Fujimoto vs the Leader of the Blue Dragons

The sunset painted the sky in shades of red and gold. I watched from the window with Serika 's daughters , still shaken by the Blue Dragons' visit. The silence weighed like a knot in my throat.

The door slammed shut, making the three of us shudder.

For a moment, I thought it was them coming back.

But it was Serika . I told her everything about the Blue Dragons' visit.

"They'll be back... and we won't be able to hide it from you," Serika said.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she raised her hand, cutting me off before I could even begin.

"We need to escape now. I know an underground passage that leads to the city's main gate." Serika gritted her teeth.

Both daughters turned pale. The older one clutched her dress, trembling.

"Mom... does this mean that once again a friend is leaving for good?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Unfortunately, we can't keep Fujinomiya here," Serika replied, holding back tears.

I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.

Hidden Observatory ... activated on its own?

Serika is lying . About what? About security? About the escape?

I took a deep breath.

"Why?" I asked . "Why risk everything for me?"

"Because you're the first person in many years who has looked at my daughters as human beings. Not as commodities. For me, that's enough," Serika said firmly.

She approached.

" Gazen , the leader of the Blue Dragons, is in town today… He's looking for you himself," Serika whispered.

The girls gripped my arms in fear. Their fingers trembled.

I need to protect them… I can't make the same mistakes. I can't let anyone suffer because of me.

Serika pulled an old rug from the floor, revealing a wooden door attached to the floor.

Beneath it, a narrow staircase plunged into darkness and the smell of dampness.

— Let's go. Now — Serika ordered.

I held both girls' hands. We descended the creaky steps one by one.

Darkness engulfed everything when Serika closed the door over our heads.

Serika 's tense breathing . After a few minutes, she raised a piece of metal above our heads.

"Let's go upstairs," Serika said, pushing the lid open with effort.

"That's right," I replied, climbing up right behind her.

When we emerged, we found ourselves before the main gate of Mimeria , the only entrance and exit to the city. The cold wind cut through our skin, carrying the smell of sand and rust.

Suddenly, a male voice echoed behind us.

— So you must be the Serika that one of my members mentioned earlier.

My heart froze.

We turned at the same time and saw Gazen , the leader of the Blue Dragons. Tall, with a commanding posture, his gaze as cold as steel.

"He told me he went to your house, but only found your daughters. And that the woman you rescued had already left," he continued . Gazen , facing Serika .

The girls' bodies trembled. I felt their fingers tighten around my arms with all their might.

Gazen 's eyes landed on me.

"That girl you're trying to get out of here... she's probably a member of the Mercenaries of Good. Otherwise, why the rush to escape?" he said. Gazen .

Several footsteps echoed around us. More men emerged from the shadows, a total of fourteen, completely surrounding us.

Hey, girl from the Mercenaries of Good, are you going to give up easily? Or are we going to have to fight ? Gazen spoke with an arrogant smile.

My breath caught in my throat.

Damn... I can't fight in a situation like this.

They're going to use Serika and her daughters as hostages. I can't risk them.

I lowered my head. I felt hot tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.

" Fujinomiya , are you alright?" Serika asked desperately.

"So the girl's name is Fujinomiya ," Gazen repeated, laughing scornfully.

"I understand you're a girl... but it's disappointing to see someone like you as part of the Mercenaries of Good," she said . Gazen disappointed.

He lifted his chin and laughed loudly.

"Do they accept any piece of crap now? Hahaha !" he said. Gazen, in a mocking tone.

The other members burst into laughter as well.

Anger echoed inside me, but then… everything went silent.

The air around me seemed to still. I felt my body relax, my muscles loosen, as if I had been freed from invisible chains. A light purple aura began to envelop my body, soft as lights floating on water.

Without realizing it, my body took a step forward, all on its own.

I... am not in control of this.

A window gleamed before my eyes:

" System Message "

Skill — SEISHI —

Temporary unlock authorized

My eyes grew lighter, my vision cleared, and everything else faded away. Gazen swallowed hard when he noticed the change.

" That look..." he murmured.

"This isn't normal," he said . Gazen with a fearful expression.

I felt the wind touch my skin, every detail, every breath, every movement of theirs.

My body already knew what to do, even before I thought about it.

SEISHI is active.

