All is weak

Kin summoned his sword, Ken—the first sword Ashell made for him when his life was in danger in the mines. He knew there was nothing he could do to defeat Jirbad, but he wouldn't let himself be killed so easily.

"You know, when Lord Viran told me about you being alive, I thought he was probably being played. But I never thought you were really going to be alive," Jirbad said. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened that night when Jai captured you? How did you escape such a dangerous man? Does it have something to do with that curse of yours?"

Kin stared at Jirbad with a hateful gaze. That night was the worst night of his entire life. It was the night that changed everything. It was also the night he had received the most bizarre form of hope. It wasn't a night he loved recalling. It was a night he hoped to forget but never wanted to forget.

Jirbad noticed the change in Kin's expression and smiled.

"It seems that night is still fresh in your memory. Ahh, Jai... whatever you did to this boy, I'm sure you left a mark he would never forget," Jirbad said.

Kin took a step back and looked at Jamila, who at this point was on the ground, trembling, unable to withstand Jirbad's presence.

"Damn it... how can I escape with her? There's no way he won't catch up with the extra baggage," Kin thought.

"Maybe you should consider leaving her and escaping on your own," Ashell suggested.

Kin knew it was probably the best idea. After all, Jirbad was after him, not Jamila. He was sure if he ran, the man would just ignore Jamila and come after him... Or would he kill her first? Damn it, this situation couldn't be worse, Kin thought.

"Are you thinking of running?" Jirbad asked.

"Should I be thinking of defeating you instead?" Kin replied.

"You don't know who I am?" Jirbad asked, frowning.

Kin scowled. Was this man someone he was supposed to know?

"You are the prince of Wize, and you have no idea who stands before you?" Jirbad said.

"Who are you?" Kin finally asked.

"My name is Jirbad."

"Who?" Kin asked again, having no idea who he was. The only thing he was aware of was the fact that Jirbad was from the Yaya household; everything else was irrelevant as far as he was concerned.

"You really are an incompetent prince. Well, it doesn't matter. Your life will end soon anyway."

Kin looked at Jirbad and prepared himself to fight.

Jirbad took a step forward and suddenly appeared right in front of Kin.

Kin froze, unable to move. He hadn't even realized Jirbad was in front of him until it was too late. The man's blade was already close to severing his head. All Kin could do was watch as Jirbad's sword got closer and closer.

In Ashell's domain, the two entities living in Kin could see that he was about to lose his life. It wasn't that Ashell would be sad if the boy died, but she was sure that wasn't what her mistress wanted. If her mistress wanted Kin to live, then she wanted the same. The problem was that her mistress was still resting from coming out the previous day to save Kin from Meliesse's soulscape. So, Ashell decided to take matters into her own hands.

Before Jirbad's blade could complete its mission and sever Kin's head, golden flames suddenly enveloped the boy, and he reached out, grabbing Jirbad's sword before it could reach him.

In his head, Ashell's voice spoke quickly.

"Listen, Kin, like I said, I'm not a pyromancer. Not for lack of flames, but for the simple reason that I can't control my flames outside my domain. Once they are out, they will burn indiscriminately, and nothing will be able to stop them. Once my flames envelop you, I want you to attack him with it and run away immediately."

Kin held on to Jirbad's blade before it could decapitate him. He ignited the sword with Ashell's flame, and the intensity caused Jirbad to let go of his weapon.

"What are you?" Jirbad asked in shock.

Kin didn't wait to reply. With the hand holding Ken, now burning with raw flames from Ashell's domain, he used the first sword stance.

"First Sword: Great Slash!"

The flame burst from Kin's sword, hitting Jirbad right in the chest and sending him flying.

"You need to leave now!" Ashell urged.

Kin immediately deactivated the flames, which had burnt most of his clothes, leaving only a small part. He grabbed Jamila without delay, carrying her like a bag of salt, and blinked away as fast as he could.

Although the attack had hit Jirbad well, Kin was certain the monster was not dead. In fact, he was sure Jirbad would begin to pursue them in no time—and he was right, but also wrong.

Jirbad was caught off guard by what had just happened. His speed was definitely superior to Kin's, but at the last moment, the boy had grown faster than him.

"What kind of curse could cause a boost like that? And what are these flames?" Jirbad wondered as he struggled to put them out.

He stood up from the ground, still burning, and used his wings to engulf his body completely. He used some of the eyes in his wings to absorb the flames and others to heal his burns, after which each of the eyes that had been used closed, leaving him with fewer eyes opened on his wings. Once done, he was ready to begin his pursuit. But this time, someone was standing in front of him, blocking his way.

"Who would have thought the Sulten of Jubai would send the mighty Jirbad to kill a child?" the woman standing before Jirbad spoke. "I guess there's no honor to be expected from traitors," Fatima said.

"Oh... if it isn't Burak's brat. Did your father send you here?" Jirbad asked.

"Yes, he did. He told me to return the rightful heir to Hadia unharmed."

"Ha," Jirbad sneered. "You must be a fool if you think your father plans to keep the prince alive. At this point, no one owns the throne of Wize other than the one who eventually wins the current struggles. The prince is no longer relevant."

"That's according to you miscreants. We, on the other hand, are loyal to the bloodline of Jabal, and that's never going to change," Fatima replied.

"Well, there's no point in speaking to you. Move," Jirbad demanded.

"That's not happening," Fatima retorted.