After Zhaes noticed the mark on one of the transported slaves, he immediately followed the vehicle in secret. Upon arrival, the slaves began to be sold at a shop in that area. But suddenly, time froze—and right there, Zhaes saw that the buyers included members of the nobility. Amid the frozen moment, he noticed that the transported girl with the crescent moon mark on her hand was able to move. In the blink of an eye, time returned to normal, but the space began to change, and shards of glass started to form, and Zhaes was also accidentally dragged into that space. That space could be described as a void, detached from the space and time that existed outside. Zhaes finally saw the nobles, as well as the slave traders and buyers, cowering in fear before the girl, calling her a false goddess. But before the men could say another word, they vanished without a trace, as if merging with the shards of glass in the empty room. Zhaes immediately understood what the girl was doing and quickly materialized before her.
The girl was startled to see another man standing before her without fear, and in an instant, she activated her blue eyes; simultaneously, the shards of glass in the chasm began to arrange themselves into a circle representing time itself, attempting to erase Zhaes's existence, But it didn't work, causing the girl to panic and grow increasingly frantic until the blue of her eyes glowed brighter and brighter, making her seem to vanish yet still remain. Zhaes realized that the panic was causing that still-small power to attempt to grow, transforming the girl into a form of omnipresence where her body tried to be everywhere to avoid being harmed, but the effect continued to cause damage, bit by bit, within that space. And finally, the girl uttered, "Magic Eye of Space & Time: Zero Time." The attack was aimed at Zhaes, but before it struck, Zhaes uttered "El'ra," and 16 universes were created to absorb the attack. In an instant, those 16 universes—along with everything within them—were obliterated without a trace. However, an uncontrollable aura suddenly emerged and flowed into several points in other dimensions before vanishing immediately, and the girl fainted. Zhaes caught the girl, cradling her, and in an instant, the empty space vanished, and Zhaes carried the girl to a quiet place. After Zhaes set the girl down, he noticed that the bracelet she was wearing had a name on it.
Zhaes: "Sina...?"
Suddenly, the girl froze upon hearing her name called.
Sina: "Uh... Um... Haaa... W-who are you? How do you know my name? Hey, you—the one from earlier—h-how did you survive that attack?"
Zhaes: "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."
Sina: "Ha. Impossible. Don't joke around—after seeing the name on my bracelet, you're definitely going to kill me, right!" (Crying)
Zhaes: "Relax, I'm not part of what you're thinking, and I'm just an ordinary kid, so you don't need to be afraid."
Sina: "Why are you following me?"
Zhaes: "More accurately, I'm interested in the mark you have."
Sina: "Mark? You mean the crescent moon? W-why? Isn't this mark not even considered a good one? Even I have a hard time raising its rank—though I'm only 8 years old, most 8-year-olds with a good mark would already be at rank B."
Zhaes: "Ha, why is that?"
Sina: "Actually, there's a rumor that the kingdom—or rather, this world—no longer belongs to any race, or you could say it's become the property of the Gods."
Zhaes: "Oh, I see. Sina, do you still have family here?"
Sina: "Hm... No, I'm all alone. I used to live with my adoptive grandmother, but she's passed away now. That's why I'm saving up to make a life for myself in this city."
Zhaes: "Oh, I see. How about you come live with me? Wouldn't it be better if we lived together since we're both alone anyway?"
Sina: "Why all of a sudden? Are you in the same situation?"
Zhaes: "..?"
Sina: "No, I mean, how would I pay if I stayed at your place? Would I have to pay with my body?"
Zhaes: "..... Hm, did Sina used to make money that way before?"
Sina: "Sometimes, when I had no choice. Fate really is cruel, isn't it? Never feeling any love, living alone, and having to sacrifice my own body just to survive." (Sad Expression)
Zhaes: "I don't need that, so you should be able to relax if you're with me."
Sina: "Eh, really? I—I'm just an ordinary girl, and you don't want anything from me."
Zhaes: "An ordinary girl? Hahaha."
Sina: "Why are you laughing?"
Zhaes: "It's nothing. Well, let's just go back for now since it's getting too late."
Sina: "Okay." (smiling)
Sina walked behind Zhaes.
The Next Day
Early in the morning, Sina was still fast asleep in the next room.
A Voice from Above the Sky: "The world has stopped, destruction, a grim fate, the end of the world."
Time suddenly stopped, and Zhaes realized something terrible was about to happen, but only Zhaes was aware of it. While time stood still, life on Earth continued as normal, yet the other side of the world was shaking violently—no one else noticed. Zhaes tried to go to the other side of the world, which was in utter chaos.
To Be Continued!