Morning came quietly.
Soft light filtered through the trees as Lyon and Yukino walked along the dirt path leading away from town, the distant sounds of civilization slowly fading behind them. The road ahead was narrow and well-worn, clearly used by travelers but not nearly as busy as the main routes. It was peaceful—almost deceptively so.
Lyon walked with an easy pace, one hand resting on the strap of his backpack, the other relaxed at his side. On the surface, he looked calm. Internally, however, his thoughts were anything but still.
Mana efficiency is better than it was a few months ago, he thought, eyes half-focused on the path ahead. But there's still wasted output when I transition between constructs… especially mid-combat.
He replayed recent fights in his head—moments where his reactions had been sharp, his instincts faster than his conscious thoughts. That strange sensation again, like his body knew what was coming before his mind caught up.
If I can refine that feeling… if I can stabilize it…
"Lyon?"
The soft voice beside him broke through his thoughts instantly.
He blinked and looked down, meeting Yukino's curious gaze. She tilted her head slightly, white hair catching the sunlight as she studied him with open interest.
"You've been really quiet," she said. "What were you thinking about?"
The tension in Lyon's shoulders eased immediately. A small smile tugged at his lips as he reached up and gently patted her head.
"Just planning ahead," he replied casually. "Thinking about where we should go next."
Yukino's eyes lit up.
"Where are we going?" she asked, genuine excitement creeping into her voice.
"Well," Lyon said, glancing forward as they continued walking, "I was thinking of letting you decide."
"Me?" she asked, surprised.
"Yeah," he said simply. "Anywhere you want to see."
Yukino slowed slightly, her expression thoughtful as she considered his words. Then, with growing enthusiasm, she began talking—hands moving as she spoke.
"I want to see a place with lots of flowers," she said shyly at first. "And maybe a big lake. Somewhere where there are pretty lights in the sky. Oh—and towns with festivals!"
Lyon listened quietly, his smile softening with every word.
"Okay then," he said. "We'll find places like that."
Her face brightened even more, and the two fell into an easy conversation as the path gradually led them into a forested area. Tall trees rose around them, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in scattered patches, painting the ground in gold and green.
For a while, it felt safe.
Normal.
Then—
Lyon stopped.
The sudden halt made Yukino pause as well. Before she could ask why, Lyon gently but firmly pulled her closer, positioning her slightly behind him while his body shifted into a guarded stance.
His eyes narrowed.
…Someones following us
He turned his head toward the trees on their right, gaze sharp and focused.
"Alright," Lyon said coldly, his voice carrying clearly through the forest. "You can come out now, there's no point in hiding yourself any longer."
Silence followed.
The wind rustled the leaves. A bird took off from a nearby branch.
Yukino clutched the front of Lyon's jacket nervously, her fingers tightening.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then—
"Tch… already?" a voice complained lazily.
A man stepped out from behind the trees, hands tucked casually into his pockets. He wore dark clothing, loose and travel-worn, with a confident slouch that suggested he didn't feel threatened in the slightest.
Yukino stiffened instantly.
She pressed herself against Lyon's side, arms wrapping around his waist as fear crept into her expression.
Lyon reacted just as quickly—one arm wrapped around Yukino protectively, pulling her closer while his eyes never left the man.
"Why are you following us?" Lyon asked, his tone flat and icy.
The man chuckled, rolling his shoulders as if stretching.
"Straight to business, huh?" he said. "Guess that makes things easier."
His eyes flicked briefly to Yukino before returning to Lyon, a sharp grin spreading across his face.
"I'm here for your bounty," he said bluntly. "Eighty thousand jewels. I can bring you in alive… or dead."
The way he lingered on dead made Yukino shudder.
She buried her face against Lyon, trembling.
Lyon's expression didn't change—but the air around him did.
Mana began to rise from his body, cold and heavy, sending a subtle pressure through the forest. Frost crept along the ground near his feet as his aura flared, eyes locking onto the man with a menacing glare.
"…Is that right," Lyon said coldly.
Inside, his thoughts raced.
A bounty? Since when? And how the hell did it get that high?
"Yep," the man replied, completely unfazed. "And I'm not walking away without it."
Soon Lyon's instincts screamed.
MOVE!!!
Lyon reacted instantly.
He scooped Yukino up into a princess carry, gripping her securely as he leapt sideways—
A beam of blinding light tore through the space where they had been standing a heartbeat earlier, blasting a crater into the forest floor.
"—?!"
Yukino gasped, clinging tightly to Lyon as he landed and skidded to a stop several meters away.
