When Iakopo looked into Saikai’s eyes, he felt something stir in his chest.

His old friend was right.

He had shut himself off everything for too long, too hurt to even think about what he had been doing, how it had affected him, how it had radically altered who he was.

Iakopo looked down at the cuffs on his wrists and the chains on his chest, all under Saikai’s eyes.

“I always thought that she cared so much about others,” Iakopo simply said. “But really, she only cared about what others wanted to see in her. I never knew her family, so I can’t say why, but her greatest desire was always to destroy the Kraken. Nothing else mattered.”

Saikai nodded slowly, letting his Lord talk.

“I should have known better,” Iakopo muttered. “I made a mistake, Saikai. I made such a terrible mistake.”

“Love does that to people, milord.”

“I know, but…” Iakopo cut himself off. “I thought myself wiser than that. I thought that Yalena had a point, that she wasn’t a madman.”

“You had a good reason to think so, milord.”

“I should have known better…”

“No, milord,” Saikai said, “I don’t think you should have. I think your mistake was in good faith. I think you shouldn’t have known better. You now do know better, but you shouldn’t have. You have cursed your own life for twenty years now, thinking that you should have known better when that had never been the case. You trusted her. She betrayed you. You paid for the mistake and stayed true to what a Water Rider truly is, milord. I’m sorry I had to break my vow of always supporting you, but I can’t stand behind you while you let these fools kill you.”

Iakopo rattled his chains and smiled.

“I think you might be right, old friend. I just wish you had told me I was an idiot before they chained me.”

Saikai nodded gravely.

“Milord,” the man said, “since we are discussing your misgivings. May I voice another issue?”

“We don’t really have much else to entertain ourselves with, so please, go ahead. I’m sure they’ll kill us both before we ever get the opportunity to plead our case with the Principal anyway.”

“The child,” Saikai cleared his voice. “Yalena’s child.”

“Which one?

“The cursed one, milord. You’ve avoided the one who looks like her, and she, for some reason, seemed to avoid you.”

“Elder Kahua probably told her to,” Iakopo sighed. “What about the cursed child? And by the way, Saikai, she’s not cursed.”

“Milord?” Saikai frowned.

“The marks,” Iakopo shook his head, “that’s not a curse. It’s… I told Yalena how to… listen, it’s not important. What about her?”

“If we ever were to survive, milord, I can’t stand your cruelty anymore. From now on, I can only remain in your service if you behave like your station befits you.”

Iakopo looked at the butler and smiled.

“You’re right. I—I was angry. Now, I’m just sad. I doubt she’ll ever be told what power she really wields—it’s a shame, really.”

“Perhaps, milord, you could do that.”

“I doubt we’ll survive long enough for that to be possible,” Iakopo sighed.

“Assume we did,” Saikai said with an encouraging smile. “Would you behave differently from now on?”

Iakopo nodded.

“I would, and I would kill whoever is behind this.”

For a moment, all the chains and restraints on Iakopo shone intensely, restricting his power. For just an instant, the equivalent of splitting a hair in terms of time, they trembled, perhaps incapable of keeping the man at bay.

But then, the restrictions won.

* * *

The midday sun beat down on the sandy landscape as Talia and Fiora made their way towards the hills outside Placid City.

The heat was at its peak, distorting the far landscape.

Fiora wiped the sweat from her brow, squinting against the bright sunlight.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” she muttered.

Talia’s eyes remained fixed on the path ahead, her gaze determined despite the harsh conditions.

“Trust me, Fiora. This is important.”

“Important enough to risk heatstroke?” Fiora asked, her voice tinged with sarcasm. “You know, I didn’t bring Agalei because I was afraid for her safety. Now I’m starting to wonder if I should’ve stayed behind, too.”

Talia stopped, turning to face her friend.

“Look, I know it sounds crazy, but something doesn’t add up about Professor Iakopo’s arrest. Those semi-evolved monsters they supposedly found in the Placid Cave? It’s too convenient, too easy.”

Fiora raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, Talia, what are you saying? I’m tired of the secrecy.”

“I’m saying that it doesn’t make sense,” Talia explained, her voice low. “Professor Iakopo is strong and smart. Why would someone like him need to create monsters to cause trouble? And why would he leave such obvious evidence?”

“So, what do you think is really going on?”

Talia took a deep breath.

“I believe the real answers are hidden in a cave up ahead. There’s a Slashing Cruster Boss guarding it – a powerful one. But beyond that, I can sense an immense concentration of Mana. Whatever’s in there, it’s important.”

