A few minutes after Black Flame’s party vanished into the trees…

Xinuo, Yumigawa Senki, Yumigawa Nozomi, and Elyar rushed into the shattered grove, breath like mist in cold pine shade.

Eastern Moon Aixue and the others stayed behind, tending to Hill like lanterns guarding a sickroom.

“Wow, this is brutal—like a storm chewed through it and left teeth marks.” Nozomi’s cute mouth fell open as she stared at trunks split like lightning and ground pocked like a cratered moon.

“It was a fierce fight,” Senki said, voice tight as bowstring. “I hope Emperor’s okay. By the way, Xinuo Miss, can I ask something?”

“Speak,” Xinuo said, her tone clear as a bell in winter air.

“Mm.” Senki nodded, then let the question spill like water over stone. “Was it right to let the Dark Demon people go? From the wreckage, Emperor couldn’t have escaped unscathed. And they dared provoke the Mizumi Clan. Our rule is, ‘Those who dare the Mizumi Clan will not be spared.’ On either count, we should have wiped them out.”

“Just a few ants,” Xinuo said, not looking back, her words light as drifting ash. “Letting ants go is letting ants go. Besides, if those ants hadn’t come to make trouble, Servant wouldn’t have formed Sword Intent and condensed a Sword Domain so early. For that merit, letting them keep their lives is fine.”

“Even so, Little Hill took a serious hit!” Emotion surged first; words chased after. Nozomi couldn’t hold it in.

“That’s Servant’s responsibility,” Xinuo answered, calm as still water. “It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

“I think Sir Xino is right,” Elyar said, voice steady as a blade laid flat. “Brother grew lax. He treated the Dark Demon like dust, so Hill was hurt protecting him. They’re at fault, but his fault is greater.”

“That’s too harsh. Big brother’s not good at this stuff…” Nozomi pouted, cheeks puffed like a sulking sparrow.

“Littlesky, don’t get too mad,” Senki said, hand resting on Nozomi’s small head, stroking once like smoothing ruffled fur. “After this lesson, Emperor should grow.”

“Servant relies on me too much,” Xinuo said again, words soft but firm, like rain on stone. “He trains hard, yes, but not with his whole heart. Without a jolt, who knows when he’ll grow. Another’s strength isn’t your own. To protect what matters, you must first make yourself strong. If he can’t grasp that, Servant won’t advance in realm or power for a long time.”

“Mm. Brother was too naive. He never thought to rely on himself.”

“Hey! He’s not as bad as you make him sound!”

“Hey, Littlesky, calm down,” Elyar said, offering a small smile like shade under a tree. “No one said he was bad.”

“It can’t be helped,” Senki sighed, eyes like dusk clouds. “Emperor grew up in the Mizumi Clan on the Central Continent, sheltered from the world’s knives. His heart’s as clean as blank paper. Out here, innocence gets you cut. So don’t take it too hard.”

“Hmph! What’s wrong with a pure big brother?”

“Er… I’ll drop it,” Elyar murmured, hands spread like a shrug. “Talking won’t help.”

“Her brother complex is severe,” someone muttered, dry as autumn leaves.

“Yeah. Emperor raised Littlesky himself, after all.”

They walked and traded idle words, and soon they found Yumigawa Sumeragi before a tree snapped to a half-stump, like a spear sheared in battle.

And once they found him—

“Sob… Big brother, how did you end up like this? Are you okay?!” Nozomi flung herself into his arms like a bird to nest, and when he didn’t respond, panic burst and tears pooled like rain.

“Emperor…” Senki crouched by him, worry furrowing her brow like plowlines in earth.

“Littlesky, he’ll be fine,” Elyar said, sighing softly, seeing Nozomi’s face streaked like a wet blossom. “Don’t be too sad.”

“So it was a self-detonated domain,” Xinuo said, eyes cool as frost on glass. “Honestly, doing something that dangerous.”

“Dangerous… Xinuo Miss, will Emperor be okay?!” Senki asked, fear fluttering like a trapped moth.

“For most people, self-detonating your domain is a path to ruin,” Xinuo said. She moved to Yumigawa Sumeragi, crouched, and pinched his pale, soft cheek like testing dough. “But with me here, you don’t need to worry about Servant. Restore.”

A gentle white light bloomed in her palm like dawn through fog, then flowed out and wrapped him head to toe.

Seconds ticked like falling dew. The light faded.

His torn school uniform knitted whole like silk rewoven by invisible hands. His bloodless face flushed like peach petals. His battered body smoothed like water over stone. He looked nothing like someone who’d just weathered a storm of blades.

“All right,” Xinuo said. “Let Servant sleep two or three days.”

“Phew… As long as big brother’s fine.”

“Mm-hmm. So don’t cry anymore, Littlesky.”

“Thank you so much, Xinuo Miss.”

Seeing Yumigawa Sumeragi restored, Nozomi, Senki, and Elyar let out the breath they’d been holding, like wind slipping from a tightened sail.

“Mm. Let’s head back.” Xinuo lifted Yumigawa Sumeragi as if cradling a quiet moon, then turned toward the plaza.

“Okay!”

Though the disaster Black Flame brought had passed, and Egisia Academy’s students gained battle experience like scars turned to lessons, the coin had a bloody flip side.

Most students bore wounds, small and large, like a field after hail. Dozens were dead or crippled, names falling like leaves. Many buildings had collapsed into tired heaps. As Xinuo said earlier, Egisia Academy would bleed.

“Ah, Xinuo Miss, you’re back. How’s Yumigawa?” Eastern Moon Aixue stood the moment they returned, words quick as sparrows.

“Mm! Big brother’s already healed by Sister Xinuo. He’s fine!” Nozomi’s smile broke like sunlight through rain.

“Xinuo Miss, about Hill…” Faya, hands glowing faintly as she worked, frowned, brows like slim strokes of ink. “I can’t heal her wounds. Why won’t you treat Hill? With your skill, it should be easy.”

“That’s true,” Xinuo said. “At most I’ll let Hill slip into a painless sleep. I won’t heal her.”

She glanced at Yumigawa Sumeragi in her arms and smiled, a petal-thin curve. “Hill was hurt because of Servant. He should find a way to bring her back. Otherwise, Servant fails as a man.”

“On that point, I agree with Xinuo Miss!”

“Oh. If that’s the case, then fine.”