In a thick forest full of large trees, a strange scene could be seen. Five people dressed in black and red were chasing after a blue-haired girl. The speed they were moving at was extraordinary for how dense and dangerous the forest is. Even from a bird's eye view, the figures were moving too fast to get a proper look at them.

Faster! Must move faster!

The thought ran through the girl's head as she ran on all fours through the whitest, expertly dodging loose roots and boulders, jumping by over logs and avoiding any tree. Her eyes, blue with a light golden yellow colored pupil, darted around wildly, looking for any possible way out of the situation she finds herself in. On her head were two matching blue cat-ears and she has three matching blue cat-tails to boot, all three of them ending in a white tip.

Her new thing was heavy and ragged, and tears were streaming down her eyes. Her muscles were screaming at her to stop and the pain in her lower chest was growing worse. The reason for her pains was the fact that she has been running for days on end. That is not to mention the grave wound on the lower part of her chest, nearly cutting her in half. Nothing should survive a wound that grave, yet the girl was an exception.

However, as exceptional as she is, the girl is still in the end a girl, one with limits.

She felt herself start to slow and the sound of her perusers were coming closer ave closer. Every now and then, the girl grazed against a tree or rock, bruising herself and tearing the rather shiny white dress she was wearing, though by now it has long lost its luster. The girl itself em was also very pretty, or really cute if anything. However, she was covered in bruises and looked like a hollow empty shell.

Just....just a little...little more and they'll lose me.

Despite thinking that, her body was giving up. Her hand went right into a deep crevice in the ground. She let out a yelp as her hand twisted painfully, causing her to start tumbling and rolling uncontrollably, smashing through trees and logs and getting cut all over. Finally, she burst out of the forest and started tumbling down towards a cliff. Seeing this, the girl dug her claws into the ground, gorging up the ground beneath her as she skid to a stop just short of the cliff.

The girl got up on her two legs and jumped back from the cliff before approaching it again, looking over the cliff she nearly fell over before sighing and walking back away from the ledge. She went back to going on all fours and turned around to continue running but stopped in her tracks. Six men stood in the way, blocking her escape. She studied them with her left eye, her right eye having been swollen shut by a boulder she rolled face first into.

She started to back up, her ears going flat and pointed back and her back slightly arched; a posture of fear and anger. Her eye scanned for any and way out of this. Unfortunately, the only way she found was by jumping off the cliff. However, when she looked down, all she saw was white and green. She could barely make out the trees below but couldn't see the ground. Now she can survive and shrug off a lot of things for better or for worse, but she didn't think she could survive a fall from that height. If she did, she would be injured to the point where she wouldn't be able to defend herself at all. All her perusers would have to do is just get down and pick her up. And unlike them, she can't fly or have any airships she can use to get down.

She flinched when someone stepped out from the five 'ninjas'. He was the sixth peruser who joined the original five. He wasn't dressed like a ninja like the others but instead wore a black, grey, and red robe. He had black boots and had long white hair the teacher almost down the length of his entire back. His eyes were a yellow color, but were not like the girl's yellow pupils.

He examined her with a smile on his face e that showed no warmth to it. His eyes were cold and calculated. On his back were two black sword sheathes and he wore a golden medallion over where his heart would be. His eyes wondered down to her chest, giving the wound she had a long hard stare before meeting her glare.

"I have to give you credit where it's due. You really are exceeded my expectations of you. I mean, even with a wound that grave caused by the sword said to kill Gods, you shrugged it off and ran for days, giving my best hand-picked assassins a hard time."

He started walking forward, his boots making his footsteps imposing, each step causing the girl to shake more and more in fear.

"The mighty Hero Of Thacor, brought down to this pitiful state! It is hard to believe Master is actually you, or your "father"."

His smile turned smug as he took a step forward, causing the girl to try and walk backwards again only to stop when her foot didn't touch solid ground.

The man started clapping, slowly rubbing in how screwed the girl was to her face. He was taking pleasure in seeing her suffer.

"But I guess it really is true after all, huh? I mean, I heard of your powers before but I never really believed them until now. I mean, not only surviving getting seventy percent of your body destroyed before shrugging it off and running away. I mean, who can honesty believe that?"

Something flashed in the girl's eyes and a sudden idea came through her head. There was another option she hasn't considered since she was so afraid.

