The polished stone floor of the hallway gleamed under the soft, ethereal glow emanating from the crystalline fixtures embedded in the high ceiling. Their footsteps echoed gently, a rhythmic counterpoint to the hushed silence that permeated the grand corridor. Lin, her brow slightly furrowed, walked beside Yukio, her gaze occasionally flicking towards the ornate doors that lined the hallway, curious. Kojo trailed behind them, his hands clasped behind his head, a picture of relaxed indifference.
"I'm… a bit nervous," Lin confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Meeting the Glory Knights… what are they like?"
Yukio turned slightly, a reassuring smile gracing her lips.
"Don't be nervous, Lin. They are just people, like us. Their role is to protect the peace of Ezkanur. As long as you haven't been caught trying to topple the Holy City, you have nothing to worry about."
Lin fidgeted with the sleeve of her tunic. "Still… it's a bit unnerving, isn't it? Meeting twenty-one people who hold the title of Saint. That's… that's twenty-two people who are just as strong as you are, Yukio."
Yukio chuckled, a warm, melodious sound. "You give yourself too little credit, Lin. You are plenty strong yourself. In fact, if you were to enroll, I have no doubt you would become a Saint as well within top five no less."
Kojo, who had been a silent observer until now, finally spoke, his voice a low drawl. "Why is there even a need for me to meet with these knights in Ezkanur anyway? I'm pretty sure after the stunt I pulled the other day I got a beef with the whole lot. Besides,knowing you, Leo, Cyrus, and that bastard Aldean is enough of a headache." He paused, then a hint of suspicion entered his tone.
"Are some of the other knights… like Aldean?"
Yukio's smile faltered slightly.
"Stop whining, Kojo. It was Lady Cassandra's request that I introduce you to them."
"Cassie did?" Kojo repeated, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. Yukio nodded. "And to answer your question," she continued, "the knights have varying personalities and traits, just like all people do. Though… Aldean is a bit of an exception, yes."
"I knew it," Kojo muttered under his breath. "Even you agree that that guy's a creep."
Lin shot him a sharp glance.
"Don't do anything stupid when we get there, Kojo."
" Huuuuh?"
(Based on the information we've gathered,there are twenty-two Glory Knights, the highest-ranking knights in the Holy Land of Ezkanur. That's ten Saints and twelve Paladins.)
Kojo nodded almost imperceptibly. "Now that you mention it… during my trial, there were only twenty of them. Two of the Saints weren't present."
"My sister is in the continent of Saifelle, guarding the Gate there," Yukio explained, her voice softening slightly.
"Ah, right," Kojo murmured, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "Your older?…
eh...younger?… Your sibling who was brought into our world as well."
Yukio nodded in confirmation.
Lin's gaze darted between the two of them, a silent question hanging in the air. Yukio caught her eye and offered a gentle smile. "I'll tell you about it another time, Lin."
"My sister really isn't the social type," Yukio continued, her tone casual. "That's why she didn't come when we were summoned."
"I sense a tense relationship there," Kojo remarked, his words direct as he gazed outside the windows at his side which depicted the city of Eldrida from the side of the mountain temple.
Yukio looked back at him, her expression unreadable. Kojo simply shrugged and continued, "It's possible she's feeling down, you know? Her former younger sister has become the greatest warrior the mortals have ever known, while she's been relegated to a… relevant side character. That must affect someone,at least to some extent, even if she says she 'doesn't care'."
Yukio turned her gaze forward again, her voice flat.
"Is that so?"
"Either that," Kojo added, "or she's just the reclusive type who really doesn't like people."
A fleeting image flashed through Yukio's mind:
A sun-drenched park, the vibrant green of the grass contrasting with the stark lines of distant skyscrapers, their glass surfaces reflecting the azure sky dotted with the sleek forms of hovercrafts and airships. Two young girls running through the park, their laughter echoing in the gentle breeze, while their parents sat on a checkered blanket, watching with fond smiles. One of the girls had her dark hair tied up in pigtails, her movements energetic and carefree. The other, slightly taller, with a more reserved demeanor, led her younger sister by the hand.
