The boy turned to face the mage running toward him. Immediately, his mind began calculating how to react.
—(This must be an opportunity to get information from her. I can't waste it!)—With that thought, he covered his Clover Bracelet-clad wrist—(Still, I can't be careless. She might not be alone, and if she doesn't get what she wants, she might attack... I need to be careful.)
After a few moments, she finally reached him, stopping a few meters away. Sein stared at her coldly. While he wanted to extract information, he couldn't hide his anger, and pretending otherwise would have been even more suspicious.
—Sein...
—What do you want?—He asked sharply, while subtly scanning their surroundings as discreetly as possible.
—I want to talk.
—After what you did, you want to talk? You attacked my friends. You should be begging for forgiveness right now.
—...I have no reason to beg for forgiveness. What I did was right, that thi-
—Shut up!—The mage flinched at the boy's shout, stepping back slightly—Give me just one reason why I shouldn't draw my sword right now. Tell me why you and your group want to kill Kaze...
—Haaah... Fair enough. Look—Before continuing, Joy tugged at her collar, revealing something that first surprised Sein by the action itself, then shocked him by what he saw—Does this look familiar? My two friends and I were all born with this birthmark, meaning we're the chosen ones destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy.
—Prophecy?
—Yes. It goes like this: "Three shall be called under one sign, not as saviors, but as pieces positioned to oppose the eternal traitor of that same sign. Their appearance will mark the beginning of the unveiling. Should the balance break, the seal will fall, and the faceless mask shall open its eyes. When this occurs, what awaits will be neither justice nor redemption, but the fracturing of the world and its end"—The mage recited from memory. With each word, more color drained from Sein's face—Sein, now that you know the prophecy... would you like to join us?
—...That's impossible.
—I saw your face while I spoke. Something in those words resonated with you. This prophecy was spoken thousands of years ago and has been guarded by the highest authorities of all three civilizations. It cannot be false. If we don't stop that thing, the world will be destroyed. That's a fact.
—If it's a fact that the world will be destroyed unless you kill him, why only send the three of you?
—The prophecy states that we three are destined to face that thing. Others might jeopardize the prophecy. If you join us, your role would be to stop your friend Shoun.
—...—Sein's mind raced through the prophecy's coincidences, Kaze's mysteries, everything swirled in his thoughts. Though not as clever as his other teammates, he could still see the full picture. Yet he shook his head—...I can't trust you. Not after you attacked my friends without telling me. Not when you didn't even have the courage to come speak with me alone—As he spoke these words, Jack and Jace emerged from nearby bushes, their hiding place compromised—...I believe in Kaze. I'm certain he won't destroy the world, and no prophecy saying otherwise matters to me.
—...Why didn't you hide using Jace's ability?—the mage asked her companions.
—His spiritual energy is limited—the red demon replied, standing beside his brother next to Joy—Given the high likelihood of combat, we couldn't risk depleting his reserves. Joy, you've spoken with him. As we all saw, no agreement was reached. He was your friend, so how do you want to proceed?
—...—The mage considered her options. The most logical yet ruthless choice crossed her mind, but seeing Sein, who hadn't budged an inch, she simply shook her head—It's pointless. He's not our target. We only need to kill that thing.
Jack contemplated responding, but looking at Sein, just a child in his eyes, the thought of killing him seemed abhorrent. He simply nodded in agreement.
—Fine, let's go then. And kid, stay out of our way—Jack added. As he spoke, a bluish mist began emanating from Jace's body, enveloping all three of them before vanishing completely. Throughout this, Sein never lowered his guard, only stepping back slightly. Moments later, Shoun and Kaze materialized before him, their wind cloak dissipating.
—Good call alerting us—Shoun exclaimed, showing his Clover Bracelet where Sein's leaf symbol glowed—I already messaged Deuz and Robin they didn't need to come.
—How long were you there?
—We arrived fast. My senses detected the two hiding, so we stayed still under Kaze's wind cloak...phew... We got lucky they chose not to attack.
—...They said I wasn't their target. They only want Kaze... Did you hear the prophecy?
***
After their departure, The Three Jacks returned to their apartment. Following brief goodnights, each retreated to their respective rooms.
As she lay in bed, the mage tossed and turned for a while before finally staring frustrated at the ceiling, replaying her earlier conversation with Sein in her mind.
—(He was so certain that thing wouldn't destroy the world... Honestly, it's ridiculous to think a mere Rank 2 could destroy everything. But who knows what might happen if it ranks up... I wish Sein weren't so stubborn and would just join us)—She revisited her actions and inactions, the things she regretted and those she didn't—(Even if I had gone alone, I doubt it would have changed anything... Nor if I'd told him before attacking Shoun and that thing... It seems we're destined to be enemies... I wish it weren't so)—With this final thought, the mage finally drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning, a knock sounded at their door. A freshly awakened and still-grumpy Jack went to answer it, only to be pleasantly surprised by their enthusiast acquaintance.
—Oh, Mr. Kai! Good morning. What brings you here so early?
—Good morning Jack, good morning to you all too—the enthusiast greeted energetically, nodding at the just-awakened Jace and Joy—I've found something fascinating in the mirror world. Something that, if we take full advantage, might give you that final push you need to reach Dominator rank, Jack—The four of them had spent an entire week in the mirror world hunting vestige after vestige, bringing Jack right to the threshold of becoming a Dominator.
—Hmm... that would work. What do you two think?
—Fine by me.
—Yaaawn... Don't see why not—With both companions' responses, Jack nodded and turned back to the enthusiast.
—Alright, we'll go. But one question—where exactly in the mirror world are we heading?
—Well, let's just say it's a rather... interesting structure. They call it the "Pagoda of the Second Horizon."