"No one sent . I found her by chance in the forest three days ago. She was alone, injured, and had a fever."
Vandris narrowed his eyes.
"And you... decided to keep her?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Haru hesitated. Then:
"Because she’s important. Very important, and I wanted to find out what she is before anyone else did, but above all, because yes... I had to do it. In the end, she’s just a child."
Vandris tilted his head.
"And? Did you find out?"
"Not completely." Haru lied. "But I know there are other people looking for her."
Vandris stopped drinking.
"Other people?"
"Yes... Soone broke into my room and killed two of my guards. They took her, and that’s why I ca to you."
Vandris processed this.
"...Gar."
Haru froze.
"He knows the term."
Vandris smiled.
"You are one too, aren’t you?"
Haru didn’t answer.
Vandris laughed. "Relax. I’m not a Gar, but I know about you guys, and I know that when you show up... things get... valuable..."
The sword was pressed harder against Isabela’s neck.
A thin trickle of blood ran down.
"Stop! STOP!" Haru shouted. "I can tell you everything you want to know!"
Vandris smiled. Satisfied.
"Great. So... how did you handle her?"
Haru blinked.
"...What?"
Vandris tilted his head.
"You touched her, didn’t you? I an... what was it like to hold her hand?"
"What kind of question is that?" Haru thought, confused.
"I asked you a question, didn’t I?" Vandris insisted, his voice cold.
Haru hesitated. Then:
"Yes... I touched her."
Vandris stopped.
His eyes widened.
"Impossible... she explodes anyone who touches her."
Haru began to realize. "Shit. I said too much."
Vandris stood up slowly, he walked over to Haru.
"Three buyers died just from touching her. Burned from the inside out."
He stopped next to Haru’s chair.
"But you... you didn’t just touch her. You took care of her. Maybe you even bathed her."
He looked at Isabela, who was standing there, half-naked, still wet. She was the one who had bathed Yukihi and changed the child’s clothes. Haru had only touched Yukihi on the night he found her, and in the morning, when he checked her fever.
But Vandris didn’t know that, and Haru wasn’t going to correct him.
Vandris looked back at Haru. He stopped right in front of him.
"And you didn’t explode."
Silence.
Vandris smiled, slowly and broadly.
"You’re not immune. No one is immune to a Mana Core."
He paused dramatically.
"You’re just like her."
Haru frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
Vandris began to walk around him in circles, excited, almost thrilled.
"Mana Cores. Rare entities that absorb and process pure, divine mana without rejection. There are... perhaps very few of them on the entire continent. I spent years searching for one."
He stopped.
"The child... what was her na again? Ah, yes. Yukihi. She is a Core."
He looked directly into Haru’s eyes.
"And you... you are too."
"He’s wrong... but I can’t correct him without revealing [Touch of the Goddess]."
He rembered the skill he had absorbed from Yukihi, [Mana Core], still without an equipped slot, but present in the system inventory.
Vandris continued, excitedly:
"That explains EVERYTHING! Why you ca after her! Cores attract each other!"
He laughed. Loudly.
"Hahahaha! Two Cores! I FOUND TWO!"
He stopped laughing. Suddenly serious.
"Simple test," he said, reaching into his robe pocket.
He took out a red crystal. The size of an egg. Translucent. Glowing faintly.
It seed like he carried it in his pocket all the ti, as if, from looking for Mana Cores so much, it had beco customary to always carry the crystal with him.
"If you’re a Core... you’ll glow when I activate this."
He brought the crystal closer to Haru.
He held it close to his chest.
The crystal... It glowed faintly, but undeniably.
Vandris widened his eyes.
"I KNEW IT!"
He stepped back, holding the crystal as if it were the most valuable treasure in the world.
"Two Cores... I’M GOING TO BE RICH!"
Haru looked at his own chest.
"Why... why did it shine?"
System notified.
[Mana Core (Unequipped Skill) detected by external source]
[WARNING: Your abilities are being analyzed]
Haru swallowed hard.
"Shit. He detected the skill I absorbed from her."
"He thinks I’m a Core, but actually, I just stole the power from one."
Vandris turned to him. Smiling.
"Perfect. Two Mana Cores. The girl and you."
He put the crystal away.
"I’ll sell you together. As a pair, the price will be... astronomical."
Vandris looked at Isabela.
"And you... well, you’re just a bonus." He smiled. Cruel. "A beautiful young woman. I’ll sell you to so trophy collector."
Isabela tried to break the strings, but it was useless.
...
The beastgirl stood with fox ears raised, every muscle in her body attentive to the slightest noise beyond the thick wooden walls.
The room was isolated, not the damp cells where slaves were cramd. It was a private room, too clean, too quiet. A wide bed occupied the center, heavy curtains blocked the light from outside, the air slled of expensive perfu and iron. That was not storage.
It was preparation... Vandris wouldn’t put her in the ordinary cages, he had another plan, to break her spirit before negotiating the price and she knew it.
Muffled voices, and then she heard.
"...Yukihi... Mana Core..." Kira froze, her golden eyes flashed.
"The Star... it exists. And it’s here."
[10 years ago:]
That night the Elder, an old man with white hair and tribal marks on his face, told the legend.
"A long ti ago, the gods created the Nine-Pointed Star. Guardian of balance.
Protector of the weak."
"But it was broken. Fragnted. Sealed."
"And our tribe... was chosen. If the Star awakens... if it cos back..."
He looked directly at Kira, a 7-year-old child, small ears, eyes shining with curiosity.
"Kira. If the Star awakens... protect her. No matter the cost. No matter what happens. Protect it and bring it to us"
Kira nodded. Serious. "Yes, Elder."
...
Kira opened her eyes.
"My mission... has begun."
She pulled the chains, they didn’t break, so she pulled again harder. The muscles of her arms tore. Acute pain. Blood began to flow from the wrists where the handcuffs cut the skin, but she did not stop.
She pulled with everything Roaring low.
The chains broke. Guards outside turned. "SHE BROKE!"
Kira jumped out of the cage, no weapon, just claws. The first guard entered raising his sword. Kira was faster, her claws went through his throat.
The second guard attacked from behind with his sword glowing with charged mana. Kira felt the movent of the air, spun around, caught his sword in the air, before he finished the blow...
The guard’s eyes widened, already knowing he had no chance against her. "She moves at the speed of a mana master!?"
Kira, snapped out of his hand, cut his neck. He fell.
The third guard tried to run. Kira went after him, reached him in three steps, cut his legs, he scread, fell.
Kira ignored him. She was already running.
She stopped. She sniffed the air, the sll.
"Yukihi. " She murmured, sneaking the trail through the corridors...
...
One of Vandris’ guards approached Haru and began to untie him, not to free him, but to move him.
The guard smiled. Rotten teeth.
"Hehehehe... your boyfriend is a relic..." he said to Isabela, pulling the strings and releasing Haru’s arms.
"Unfortunately... you won’t see her again. Hihihuhuhu."
"She’s going to the basent. You’re going to the special warehouse. Separated. Forever."
Haru clenched his teeth.
"Shit... I need to do sothing... but without magic... how?"
The guard finished untying him, but held Haru’s arms tightly. Another guard approached with iron handcuffs.
And then... The door to the room exploded, pieces of wood flew.
Kira entered, covered in blood (not hers). Sword in hand, eyes shining, looking around.
She saw Haru, Isabela, Vandris and the guards who put their hands on the sword. She slled Yukihi, it was weak, distant, but present.
She pointed her sword at Haru...
"You will be the first to die"
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