Yujiro kept walking. The long line of travelers and merchants stretched far behind him, their chatter fading into the background as his boots thudded lightly against the stone road. People stared. Some whispered. Others just moved aside.
He passed an old woman holding a basket of herbs, a boy chasing a wooden toy, and a pair of guards in glimmering silver armor, all looking toward the city gates, all waiting.
But Yujiro? He didn't wait. He never had. He never will.
Two knights guarding the entrance stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"You there!" one of them barked, his spear raised slightly. "Get back in line!"
Yujiro didn't stop. He didn't answer. He just smirked.
And vanished.
Gasps erupted in every direction. The knights stumbled back, spears up now. A few people in line screamed. Others shielded their eyes, confused. One woman muttered, "Teleportation?" while her husband shook his head. "No… there was no chant. No magic circle. What was that…?"
But Yujiro hadn't used magic. It wasn't a spell. It was speed. Pure, overwhelming speed that defied their senses.
He was gone from their view—just like that.
Inside Ruberios...
Yujiro now stood inside the city.
The capital of Ruberios was nothing like the wild outskirts or rugged roads he had passed to get here. Everything was clean—too clean. The stone paths were smooth and polished. Lanterns glowed softly above the streets. Elegant buildings lined the avenues, housing perfumeries, armories, elegant restaurants, and massive cathedrals. People walked in straight lines, eyes forward, with heads slightly bowed, dressed in white and gold tunics, clergy robes, or polished armor.
Discipline.
Order.
Control.
He smirked again.
The divine city of Luminous Valentine. The so-called holy capital.
His eyes swept forward—and there it was.
A towering cathedral, larger than any other building, sat like a silent guardian over the city. The Castle of Luminous. Ivory-white towers touched the sky. Stained glass windows shimmered with colored light. Holy sigils glowed faintly across its structure. It was heavily guarded, as expected. Dozens of knights marched its perimeter. Light mages stood near the gate, their staves glowing.
But Yujiro kept walking.
Nothing would stop him.
Not far from the cathedral, a young merchant stood nervously at a street corner, holding a rolled map and trying to get the attention of three armored knights. One of them was tall, elegant, her white coat flowing in the wind. She wore a monocle, and her armor gleamed with platinum trim. A rapier rested on her hip—Moonlight, a weapon of legend.
She was Hinata Sakaguchi, Commander of the Holy Knights of Ruberios. A name whispered in fear across nations.
Yujiro saw her. His eyes narrowed.
Fate had laid the path.
He approached.
The merchant, sweating now, was saying, "S-So, the cathedral's to the north, right? But where do I register my goods—?"
He stopped.
His face turned pale.
Hinata blinked. "What's wrong?" she asked.
The other two knights noticed it too—how the merchant's eyes weren't even on them anymore. He was looking behind them. His mouth opened slightly, and he pointed with a trembling hand.
Hinata turned.
And locked eyes with him.
A man, tall, broad, with a black coat billowing ever so gently. His eyes, calm yet sharp. That smirk on his face—a smirk that carried weight.
Hinata's instincts, honed from years of battle, screamed danger.
There was no magic pressure.
No aura.
But his presence…
It was suffocating.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice firm.
Hujiro's smirk widened. His voice was calm but arrogant. "Luminous Valentine. I want to meet her."
The two knights beside Hinata blinked. "Who?" one asked.
But Hinata didn't answer.
Her breath hitched for a split second.
How does he know that name? she thought. Only a handful of people knew that the true ruler of Ruberios was not the church, not the council, but Luminous Valentine—the Demon Lord.
She quickly said, "You two, move ahead. I'll catch up."
They hesitated. "Captain?"
Hinata's gaze turned cold. That was enough. The knights nodded and walked off.
Now alone, Hinata stared at Yujiro.
"…How do you know that name?" she asked quietly.
Yujiro leaned forward, slowly, dangerously.
"Take me to Luminous Valentine, the Demon Lord," he said, his tone darker now. "I will not repeat myself."
A chill passed down Hinata's spine.
Her fingers itched to touch the hilt of her rapier.
But she stood her ground.
Could he be a spy? she thought. A demon in disguise? A threat?
"Who the hell are you, and why would I—"
She didn't finish her sentence.
Suddenly, the air changed.
She couldn't breathe.
She couldn't feel the ground under her feet.
Her body lifted into the air without warning. Her hand instinctively reached for her sword—but stopped midway.
A hand was gripping her throat.
Firm. Unmoving.
Hujiro.
He was holding her up with one hand… without moving an inch.
The other hand was still in his pocket.
Hinata's eyes widened. What… what is this strength?!
She struggled, legs kicking slightly, but it was useless.
Knights and soldiers in the area saw it and immediately sounded the alarm. A deep GONG echoed through the city. Church bells rang out. Civilians screamed and scattered in every direction.
Within seconds, over a hundred knights rushed toward the scene, their weapons drawn.
But what they saw… froze them.
The mighty Hinata Sakaguchi, the strongest of them all—dangling in the air like an insect.
Held by a stranger with one hand.
"What… the hell?" one knight whispered.