Lyon turned sharply, eyes wide.
Floating behind where they'd been stood a large mirror—smooth, oval, and glowing faintly. Its surface shimmered as residual light faded from within it.
"Oh?" the man said, sounding impressed. "Nice dodge."
The mirror drifted lazily to his side, hovering near his shoulder as if it were alive.
Lyon's grip tightened.
Was that light magic?
Before he could think further—
His senses flared.
Multiple magic signatures.
Lyon's eyes snapped upward—and around him.
Mirrors.
Dozens of them.
They materialized throughout the trees and above the clearing, each one angled perfectly toward him. Reflections rippled—and within every surface, beams of light began forming.
Yukino whimpered.
Lyon didn't hesitate.
"Hold on," he murmured.
He moved.
Explosions of light tore through the forest as Lyon dashed forward, weaving between trees at blistering speed. Beams slammed into the ground and trunks behind him, sending debris and smoke into the air as he vanished deeper into the woods, Yukino clutched tightly against his chest.
When the smoke finally settled, the clearing was nothing but scorched earth and shattered bark.
The man whistled lowly as he surveyed the destruction.
"…Damn," he said with a grin. "That kid's fast."
The scattered mirrors around the forest shimmered, then collapsed into streaks of light, merging back into the single mirror floating beside him.
He turned calmly toward the deeper forest—the direction Lyon had fled.
"Well," he said, stepping forward. "This just got interesting."
And with that, he followed.
—-
Branches cracked and leaves scattered as Lyon moved through the forest at high speed.
He leapt from tree to tree with practiced ease, boots barely touching bark before pushing off again, his movements fluid and controlled despite the weight in his arms. Yukino clung to him tightly, her small hands gripping his jacket as the scenery blurred past them.
Lyon's expression was focused, jaw set as his senses stretched outward.
He's still too close… I need to put more distance between us.
He pushed himself harder, mana reinforcing his legs as he cleared wider gaps between the trees. Every breath was measured. Every landing deliberate. He refused to let panic take over—not when Yukino could feel it.
After several moments, Lyon abruptly shifted direction.
Instead of continuing forward, he dove downward, slipping between trees and landing silently in a narrow hollow tucked deep within the forest. Thick roots curled along the ground, stone and earth forming a natural enclosure that was nearly invisible from the outside.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Lyon expanded his awareness.
A faint ripple spread outward—his version of En.
Mana flowed from him like an invisible field, seeping into the surrounding space. He closed his eyes briefly, sorting through the sensations: heat, movement, lingering magical residue.
Nothing, at least for now
Satisfied, Lyon moved fully into the hollow and gently set Yukino down on her feet. He immediately knelt in front of her, hands resting lightly on her shoulders.
"It's okay," he said softly. "We're safe here."
Yukino didn't respond with words.
Instead, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Lyon froze for half a second—then returned the hug without hesitation, one arm wrapping around her back as the other rested protectively over her head. He could feel her shaking, small breaths hitching as she pressed against him.
They stayed like that for a moment, the forest quiet except for their breathing.
Then—
Lyon's eyes snapped open.
His En trembled.
A presence entered its edge.
"…Damn it," Lyon muttered under his breath.
The man was close. Closer than he'd hoped.
Lyon slowly inhaled, then exhaled, forcing the tension out of his body. He couldn't afford to let Yukino feel his alarm. Carefully, he loosened his grip and pulled back just enough to look at her.
His expression softened instantly.
"Yukino," he said gently. "I need you to stay here for a little bit."
She stiffened.
"…Huh?" Her eyes widened as fear immediately crept in. "W-Why?"
"I just need to make sure that man doesn't follow us anymore," Lyon explained calmly, keeping his tone even. "I'll be right back."
Her lower lip trembled.
"N-No…" she whispered, tears forming as she shook her head. "Don't go…"
Before panic could take hold, Lyon pulled her into another hug—closer this time.
"I won't be gone long," he said quietly.
She clutched his jacket desperately, fingers curling into the fabric as if letting go might make him disappear.
"…Promise?" she asked shakily.
Lyon leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
He looked her straight in the eyes, dark-blue gaze steady and warm.
"I promise," he said.
Slowly and reluctantly, Yukino nodded.
She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, taking a shaky breath as she tried to calm herself. Lyon waited patiently, staying with her until her breathing evened out.
Once she seemed stable, Lyon stood.
His expression shifted.
Mana surged.
