A sudden surge of energy, as if his body had been revived, as if nothing had happened. "No... This can't be!" he thought, opening his eyes. To his surprise, he was once again standing on his feet, exactly where he had been moments earlier, facing the three men who were still ready to attack him.
"I'm alive… But how is that possible?!" The realization hit him like lightning. "Now I know! When I used my power on that brown-haired guy, I must have activated the left eye! That has to be it!"
Edo didn't have time to celebrate. He had to act quickly, because, just like before, the blond man rushed at him first. This time, however, Edo didn't make a mistake. Just like earlier, he kicked the man's leg, knocking him off balance, then hit him twice in the face before he even hit the ground. He knew that the redhead and the brown-haired man would soon attack together, so he reacted based on what the left eye had shown him. He knocked out the redhead with a single blow, and when the brown-haired man approached, Edo grabbed his arm and struck it with all his might, breaking it in the process. The opponent's scream filled the room, and he collapsed to the floor, defenseless.
"I did it… Finally!" Edo thought, feeling the adrenaline subside. "I won… But why did this happen to me? What have I learned about this cursed power? I didn't ask for it, but… maybe it will be useful. Though I don't know if I'll ever be able to use it without fear."
The victorious moment quickly vanished as the three men, who should have been lying defeated, suddenly stood up, filled with fury. "You wretched demon, you'll pay for this!" one of them shouted, and all three charged at Edo. The boy, barely standing, knew this would not be an easy fight. He took a fighting stance, ready to defend himself, but didn't even manage to make a move. Suddenly, powerful gusts of wind once again struck his opponents, knocking them to the ground like puppets.
"What the hell was that?!" one of the thugs shouted, getting up from the floor. Edo, equally surprised, turned toward the door. Standing there was a woman, dressed in a black-and-white robe, with long black hair and blue eyes. It had to be her—she was the one who had caused the gusts of wind that effortlessly took down his opponents. Fear suddenly appeared in the eyes of the men, fear that Edo didn't understand, but he could only guess how powerful this woman must be.
The thugs, terrified by her presence, immediately fled, diving through the windows as if escaping something far worse than Edo.
The entire room fell silent, everyone staring at the woman. Voices from the crowd whispered timidly:
– "The demon saves his own."
– "We don't want her kind here."
– "Why are they still alive?"
The words were full of hatred but whispered softly enough that the woman couldn't hear them. It was clear her presence caused unease among the people.
With slow but determined steps, the woman approached Edo. When she was close, she looked him straight in the eyes and smiled gently.
– "Are you alright? I saw you fight. They gave you a hard time, but you did well."
Edo, still surprised and somewhat dazed, looked at her in disbelief. Now that she was so close, he could get a better look at her face. Black hair cascaded over her shoulders, contrasting with her blue eyes and the white robe, adorned with black stripes. On her left shoulder was a patch shaped like a shield—probably the emblem of some country—and on the right were badges suggesting she held a high rank or status.
The boy blushed slightly, feeling her gaze on him. He knew he didn't look like someone who frequented places like this, and the embarrassment of having that noticed added a touch of awkwardness.
– "You know… you should be aware of such things," the girl began, with a hint of mystery in her voice, observing him closely. "In places like this, we're not welcome. You must be really brave or well-informed to come here. Usually, only those who know what they're looking for take such risks. And you… it seems like you were searching for something special." Her tone was full of insight, as if she was sizing him up and trying to understand his intentions all at once.
She smiled softly, though there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "My name is Leni, nice to meet you. Since you're here, may I ask your name?" Her voice was gentle but firm, as if she already knew the answer before hearing it.
Edo felt he should respond, but the words seemed stuck in his throat. His thoughts were scattered, and exhaustion was beginning to take over. He was aware that using his power had consequences, but he didn't expect fatigue to hit him so quickly. He felt the energy draining from his body.
– "Edo…" he tried to reply, but only a barely audible whisper came out. Before he could say anything more, his legs gave out, and the sight before his eyes began to blur. He felt his body grow heavier, as if someone had placed invisible chains on him.
Before he could understand what was happening, he collapsed to the floor with a thud, hitting the cold, hard floorboards. His head bounced off the ground, and he lost consciousness, sinking into darkness.