The crowd had completely closed in around Ken. Stones flew, voices rose, and anger spread like a plague. Ken slowly lifted his head. His expression held no fear, no excuses, not even anger. His ash-gray eyes read the scene as if he were studying a complex painting.
'A furious crowd… no one will listen… explaining is useless… using force will turn this into a slaughter… so?'
Analysis. Conclusion. Decision. All of it happened inside him in less than a second. And instead of stepping back like any cornered person would… he stepped forward. That alone made the crowd stiffen. Even the woman who had been the first to attack him trembled for a moment before forcing herself to raise her stick again.
She shouted with a voice cracked by rage:
"Now it's time to pay! Don't think you'll get away with everything you've done!"
As her stick came down toward him, Ken raised his left hand and caught it.
He said coldly:
"If you think I'll let you beat me like a stray dog… you're a fool."
His fingers tightened. The stick cracked, split in half, and fell to the ground. The woman gasped. The crowd stepped back without realizing it.
Before the tension could rise further, Ann stepped forward and stomped the ground hard:
"That's enough! Have you all lost your minds?! A group of adults attacking a teenager just because you want to hang Cirrus's sins around his neck?!"
The woman snapped back at her:
"And you're defending a killer?! Do you know how many families he destroyed?!"
Ann replied with a sharpness no one expected:
"And you? Do you know how many lives your husband killed in the wars?! Were you there when he did it?!"
The woman hesitated, her gaze dropped for a moment.
"That… that's not the same…"
Ann shot back without hesitation:
"It is the same!"
Before the crowd could erupt into shouting again, Akio cut through all the noise:
"You're all attacking him like he's a monster, but none of you thought about why he became like this! No one asked what his life was before he became a killer! No one asked how he lost everyone he loved!"
Silence. Then Ken spoke with a cold voice, and his eyes on the ground:
"I didn't ask for your help."
Ann turned to him, her eyes were sharp with anger:
"Really? Were you planning to just let them kill you here? Were you going to stand there like a statue and take everything because you decided you're alone in this world?!"
Before he could answer, a soft voice intervened. Silvara stepped forward with quiet steps, her hands linked behind her back, her gaze moving slowly between the crowd and Ken.
She spoke in a low voice, charged with analysis:
"Anger… when it gathers in one place, it looks for a victim. And the easiest victim is the one who tries to stand alone. These people don't just hate Ken… they hate the reflection of their own fear."
Some stared at her in surprise, some in irritation, but she continued calmly:
"Still… attacking him won't cleanse their hearts. It will only show how fragile they truly are."
Meanwhile, Mabushi stood at the edge of the circle, watching with clear boredom. He rubbed his forehead hard, then said:
"Oh great… the festival of emotions has begun."
He pointed lazily at Akio:
"One giving a lecture about tragic childhoods…"
Then at Silvara:
"And here we have the philosopher writing a book about human suffering…"
Then at Ann:
"And this one… ready to give a revolutionary speech in the marketplace…"
He finally pointed at Ken:
"And the fourth one… standing there like nothing concerns him."
He sighed, folded his arms, and stepped aside, unwilling to watch more emotional drama.
At that moment, Ann moved. She gave the crowd one final sharp look, then turned toward Ken. She walked up to him slowly, then reached out and took his wrist. He said nothing, letting her hand close around his without resistance. But Ann… was not calm inside.
'Oh God… my hand is holding Ken's hand?! This easily?! No, focus Ann. Focus. You're doing this to get him out of here… yes, that's the reason… why is his hand so warm?!'
She swallowed quickly so her fluster wouldn't show, tightened her grip, and pulled him with her.
"We're done here!"
Ken followed without protest. From afar, Akira watched them with his arms folded. His red eyes narrowed slightly, his head tilting as if recognizing something very familiar.
He muttered quietly to himself:
"Yes… he really is similar to me."
Akio and Silvara walked behind Ann and Ken. Mabushi joined last, hands in his pockets, his expression clearly annoyed. They had only walked a few meters away from the market when Akira joined them. He looked at Ken first… then at Ann's hand holding his.
A side smile appeared on his face. He stepped closer to Ann with absolutely no regard for personal space, bending slightly to her eye level.
"Your courage earlier was impressive. I didn't expect to see a girl stand before an angry crowd with that kind of composure."
Ann raised a brow but didn't release Ken's hand. Akira continued as if he enjoyed watching her discomfort:
"You know… if I were in the place of this cold, gloomy statue… I'd say something at least. Anything. A word of gratitude… a glance… a small romantic sigh?"
He winked slowly.
"But no. He just stands there like stone. And me?"
He leaned even closer, his cold breath brushing her cheek.
"I could entertain you far more… than his frozen hand ever could."
Ann's expression tightened immediately, a sudden stab of irritation hitting her. But Akira didn't stop.
"And… since I don't even know your name yet… I guess I'll say it like this: a hand like yours… shouldn't be holding the hand of someone cold like Ken. It deserves someone who knows how to be romantic… someone exactly like me."