Another backed away, gripping his sword tightly. "That can't be…!"
Yujiro turned his head slightly, looking at the circle of knights now surrounding him.
His smirk never left.
The wind blew gently. Dust swirled.
Silence fell over the crowd.
No one dared to move.
Not even Hinata.
And in that moment, everyone knew…
This was not a man you wanted as your enemy.
Hinata Sakaguchi had never known fear.
She had walked into battlefields alone, led knights into wars, fought Demon Lords, and even survived a clash with the enigmatic Luminous Valentine herself. But now, her boots dangled inches off the ground, her throat squeezed tightly by a man whose name she had never heard—Yujiro Hanma.
Her eyes, wide with disbelief, stared into his. They were calm. Too calm. Like still water before a storm.
"Who... are you...?" she choked, barely getting the words out.
The grip around her neck didn't loosen. Instead, Yujiro smirked. One hand still in his coat pocket. His other arm, the one lifting Hinata like a weightless doll, showed no effort, no tension—like lifting a feather.
Around them, the air was thick with panic.
Knights swarmed in from every street, forming a circle around the spectacle. Their swords were drawn, their shields raised, but none dared move. Because what they saw wasn't just shocking. It was terrifying.
Hinata Sakaguchi—the White Angel, the Sword Saint of Ruberios—was being held like a broken toy.
One young knight whispered, "That's... impossible..."
Another said, "He's not even using magic... I can't sense anything. What is he?!"
In the silence, Hinata activated her Unique Skill: Mathematician.
A skill that could analyze almost anything—skills, threats, structures, strategies.
[Analyzing Target...]
[Error. Unable to Analyze. Target exceeds calculation range.]
Her pupils shrank.
"No way... even Demon Lord Valentine shows up on this..."
Then came desperation. The tightness in her chest grew. She could no longer feel the ground. Her vision blurred. Her sword—Moonlight—remained untouched in its sheath.
And then, her last hope: Thought Communication.
Luminous... I... I'm sorry. I'm about to... die...
Far away inside Ruberios' holy cathedral, Luminous Valentine froze mid-step.
Her usually cold and graceful expression twisted in alarm.
"Hinata...?" she whispered.
She extended her divine senses instantly—and what she saw chilled her to the bone.
Hinata. In Ruberios. Being strangled in broad daylight. By a stranger whose presence was... utterly blank.
Without another thought, she vanished from the cathedral in a flash of silvery-blue light.
She arrived like a comet crashing to the earth. Wind exploded around her, knights recoiled from the pressure. Dust danced in the air.
Yujiro barely turned his head.
In front of him stood a young-looking woman with flowing silver hair and sharp crimson eyes. She wore a white veil and an ornate robe with hints of dark gold. Her presence made the world quiet.
"Is it me you're looking for?" she asked. Her voice was calm, clear. "I'm here now. Let her go."
Yujiro tilted his head, eyes scanning her.
Then, with no ceremony, no effort, he flung Hinata aside.
The Knights rushed in, catching her before she hit the ground. The healers swarmed her body.
Luminous didn't glance at Hinata. Her gaze was fixed on the man.
"If it's a fight you want," she said, her voice gaining a cold edge, "we'll take this somewhere else. I won't have innocent lives wasted."
Yujiro finally spoke again.
"Lead the way."
Behind her, Louis and Ghunter had arrived, watching silently with concern and curiosity.
Luminous flew into the sky like a streak of light.
Yujiro followed, casually, as though it was a walk in the park.
After several minutes of flight, they arrived at a barren wasteland—an open field surrounded by jagged mountains and deep ravines. No civilization for miles.
Luminous landed first, turning to face him.
"Now then," she said. "Who are you, and what do you want from me?"
Yujiro landed without a sound.
"Yujiro Hanma," he said simply. "Remember that name."
Luminous narrowed her eyes. "Never heard of it."
"You will," Yujiro said, licking his lips with an eager glint in his eye. "You'll kneel before me."
A twitch of her eye. Then a scoff.
"You arrogant bastard. I'll show you not to mess with a Demon Lord."
She didn't waste another breath. Her pride had been pierced.
From her side, she unsheathed Night Rose—a blade of pure obsidian black, humming with divine energy. The moment the sword left its sheath, the entire area was covered in a crimson glow.
With a flash, she vanished.
She reappeared right in front of Yujiro, sword raised, slashing down at his chest with god-slaying precision.
CLANG!!!
The sound echoed across the valley.
Sparks flew.
But Yujiro hadn't moved an inch.
He'd stopped the sword.
With two fingers.
Two. Fingers.
Luminous' eyes went wide. Her blade trembled in his grip.
"What...? How?!"
Yujiro looked down at her, amused.
"You talk too much."
He released the sword, and in the blink of an eye—BOOM!—he vanished.
Luminous barely managed to react. She spun around midair, blocking a punch with her sword—but the force sent her flying like a meteor into a mountain.
CRASH!!!
Rocks shattered. Dust filled the sky.
Louis and Ghunter stared in silent horror.
And Yujiro just stood there, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket.
"Round one," he said, cracking his neck, "goes to me."