Sakamoto's

Jarvis paced back and forth in his study, the faint glow of moonlight spilling through the narrow windows
and casting cold, blue shadows across the stone floor. In his late thirties, with short, dirty blond hair and
a faint scar down his left cheek. He carried the weathered look of a seasoned warrior. His piercing
steel-gray eyes softened, betraying the worry that weighed on him. Somewhere beyond the castle’s
fortified walls, his nephew Ash was out there, alone.
His sister’s voice broke the silence, heavy with the same concern. “Ash is still gone, isn’t he?”
“Yeah” he said, though the tightness in his voice betrayed the unease he couldn’t shake. A sigh
escaped him, low and unresolved, as his hand tightened against the wood.
“He needs to get stronger,” the Lioness said, leaning against the windowsill, her tone steady and
resolute. “He needs to face the world outside these walls.”
Jarvis frowned. “And you think throwing him into danger will make him stronger? It could just as easily
get him killed.”
Her gaze didn’t waver. “Strength comes with risk. You can’t keep him here forever.”
Jarvis shook his head, his voice softening with frustration. “He’s not ready. Layne wouldn’t like this
either.”
She turned, her piercing gaze meeting hers. “Give him a chance.”
Suddenly, a quiet knock sounded at the door. A young messenger entered, bowing briefly before
speaking. “Lord Jarvis, the apothecary is with the family doctor. He has news on the condition of Lady
Lyra.”
Jarvis’s expression turned grave, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. The weight of Lyra’s condition
pressed against him, but he pushed it aside. “Let’s go.”
They moved through the dim hallways of the castle, where armored knights stood vigilantly at each
corner, their eyes sharp as they observed every passing figure. This level of security was unusual, but
after the recent attack, Jarvis had insisted on it. They passed by two more guards stationed directly
outside the infirmary door, who straightened as Jarvis and his sister entered.
Inside, the apothecary and family doctor stood beside Lyra. The air in the room felt heavy.
The apothecary took a steadying breath. “It’s Widow’s Wail,” he announced. “A rare poison—it’s deeply
entrenched in her mana, resisting all attempts to heal her. It’s too severe... I fear her life might be at risk
without a proper antidote.” He glanced up, a flicker of worry in his eyes as he looked at Lyra’s pallid
face and shallow breathing.
Jarvis’s fists tightened, his mind racing. “So what’s the cure? What do I need to do?”
“The only known cure is Slime Leaf. It will absorb and neutralize the poison, but it’s native to Hytalia’s
western forests. We don’t cultivate it here; we’d need to get it from the beastfolk.”
A heavy silence filled the room. Jarvis pressed his lips together, a shadow of frustration flickering in his
eyes. With a deep breath, he gave a single, resolute nod. “If there’s no other way…”
His sister, known as "the Lioness" stood nearby, arms crossed over her muscular frame. Her long,
flowing dirty-blond hair glinted in the dim light, and she was every bit as imposing as her title
suggested. “We’re relying on those… beasts for help?” she muttered, her disdain clear.
Jarvis glanced at her but kept his composure. “Lyra’s life is worth it. She’s our responsibility, the best
instructor we’ve ever had. If we don’t act now, we’ll lose her.” Jarvis exhaled sharply, his tone firm as
resolve replaced hesitation. “I’ll go to Hytalia myself.”
His sister snorted. “Always the hero, aren’t you? But what about the castle? We can’t afford more
threats.”
Before he could answer, a sharp noise from the window drew their attention. A single, jagged leaf shot
through, speeding like a dart. The Lioness reacted instinctively, raising her hand and casting a small
shield, intercepting the projectile just before it struck the apothecary. The leaf disintegrated on impact,
scattering harmlessly to the floor.
Jarvis’s head snapped to the window, where he walked over and looked down, spotting a figure framed
in the moonlight—a woman with autumn-colored hair cascading around her face, the strands catching
the moon’s glow like embers. She stood confidently, her dark, close-fitting attire accentuating her slim,
cat-like build, and her sharp eyes flicked up to meet his, glinting with a mocking challenge.
Jarvis narrowed his gaze. “You’re one of the Reapers, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice hard.
Nia let out a low chuckle, curling her fingers around a strand of hair. “And what gave me away?” she
purred, her gaze settling back on him. “Was it the charming outfit or the entrance?”