Akira didn't wait for Ann's reply. He boldly reached out and grabbed the hand she was using to hold Ken's. Ann froze for a second… then her face erupted in pure anger. She yanked her hand back immediately, then let go of Ken's as well, and shouted while shaking her hand as if she'd touched something filthy:
"You pervert! Who allowed you to touch my hand?!"
Akira's eyebrows rose with amusement, as if this was exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. Mabushi, however… something inside him snapped. Not because of romance, but because of the sheer audacity. His fist tightened slowly, his shoulder rose, and his expression darkened.
"You just touched one of our girls, didn't you?"
He didn't wait for an answer. He charged at Akira like a beast ready to tear into prey. But Akira didn't react in any normal way… he simply slid aside with a quick sidestep, silent and effortless.
In the same instant, Mabushi crashed face-first into the ground, his legs flipping up for a moment before he fell flat. He lay there for two seconds, processing what had just happened, before pushing himself up with a furious look, brushing dirt off his face.
"Damn it…!"
Akira didn't even glance at him. His attention had already shifted entirely to Silvara, and he stepped toward her.
He tilted his head slightly, his tone softer than it had been moments earlier:
"It seems you're the only one here who isn't… occupied. No hand holding yours… no one shouting for your sake."
His gaze drifted down the details of her short dress.
"Honestly… for a moment I thought I had a chance at something romantic with that little ninja. But since she wasn't interested… maybe fate meant to point me toward you instead."
He stepped closer, crossing a boundary only he had the nerve to cross.
"And you…"
His voice grew quiet, but his red eyes held that dangerous glint.
"Your beauty isn't something someone should overlook. Your dress… your voice… even the way you're standing right now. I think I might have a much better chance with you. What do you say? Should we start small… and break that calm aura you hide behind?"
Silvara looked at him silently, wearing a serene smile.
Akio blinked and muttered:
"Oh no… he's chasing girls now too."
Silvara slowly lifted her gaze toward Akira, then stepped right in front of him, standing very, very close.
She spoke in a low, soft voice:
"You talk a lot… which is charming in its own way. But you don't hear anything."
Akira blinked slowly, as if he's trying to understand.
She continued:
"You say I'm calm… and that you can 'break' that calm. But the truth is… you're the one looking for something to break the noise inside you. You're not after romance, Akira… you just want someone to notice you."
She raised her hand gently and touched his cheek with her fingertips.
"And that's the difference between me and Ann… I don't run."
Then, without hesitation, she placed a light kiss on his cheek. Akira stepped back half a pace, his eyes widened.
He whispered, flustered:
"…I… didn't expect that."
Silvara smiled again, then said:
"Because you don't read what lies beneath the words."
She turned and began walking ahead, as if nothing unusual had happened at all. Akira remained still a moment longer than he should have. He touched his cheek once… then again, as if checking whether it had really happened or was just an illusion.
But when he noticed Akio staring at him from afar, his expression crumpled instantly. He dropped his hand fast, straightened up, and pretended nothing had happened.
He took a deep breath… lifted his chin at a calculated angle… then walked after the group with long, confident steps, far more confident than any normal human would manage, trying to hide every trace of embarrassment.
He spoke louder than necessary, trying to cover the silence he'd left behind:
"Hey, lightning boy! Did you see that? I almost crushed you back there!"
Akio immediately grinned, as if he'd just found a brand-new friend who matched his chaotic energy:
"Crush what? I was about to beat you myself if you hadn't bumped into me!"
Akira raised an eyebrow dismissively:
"That was because I was testing your core strength. Your build isn't bad… for a child."
Akio laughed brightly:
"You're weird, man! But I like this kind of challenge!"
Akira paused for a moment, then said quietly:
"I think I should head home now."
Everyone stopped. Akio turned to him first.
"Huh? Why? We were actually having fun with you!"
Akira answered:
"Lady Terracula needs me right now. I work with her at the palace."
Akio's eyes widened instantly:
"What? Did you just say Terracula?!"
Akira replied without any hint of emotion:
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
Akio opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated at too many words, threatening to reveal something they shouldn't.
"We… we actually came here looking for—"
But Ann was quicker. She slapped her hand over his mouth, her eyes widened:
"Stop!"
Then she turned to Akira, her expression a mix of surprise and caution:
"So… you really work for Terracula?"
Akira gave a side-smile, turning slightly to face them:
"Exactly. And on that note… I think I should offer you an invitation to something special this Saturday."
Ann raised a brow and stopped walking.
"An invitation? To where?"
"To the palace gala. Terracula is hosting an event on Saturday. A few important guests will attend… and since you're already here, your presence could be… interesting."
Akio shouted in excitement:
"A gala… in Terracula's palace? I can't believe this!"
Akira chuckled softly:
"Of course. Just try not to cause trouble."
Akio replied with a hesitant smile:
"Alright… thanks."
Mabushi thought to himself:
'Perfect. Instead of sneaking in… we'll walk through the front gates like honored guests. Better… and far more dangerous.'