Realm Wars

The man took a step back. The girl may look innocent and cute, but when her eyes slanted and the edges of her lips rose in a smirk, she looked demonic.

The girl's face then loosened, and she beamed a cutesy smile. "I wouldn't cause trouble if I were you. Unless, of course, if you're confident that you could defeat me in a fight."

Her expression then changed once more, and she gestured with her hand. "So if I were you, I would scram the fuck off."

"Grr. . ." The man's tipsy face turned red from anger as veins bulged on his forehead. He looked at the beastman beside the girl before turning to his heels and going to his servant.

"Come on, you rant!" He dragged the boy by the collar and pushed him to move forward.

Ryu was about to follow them when the boy looked over his shoulder and glared at Ryu.

Ryu skidded to a stop. He didn't know why the boy looked at him with so much anger. Did he do something wrong?

"You twig!"

Ryu looked down at the girl, who was now looking over at him with a condescending face.

"If you're just going to help halfheartedly, then don't be a hero. What you did just plunged that boy into a night full of suffering."

Ryu tilted his head, confused. "But I. . ."

"What? You expect that boy to thank you after you intervened? You dimwit. If you haven't interfered, that boy could have just suffered a short beating. But since you barged in there like a wannabe hero and anger that drunkard. Who do you think he will transfer that anger to, huh?"

Ryu's face slowly registered what happened, and his eyes shook. He looked over at his hand, and his lips pressed in one line. Because of him. .. that boy will. .. is that why he glared at him?

The girl flipped her hair and huramp. "Hmp! Let's go, Nash."

The beastman spared a glance at Ryu before he followed the girl.

"Welp. That's surprising. I didn't think we would see that girl and her beastman here. I thought for sure that she was a noble with her ship," Ferris said.

"T-that was scary," Fifi said, shaking.

Ferris glanced over at Ryu when he didn't respond. "What's wrong?"

Ferris asked when Ryu was emotionless as he just stared at his fist. He then looked at Ferris like he was lost. His eyes were rounded and shaking, and Ferris's heart melted.

"I. .. I thought I was saving him. .. but it turns out that I'm not capable of that. Because of me that boy. . ." Ryu never cared about anything but his life when he was in the colosseum.

But now that he was out and experienced the outside world, he was starting to feel something for his fellow servants and slaves. Seeing them in chains and beaten constantly reminded him of his times as a slave for the colosseum, and he didn't like it one bit.

He wished he could free them.

Light passed through Ryu's' eyes, and he grabbed Ferris by the shoulders. "What should I do to free them?"

Ferris was speechless. She couldn't think straight when out of the blue, Ryu shook her shoulders, asking how to free slaves and servants. When did he care about them?

What made him want to free them? If he only knew what other races did. It was not just the humans. Everyone was the same. If he knew the horrors, would he think of freeing the slave and servants then?

Did she shelter him too much? Did she make a mistake?

Ferris slapped Ryu's hands and snapped, "That's impossible. For you to truly free them, you have to eradicate the long years of hatred."

Ferris didn't know why, but she was angry for some reason. She didn't teach him. .. didn't shelter him so that he would do reckless things like becoming a hero that would free slaves and servants.

Ferris's eyes dilated, and Fifi shrieked to the other side.

"What made you think that you could save those lots when you yourself is so weak?! If you can't eradicate their hate. .. if you can't change their views. Don't even think of saving anyone."

Ryu couldn't speak. Ferris was angry at him. But he couldn't refute her since her words were true.

"Ferris. .. ," Ryu said after Ferris somewhat calmed down. "I just thought that. .. without doing anything is so much worse. If I'm just going to stand and look, it reminded me of the time when I was in the colosseum."

Ryu held Ferris's hand and looked her in the eyes. "Cecily saved me. You saved me. I'm sure you yourself didn't plan on changing the world, but you changed my world. You saved me nevertheless when you could have just fled. You became a servant because of me. Without you intervened, I could have been dead. I just thought that. .. hoping that I could change other's fate too. Just like you did mine."

.. .

.. .

Because of her? Ferris wanted to laugh out loud. Because of her? Her world was spinning all of a sudden. Ferris didn't know what to feel.

She pulled her hand from Ryu's grasp and held her head, and sighed.

"I think I have sheltered you long enough," Ferris said with a bitter smile. "I think it's time for you to see the world as it is and decide for yourself what you want to do."

Ferris seriously looked Ryu in the eyes and said with a serious tone, "I will no longer intervene. Do what you like and face the consequences of your actions. Take responsibility for your decisions and decide for yourself what you want to do and not."

Ferris knew that this time would come. No matter what she'd do, Ryu had his mind. She couldn't possibly force her will on him forever.

It's just. .. sad. .. A day would come that he would no longer need her. But all boys grew up into a man, and it might be a good thing to distance herself from him so he wouldn't be too dependent on her.

When the time comes when her mortal body deteriorate. . .

"Ferris. . ." Ryu didn't know what to feel at the moment. A mixture of sadness and happiness? To him, Ferris was like a mentor. A sister. A family. A friend. A lover. He didn't know if he was ready to leave it all behind and take a step on his own.

But he was happy nevertheless. Excited even. It was like he was given a reign over his life.

Ryu patted Ferris's head. His eyes dropped on her face, and a smile lighted his face. "When you need essence, I'm always here."

".. ."

Fifi was crying from the heartwarming scene, but at Ryu's following words, her jaw dropped.

Ferris's eyelid twitched, and the corner of her mouth trembled. Then an uppercut made a lasting impact on Ryu's cheek.

"You insensitive beast!"