Jarvis crossed his arms, his jaw clenched as he watched her every move. “What do you want?”
She raised a slender hand and gestured toward Lyra’s room, her voice laced with nonchalance. “The
wolf girl” she answered, as though it were a simple favor.
Jarvis’s fists clenched tighter, the wind around his hands picking up subtly. “I can handle her alone,” he
muttered, casting a sidelong glance at his sister.
The Lioness smirked, leaning casually against the wall as a shimmering hammer formed in her grip,
materializing from thin air. “Alright, hero. She’s all yours.”
Jarvis stepped onto the windowsill, letting the wind gather around him as he descended from the
second story, landing gracefully with a controlled gust to soften his impact.
The knights stationed nearby noticed Nia’s predatory stance and instantly surrounded her, swords
drawn. Nia looked around, her expression one of mild amusement.
“Such noisy little soldiers, aren’t they?” she mused, her voice dripping with mockery. “So eager to
play…”
Raising her arms, she conjured a whirlwind of red and orange leaves, each one sharpened to a deadly
edge. They gathered around her, spiraling and swirling in unpredictable patterns. With a flick of her
wrist, she sent them darting toward the knights, each leaf aimed with deadly precision.
“Fall back!” Jarvis’s voice boomed, but his order came too late. The leaves sliced through armor,
drawing pained cries as the knights staggered back. Jarvis stood still, his fists tightening as he watched
his men fall.
Jarvis surged forward, the wind roaring around him as he closed the distance with terrifying speed.
Nia’s smirk faltered, and she raised her arms, summoning another flurry of crimson leaves, but Jarvis’s
next strike came faster than she could react. The punch unleashed a shockwave that sent her skidding
across the courtyard, her balance faltering. She tried to quip, to regain her composure, but another
slicing gust cut her off, grazing her cheek and leaving a stinging mark.
"Stay down," Jarvis said, his tone cold as he pressed forward, the storm around him building in
intensity. Nia scrambled to counter, hurling a dense spiral of leaves toward him, but Jarvis twisted
mid-air, his kick releasing a wave of compressed air that shattered her attack and forced her back
further. Nia’s gaze sparkled with interest as she observed his style, her head tilted in amusement.
“A brawler with wind magic? Now that’s new,” she purred. “Is this all the famous family has to offer?
How disappointing!”
Jarvis didn’t respond. With a swift kick, he sent a slicing gust of wind toward her, cutting through the
stone at her feet. She dodged, but the blade of air grazed her arm, drawing a thin line of blood. She
glanced down, her smile widening as she ran her tongue over the wound.
She raised her hands, her expression turning fierce as a dense shield of leaves swirled around her in a
protective cyclone.
Jarvis lunged forward, launching a series of punches, each blow releasing a compressed blast of wind.
Nia dodged nimbly, shifting and twirling to evade the attacks.
Her expression faltered, a hint of panic crossing her face as Jarvis unleashed a relentless barrage.
Wind coiled tightly around his fists, each punch sending a shockwave that shattered her leaf shields like
brittle glass. Nia conjured another cyclone of crimson leaves, attempting to regain control, but Jarvis
moved too quickly, his strikes tearing through her defenses with ease.
She opened her mouth, ready to deliver a sharp retort, but Jarvis cut her off with a blast of air that sent
her stumbling back. "You talk too much," he growled, his tone cold and commanding. For the first time,
her movements grew erratic, and her breathing quickened.
In a desperate move, Nia’s eyes flashed a vibrant autumn orange, summoning a dense spiral of
razor-sharp leaves. The whirlwind spun violently, darting toward a group of injured knights still in the
courtyard’s edge.
“The wolf girl will die,” Nia sneered, her voice echoing faintly in the courtyard, taunting and cold as she
melted into the shadows, leaving behind a swirl of crimson and orange leaves.
Jarvis’s face twisted with fury. For a brief moment, his eyes darted to where Nia had vanished into the
shadows. He could chase her, end this threat now—but the sight of his injured men, struggling to rise,
brought him back. He clenched his fists and turned toward them. He sent a powerful gust to deflect the
deadly leaves, protecting the knights just as Nia’s figure disappeared, leaving only the whisper of her
threat.
The Lioness leapt down from the window. She struck the ground as she landed, sending a shockwave
that cracked the courtyard stones. Dust billowed around her as she straightened, her eyes blazing.
