"I'm glad I can serve you again after all this time, Master Cyrus," Gwishin said, bowing gracefully, her smile warm but reserved.
Cyrus studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, in a neutral tone, he asked, "Is Sui-Pōn here too? I did request both of you to come."
Gwishin straightened and shook her head slightly. "Lady Head Chief couldn't come personally. She has pressing matters to attend to. She would have loved to finally visit you after all this time..." Her voice softened, tinged with regret. "She asked me to convey her apologies for not making it, Master Cyrus."
Cyrus sighed, his gaze drifting upward to the sky. His voice, tinged with a quiet sadness, broke the silence.
"Is... Grandpa doing okay?"
Gwishin studied his expression for a moment before responding in a formal tone, her words measured and respectful.
"Master Sol is doing well. He's still healthy."
Cyrus's eyes remained fixed on the sky as he murmured softly, "I'm glad to hear that."
Cyrus's expression suddenly brightened as a thought struck him. "Oh... I forgot. I need to grab some drinks from the convenience store."
Gwishin took a few steps closer, her tone calm and dutiful. "Shall I go and get them for you, Master Cyrus?"
He shook his head lightly. "I'll get them. You should head inside the house, Gwishin. Try to... support her. You might find her annoying, though."
Gwishin's face turned hollow, her tone carefully neutral as she asked, "May I have permission to ask who the girl inside the house is, Master Cyrus?"
Cyrus hesitated for a moment before responding, his voice steady but distant. "It's complicated, but basically, she's my friend. She can see spirits, and she helped me take down a pretty powerful corrupted spirit. We're partners now when it comes to dealing with them."
Gwishin's voice dropped to a low murmur. "I see..."
Cyrus looked at her for a while, his expression softening. "Gwishin, you're not mad, are you?"
She shook her head, her tone respectful but with a faint edge of anger. "I am not, Master Cyrus. I'm glad you've made a friend, considering your history with... dealing with people."
Cyrus let out a quiet sigh and took a few steps toward Gwishin before stopping. Gently, he swiped his hand across her pale face, wiping away the faint trace of blood. His lips curved into a soft, apologetic smile.
"Sorry for hitting you that hard with my head," he said gently.
Gwishin touched the spot on her head where his hand had brushed moments ago, her fingertips lingering as her skin turned faintly red. Her voice was low, almost tender.
"You shouldn't feel sorry, Master Cyrus. It was a test... to see how skilled you've become after four years. It's just a bruise—nothing serious."
Cyrus waved his hand and leaped off the rooftop, landing gracefully before walking toward the convenience store. Gwishin stood there for a moment, still gently touching the spot where he had brushed her face. A soft blush crept across her cheeks as she spoke, her voice filled with quiet warmth.
"I'm so glad I finally got to see you again..."
***
"What's taking Cyrus so long? The convenience store isn't even ten minutes away from here!" Viora said in an annoyed tone, sitting in the garden. She then mimicked Cyrus's earlier words in a childish, exaggerated voice:
"Alright. Don't mess anything up while I'm gone... If I wanted to, I could've destroyed this stupid house ten times over!"
Just then, she heard the front door open. Without missing a beat, she hurried inside, rushing to the front door with impatience.
"What took you so long, silly?" she asked, her tone playful yet still edged with frustration.
However, instead of Cyrus, Viora was met with a beautiful young girl around her age. The girl had pale skin, black hair styled in a wolf cut, and striking black eyes. She wore an all-black outfit that added to her mysterious aura. Viora quickly noted that the girl was taller than her, standing at least five foot five, while she herself was only four feet nine. There was something undeniably captivating about her, and Viora couldn't help but think she was probably Korean.
Viora took a step back, her eyes wide with surprise as she asked in a shocked tone, "Who are you?"
The girl remained calm, her expression composed as she bowed politely.
"I am one of the maids serving the Miravine family," she said with a soft, formal tone. "My name is Gwishin Doumi. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Gwishin looked at Viora for a moment before speaking in the same calm, formal tone.
"May I address you by a name?"
Viora's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! That's right, sorry!" she said, flustered, then added with a sheepish grin, "My name is Viora!"
