9 Nayi - The One Seeking The Stars.

In this world, there is a certain area which is isolated from the rest of the world. However, even though it's considered isolated, that is not entirely the truth—anyone can try to enter that area, but most of those who try never return.

Even the greatest Spirit Masters have tried brute-forcing their way inside, even organizing in groups. However, all of them had one and only one outcome - death. Whoever dared cross the boundary of this area would be faced with terrifying curse lingering in it, a curse so powerful nobody had ever survived it.

That is why this region has earned its name - The Forbidden Domain.

*Shaa~*

A weak sound resounded as the tall grass parted and a silver-haired beauty walked out of it. What was unusual about this situation is that she was walking towards the border of the Forbidden Domain. There's no way anyone would accidentally enter it, as the domain's borders were marked with a vibrant blood-red light rising from the ground. Even though it was only one meter high, the blood-red color was so striking that it could be seen from the air even in the middle of the day.

Step by step, the woman advanced towards the blood-red boundary. However, she stopped when she reached a distance only a meter away from the blood-red light. She slowly lowered the children she'd been carrying on her shoulders and laid them on the ground.

This woman was none other than the one who took Asura and Xia away, and the two children on the ground were precisely them.

*Sigh...*

After letting out a heavy sigh, the woman's shoulders relaxed and she raised her left hand while pulling the oversized black sleeve back to her shoulder. Her right hand lit up with white light and transformed into a white claw—a miniature version of the white claw Asura had previously seen.

"I never would have thought...", the woman spoke in a hushed voice.

She seemed like she was thinking about something as her eyes became distant for a moment and glanced toward the sky. The color of the sky was a gradient going from a deep purple to sapphire blue. However, her eyes were directed towards something else in the sky - the stars.

This world was completely different from Earth. It's common sense that stars can only come in certain colors—or at least it was—back on Earth. The stars were usually red, orange, yellow, blue and white. No other colors could be present. However...

The sky in this world was blanketed by stars of various colors.

Red, orange, blue, black, white, green, purple, pink, aquamarine, light blue, dark blue, golden, silver...

Endless river of stars hung in the sky, each of them shining with its own intensity. Definitely the strangest of all was the black star. Usually, black means absence of light so it shouldn't be able to shine - according to the Earth's logic, at least. Yet in this place it could. The black star was shining, releasing a deep black light.

The woman's gaze stayed on this black star the longest before clarity returned to her eyes and she lowered her head while sighing once more.

"I never though there would be a day when someone else comes here. It seems like my sister was right... Sister, I miss you... Why did you leave me? Why did you all leave me?"

The woman spoke aloud while looking at the blood-red boundary in front of her. She was completely absorbed in her own thoughts and didn't even have awareness of the world around her. This could tell how important these people she referred to were - they made even someone like her completely lower her guard.

"Everyone... I miss you all... Why did it have to turn out like this? Why did all of you have to die, leaving me alone in this world? Why—!!"

While she was absorbed in her monologue, she hadn't noticed that someone had arrived behind her. That resulted in her getting frightened when that someone extended their hand and patted her on the back.

"Even if they're all gone, there's us now. I don't know what you went through or what they meant to you, but you have to stay strong! They certainly don't want to see you sad like this.", a gentle voice full of sympathy sounded from behind her.

The woman turned around and saw a pair of radiant green eyes looking at her tearful face with kindness.

"Y-you..."

The white-haired boy sighed and patted the woman a few more times on the back, before turning his head to the black-haired girl lying on the ground.

"Thank you for saving her, she means a lot to me even though we just recently met. If there's any way I can repay you, don't hold back."

The woman's golden eyes stared in shock at the little kid with a half-bowed head facing towards her. She felt a strange emotion surface in her heart. An emotion that told her she must protect this little kid. However, there was another emotion that appeared together with that one - fear.

"Say, are you really only a kid?", she said with some hardship.

Asura tried as hard as he could to suppress the grin that appeared on his face, but ultimately failed. He slowly opened his eyes as his head rose and stared right into the woman's eyes, causing goosebumps to appear on her back. The feeling of fear in her heart gradually started turning even more intense but with it, the other emotion also intensified.

Protect.

Fear.

Those two fundamentally different concepts started merging together. Even she herself couldn't believe what was happening.

"Am I? I guess I am. But at the same time, I am not. Although confusing, that's the situation. However, there's something more important than this.", Asura spoke with a strange smile that seemed to contain a teasing component to it.

"W-what?"

Feeling the fear in the woman's eyes, Asura slightly chuckled and restrained the overpowering aura he had previously let out on purpose. As soon as his aura vanished, the feeling of fear in the woman's heart magically disappeared as well—only that strange emotion remained.

As these changes took place, Asura's hand slowly rose and his index finger gradually stretched out towards the woman. She intently stared at the tip of that finger as if expecting something to appear there, but after nothing happened, she snapped back to reality once more looking into the abyss hidden in the green eyes.

"You... didn't introduce yourself, miss."

Those were the words she heard. Instead of any magical event taking place, just these ordinary words came out when the finger fully stretched out. Feeling overwhelmed, she had to close her eyes for a moment. When she calmed down, her eyes opened once again only to see an innocent expression on the white-haired kid's face.

"My name is Asura. What is yours, elder sister?", with a beaming smile, the kid asked.

Disbelief.

That was the only thing in her eyes.

Yes, she couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing.

Only after clearing her mind with a few blinks could she pull herself together.

"Asura. What a unique name... Truly fitting for a unique person such as yourself.", she said with a sigh as she shook her head.

*Sigh*

"I can't believe a kid like you can put on such an innocent expression. If I didn't get to see your true self before that, I would truly believe you're only a brat. Hoo... truly, what a strange kid."

"Hehe..."

Looking at the childish face full of smiles, at the white eyebrows and long white eyelashes, green eyes and white hair and at the innocent expression plastered on his face, the woman felt helpless.

"Sigh... what kind of troublesome little thing did I just get stuck with. Say kiddo, wanna take me as your master?"

"Master, huh? Sure."

Without even thinking about it, Asura agreed and got down on his knees, bowing towards the woman who had a dumbstruck expression on her face. He had given her far too many surprises. Far, far too many.

As soon as he got on his knees, he bowed his head to the ground and spoke in a serious tone, "Disciple Asura greets the Master!". Immediately after saying that, he rose from the ground and patted off the dust from the cloth on his knees.

Then, he heard the woman's beautiful yet shaking voice once more. "Y-you... agreed just like that? Don't you need to think it through? You can accept only one master in your life - it's not too late to take back your vow."

Asura's expression turned silly as he scratched the back of his head. "Doesn't matter. I'm okay with this. You seem like a good person, so I don't regret it. Not to mention, this is the least I can do to repay your grace of saving little Xia."

"..."

*Sigh*

"Nayi.", the woman said.

"Huh?"

"My name is Nayi. My family name is Starseeker. Therefore, I am Starseeker Nayi. What's your family name?"

"Um... I have none."

"Oh, it's decided then. From today onward, you're Starseeker Asura. Come, let your master give you a bonding gift."

Asura's furrowed brows were full of doubt but he nevertheless came forward. When he stood within the hand's reach from his master - Nayi, he got to see a thing that had branded in his mind once again—a white claw.

Nayi used her right hand that had turned into a white claw to cut open her left hand and let out some blood. Then, she extended her left hand with silver blood, laced with golden traces, dripping out towards Asura and followed it up by a single commanding word.

"Drink."