The light purple aura continued to pulse around me, vibrating like a flame about to explode.

The air seemed to tremble with my every move.

My mind was empty, and at the same time completely awake.

The fourteen members of the Blue Dragons were scattered across the ground, unconscious after the instantaneous sequence of blows.

I couldn't even consciously remember what I had done.

My body simply… moved.

Gazen observed everything with an inscrutable gaze, showing neither surprise nor fear.

He simply crossed his arms, analyzing every detail.

" Impressive . In your normal state you wouldn't be capable of this... but now, with this aura, you're on another level," he murmured .

I took a step forward, still feeling that energy coursing through my muscles like electricity.

I breathed slowly.

"Don't speak ill of the Mercenaries of Good." My voice came out low, but firm and filled not with anger, but with absolute conviction.

Gazen smiled, finally displaying a cheerful expression.

"Now I understand why you're one of them . You're a monster. And I love crushing monsters." He raised his fists, protected by large, reinforced steel gauntlets.

I lifted my face and stared at Gazen , while the aura around me intensified again, swirling, rippling, illuminating the ground in purple reflections.

"I'm not going to run," I declared .

Gazen grinned fiercely.

"Then get ready," Gazen said .

Gazen charged forward with brutal speed, the ground cracking beneath his feet. I reacted instinctively, my body moving on its own, dodging the heavy blow that would have broken me in two.

The impact of his punch on the ground kicked up dust and stones, shattering the ground.

— Tsk … — Gazen growled, spinning his body and launching another blow with the metal gauntlet.

My arms went up at the exact right moment.

Our fists collided.

BOOOOM.

A loud bang ripped through the air, and the gust of wind pushed Serika and the girls back a few steps.

The nearby walls trembled as if they were about to collapse.

Gazen smiled.

"Not bad, girl. You're different from the cowardly rats I've crushed before," he said . Gazen .

I took a deep breath; there was no weight on my body, no thoughts interrupting my movements.

My body moves on its own… It’s like perfect instinct…

I launched a series of quick strikes, targeting vital points. Gazen blocked with his forearm, but even so, he was pushed three steps back.

— Heh . So this is how you fight at your peak? I'm getting excited. — He spat out some blood.

He advanced again, and our blows met in mid-air several times, clashing like invisible blades.

No one dominated the fight; it was brute force against absolute precision.

But then—

A sharp pain pierced my chest like a blade.

— Ah—!

I stumbled half a step back. The purple aura wavered.

Damn... Not now... This body... is starting to malfunction. Is SEISHI... being sealed again?

An invisible screen shone on my retinas.

System Message: Temporary activation time is approaching its limit. Automatic revocation has begun.

I need to get out of this before he realizes... If the fight continues and I freeze in the middle of it, we're dead.

Gazen grinned wildly.

"Tired of this? I thought you were more interesting than this," he said . Gazen with irony.

I took a deep breath, trying not to show weakness.

— Gazen … — I took a firm step forward.

"You know that if we keep fighting here, the whole city will hear the impact," I said firmly.

He frowned.

"So what?" he asked.

"So what if you're going to have to explain to the Council why you destroyed part of the city entrance just to capture a single girl? That's not smart for someone as proud as you." I clenched my fist tightly.

Gazen 's gaze narrowed.

"Are you trying to manipulate me?" he asked angrily.

"No. I'm saying that if you continue, you'll lose more than you gain. Let's go out the border, and nobody will know they wasted their time with a 'piece of shit' like me. Or would you rather risk your reputation for pride?" He smiled slightly, provoking her.

Total silence.

Gazen 's fingers trembled. His jaw clenched.

The girls were gripping my uniform tightly, trembling.

Gazen turned his face away, frustrated.

"You're lucky, Fujinomiya ," he said irritably.

He pointed a finger at me, like a silent threat.

"Don't think this is over. Next time, I'll crush you to pieces," he said . Gazen .

I nodded.

"I'll be waiting," I said.

Gazen signaled for the way to be cleared.

The unconscious warriors were dragged away, and an empty corridor appeared before us.

We walked past him.

The children were trembling.

Serika was breathing heavily, holding back tears.

I didn't win this fight. I survived. And that's all I could do for today.

So we passed through the main gate of the city of Mimeria , and night swallowed our steps.