The forest howled behind them as Kazuki and Lyria stumbled through brambles and broken roots, each step driven by pure survival instinct. Moonlight flickered weakly through the treetops, far quieter than the violent brilliance of Raizel's presence. But even now—even after escaping—the memory of that overwhelming aura clung to Kazuki's spine like frost.
They didn't stop until the forest opened into a ravine, shallow enough to hide in, deep enough to mask their presence. Kazuki collapsed to his knees, breath ragged, chest burning with every inhale.
Lyria fell beside him, gripping her trembling hands.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
The night wind's whisper was the only sound.
Then Lyria broke.
"Kazuki… I'm sorry. I trapped you in this…" Her voice cracked, tears tracing down her cheeks. "If I wasn't—if I didn't have this cursed bloodline—Raizel wouldn't be—"
Kazuki slammed his fist into the dirt, cutting her off—not in anger, but in self-directed agony.
"No. No, Lyria… I'm the one who failed."
He stared at his shaking hands.
Hands that couldn't stop the General.Hands that almost broke under his aura alone.Hands that had never felt so weak.
"I couldn't protect you. Not even a little," he whispered. "I thought I was getting stronger. I thought leveling, evolving, training… it meant something."
He laughed—a hollow, bitter sound.
"But I couldn't even scratch him."
Lyria reached for his arm, but he shook his head, eyes hollow.
"I dragged you into danger. I made you run. I left him alive. Raizel… he didn't even fight seriously." Kazuki's voice cracked. "He wasn't trying to kill me. He was testing me."
The shame burned deeper than any wound.
Kazuki had faced fear before—monsters, assassins, Moonfang squads.But this—this was defeat.Complete, undeniable defeat.
His first real one.
Lyria swallowed hard."Kazuki… even I couldn't face him. Raizel has hunted royal blood for decades. He's the strongest Moonfang-born of his generation. My parents feared him. The council hid me because of him."
Kazuki clenched his fists tighter.
"I don't care who he is. I don't care what level.I will never let him put his hands on you."
His voice trembled—not with fear, but with raw, aching resolve.
"But today… I couldn't keep that promise."
A heavy silence fell again.
Then the system whispered:
[Emotional State Detected: Determination, Regret, Resolve][Moonlight Ascendant Path Reacting]
New Quest Added: "Rise Beyond Fate"
Surpass the power gap between you and Raizel Unlock the second phase of Moonlight Ascendant Strengthen your bond with LyriaReward: ? ? ? (Hidden)
Kazuki stared weakly at the notification.
"…It's mocking me," he muttered.
"No," Lyria said softly. "It's acknowledging you. You resisted Raizel's Gravity Veil. No one at your level should have survived even a second."
Kazuki shook his head."That's not enough. I don't want to survive him. I want to beat him."
He looked up at the moon—concealed behind thin clouds.
"Next time… I won't run."
Lyria wiped her tears and forced herself to steady her breathing."Kazuki… next time will come sooner than we want." She hesitated, then continued. "After I awakened the Royal Seal fragment, Raizel won't stop. He'll track that power anywhere."
Kazuki's jaw tightened.
"Then I'll be ready for him."
But deep inside—beneath the bravado—a darker, colder truth gnawed at him:
He wasn't ready.And Raizel wasn't the strongest enemy waiting for them.
Kazuki curled inward, pressing a hand over his chest where Raizel's pressure had almost crushed him.
"I should've been able to handle it… I should've protected us…"
Lyria placed her hand over his, fingers trembling but firm.
"Kazuki. Look at me."
He hesitated.
"You saved me," she said. "If you hadn't pulled me out, I'd be in Moonfang chains. Or dead."
Kazuki's throat tightened.
"You didn't fail. You chose to live. And you made me live too."
Slowly… painfully… he exhaled.
And finally nodded.
But regret still carved itself into his bones. A lesson seared deep:
This world didn't care about effort.Only power.And he didn't have enough.
Not yet.
Lyria leaned against him, exhausted.
"Kazuki… where do we go now?"
He swallowed hard, eyes hardening with a new fire.
"…We find a way to grow faster. Stronger."He lifted Shadowrend, its blade reflecting the faint moon."I refuse to stay weak."
A distant howl echoed through the forest.
Then another.
Moonfang scouts.
Kazuki stood, pulling Lyria with him.
"Come on," he said quietly. "Regret can wait. Survival can't."
They disappeared into the night—two fugitives, wounded by failure, fueled by resolve—heading toward the next unknown ordeal.
The real climb was just beginning.
END OF CHAPTER 19