Shirogane approached Kaito with his sword.


    (It’s over… I’m going to die…) he thought as his vision blurred.


    "That''s enough, Shirogane."


    Kaito heard Yume’s voice say those words.


    "What do you mean by ''that’s enough''?"


    For a moment, silence fell, then Yume replied:


    "If you killed him, you wouldn’t be satisfied… What you really want is for him to suffer for his lack of respect, am I wrong?"


    Shirogane reflected on the girl’s words, then placed his weapon back into his shadow. A smile formed on his lips.


    "You’re right. Kaito, I will spare you. Go on living with the knowledge that if I ever see you again, I will kill you."


    Kaito, now exhausted, watched as Shirogane summoned his spirit, and the knight vanished instantly.


    "Let’s go, Yume. In two days, we leave for Shinkase."


    Yume lowered her gaze and nodded. Her face conveyed resignation and sadness.


    Kaito noticed. (Y-Yume…?)


    Right after that thought, he lost consciousness. Kaito had lost.


    While he was unconscious, Shirogane’s words tormented him.


    "Kaito, I will spare you. Go on living with the knowledge that if I ever see you again, I will kill you."


    Those words, combined with Yume’s expression, kept echoing in his mind.


    "SHIROGANEEEE!!"


    The scream erupted in the room as Kaito woke up abruptly, his breathing heavy and uneven. His chest burned.


    "You’re finally awake, kid."


    A familiar voice reached him from the side of the bed. Still dazed, Kaito turned his head.


    "Old man…? What happened?"


    He looked around, eyes wide.


    "The inn? How did I get back here?"


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Calm down, I brought you here," the bartender replied with a tired smile.


    "I don’t understand… how did you know where I was?"


    The bartender raised an eyebrow.


    "Are you joking? The whole city saw that blue light tearing through the sky!"


    Kaito fell silent.


    (That attack… was it really that powerful to attract everyone?)


    "The whole town gathered near the warehouse. The destruction was… unbelievable. And that’s where I found you. I couldn’t believe my eyes."


    Then he added with a worried look:


    "Kaito, what happened? And where’s Yume?"


    The boy hesitated, then told him everything. He spoke about his fight with Shirogane, Yume’s double game, and even her expression.


    "Damn, so that’s what she meant back then…"


    Kaito didn’t understand.


    "What are you talking about?"


    The bartender shook his head.


    "Sorry… you couldn’t know. But maybe it’s time you did. I’ll tell you everything."


    He closed his eyes, letting a distant memory surface.


    It was a cold evening, and rain poured heavily over the city.


    The bartender had just closed the inn when, from his bedroom window, he saw a figure collapse onto the wet pavement. His heart skipped a beat.


    (Damn, something must have happened!) he thought, quickly grabbing an umbrella before rushing out into the night.


    As he got closer, he saw a young girl, her body covered in bruises and completely unconscious.


    "I can’t leave her here."


    He picked her up and carried her into one of the inn’s rooms. Her body was ice-cold, trembling violently, twisting in pain. He spent the entire night taking care of her, trying to ease her suffering.


    Only at dawn did the girl regain consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes, her pupils slightly dilated.


    "Miss, you’re awake! How do you fe—"


    A sudden punch struck him in the stomach. The bartender staggered back and fell to the ground, clutching his side with a groan.


    "Who the hell are you?! Where am I?!"


    The girl had shot up, her breath ragged, eyes filled with distrust.


    "Calm down, calm down! I don’t want to hurt you."


    Yume looked around. Her breathing gradually steadied.


    "Are you alright? Last night, I saw you collapse, so I brought you to my inn," the bartender said, getting up from the floor.


    She observed him, then spoke.


    "Th… thank you," she said, her voice carrying a hint of doubt.


    The bartender returned to the present, while Kaito, slightly shaken, tried to hide his unease.


    "And then what happened?" he asked.


    "Well, after that day, I decided to let her stay until she recovered."


    "So, if she’s still here, does that mean she hasn’t fully recovered?"


    The old man hesitated for a moment, then replied:


    "You’re wrong. She wanted to stay… She had nowhere else to go, so I decided to hire her."


    After those words, his mind drifted once again to another memory.


    It was early morning. Six months had passed since Yume’s arrival at the inn. The soft sunlight filtered through the windows of the tavern.


    The owner walked downstairs and saw her at the counter, organizing the bottles.


    "Good morning, Yume."


    "Good morning, Mr. Hauromi," she replied with a smile.


    The two began arranging the room for the day’s opening.


    Yume noticed the absence of a red wine bottle.


    "Mr. Hauromi, a bottle is missing," she said, pointing at the empty space.


    "You’re right, I’ll go get it."


    The old man opened the cellar and went down the stairs. It was dark inside, with tall shelves arranged by wine type.


    "There it is," he said when he spotted the missing bottle.


    He climbed the stepladder and reached out, but suddenly, his legs gave way. He fell to the ground, bringing several glass bottles down with him, shattering them on impact.


    The crash was so loud that Yume heard it from upstairs. She quickly ran down.


    "Mr. Hauromi, are you al—"


    She stopped abruptly when she saw the bartender on the ground, a deep cut on his head.


    "Yume… please… call an ambulance," he said weakly.


    But without saying a word, she stepped closer.


    "Yume, what are you doing??"


    She didn’t answer.


    Beside her, a small spirit appeared—with wings, antennae, a dress made of leaves, and large eyes.


    Suddenly, the wound disappeared.


    "Yume… you’re a spirit wielder!"


    The bartender returned to the present.


    Kaito was even more surprised than before.


    "So Yume is a spirit wielder too?"


    The old man looked at him and then answered:


    "Yes, she is. After that incident, we talked. At the time, I didn’t want to make her relive the trauma, so I never asked what happened that night… the night I found her."


    He paused, then continued in a grave tone.


    "But after what I saw, I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Yume told me that night, she was running away from a man who would do anything to obtain her power."


    Kaito understood instantly.


    "She was talking about Shirogane."


    The bartender lowered his gaze, clenching his hands tightly over his pants.


    "I think so too… She probably didn’t want to involve me. And now…"


    Tears began to stream down his face.


    "Sorry, kid… I need to step out for a bit."


    He got up from the stool and left the room.


    Kaito was left alone, lost in countless thoughts. But suddenly, one thing became clear.


    "She was forced by Shirogane to bring me to him… She didn’t want to kill me. That’s why she saved me."


    Then he realized something else.


    "If Yume betrayed Shirogane by running away… that means he might punish her now."


    Clenching his fists in anger, he muttered through gritted teeth:


    "Idiot… you should have let me die… You’re such a fool!"