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Fiora’s eyes widened.

“Wait, what?! A Boss? Talia, that’s insane! We can’t take on something like that by ourselves! What level is it?!”

“It’s Level 16,” Talia admitted. “Look, I know it’s risky. But we can’t ask the senior students for help. We don’t know who else might be involved in this mess. This might be our only chance to uncover the truth.”

Fiora was quiet for a moment, considering Talia’s words.

Then, to Talia’s surprise, a small smirk played across her lips.

“Well,” she said, “I have been wanting to test out my new skill anyway.”

Talia blinked, taken aback by Fiora’s sudden change in attitude.

“You’re... still okay with this?”

Fiora shrugged.

“You’re insane,” the blonde said plainly. “I know you are. But you’re not stupid. If there’s some sort of conspiracy here, I’d rather know where the blade is coming from.”

“Thank you,” Talia said, surprised. “By the way, Fiora. I need to tell you something.”

Talia stopped in her tracks.

“You might not like what I’m about to say.”

“I rarely do,” Fiora replied.

“Listen, I know it’s not a good situation you’re in. However, I went to the Market, the one with Secret Dealers. I asked who got in my way, which Elder didn’t want me at the Academy.”

“And?” Fiora looked confused. “What does that have anything to do with me?”

“Apparently,” Talia explained, “Elder Kawena was behind it, and Elder Krakatoa let it happen.”

Fiora frowned.

“What?”

“The dealer explained that Elder Kawena hates lowborns. She’s the most extreme of all the Schools. Mano casually mentioned that her School has these hazing rituals—they’ll lead on some of the first-year students who don’t know better and are desperate to join a School. They set up impossible challenges and… well…”

“And?” Fiora frowned, feeling some anger bubbling in her chest.

“I don’t know if it’s true,” Talia said, raising her hands. “The guy said that they use this to take advantage of younger, lowborn students. They select recruits that they like and set them up for failure. Then, they blackmail them, saying that they’ll have to sleep with them if they want to enter Kawena’s School. They do this to prove Elder Kawena their loyalty and enter their inner circle.”

Fiora was now shaking.

“I don’t know if you noticed,” Talia sighed. “There’s no one from Elder Kawena’s School in Professor Iakopo’s course. That’s because he knows, apparently, and her students are banned from his course. The Secret Dealer guy refused to say anything about Professor Iakopo’s secrets, but he told me that he had a fight with Elder Kawena over this.”

Fiora clenched her teeth.

It now all made sense to her.

The waterfall test was clearly beyond any student’s normal abilities.

It had all been a ruse.

They had been selected among the desperate ones to be used by the members of Elder Kawena’s School for their perverse purposes.

“Fiora, are you okay?”

Fiora looked at Talia.

She knew that the blasted girl in front of her had no reason to lie to her, which meant this was all true, that she had been duped because she had refused to swallow her pride and ask for this girl’s help.

Fiora realized that even though she herself had refused to come to Talia, the latter had come for her, asking for her help.

She’s not prideful, Fiora reasoned. She’s not arrogant. She just wants to do what’s right.

“I’m fine,” Fiora forced a smile, resolving to deal with Kaia and Elder Kawena’s students once they came back alive from Placid City. “Thank you.”

Talia felt a wave of relief wash over her. She hadn’t been sure how Fiora would react to this news, but she was more than glad that her friend had not turned her heels and gone away.

She needed Fiora for this plan to work.

“Alright,” Talia nodded, “now, here’s my plan.”

* * *

Takai stood nervously in front of Mayor Boro’s office, his eyes darting up and down the empty hallway.

The worn wooden door behind him was slightly ajar, and he could hear the faint sounds of Keanu rummaging inside.

Their mission was clear: find the key to Professor Iakopo’s cuffs.

But with each second that he had to stay guard there, Takai’s anxiety grew.

Keanu looked like someone who knew what he was doing, but that didn’t infuse Takai with any more courage than he would have otherwise had.

Talia had briefly told him about the plan, and honestly, he had gone through it because he trusted her.

He hadn’t understood much about the whole business with Professor Iakopo, but he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that if Talia believed the man was being framed, that was most certainly the case.

Takai knew how to think with his own head, of course, but most of his thoughts were still consumed by his meeting with Lilinoe.

The sudden sound of footsteps from around the corner made Takai’s heart leap into his throat.

He recognized the heavy gait immediately - Mayor Boro was returning.