“You let her get away!”
He cast her a sharp look. “I’m not sacrificing more lives.”
“Always so soft-hearted,” she muttered.
Jarvis’s expression darkened as he looked back toward the castle. “That cat was targeting Lyra in the
infirmary,” he said, his voice thick with determination. “I’ll go to Hytalia myself. The faster we have that
Slime Leaf, the sooner Lyra will be safe. I’m the fastest one here, and we can’t afford to wait.”
His sister rolled her eyes, muttering something about Jarvis’s “knightly honor,” but she nodded. “Fine.
I’ll stay here and defend the castle. Just don’t make me regret letting you play the hero.”
Later, under the cover of a waning moonlight, deep within the forest shadows...
Nia crouched low on a sturdy branch, her breaths ragged as her ears flicked back in frustration. She
pressed one clawed hand to her side, feeling the faint warmth of her own heartbeat pulsing under her
palm. The cool night air was tinged with the earthy scent of moss and fallen leaves, mingling with the
distant rustling of nocturnal creatures stirring in the undergrowth. Her tail flicked, agitation coloring her
voice. “Those… blasted blond humans,” she hissed, her voice low yet bristling with frustration. “Azi
sends me to do her dirty work, and I’m the one who ends up… scrabbling for my life.” She forced out a
soft purr, though the sound was strained.
After a pause, a rough, mocking voice cut through the silence. “Aw, look at the kitten, all that talk and
no claws left to show for it?”
Nia’s ears flattened as Raven stepped from the shadows, his gaunt frame partially hidden by the
foliage. His eyes glinted in the faint light, and he raised the stump of his wrist with a wry, humorless
grin. “And here I was thinking you’d be here waiting with a victory song.”
Nia’s pupils slit, irritation sharpening her gaze. “And here I thought you’d be whole,” she retorted with a
sly smile, the words threaded with a purr. “My, my, aren’t we a ragged pair?”
He chuckled, a sound that seemed to blend with the crackle of leaves underfoot. “I’m not the one who
ran, Nia.” He took a step closer, his one hand flexing idly. “Wonder what Azi will think of that?”
Nia’s tail froze mid-flick, her expression faltering at the mention of their queen. She swallowed, a faint
shiver betraying the unease that crept over her. “She… she wouldn’t—” Her voice dropped to a whisper
as she considered Azi’s potential wrath. Her clawed fingers tapped anxiously against the bark, and the
rustle filled the silence between them. “Nya… unless, of course, you have a plan, Raven.”
Raven’s gaze sharpened, his eyes gleaming with a familiar cunning. “As a matter of fact, I do. That
girl—the one Azi’s after? She’s heading straight for the Animal Kingdom. Not exactly a fight we’d win.
But,” he added with a twist of a grin, “her trail’s being followed by that knight’s little brother and his pet
wolf. And a couple of humans could serve as a perfect offering, don’t you think?”
The moonlight caught Nia’s face as understanding lit her expression, her smile widening. Her tail flicked
in delight as she let out a pleased hum. “Oooh, a gift, is it? And the knight’s brother? That’ll please Azi
to no end!” She drew a claw across the bark with a satisfying scrape, her gaze drifting toward Raven.
“But… what is it she wants with the girl, anyway? Azi never bothers with nobodies, nyah.”
Raven’s grin faded into a smirk, eyes narrowing as he looked toward the distant shadows. “Who
knows? Could be the girl’s mana… Azi always has her reasons, and half of them are beyond us.
Knowing her, she’s got a plan up her sleeve that nyat anyone could guess.”
Nia let out a low, throaty purr, savoring the mystery in his words. “Mmm, maybe that’s why I like her.
Always keeping us on our toes.” She glanced up at him, her tone softening. “Think we’ll survive this
one, Raven?”
He shrugged, his voice rasping like dry leaves. “Only one way to find out.” His gaze lingered on the
forest’s dark shadows, a flicker of doubt crossing his face before he buried it beneath a grin. “Move it,
Nia. Azi’s waiting, and we’ve got a human and a mutt to catch.”
With a curt nod, Nia leapt lightly from the branch, her claws barely brushing the bark as she joined him.
Their footsteps blended into the forest’s nocturnal sounds, laughter trailing behind them until the woods
grew still once more.