The courtyard was silent after the battle, the scent of scorched stone and evaporated mist lingering in the air. Kazuki's breathing was shaky, each inhale scraping like sandpaper inside his lungs. Rito's hand trembled in his as she tried to steady herself, her twin blades still humming with leftover elemental energy.
"You shouldn't have gotten up," she whispered, looking down. "Your body is barely holding together."
Kazuki wiped sweat from his forehead with his free hand. "You shouldn't have fought alone."
Their eyes lingered—too long, too soft—until Ayumi's voice exploded behind them.
"There you two are!" She stomped into view, grabbing Kazuki by the ear. "You absolute moron! What part of 'REST' did your dragon brain not process?"
Kazuki winced. "Ow—Ayumi—okay, okay—let go—!"
Rito giggled quietly, covering her mouth.
Sutea arrived last, carrying an armful of glowing magical medical devices. Her voice was flat as always, but her eyes betrayed her worry.
"Kazuki. Your energy flow is unstable by 78%. Continuing like this may cause organ failure, magical collapse, or spontaneous combustion."
"…Those are three very different things," Kazuki muttered.
"Three very likely things," Sutea corrected.
Ayumi dragged him back toward the infirmary by his collar while Rito and Sutea followed. The sakura petals drifted behind them, quietly covering the ashes of the shadow soldier.
But what none of them noticed was that the ashes stirred faintly—then vanished as if consumed by something unseen.
Zephyr's influence still lingered.
Back in the Infirmary
Kazuki lay on the bed again, fists clenched in frustration as Ayumi and Sutea fussed over him.
"I can take care of myself," he grumbled.
"No," all three girls responded simultaneously.
Sutea adjusted a glowing mana regulator on his wrist. "Your Void Dragon cells are reacting to stress stimuli. The more emotional volatility you experience, the faster the instability increases."
"I'm not stressed," Kazuki lied.
Ayumi pointed at him dramatically. "You got out of bed, ran across the courtyard, and nearly fainted on top of Rito — YOU'RE STRESSED!"
Kazuki looked away, cheeks reddening slightly. "Well… Rito was fighting…"
Rito flushed too, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.
"I-I didn't want you to worry…"
Ayumi groaned loudly. "You two are impossible."
Sutea made a small note on her spell tablet. "Observation: romantic tension increasing at concerning levels."
Kazuki nearly choked. "Wh—Sutea!? Why are you recording that!?"
She blinked. "For scientific accuracy."
Ayumi smirked. "For blackmail, more like."
Rito turned even redder.
The lightheartedness lasted only a few seconds before Kazuki's face tightened in pain. His hand flew to his chest as faint tendrils of dark-purple energy crawled beneath his skin like living veins.
"Kazuki!" Rito reached forward.
He forced a smile. "It's… fine. Just the Void Dragon being moody."
"It's not fine," Sutea said sharply. "The power is reacting more aggressively than before."
Ayumi placed a hand on Kazuki's shoulder, softer this time. "You scared us, idiot. Don't do it again."
Kazuki lowered his gaze. "Sorry…"
But the room suddenly grew colder, as if a shadow moved through the walls. Only Kazuki felt it at first—a ripple in the air, a whisper brushing against his ears, familiar yet hateful.
"Little dragon… your bonds will be the knife that breaks you."
Kazuki froze, eyes widening.
"Did you hear that?" he asked quietly.
"Hear what?" Rito asked.
Sutea's eyes narrowed. "Auditory hallucination? No… energy readings just spiked."
Kazuki swallowed. "Zephyr. He said something."
Ayumi tensed. "He's watching us?"
Rito stepped closer, gripping his hand. "Kazuki… what did he say?"
Kazuki exhaled shakily. "That my bonds will break me."
Rito's hand squeezed tighter. "Then he knows nothing about us."
Kazuki looked at her—really looked—and something warm flickered underneath his fear. Rito's confidence was unwavering, even after what happened.
Ayumi crossed her arms. "Let him try. He'll have to get through all of us first."
Sutea nodded. "I will prepare countermeasures."
But Kazuki couldn't shake the feeling that Zephyr's eyes were already in the room, watching, analyzing, smiling.
Rito's Private Turmoil
Later, when Kazuki finally drifted back into a restless sleep, Ayumi left to train outside and Sutea returned to her study. The infirmary was quiet again, lit only by the warm glow of white healing flames.
Rito sat beside Kazuki's bed and stared at his face.
His hair was messy, his breathing uneven, his body too still. She remembered the fake Kazuki earlier—the decoy that confessed to her under the sakura tree. The way her heart jolted. The way she almost believed it.
I'm more than just your sister… I think I love you.
She shook her head violently. No. That wasn't him. It wasn't real.
But why did the words stay in her mind?
Her blush deepened as she whispered softly, "Kazuki… what are we, really?"
She traced a strand of his hair with trembling fingers.
"You always protect me. You worry about me. You run to me even when you're dying…" Her voice cracked slightly. "And you look at me with those eyes sometimes… like I'm the only person in the world."
She leaned her forehead against his hand.
