Chapter 7: Scene 1
Yamino grinned as he pulled her close once more, this time more deliberately. With a swift motion, he pinned her lightly against the tree, his arms resting beside her shoulders. The glowing cuffs made their hands hang awkwardly close, but neither paid attention to that now.
"Do you know…" he whispered, voice low and intense, "if I really end up marrying you, what I'll do?"
Aiyana's breath hitched, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What…?"
Before Yamino could answer, the air around them shifted. A heavy, unnatural silence fell, swallowing every sound — no wind, no birds, no rustling leaves.
Yamino froze, sensing something off. He opened his mouth to speak, but Aiyana quickly placed her finger on his lips, her eyes alert.
"Shh," she whispered, barely audible. "We aren't alone."
From the shadows between the trees, black shapes slowly emerged — tall, thin entities with flickering forms, as if made of smoke and bone. Their empty eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, and they moved without sound, surrounding the two of them in a perfect circle.
Then came the slow, mocking sound of clapping.
Clap… clap… clap…
From among the entities, a boy walked forward — about Yamino's age, but with a disturbing presence. His skin was pale as death, his white hair falling in uneven locks around his skull-thin face. Dark circles underlined his eyes, and he smiled with a twisted calm that made the air colder.
"Long time no see," the boy said, his voice smooth like oil, laced with menace.
Aiyana's body tensed the moment she saw him. Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "Kairon."
Yamino glanced at her, confused. "You know him?"
She nodded stiffly, eyes fixed on the boy. "He was… my cousin's friend. A stalker. Obsessed. Dangerous."
Kairon's grin widened at that. "Stalker? Aww, come on, Aiyana. Don't make it sound so ugly. I just couldn't get you out of my head. And now… here you are, engaged to someone else?" His eyes flicked to Yamino with open disdain.
"You've always liked dramatic entrances," Aiyana muttered, her voice low and sharp. "Still hiding behind monsters?"
Kairon chuckled. "Oh, I don't hide, darling. I command. Just like your little fiancé will learn… the hard way."
The forest path was quiet as Yamino's father walked alongside Aiyana's parents, the crunch of dry leaves underfoot the only sound between them. They had decided to give the two some space — or rather, the cuffs forced them to. Still, there was a peace in the moment, a breath after chaos.
Until it wasn't.
From both sides of the path, black figures emerged like ghosts from mist — swift, precise, and fully armed. Their uniforms were marked with a silver insignia: an eye with wings. Seventy in number, all moving in synchronized silence.
Yamino's father immediately stepped in front of the couple, his senses alert. "Stay behind me."
Aiyana's mother tensed. "No… it can't be."
The lead man, his armor glinting unnaturally even under the forest canopy, stepped forward. A thick red scarf fluttered behind him. His presence alone was suffocating.
Aiyana's father narrowed his eyes. "The 67 Officers… Angelous family."
The man gave a slight bow, mockingly polite. "Correct, Lord Elren. I am Captain Vann of the 67. Pleased to make your acquaintance — formally."
Yamino's father clenched his fists. "What the hell do you want?"
Captain Vann smiled without warmth. "We're here on orders. By decree of the young master… Kairon Angelous."
That name sent a shiver through the air. Aiyana's parents stiffened at once.
"You send seventy killers into our land?" Elren roared. "We are your allies, not enemies!"
Captain Vann's expression didn't change. "That was then. Now… the young master has new priorities. He requests the woman, Lady Arliana, to return with us—alive. As for the blacksmith…"
His eyes flicked to Yamino's father with a faint sneer.
"…he's become unnecessary."
Yamino's father took a step forward. "If you think I'll go down easy—"
He didn't finish. Vann's blade flashed out with terrifying speed.
The clash exploded in an instant. Yamino's father blocked the strike with his gauntlets, sparks flying. Aiyana's father summoned a wall of flame between them. Her mother cast a ward that pushed several officers back.
"Arliana! Get behind me!" Elren shouted.
Captain Vann raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The rest of the officers surged forward.
"You dare challenge us?" Arliana's voice rang out as her aura flared, ghostly chains spiraling from her fingertips.
"I'm not here to challenge," Vann replied coolly, stepping through the fire unharmed. "I'm here to clean up. The young master wants what's his."
The forest lit up with spells, blades, and blood.
The clearing trembled under the weight of combat. Yamino and Aiyana stood back-to-back, breathing hard, both of them bruised, cut, and overwhelmed. The cursed handcuffs glowed faintly, pulsing with a soft blue hue that drained the strength from their bodies and silenced their pacts. Toms Zano and Terax were nowhere to be summoned.
Kairon stood a few paces away, watching the chaos like a conductor enjoying his symphony. He hadn't lifted a finger yet. He didn't need to. One of his elite servants—a tall, silver-haired man with glowing eyes and a lazy grin—toyed with them, dodging blows with ease, pushing them around like playthings. Yamino's fists were slower, his body heavy. Aiyana's kicks lacked their usual bite. It was like fighting with weights on their souls.
Meanwhile, Kairon leaned against a crooked tree, voice smooth as silk. "Aiyana," he called softly, as if they were simply sharing tea in a garden. "Do you remember the nights we spoke of marriage? I never forgot those words. You were too young to understand back then… but I did. I always understood."
Aiyana growled, swinging at the servant with renewed rage. "I never said anything like that to you."
He smirked. "Not out loud, maybe. But I could see it in your eyes. The way you watched me. The way you—"
"Shut up!" Yamino snapped, diving forward to punch the servant again, only to be thrown aside like a ragdoll. He hit the ground hard, coughing blood.
"If only…" he gasped, voice hoarse, "If only… these damn cuffs weren't on…"
Kairon's eyes lit up with twisted amusement. "If only, huh?"
He raised his hand, fingers forming a flicking motion—up, then sharply down.
A flash.
A spray of red.
Yamino's scream tore through the forest as his right hand was severed clean from his wrist.
Aiyana whirled around, her eyes wide with horror.
Behind them, another of Kairon's servants stood, a woman cloaked in white, her crimson-stained blade still humming from the slice. Blood dripped in slow, thick droplets onto the grass.
"Yamino!" Aiyana screamed, catching him as he collapsed.
The world seemed to slow.
Yamino clutched the stump, breath trembling, vision spinning.
Kairon chuckled softly. "Maybe now you'll understand what it means to take something I want, peasant."
He stepped closer, eyes fixed on Aiyana. "Let's see how long you can still protect her... now that you're broken."