Worry

Kuro used his storage ring to shut the ticket, also making sure it won't be lose. One year were quite a long time than it seem, after all.

Looking at the Maou who has disappeared—and the rest glowing their eyes in excitement because they want to play the game.

At this sight, Kuro couldn't help but feel helpless. Of course he was happy that the three is enjoying at his creation. But deep down, there existed strange feeling inside him.

The feeling of worry.

The more he wished this happiness to last forever, the more he felt worried that this happy may disappear.

He know this is but an negative thinking, and it was unlikely for this to happen. But, at one point, he couldn't help but remember.

That incident. The person who were talking with him cheerfully, easily died. From that incident made him learn the lesson that taking away the happiness was as easy as breathing—no matter how much that happiness is a treasure to someone.

He don't want anyone to experiences that, nor want him itself to experiences that feeling. He didn't want to lose the person around him.

And the more he treasures about them, the more he feels hurried.

But the more hurried he was, the more slower he gets. He was slow to begin with, and he'll only get slower if he tried to hurry. This feeling of hopelessness was so frustrating.

'If I somehow, lost someone, only to find that there's no way to take them back…' at this thought, he couldn't help but tremble in fear to things that hadn't happened.

He have been feeling this hurry long times ago but he was suppressing it, and hid it, hid that feeling so that they wouldn't worry for him.

But no matter how hard he hide it, there always existed a person that will be there, and notice his worries for him.

Ayame tightly grabbed Kuro's trembling fist and smiled widely to him. "Don't worry! I will protect you from any harm!"

Her arm were childish and small, yet, it was so reassuring. Kuro felt that at this moment, it was dumb for him to be worried at something that haven't even occurred yet.

'It's you, who I want to protect…'

Although Kuro was helpless for now, he swore to himself. He would someday, attain the power to protect anyone. The power to not drag down her and let himself protected by.

The power to stand by her side, and protect each other. And someday, attain the world peace where everyone can enjoy with the creation he developed.

As expressionless as Kuro was sometime.

As quiet as Kuro was sometime.

The more he was cursed with the conception called [Emotion]

To make it more scary, he couldn't find the worth in his life, nor the fear in death himself. Because of this reason, he was the worst type, willing to sacrifices his own life.

The type that cares about other before they care about themselves.

***

The next day, in the deep forest where the surrounding filled with countless trees, the two hid at the trees, their shadow not even reflected to, their whereabout was completely unknown.

The rule was, as long as they (Korone and Okayu) won't be caught by Kuro for more than 5 secons, they're free to run. If they can run from Kuro for full 5 minutes, they win. If both of them was caught by him, Kuro win.

Despite their silhouette and shadows unknown, Kuro didn't stop a second, and directly rushed to one side.

Due to the ability to read Ki, even if he can't see where they are, he knows where they were.

Kicking the tree with all his might, he destroyed the environment.

However Kuro wasn't the only one who can see or rather, sniffs the Ki. Figuring out Kuro's rushing self, she kicked hard the tree's trunks and ran out.

Due to their strength exactly the same when they kicked the trunks, a dent where made from both side, and it wasn't far from the tree to fall.

Making use of this, Kuro kicked the tree once again to make the tree fall to Korone's side, then directly ride the falling tree while chasing for the dog.

Korone changed her running style from 2 legged to 4 legged—although her appearances remained the same. Strangely, she was faster this way.

Not only that, she used an strange spell that can't be called as spell. With her fingers on contact with the ground, the soil hardened, an spike appeared, to redirect the trunk's fall direction.

However, Kuro didn't watch the scene unfold. Kuro concentrated on the trunk he was falling with, and punched it.

Strangely, the trunk was unharmed, and instead, the spike was stopped by something, and it tips bended in strange direction.

The spike were far too fragile to withstand the tree's heavy weight, and just like that, it broke when the trunk made contact with it. And Korone was one step late to completely escape from the falling trunks.

For the last time, Kuro's palm rested on the top of trunks, then he dragged back it. This action made the weight behind the trunks to lessen as it fell safely on Korone.

Due to this soft action of Kuro, he accidentally helped Korone to move the tree with her kick a bit, and shift the force behind her feet to dodge the trunks at hair width.

"Complete." Kuro who was on the top of lightly muttered, and something was launched out from the faint invisible-like magic circle he just made.

From that magic circle, four black blade flew out exactly to the position Korone just dodged, as if he he expected her to do it.

His just-in-case plan actually worked, and it pinpointed Korone's place, successfully stabbing Korone's shirt even before the 'shadow blade's image body' stabbed it.

However, the force behind it wasn't that much to completely suppresses her in one place, even if it was strong enough, she can just tear her shirts off to escape.

Just as when she tried to stand up in struggle, a weight ridden her back, it was Kuro.

"1… 2… 3... 5. Capture done" In calm voice, as if he expected all of this to happen, he said.

"Although your ability to 'sniffs' out the Ki in the air is wide and useful, it lacks the accuracy. Even to the point of you not noticing the faint magic circle even at this close."

"Sure it is useful because you can sniff all sorts of energy, but it isn't omnipotent. As long as the attacks I am about to launch is large enough, or clear enough, you won't know what I am doing."

In Korone's nose, all she can sniffs when Kuro was slowly making the magic circle was: his body slightly enlarged due to the faint magic circle.