Gwishin nodded politely. "Nice to meet you, Lady Viora," she said in a formal tone.
She then noticed Viora staring at her with wide eyes and tilted her head slightly. Her voice softened, almost nervous. "Is something wrong, Lady Viora? You're looking at me quite intently."
Viora's eyes widened further, and she quickly waved her hands, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Oh, no! It's nothing, really! Sorry for staring, I just thought..."
Gwishin tilted her head a bit more, waiting patiently for Viora to finish.
"I just thought... you were really pretty, that's all," Viora finally admitted, a gentle smile spreading across her face.
A faint blush appeared on Gwishin's cheeks as she replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Lady Viora."
Still smiling warmly, Viora added, "We seem to be the same age, so you can just call me Viora!"
Gwishin nodded slightly, her tone softening. "I'll take that into consideration... Viora."
"Looks like you two are getting along pretty well. Honestly, I thought with your personalities being so opposite, you'd end up despising each other," said a familiar voice.
Viora and Gwishin turned to see Cyrus standing at the doorway, holding three drinks in his arms—a lemonade, a chocolate milk, and an apple juice.
Viora ran up a few steps, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Cyrus, why didn't you tell me you have such a beautiful girl as your friend?" she exclaimed.
Cyrus let out a tired sigh. "Because, if you don't remember, we just became friends, Viora. Anyway, here's your lemonade."
Viora quickly snatched the lemonade from his hand, grinning. "Thank you!" she said, already starting to drink it.
Meanwhile, Cyrus handed the chocolate milk to Gwishin. She looked at it for a moment, then lifted her gaze to him.
"What is this?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Cyrus's expression remained nonchalant, with a trace of confusion.
"What do you mean? Isn't chocolate milk your favorite drink?"
Gwishin's gaze softened as she looked down at the drink in her hands. Her voice grew quiet, almost tender.
"It is... you remembered."
Cyrus nodded, his tone matter-of-fact. "Well, you were the second friend I ever had, so of course I'd remember."
Gwishin stared at the chocolate milk for a moment longer, then said in a slightly nervous voice, "Thank you... for the chocolate milk, Master Cyrus."
***
After they finished their drinks, the three of them found themselves in the garden. The cool breeze carried the faint scent of flowers as Viora and Cyrus recounted their recent misadventure to Gwishin.
They described the chaos of the hellride amusement park, each vivid detail bringing the events to life—the eerie atmosphere, the desperate battles, and the nail-biting encounter with the corrupted spirit that had nearly overwhelmed them.
Cyrus stretched his arms, his gaze drifting upward as he spoke, his tone calm but laced with reflection.
"So basically, it's inevitable that we'll face spirits like that again in the future. And, to be honest, the only reason we won last time was because she toyed with us until the very end. It was... basically luck."
He paused, his expression growing more serious as he continued.
"Looking back at how I handled the confrontation, I realize there were so many things I could've done better. My mental state was weak—I broke too easily."
Cyrus clenched his fists slightly, his voice quiet but resolute.
"I never want that to happen again."
Then Cyrus smiled gently, turning to look at Gwishin. His voice softened, carrying a rare note of trust.
"I'm counting on you to train us, Gwishin."
Gwishin nodded firmly, removing her black hoodie and tying it around her waist, revealing a simple white shirt beneath. With a determined expression, she bowed deeply.
"It is an honor to assist you, Master Cyrus. I will ensure that your trust in me is not misplaced."
Viora sat on the wooden steps leading inside the house, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she whistled to get their attention.
"The friendly sparring session begins!" she called out, her voice full of energy. "Remember, the opponent loses when they lose their balance and fall to the floor!"
Cyrus dashed forward with the speed of a bullet, closing the distance toward Gwishin. She watched him, her eyes narrowing in concentration.
Master Cyrus has definitely grown more powerful and faster since the last time I saw him four years ago... I was not mistaken.
Cyrus launched a series of precise strikes in rapid succession, each one aimed with deadly accuracy. Gwishin blocked every one, her palms meeting his fists with unwavering precision. Without missing a beat, she countered with a flying kick aimed directly at his head, which he skillfully dodged.
