Kal sat in the chair, staring blankly at the sword that Lucy had gifted him.

The sword, now cracked, had been damaged while blocking Karia’s dagger.

In this moment, what dominated Kal's mind was a sense of helplessness.

He believed he was strong enough.

He thought he could shake off any ordinary threats to the lady.

But what was he doing when the lady's life was in danger?

He couldn't even keep up with the enemy's movements.

He couldn't even see the hand wielding the dagger, let alone track its arc.

If it hadn't been for the Guardian’s brooch...

If …