"It scares me. Because I don't want to lose you. I don't want anything to take you away. Not Zephyr… not anyone…"
Kazuki stirred, whispering something incoherent.
Rito looked at him with gentle determination. "I'll get stronger. I'll protect you too. You're not alone anymore."
The void energy inside Kazuki pulsed faintly, almost reacting to her words—calming instead of flaring.
Zephyr's Dark Canvas
Far above the infirmary ceiling, on a shadowed balcony where the moonlight could not reach, Zephyr stood watching again. His expression was unreadable.
The Umbral Sister stepped from the shadows behind him. "The decoy failed. The girl was too perceptive."
Zephyr did not react. He merely watched Kazuki's room through a floating dark crystal.
"The decoy did exactly as intended," he whispered.
The Sister tilted her head. "But the girl survived."
"That is irrelevant," Zephyr said. "What matters is what she feels now."
He tapped the crystal lightly with a gloved finger. The image shifted, showing Rito holding Kazuki's hand, her expression tender and conflicted.
"Observe," Zephyr said. "Her heart has begun to tremble."
The Sister's eyes glowed. "Emotional fracture detected."
Zephyr smiled thinly. "Exactly. And a trembling heart… leads to unstable bonds."
He turned away from the crystal, cloak swirling like smoke. "The next step will be deeper. I will pull the dragon further into his own abyss. When the void within him grows… even she will not be able to reach him."
"And then?" the Sister asked.
Zephyr's smile darkened. "Then he will beg me to end his pain."
Kazuki's Dreamfall
Kazuki's sleep was not peaceful.
He found himself standing in a vast dark field—black grass swaying under a violet moon. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and rain.
A figure stood ahead of him—its shape shifting like smoke.
"You again," Kazuki muttered.
The Void Dragon's silhouette tilted its head. "You teeter on the edge, boy. Every battle, every fear, every bond… pulls you deeper."
Kazuki glared. "Why do you always talk in riddles? Just tell me how to control you."
"You cannot control what you reject," the dragon replied. Its voice echoed, layered and ancient. "You fear your own heart more than your enemies."
Kazuki clenched his fists. "Shut up."
The dragon moved—its enormous smoky head lowering to his level. "You fear losing the girl."
Kazuki's heart pounded. "I—No—"
"You fear loving her," the dragon hissed. "You fear what it means. You fear the chains that will bind your heart."
Kazuki stepped back. "That's not true—!"
The ground shook violently. The dark grass burned away, replaced by swirling vortexes of shadow.
"You fear your power," the dragon continued. "And you fear your past. Both will devour you."
Kazuki shouted, "I won't let them!"
The dragon's maw opened, revealing a swirling abyss.
"You will. Unless you stop lying to yourself."
The void rushed forward, swallowing Kazuki whole—
Awakening
"KAZUKI!"
He bolted awake, drenched in sweat. Rito was leaning over him, shaking his shoulders, panic flooding her eyes.
"Kazuki! You were screaming—! What happened!?"
His breathing was ragged, his chest tight.
"Dream… it was just a dream," he gasped.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
His body pulsed with void energy again—violent this time, surging like an overflowing river. Dark veins crawled along his neck and arms, glowing with unstable light.
Rito grabbed his hand. "Kazuki—look at me! Stay with me!"
He met her eyes, struggling to breathe.
"I'm… losing control…"
Sutea rushed into the room, Ayumi right behind her.
"What's happening?!" Ayumi yelled.
"His void energy is breaking containment!" Sutea said rapidly, pulling out multiple spell seals. "It's reacting to extreme emotional distress!"
Ayumi glared. "What distress!? He was just sleeping—!"
Kazuki growled, clutching his head.
"Zephyr… he's… in my dreams…"
Sutea froze. "Oh no."
Rito's eyes widened. "He's… attacking Kazuki's mind?!"
The room shook as the Void Dragon's power flared violently. Medical equipment rattled and lights flickered.
Ayumi grabbed her sword. "Sutea! What do we do!?"
"We must stabilize him manually!" Sutea said. "Rito—hold his hand! He responds best to your presence!"
Rito instantly did so, gripping Kazuki's hand with both of hers.
Ayumi placed a hand on his shoulder. Sutea pressed a glowing seal to his chest.
The void energy thrashed like a living beast.
Kazuki gasped. "I… can't… breathe…"
Rito leaned close, her forehead touching his.
"You're not alone," she whispered fiercely. "I'm here. I won't let anything take you. Not Zephyr. Not the void. Not even your fear."
Kazuki's trembling slowed—just a little.
Rito's voice softened. "Kazuki… stay with me. Please."
His eyes fluttered, meeting hers.
"Rito… I…"
The void energy suddenly recoiled—then exploded outward in a shockwave.
Ayumi and Sutea were thrown back.
The lights shattered.
The room went dark.
When the dust settled—
Kazuki sat upright on the bed, breathing slowly, his eyes glowing with a deeper, more intense violet.
The Void Dragon had not taken over…
But something within him had awakened.
Rito stared at him, stunned.
"K-Kazuki…?"
Kazuki opened his eyes fully.
The glow remained.
And in a low, trembling voice, he whispered:
"I think I'm changing."
End of Chapter 25