In an instant, she executed an axe kick that descended sharply toward his shoulder, but Cyrus was already moving, narrowly avoiding the blow. As her foot hit the ground, she surged forward, her fist aiming for a devastating Spear-Hand Strike directed at his vital point.
Cyrus was launched back, flying through the air, but he managed to catch himself with his hand, flipping midair before landing lightly on his feet. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, taking a moment to steady himself.
Cyrus took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he steadied himself. Meanwhile, Gwishin observed him.
As expected from Gwishin... she's grown even more powerful and skilled since the last time I saw her. But...
He narrowed his eyes. I have the advantage in strength and speed.
Cyrus planted his feet firmly into the ground, taking a strong, poised stance before dashing forward. In an instant, he became a blur, moving faster than Gwishin's eyes could track.
She barely had time to react as he appeared behind her. With a swift movement, he lowered himself and swept her leg out from under her, causing her to lose balance and fall.
But Gwishin was quick. She braced herself, pressing her arm into the ground and pushing off with explosive force, flipping back onto her feet in a fluid motion.
Before Gwishin could react, Cyrus was already on her, closing the gap with remarkable speed. She quickly threw a palm strike aimed at his head, but he dodged, moving forward with precision.
As he lunged to grab her, intending to slam her into the ground, Gwishin executed a flawless Triple-Step Evasion—her footwork forming a perfect triangle as she swiftly slipped away from his grasp.
"I won't let you go!" Cyrus shouted as he continued his charge, executing a flawless palm strike that drove into Gwishin's stomach. The impact sent her flying through the air.
However, with quick reflexes, she planted both hands into the ground, using the force to slow her fall. She landed gracefully on her feet, but as she looked down at her hands, she saw the bruises beginning to form.
The entire garden was marked with the faint imprints of her hands, the earth disturbed as she tried to halt her momentum.
Cyrus took a moment to breathe deeply, his mind racing. I'm not using my full strength against her... She's not using her most deadly techniques either. But... He paused, a thought crossing his mind. Is it me, or have I gotten stronger and faster since the incident at the Hellride Amusement Park?
Without another moment's hesitation, they both started walking toward each other. In the blink of an eye, they blurred into motion—punches, kicks, blocks, and dodges exchanged in rapid succession. It was as if they could predict each other's moves, knowing each other's fighting style with uncanny precision. Their movements were so fluid, it was as if they had sparred hundreds of times before.
Viora's eyes widened in disbelief as she struggled to keep up with the fight unfolding right before her. Despite staring intently, their movements were so fast they appeared as nothing more than blurs—almost invisible. Wow... she thought. The fight is happening right in front of me, but they're moving so fast, it's like they're not even there.
Both of them jumped backward, their movements in perfect synchronicity. As their feet hit the ground, they dashed forward with incredible speed. The grass and dirt flew in all directions, kicked up by the power in their legs.
They collided mid-air, landing simultaneous palm strikes to each other's stomachs. The force sent them both flying backward, skidding several feet before crashing to the ground. Their bodies came to a stop just inches from the fence on either side, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.
Viora, watching from the sidelines, whistled in amazement. "Wow, looks like it's a stalemate! You both were amazing!"
Both of them slowly pushed themselves off the ground, their breathing heavy from the intense sparring session. Cyrus, wiping the sweat from his brow, spoke with a breathless smile. "You've definitely gotten stronger and faster... there's no doubt about it."
Gwishin smiled gently, adjusting her hair into place as she spoke. "It always amazes me how naturally powerful and fast you are compared to everyone else, Master Cyrus. Your instincts are so sharp, it's as though you have a sixth sense."
Cyrus sighed, a hint of concern in his voice. "Well… I'm just good at adapting in battle, that's all. But I know this won't be enough in the future." He paused for a moment, then looked at Viora, who appeared nervous. "But now, after you take a pause, can you teach Viora the basics of martial arts?"
Gwishin glanced at Viora, giving her a gentle smile. "Of course, Master Cyrus. I can teach her."
chapter sixty end