The man leaned forward, giving the girl a mocking look.

"Isn't that right, little Mink?"

The girl's hair rippled before it started to turn purple. Her bruised eye healed and the shape of her eyes changed, becoming oval in shape and the skin around them being torn. Her pupils grew in size, becoming purple while her eye color changed to scarlet red. There was no more white in her eyes, or if there were, there was very little.

Her ears and tails changed color to and a big butcher knife formed in her right hand. A small smile cane across her face. Her expression became unreadable.

Sensing this new change, the man jumped back just as Mink lunged forward, slashing where his face was a mere second ago, missing by an inch.

Jumping back to join the rest of his men, the man watched Mink wearily as she stood up in a stiff manner. Her smile widened, showing no teeth. It was a creepiest smile that he has ever seen.

It was then that Mink's eyes lit up, completing her new look and cranking up the creep factor. The new Mink pointed her knife at her opponents, hmm growl rising in her throat.

"Then you know fighting me won't end well."

The man grimaced but didn't back down. He knows that he can't afford to fail at capturing Mink. She is far more important than his own life.

"Ah, the murderer insane Purple."

He has heard many things about the powers of Mink. He also knows of the three beings that make up Mink. That's right. Mink is made up of three different parts, personalities, or beings. Blue, the most common one, is shy and friendly. Black is tough and intelligent. Finally, there is this one, Purple. Purple is the genocidal and insane one. She's also the best fighter out of the three. Still, after looking over Mink once more, he couldn't help but laugh. If Purple was offended or anything, she showed no sign of it. But that doesn't mean anything to him. He saw through her.

"You know, it's funny how you act so much like a cat, Mink. Your ears are showing that you are scared and your shaking. Are you sure you're okay?"

Purple's eyes twitched.

"You know it to be true yourself. Me and my troops will fight to the death to capture you. No matter what happens, a failure like you who can't live up to anyone's good Grace, you will learn your place."

In a swift movement, he pulled out two large silver swords and pointed them at Mink.

"Because your a failure, this is what you get. Now give up or be brought back in pieces and more needless casualties, only proving more to everyone that you're a failure."

There was only bitter hatred in his voice. No mockery. Just his cold hard truth.

Now the man has seen plenty of things in his life, but he has never seen someone he thought to be so stone-faced give a devastated look so quickly.

Nonstop tears fell from Purple's eyes and her smile dispersed. Her entire expression was that of a devastated child. And that is what Mink is. A child. A child who has been treated like this their whole life. If they acted anyway there weren't suppose to act, they'd be punished. They rebelled a lot but it seems that for all their trouble, all their wasted effort to not become a puppet, that they only made things worse. Exiled and now chased. They knew what would happen if they get caught. They would be tampered with, their soul or whatever messed with until it becomes a puppet for the Empress and the Tharco Empire.

Still, despite knowing this, Mink felt a sense of hopelessness. Purple dropped her knife and sat down, bawling. Mink has never been so scared in her life, yet at the same time, she is unable to do anything. She can't move. They can't do anything to change their fate. The man smiled and took a confident step forward, knowing that he has won without any extra bloodshed. He would take Mink home and soon the Tharco Empire would have the hero they deserve...

....Only fate has other plans.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?"

Purple spun around, looking at the flying stranger who appeared randomly before changing back into Blue, only the swollen eye wasn't there anymore.

The stranger in question was a handsome purple and black robes man with the robes being of similar attire to the man leading the assassins. His black hair was tied into a straight ponytail going down halfway down his back. He has sharp features and black eyes. In his left hand is a big red and grey fan.

His eyes scanned each and every person down below, stopping at the man on charge for a good amount of time before moving on to Mink, who he frowned and stared harder at. He could have sworn she looked different. His eyes were special, as they had the ability to see anything's true form. However, when the girl didn't change, he assumed that the purple he saw was a trick of the light.

"Oi, who are you!?"

The newcomer narrowed his eyes. He did not like this guy, he decided.

"My name is Coal, but most know me as the Black Teacher."

Everyone but the girl stiffened. The assassins and their leader all heard of the Black Teacher. He is someone never to be messed with. He was one of the figures of legend. Mink didn't stiffen for a simpler reason.