Kojo tilted his head, observing Yukio who had abruptly stopped walking, her eyes distant, lost in the hazy landscape of a cherished memory.
"Are you alright, Yuki?" he asked, his voice gentle, pulling her back to the present.
Yukio blinked, her expression momentarily blank before settling into a neutral mask. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion, and resumed walking.
Lin moved closer to Kojo and sharply jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. He yelped softly, clutching his side.
"What was that for?"
"It's not good to talk about people's family like that, Kojo," Lin hissed, her voice low and stern.
(You really should be more sensitive to a girl's feelings,) Sysia added, her tone laced with disapproval.
"I don't see what I did wrong," Kojo grumbled, rubbing his side. "I'm just saying things as I see them."
Lin pouted, her arms crossed, and deliberately increased the distance between them.
"Why are you angry?" Kojo called out, but Lin pointedly ignored him, her gaze fixed ahead.
"Sysia?" he whispered, but all he heard in response was a burst of static.
Yukio offered a small, almost imperceptible smile and came to a stop in front of a large, intricately carved wooden door.
"This is the Strategic War Room," she announced, her voice regaining its usual composure.
"It's where the knights hold their meetings and discuss various… issues."
Kojo stopped beside her, his earlier nonchalance replaced by a keen interest. "What about the location of the second missing knight? If your sister, Orihime, is in Saifelle, who's the other one and where is he?"
"He's on his way," Yukio replied, her hand resting on the ornate handle.
"You'll meet him soon enough. But now," she turned her gaze towards Kojo, her expression serious, "we should enter and discuss the important stuff. Why Lady Cassandra felt the need to bring you to the Holy Land."
With a decisive movement, she pushed open the heavy doors. A sudden gust of intense pressure washed over them, like stepping into a room filled with a palpable, invisible force, blowing past them like a powerful gale. Kojo's eyes widened, his senses immediately overwhelmed by the sheer power emanating from the individuals within. Nineteen figures sat around a large, table, their gazes snapping towards the newcomers. Their eyes, sharp and piercing, seemed to bore through him, dissecting his very being, and Kojo felt a distinct undercurrent of hostility, a subtle yet unmistakable feeling in their collective scrutiny.
Malice.
He noticed Lin subtly shift, stepping closer to him. She didn't seem overtly intimidated, but a clear discomfort radiated from her. Kojo instinctively moved to stand slightly in front of her, his usual air of nonchalance returning, a protective barrier against the oppressive atmosphere. He casually buried his hands in his coat pockets, a faint, almost imperceptible purple aura beginning to emanate from his body, a silent response to the overwhelming pressure directed at him.
" So that's how you're gonna play it huh?" He said with a smirk.
"Guess I should respond in kind then." he murmured, as he subtly unleashed a fraction of his own formidable aura, a quiet declaration of his presence.
Fear.
***†***
The waves of the Ezkanur shores crashed against the glaciers, mirroring the chaotic battle unfolding above them. A colossal, spectral draconic creature writhed in agony, cursed flames erupting from its maw, painting the night sky with sickly green and purple hues. An evil miasma rolled off its form, corrupting the very air. Its opponent, a figure shrouded in a white cape and hood, moved with impossible speed on the waters, a blade of pure light flaring in his hand. Three other wraiths joined the first one and together,the monsters lunged, claws the size of small ships tearing at the air, but the hooded figure was a blur, dodging each strike with effortless grace. He countered with swift, precise strikes of his radiant blade, each touch searing the wraith's spectral flesh, causing them to shriek in torment. The air crackled with energy as the two forces clashed, light against darkness.
With a final, desperate roar, the wraiths huddled together and unleashed a torrent of cursed fire, but the figure merely raised his blade, and a wave of pure light erupted, swallowing the flames and the wraiths in a blinding flash. When the light subsided, nothing remained of the monstrous creatures, only the lingering scent of ozone and the sound of the crashing waves.
The figure landed softly on the snow, the light in his hand dissipating. He stood for a moment, watching the ocean, the wind whipping at his cape, revealing a single strand of rainbow hued hair that escaped his hood, before turning and walking towards the distant lights of the Capital.