The knight drew his sword.
"You shall be punished."
In a flash, he lunged at Rin. Rin dodged—barely. A few strands of his hair fluttered to the ground, sliced clean.
Gasps echoed from onlookers nearby.
Flames burst from Rin's fists. He charged forward, swinging. His punch connected—directly with the ground. The knight had vanished.
Rin's eyes widened. He didn't even flinch...
Taro appeared behind the knight, striking with a spinning kick. The knight sidestepped and drove his boot into Taro's gut.
"Ugh!" Taro grunted, crashing back.
"TARO!" Rin shouted.
He rushed in, fury igniting every step. Blow after blow, he struck, but the knight moved like water—effortless and precise.
Then, without warning, the knight slid his sword back into its sheath with a metallic click.
"I thought you two would offer more resistance," he said coldly. "I won't even need my blade."
He stepped toward Rin, each step deliberate, like a predator closing in.
"You have two options. Come quietly without forcing my hand… or I knock you both out and drag you in."
Rin glanced at Taro, who was trying to stand.
Dammit… what do I do? Give up?
He clenched his fists, then exhaled sharply. "Fine. We'll come."
As Taro stood, Rin asked, "Are you okay?"
"Kinda," Taro muttered, wincing.
Carriages arrived, flanked by a squad of armored knights. One saluted.
"Commander, we're ready to move."
The knight who fought them—now clearly their commander—nodded. "Good. Let's move out."
Thick steel cuffs clamped over their wrists, and glowing orbs were fixed to their chests. Each step they took felt heavier.
Taro glanced at Rin. "What are these things?"
A knight beside them answered flatly, "Those orbs restrict your magic. The cuffs aren't ordinary either—they limit movement and suppress all physical and magical stats by up to ninety percent."
Rin scowled. So that's why I feel so weak...
The prison loomed like a villain's fortress—dark, vast, and heavily guarded. Over a thousand knights patrolled its walls. Floating surveillance orbs hovered overhead, blinking like unblinking eyes.
Escape? Nearly impossible.
They were shoved out of the carriage, marched down echoing halls, and stopped before a stern knight.
"State your names," he ordered.
Rin and Taro remained silent.
The knight raised his fist.
"Enough," the commander ordered. "We'll question them later. For now, put them in their cells."
"Yes, sir!"
The gates clanged shut behind them. Their cuffs were removed, but any strength they had was gone.
Taro struck the wall with all his might—nothing. Not a dent.
He sank to the floor, hands in his face. "This is all my fault..."
"Are you dumb?" Rin shot back. "It wasn't your fault. It was a misunderstanding."
"But… if I hadn't picked up those coins..."
"Anyone would've done the same. You didn't steal. Let's just wait and see what happens."
Taro gave a weak nod, eyes low.
"Okay..."
---
To be continued...