Who's him?

Blue and Purple, being the two with a bad memory for names, haven't heard of him before. The third part of Mink, Black, did recall overhearing a conversion about him but still didn't know who he was either.

"I'm Trojan Maskalin, the Empress's personal commander. This is official royal business and if you interfere, the chance of war is high."

Coal was taken back and filled with questions. He knows that Mink is a spirit, and the Thacor Empire is known for their love for spirits. So why are they chasing a spirit with clear bad intentions.

And I know he isn't lying either,

His eyes went down to Mink and the slowly closing wound on her chest.

so what is so special about her?

Coal started chuckling before flying down and knocking Mink out and put her over his shoulder.

"Then let there be war. This seems far to interesting to ignore."

With that, Coal dove off the cliff. Trojan ran forward, looking over the edge, but gave up when he couldn't find any sign of them.

He was boiling with anger now; most of it at the Black Teacher for foiling his capture of Mink and at Mink herself for even daring to have run away in the first place. No, for being able to run away after the wound she received.

How dare she use Master's power!

But he knew that right now, he needs to talk to the Empress instead of focusing on something he can't control. He does know one thing for sure,

This isn't over, Mink. I'll capture you soon enough. You can't escape your fate!

———

Mink wasn't knocked out. She is someone who is for better or worse, very hard to knock out. It has saved her a couple of times but has also kept her awake for when she gets tortured. Even though she wasn't knocked out, she was surprised by how her vision went dark for a second. He hit her pressure point hard and right on.

After Purple and Black convinced, or outvoted, Blue into opening her eyes, they couldn't help but let out a gasp.

Mink has only heard and seen paintings of the world down below. But seeing the wonderful colors, beautiful rivers, and exotic wildlife, Mink couldn't help it.

After she did so, she froze, her muscles tense. She tensed even more when the man carrying her started laughing, though she did admit that compared to the man from before, Trojan, his had warmth to it.

"First time being down?"

Coal had thought the spirit he rescued to be a spirit of at least three hundred years old, but he now has a strong feeling that she is much younger than that. In fact, he can't tell her apart from a normal child other than being a spirit.

Mink, on the other hand, was focused on wondering if he was going to drop her right there on the spot. In fact, she fully expected to be dropped on the spot. However, when that didn't happen, she found herself relaxing a little. It has been so long started nice she has heard anyone address her directly with warmth. She felt a little giddy about it. Of course her blush and happy face didn't go unnoticed by Coal.

She reminds me of my daughter. What could a country that lives spirits ever want to hurt someone like her?

Despite thinking long and hard about it during the rest of the trip, he couldn't think of a reason.

———

"Here we go. Welcome to my home."

Coal gently put down Mink in front of a traditional eastern style house...only in this world, these kind of houses are common in Tharco and in the mountains. In other words, Mink has seen this house many times before. She likes the color scheme though. Black, purple, and red. She's seen it before on her knife, but only if she got distressed enough.

Mink's attention suddenly changed when she saw the view. Unlike her home, this place was lie enough that you can make out all the details from below. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

"So, what is your name?"

Mink froze at the question. All three parts of her were in a crisis. She didn't want to upset him at all but speaking might somehow annoy him. However, not speaking also has a chance of annoying him. What should they do!?

"Hello? Can you not speak or do you not trust me enough or something?"

Mink flinched. She was trembling but that was only on the inside. They has trained themselves to not shake or tremble when afraid. Of course they don't have it control all the time as with Trojan and if one were to touch her arm, they could tell that it was shivering. Still, Mink swallowed her fear and managed the words,

"We're Mink."

"...Interesting name. My name is Coal, but you can just call me Teacher."

Coal took notice of her use of 'our' but decided not to comment on it. After all, there are more pressing manners.

"Alright, Mink. I shall make dinner and prepare a warm bath. You can explore all you want but don't leave the top of the mountain or enter any locked rooms. Do you understand?"

Mink nodded. They were good at following instructions.

Coal nodded.

"Good girl. I'll be going now."

And with that, he turned around and entered his house. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that Mink will become a problem. Not her origin or what she did to become wanted, but the look in her eyes. It was the look of someone who has a plan. A plan that they believe will help them...

....but is one conceived out of doubt and sorrow. A stupid plan....