Six hours had passed inside the Infinity Castle.
The ever-shifting corridors and floating stairs continued their endless dance, but nothing had happened. No attackers. No Yuna. No signs of danger. Just silence and the constant, dizzying movement of the domain.
Kanashimi sat on the edge of a floating platform, legs dangling over an endless drop. Haru was resting against his back, growing more restless with every passing minute. The two katanas lay beside him, untouched.
Six hours… and still nothing.
My voice came back the moment we entered the domain, but I still don't know who took it in the first place. Those two men… are they waiting outside? Or did they already give up?
And Yuna… she must have felt the activation of my domain. She should be close by now. Why hasn't she come?
Frustration and anxiety were slowly eating away at him.
"Brother…" Haru called softly.
Kanashimi turned his head, clearly irritated and on edge.
"What?" he snapped.
Haru fidgeted, looking embarrassed. He pressed his little legs together and whispered,
"I want to pee…"
Kanashimi stared at him for a second, then let out a long, tired sigh. All the tension in his body seemed to deflate at once.
Of course. Six hours of high-alert running and hiding… and this is what breaks the silence.
He's only four. He's been so good, staying quiet and clinging to me this whole time. I shouldn't get angry at him.
Kanashimi gently helped Haru off his back and stood up.
"Come on. I'll find you a corner."
As they walked across a shifting staircase, Kanashimi's mind kept racing.
This domain is draining my energy faster than I expected. Maintaining an Infinity Castle this large while nullifying all external techniques… it's not sustainable for long.
But if I drop it now, we'll be exposed again. Those two men are probably still out there. And Yuna… she could strike at any moment.
Meanwhile, deep inside the same Infinity Castle…
Two figures were roaming through the impossible architecture — Megtsar and Gitoshi.
Megtsar flipped a glowing card between his fingers, his expression annoyed as the stairs beneath them suddenly flipped upside down.
"Tch. This damn domain keeps changing. How the hell is that kid maintaining something this big?" he muttered.
Gitoshi walked beside him, one hand on the wall as if trying to feel for weaknesses.
"He's more skilled than we thought. But he can't keep this up forever. The moment his concentration slips even a little… we'll be right on top of them."
Megtsar smirked darkly.
"Keep roaming. The little brother must be getting tired and hungry by now. Kids always slip up. When that happens, we strike."
Gitoshi cracked his knuckles.
"And when we do… I won't miss the heart again."
Back with the brothers, Kanashimi stood guard while Haru quietly did his business in a hidden corner of the floating corridor.
Kanashimi's thoughts were heavy:
This peace is fake. The longer nothing happens, the more dangerous it becomes.
Yuna is coming. I can feel it in my bones.
And when she arrives… I still don't know if I'll be able to raise my blade against her.
He looked at Haru's small back and his heart tightened.
But for you… I might have to become the monster you're scared of.
Haru finished and ran back to Kanashimi, grabbing his hand with a small smile.
"Done!"
Kanashimi ruffled his hair gently, but his eyes remained sharp and tired.
Six hours down… How many more until everything collapses?
The Infinity Castle continued to shift and twist around them — beautiful, endless, and slowly becoming their prison.
Haru came running back after finishing and grabbed Kanashimi's hand with a bright smile.
"Done! Let's go explore more, brother!"
Kanashimi was about to nod when his instincts suddenly screamed. The stairs beneath them shifted violently. Two figures stepped out from a floating corridor that hadn't been there seconds ago.
Megtsar and Gitoshi.
The mage was still casually shuffling his glowing cards while Gitoshi cracked his neck with a smug grin.
Kanashimi instantly pushed Haru behind him and drew one of his katanas in a smooth motion. His eyes turned sharp and cold.
"Stay behind me," he said quietly to Haru before looking at the two men.
"I'll warn you only once," Kanashimi spoke, voice low and dangerous. "Do not mess with me. Turn around and leave right now. If you take even one more step toward my brother… I will kill you both without hesitation."
Megtsar burst out laughing immediately, holding his stomach dramatically.
"Oh wow~ Look at him trying to act all tough!" He wiped fake tears from his eyes. "The runaway barista is warning us? How adorable."
Gitoshi smirked and stepped forward, arms crossed.
"Kill us? You? The guy who ran away from his own wife like a scared little dog? Please. You couldn't even protect your voice for more than five seconds outside. Pathetic."
Megtsar flipped a card between his fingers and pointed it at Kanashimi mockingly.
"Mr. 'I work at a café and make cute little lattes' is suddenly a big bad fighter now? With two whole katanas? How scary~ Did you steal those from the village gift shop before you ran away with your tail between your legs?"
Gitoshi laughed loudly.
"And look at that little kid hiding behind you. Is that the legendary lost Ice-Water user? He looks like he still needs diapers. You really dragged a four-year-old into this mess? What a great big brother you are."
Megtsar tilted his head with a cruel smile.
"Tell me, Kanashimi… does your wife Yuna know you're playing house like this? Or is she still sharpening her blades every night dreaming of cutting your head off? Must feel amazing knowing the woman you love wants you dead more than anything."
Gitoshi joined in, his voice dripping with mockery.
"You talk about not messing with you… but you couldn't even protect your own voice. One little technique and you turned into a mute for hours. Some 'Infinite Drops' you have there. More like Infinite Disappointment."
Kanashimi's grip on his katana tightened until his knuckles turned white. His jaw clenched hard.
Don't react. They're trying to provoke me. If I lose control here, Haru will see everything again.
Haru peeked from behind Kanashimi, looking scared but also angry.
"Don't talk bad about my brother!" he shouted in his tiny voice.
Both villains laughed even harder.
Megtsar wiped his eyes again. "Aww, the little cinnamon roll is defending him. How touching. This is better than a drama show."
Gitoshi's eyes turned cold as he stared directly at Kanashimi.
"You ran away once, traitor. You'll run again. And when we take that special heart of yours… we'll make sure your wife gets to watch."
The Infinity Castle continued shifting around them, but the air had grown thick with killing intent.
Kanashimi stood completely still, katana raised, protecting Haru with his body.
Inside his head, only one thought repeated:
…I can't run anymore.
Not this time.