From the ground around them, ice began to rise—smooth at first, then forming into shapes. Large, powerful bodies took form one by one until several Ice Tigers stood around Yukino, their crystalline frames radiating cold.
Lyon closed his eyes briefly, focusing.
Guard protocol. Don't let hostile presence close. Protect her at all costs.
He funneled mana into them deliberately, stabilizing their constructs.
It's like programming a robot, he thought absently.
The tigers lowered their heads slightly toward Lyon in acknowledgment before positioning themselves around Yukino, forming a protective perimeter.
Yukino stared at them in awe—and a little fear—but relaxed slightly when she realized they weren't hostile.
Lyon knelt one last time in front of her.
"They'll protect you," he said. "Nothing's getting past them."
She nodded, though worry still lingered in her eyes.
As Lyon turned to leave, she hesitated—then spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper.
"…Please be safe…big brother."
Lyon paused.
For just a moment, his back stiffened.
Then he smiled.
It wasn't playful. It wasn't casual.
It was calm. Certain.
He glanced back over his shoulder, eyes sharp with resolve.
"I will be," he said.
With that, Lyon stepped out of the hollow—and disappeared into the forest, moving straight toward the presence he could feel waiting for him.
The hunt had begun.
—-
POV - Unknown Man
The forest was unnervingly quiet.
Crunching footsteps echoed softly as the man moved forward, eyes scanning the broken branches and disturbed ground ahead of him. The trail was obvious—too obvious. Bent foliage, snapped twigs, faint traces of condensed frost clinging to bark.
"… Geez the kid went far," he muttered, though there was no real mockery in his voice.
If anything, there was interest.
That kid shouldn't have been able to dodge those attacks, he admitted internally. Not with that many mirrors active, and especially while carrying that girl.
The memory of Lyon slipping out of his kill zone replayed in his mind, and despite himself, excitement stirred. His lips curled slightly.
Maybe this won't be boring after all.
That thought barely finished forming when—
WHSHHH—!
A dozen ice shuriken tore through the air from his left.
"—Tch!"
He twisted sharply, sliding across the forest floor as the frozen projectiles embedded themselves into trees behind him with violent cracks. Frost spread rapidly where they struck.
Before he could fully regain his footing—
BOOOOM—!
A massive ice glacier erupted from beneath him.
"What the—?!"
The ground vanished as raw force launched him skyward. He barely had time to react before the earth below him split again, jagged ice spikes surging upward like spears aimed straight for his body.
His eyes widened.
"SHIT—!"
Mana surged.
A massive floating mirror materialized in front of him just in time.
The ice spikes collided with it in a deafening explosion, shards and compressed frost detonating outward. The impact sent shockwaves through the trees, and a thick cloud of mist swallowed the area whole.
The man was thrown backward, landing hard but upright, boots skidding across frozen soil.
He exhaled sharply, steam leaving his mouth.
"…Didn't expect that," he admitted aloud, rolling his shoulders as he straightened.
However before he could even finish catching his breath—
A freezing wind tore through the forest.
It was heavy. Oppressive. Filled with killing intent.
Ice rapidly crawled along tree trunks, leaves crystallizing mid-fall as the temperature plummeted. The man's breath hitched as frost crept toward his boots.
"—You've gotta be kidding me."
He quickly poured more mana into his body, forcing heat and magic to circulate before the cold could lock him in place.
Then he saw him.
Emerging from the mist, Lyon walked forward slowly.
The wind followed him.
Magic flared wildly around his body, the air warping with cold, as frost formed with every step he took. His hair hung low, casting his face in a shadow—except for his eyes.
Dark blue.
Cold and focused.
To the man, they almost looked like they were glowing.
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
…Just what kind of monster did I decide to hunt?
A magic circle flared beneath Lyon's feet.
The temperature dropped even further.
From the circle, two massive shapes began to rise.
Ice cracked and groaned as two enormous Ice Dragons emerged, their bodies coiling behind Lyon, crystalline scales reflecting the dim forest light. Their eyes locked onto the man with predatory focus, cold mist pouring from their jaws.
The forest itself seemed to recoil.
For a brief moment, the man's expression tightened—grim, calculating.
Then he laughed.
A wide, battle-hungry smirk spread across his face as he cracked his neck.
"…Yeah," he said, mirrors beginning to shimmer into existence around him. "I might've bitten off more than I can chew."
His grin widened.
"But damn if that doesn't make this fun."
Across from him, Lyon stood silent—dragons at his back, magic raging like a frozen storm.
The air between them trembled.