why she would pick a fight with me.
"Why have you been following me?" I asked.
"Because you look like you don’t remember me."
"And why should I remember you?"
Her voice was calm, but her presence pressed down on me like a mountain. This woman was too powerful to be considered an enemy just as insects couldn’t call humans their enemies.
Still, I found a glimpse of hope in this life-or-death situation.
Cadets didn’t fight to kill in this exam. All we had to do was take each other’s smartwatch. Even if you subdued someone, you hadn’t won without their watch. And if you subdued someone but lost your own, you lost all the same.
The chain dangling around her neck pulsed faintly, as if alive with restrained energy. Maybe it was just a trinket, maybe a focus for her strength or maybe fortune had given me exactly the opportunity I needed. With my luck, it could only be the last.
I exhaled slowly, lowering my gaze as though in resignation. At the same time, I nudged my newly awakened ability Space Control. The air trembled, threads of invisible distortion bending in my palm. With Magic Ruler, I muffled the shift so no surge would betray me.
Her eyes never left me, cold and expectant.
"Show me the necklace on your neck."
Her voice was sharp, leaving no room for doubt. I raised a hand hesitantly toward my collar, playing the part of someone reluctantly obeying. Meanwhile, my control spread like unseen fingers, folding the space around her.
The chain stirred. Slowly, impossibly, it slipped free of her throat and drifted toward me, moving through the thin seam of warped space. She didn’t notice the distortion left no tug, no sound, no trace. All she saw was me fiddling with my collar.
Then I let the necklace drop into my palm.
"...You’re surrendering?" she muttered, confusion creeping into her tone.
I lifted my hand. What dangled between my fingers wasn’t mine it was hers.
"Does this look like something I own?"
Her eyes widened. For a second, she just stared. Then instinctively, she touched her own chest. Her hand met bare skin.
The disbelief on her face was almost comical. She tugged at her clothes, searched as if she’d misplaced it, then froze in dawning horror.
"You understand the moment this is important to you, so if I crush this chain, the fight is over."
I spoke evenly, though my heart was pounding. Her composure cracked, her expression twisting like someone who had just lost the ground beneath her feet.
"This... impossible..."
She muttered it like a curse. Meanwhile, I smiled faintly, masking my nerves. I stepped closer and, with exaggerated calm, looped the necklace back over her neck. My fingers brushed her skin as I refastened it.
"W-What are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
I let the silence hang before answering with a crooked grin. "Consider it mercy. I’ll overlook this once."
Turning away, I ignored her shaking and started walking.
"W-Wait! Where are you going?"
Her voice followed, but I focused everything into my legs, each step heavy under the weight of her presence. Still, I didn’t look back.
After Kael Vi-rel left, she stared at the necklace resting against her chest. She couldn’t understand how Kael Vi-rel had stolen it. She planned on confirming his identity.
When did he snatch it? When we first met? When we stared at each other? No, none of the above. Kael Vi-rel never moved, and his magic power showed no signs of fluctuation either.
She asked for help from a witness.
She frowned at the reply. Jane sounded like she hadn’t paid attention.
— Ah, ah, sorry. I got distracted for a moment, but it’s not my fault! So what’s up?
She continued thinking. Kael Vi-rel stole my necklace in that short amount of time? Even though my power is sealed, his craftiness is beyond a cadet’s.
— Tell me. What happened?
"I’ll tell you later."
— No, tell me now. You’re making me curious. Argh, it’s all because of that brat, Droon. Kae? Kae?
"That brat is my only family, so watch your mouth."
She coldly ended their conversation. Her smartwatch rang.
I found a new camping spot after successfully escaping from that woman. It seemed just as good as the previous one. Honestly, I stopped along the way near a river because I didn’t have any strength left in my legs. I thanked my luck once again before setting up camp.
"You have come across a character that wasn’t supposed to exist."
Identity: The only family and sister of Kael Vi-rel the extra.
— For original chapters go to novel-fire.ɴet
Kael’s blood ran cold. His hands trembled against the glowing status screen.
"I don’t have a sister," he whispered. "So then... who the hell is she?"
Ahhh, I should just think about it later. This game always
The tall grass rustled nearby. I pulled out my sword and peered through the grass. However, I lowered my weapon and grinned when I saw who it was. Soon, I heard her footsteps as Clara emerged.
I acted surprised. A leaf stuck to her hair, but she didn’t notice.
Clara Winslet silently looked around. Her jaws dropped at the high-tech tent and grill.
"Ah, I like to prepare thoroughly."
Clara snapped out of her daze as I coolly smiled at her. She stared at the chicken on the grill. It smelled delicious.
"Would you like to join me for lunch?"
"I’ll take some points to be fair."
I opened another foldable chair for her and handed her a plate with half the chicken on it. Clara must’ve been hungry, as she finished the chicken in just ten minutes.
When she set the plate down, she didn’t speak at first. Her hands lingered on the rim, and her eyes wavered as though debating with herself.
Finally, she drew in a breath. "...Kael."
I raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
I tilted my head. "For the food?"
She shook her head firmly, meeting my eyes with surprising resolve. "For the food... and for saving me. If it weren’t for you, I might not be sitting here right now. So... really, thank you."
Her voice didn’t waver. It was simple, sincere, and real.