Panic was getting the better of him, but Takai forced himself to take a deep breath.

He had to buy Keanu more time.

As Mayor Boro’s round figure appeared at the end of the hallway, Takai stepped forward, plastering what he hoped was a convincing smile on his face.

“Mayor Boro!” he called out, his voice only slightly shaky. “I’m so glad I caught you. I was hoping I could talk to you about something important.”

The Mayor’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Oh? And what might that be, young man?”

Takai’s mind raced, grasping for the story Talia had prepared for him.

“It’s about... about the recent events in Placid City,” he began, moving to intercept the Mayor before he could reach his office door. “I’ve been having trouble sleeping, sir. The attacks, Professor Iakopo’s arrest... it’s all so overwhelming.”

Mayor Boro’s expression softened slightly, though Takai could see impatience in his eyes.

“I see. These are indeed troubling times. But I assure you, we’re doing everything in our power to keep the city safe.”

“That’s just it, sir,” Takai pressed on, desperately trying to keep the Mayor’s attention. “I was wondering if there was anything we students could do to help. Maybe some kind of volunteer program or...”

As Takai rambled on, he could hear the muffled sounds of Keanu’s search continuing behind the office door.

His palms began to sweat as he noticed Mayor Boro’s gaze drifting toward his office.

“While I appreciate your concern, young man,” the Mayor said, attempting to step around Takai, “I’m afraid I have some urgent matters to attend to in my office.”

Takai had to think of something, anything, to keep the Mayor distracted.

In a moment of desperation, he blurted out, “But sir, I’ve heard something about the Cultists! Something—er—important!”

This caught Mayor Boro’s attention.

He turned back to Takai, his eyes narrowing.

“What have you heard?”

Realizing he’d stumbled onto something, Takai pressed his advantage.

“Well, I’ve heard, sir, that, huh, the Sword Demon might be on the island!”

Mayor Boro’s face paled slightly.

He glanced around the empty street before leaning in close to Takai.

“Where did you hear such things?” he asked in a hushed tone.

Before Takai could respond, the office door swung open. Keanu emerged, his face flushed and his eyes wide. In that split second, Takai saw Mayor Boro’s expression change from concern to suspicion.

Time seemed to slow as Takai watched Keanu’s hand move to the hilt of his dagger.

In one fluid motion, Keanu brought the weapon’s pommel down hard on the back of Mayor Boro’s neck.

The Mayor’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he crumpled to the floor with a dull thud.

Takai stood frozen as he watched Keanu quickly pat down the unconscious Mayor.

After a moment of frantic searching, Keanu’s hand emerged from Boro’s pocket, clutching a small, ornate key, sighing and bending to hold himself up on his knees.

“Got it,” Keanu said, shaking his head. “I knew he had to have it on himself. I tore his office apart, but there was nothing.”

“What about him?” Takai said, pointing at the Mayor.

“Talia said the sooner we can get to Professor Iakopo, the better. Leave him there,” Keanu said. “Let’s go.”

Shaking off his stupor, Takai nodded and followed Keanu down the empty street.

Neither spoke as they emerged into a side street.

As they turned a corner, intending to head back to where Professor Iakopo was held, both boys suddenly stopped short.

The air around them seemed to thicken, charged with an intense energy that made the hairs on the back of Takai’s neck stand on end.

“Do you feel that?” Keanu whispered, his hand instinctively moving to his dagger.

Takai nodded, his eyes wide.

“It’s... there’s a lot of Mana in the air.”

Cautiously, they peered around the corner of a nearby building.

What they saw made Takai’s blood run cold.

In the middle of the street stood two figures.

On one side was Lilo, her hair whipping in a wind that seemed to emanate from her white-tinged aura.

White Rose, her Soul Weapon, shone wildly in her hand.

Facing her was a figure Takai immediately recognized.

Lilinoe, his half-sister, stood with a wicked smile on her face.

Lilinoe wielded a larger sword than Lilo’s, one with vein-like carmine tendrils mixed with its steel.

“Well, well,” Lilinoe was saying, her voice carrying easily to where Takai and Keanu hid. “If it isn’t the Promised Slayer herself. I’ve been looking forward to this moment.”

Lilo’s eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on White Rose.

“How did you escape?” she demanded.

Lilinoe’s smile widened.

“Oh, I have my ways. But that’s not important now. What matters is that I’m here to claim my Cursed Sword. And what better way to do that than by killing a noble brat like you?”