"I finally found you, Shield Man," said the voice to Mirani, making him halt his steps and stare above. "I road this city for weeks to find the only man who can defeat ."
Mirani could feel his blood run cold as this voice and invisible man reminded him of the swordsman he fought here in Kera. If Mirani rembers correctly, his na was Kino, the man capable of slashing everything.
"Send your son ho. I'm not here as an enemy, so don't think I'm threatening you. Instead, et in the nearby cetery for the fallen causalities of our attack."
Mirani did as Kino instructed without letting Ciaron notice it. After sending him ho, saying he needed to et a friend, Mirani went toward the nearby cetery. The ghost kept him company and guided him.
"Are you here for revenge?"
"You did nothing against . You rely chose to protect your family. We fought fair, and you won in the end. I ca here for a different matter. Go left, and you will find ."
Mirani went left through the cetery, following the countless graves. After five minutes of walking, he finally found the swordsman standing before a tombstone with his sword attached to his waist.
"You have soone to visit?" asked Mirani with a frown, glancing at the grave the swordsman was interested in. A chuckle t his answer before Kino pointed at the grave.
"This grave is yours, old man. After the calamity struck and you went missing for weeks, the city assud you were dead and erected a grave in your honor. But, unfortunately, none of them knew your true abilities."
"…mine?" muttered Mirani before walking toward the grave, seeking to read the tombstone. But, as the swordsman said, his na and birthdate were engraved on the white stone. It was an alienating sight to see. "…so, people thought I was dead."
"I heard so of these citizens say that it takes seven years of being missing to be declared dead, but the widespread destruction of this city made it an exception. Most missing people were assud dead, either eaten by monsters or buried in the great gash dividing the city."
"All thanks to your invasion," said Mirani as he stared at the tombstone. "You killed thousands and orphaned many more. Yet here you are, assuming I won't bury you alongside the dead."
"My people retreated into the gates, but I returned to this world," said Kino in a deadpan manner. "My queen asked a single question: who defeated you?"
"I did not defeat you as much as I ran away from you," said Mirani as he crouched in front of his tombstone, caressing his na. "And your queen told you to seek ?"
"She did because she knew a man capable of defending against would prove useful in our predicant. We didn't want to invade this world, nor did we desire to kill those citizens. But, unfortunately, our kingdom has been plunged into a terrible fate."
"What fate is that?"
"Alio managed to break the calamity gates restraining him and invaded our kingdom. He presented us with a choice: to submit or to die. No one in our kingdom can stand up to him, and you witnessed his strength firsthand."
"What a terrible fate you managed to bestow upon us," said Mirani while glaring at the swordsman. "You want to empathize with the fate you gave my city."
"I seek not empathy but understanding that we had no other choice. Two outlanders have forced our hands. One of them is Alio, and the other is your friend."
"…he is no friend of mine."
"And I understand that he betrayed that friendship," said Kino as he walked toward Mirani and fell to his knees. "I am ready to beg for forgiveness, but please help us. We cannot keep answering the wishes of these two n."
"You heard that I was friends with Seref from him and decided that I must hate him enough to conspire against him. Thus, you ca back."
"I ca back because you had what it takes," said Kino with a frown. "You want to protect your family and your world, but that's not achieved by waiting for calamities to fend. Your ability could save millions, while the rest are designed to kill."
"What do you want to do?"
"At the mont, Alio is recovering in our kingdom. Our Queen, June, decided it was the best ti to reseal the calamity gates. First, however, we need to venture deep into the calamity grounds. You are the only one who can protect the runesmiths."
"And why would I help you after you destroyed my city?"
"This is not just about us, Mirani Tate," said Kino before bowing. "This is about your world as well. If Alio is not sealed again within the calamity grounds, then it would leave Kera vulnerable to another attack."
Mirani was quiet as he considered it and found logic in the man's words. Then, finally, he turned back toward his na, engraved on the average-looking tombstone, as one in many.
"As a young man, I thought I was destined for greatness," said Mirani with self-ridicule. "I sought the highs and lows of adventure just to make a na for myself. For a short while, I succeeded, and everyone knew before slowly being forgotten by the world."
"This is your chance to be respected or admired and for your na to go down in history as the true savior of Kera. My kingdom will never forget a debt, and the queen will grant you gold and power."
Mirani was silent before slowly nodding. Kino jumped with surprise and joy before bowing again to show his gratitude. Then, as the swordsman rambled about heading toward Alka, the middle-aged man thought of his family.
"Tomorrow at dawn, here," said Mirani before standing. "I have to bid my family farewell. Let spend the night with them, and then I will go with you toward Alka."
"We have already wasted enough ti, Mirani," objected the swordsman. "Your family has endured a month of your absence and can handle another month."
"Can you guarantee it would be a month instead of a lifeti?" asked Mirani with a smile as he turned. "I know the place that you are taking . It won't be safe or kind, and I might die. Wait for here tomorrow."
After hearing him, Kino didn't object further. Mirani walked back toward the shelter, hoping to find his son before dark. Instead, the streets grew emptier with the lack of light, as Kera had been robbed of its nightlife.
"I thought you disappeared again," said Ciaron, waiting outside the shelter. "What friend did you have to et right after coming back?"
"A friend who carried bad news," said Mirani, smiling, before he threw his arm around his son's neck. "Take toward your mother, and stop asking so many questions. I miss her fried rice so much!"
"She's going to cook a ton of it once she sees you are back!" said Ciaron while being dragged by his old man. The two talked about the shelter and how life was going after the disaster. Mirani asked about the gash, and Ciaron said that the union was still clueless about handling it.
Mirani t his daughter and wife, who were sorting through their stores of weapons and armor. The two of them cried, hugging him, and he didn't have the heart to tell him he was leaving again in the morning.
In the end, the family ate dinner inside one of the temporary houses of Kera. His children had so much to tell him, and he listened avidly. His daughter, Alison, had just as many ambitious plans as Ciaron.
"I have no idea what I did that my father failed to do," said Mirani, making everyone pause their conversations. "I have been blessed with children far better than I could have ever been."
The tears ca to him as a surprise since Mirani didn't rember the last ti he cried. It struck him that this could be the last ti that he saw his family or they saw him. He would either be forgotten or missed. The two options were just as bitter.
"Is there sothing wrong, dad?" Alison asked with tears in her eyes, a reflex of seeing her old father crying. "Did sothing happen while you were recovering?"
"Nothing happened," said Mirani as he cleared his eyes and smiled at them. "However, I have to bid you all farewell again. This ti, I will leave by choice."
"Leave again?" his wife muttered with confusion. "But you just returned after so long," she said with a broken voice. His heart ached, but he needed to harden it.
"Danger looms on this city, and our family, as long as Avarice still exists. But another break might be around the corner, and I found a way to fight it. I want to protect Kera and you."
"Would it be dangerous?" asked Ciaron with furrowed brows. "Is there no one else to take that sort of responsibility? You are not a fighter, dad. You are a shop owner."
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for," said Mirani, quoting an old book he read. "Our family was destined to protect the world, not to hide."
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