Crack!
The bones felt like they were being crushed, and intense pain spread throughout Daemon's body like an electric current.
Daemon groaned in pain, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. He struggled desperately to break free, but found his arm was completely motionless, as if welded shut.
"If little children aren't obedient, they must be punished."
Immediately afterward, Shun's golden Chakra surged into his body through his wrist.
Daemon felt the Chakra inside him instantly become chaotic, like a wild, runaway horse rampaging through his Chakra Pathways.
What terrified him more was that the Reflection within him was also firmly suppressed by this powerful Chakra. No matter how he tried to activate it, he couldn't mobilize even a fraction of it.
His body grew heavier and heavier, and his arm began to tremble uncontrollably. The anger and defiance that had filled his eyes gradually disintegrated amid the panic of rapidly losing power, replaced by bone-deep despair.
He had once believed he possessed strength second to none, but in front of Shun, that confidence was utterly crushed. He didn't even have the right to resist.
"Wha... what did you do to me?"
Daemon's teeth chattered constantly from fear and intense pain, and his speech was fragmented.
Shun slightly loosened his grip, his face devoid of any extra expression. "I merely sealed your Chakra and Shinjutsu."
Losing support, Daemon's body fell backward, hitting the cracked earth with a heavy "thud." The dull sound was exceptionally clear in the empty field.
The gravel on the ground painfully dug into his back, but it was far less intense than the despair in his heart.
He struggled to prop himself up, but his arms were as soft as cotton. They lifted slightly before heavily slamming down again, kicking up a shower of dusty gravel that splattered onto his cheeks.
"Daemon!"
Ada could no longer remain calm, her heart entirely focused on her brother's safety.
She broke free from Shun's restraint, her skirt flying up as she ran. She rushed quickly to Daemon's side and carefully knelt down, afraid of hurting his injured areas.
She gently helped Daemon sit up. The moment her fingertips touched his back, she felt his body tremble.
Ada's eyes immediately reddened, and crystal tears welled up but she fought hard not to let them fall.
Her voice was choked with worry. "Daemon! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where does it hurt? Are your bones broken?"
Her gaze quickly scanned Daemon, settling on his gripped wrist. When she saw the obvious red mark, her heart ached unbearably.
Ada abruptly turned around and knelt toward Shun. Her knees hit the ground with a sharp sound, yet she felt no pain at all.
She raised her head. The pride and indifference in her eyes had completely vanished, leaving only intense pleading.
"Shun-sama, please spare him. He is still young and foolish. I failed to supervise him properly, and he already knows he was wrong. I will watch him closely, lock him in the base, and never let him cause trouble or provoke you again. Please... please forgive him this once."
Shun's gaze swept over the kneeling Ada, then at Daemon, who was sprawled on the ground with vacant eyes.
His expression remained calm as he said, "I never intended to kill him. I merely wanted to teach him a lesson, to let him know that some boundaries cannot be crossed, and some people are not to be provoked by him."
As soon as he finished speaking, a glimmer of hope flashed in Ada's eyes, and she quickly pressed, "Then... what about his seal?"
"Rest for one night, and the seal will automatically be undone tomorrow morning."
A faint purple light glowed in Shun's palm, and rings of energy ripples spread out. A Spatial Gate slowly opened before him. Behind the gate was bottomless darkness, seeming capable of swallowing all light.
He gently waved his hand toward Daemon, and an invisible force, like a gentle current of water, swept up Daemon, who was powerless to move on the ground.
Daemon tried to struggle, letting out angry whimpers in his throat, but he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger. He could only watch helplessly as he was enveloped by that force and slowly moved toward the Spatial Gate, inching closer to the heart-pounding darkness.
"No!"
Ada stood up and ran a few steps toward Daemon, but she was stopped by an invisible barrier. She could only watch helplessly as her brother was pushed toward the Spatial Gate.
She turned back, her eyes filled with worry and anxiety, and urgently demanded, "Where is he going? Where are you sending him?"
Although she was angry at Daemon's impulsiveness, he was her only family in this world. She couldn't bear for her brother to suffer any harm, and she was afraid Shun would use this opportunity to secretly strike at Daemon.
Shun's gaze returned to Ada. There was no malice in his purple eyes, only calmness. "Naturally, I'm sending him back to Kara."
He paused, then added, "I just want him to quiet down for a bit, so no one will disturb us."
Before he finished speaking, Daemon's figure was completely swallowed by the Spatial Gate. The twisting portal slowly closed, and the purple light gradually faded, leaving only the empty field, the cracked ground, and Ada, standing still, filled with worry but powerless.
The wind swept across the empty field, swirling up fine dust that settled on their shoulders and hair.
Ada's fingers, hanging by her sides, were slightly curled. A few gray-brown specks of dirt, splashed up while running, clung to the hem of her white dress. Shun's black cloak was also covered with a thin layer of ash, making his aura seem less aloof and more grounded.
Shun raised his hand and brushed the dust off his cloak. His fingertip moved slightly, and a faint purple halo reappeared in his palm, slowly opening another Spatial Gate. The scene behind this portal was no longer darkness. Instead, one could faintly glimpse steaming heat, and a subtle scent of sulfur gradually permeated the air.
"Let's go."
He stepped aside slightly, his gaze resting on the still-distracted Ada, his tone a little softer than before. "Let's go soak in a hot spring and wash off all this dust."
Ada was stunned for a moment. Following his gaze to the scene behind the Spatial Gate, the scent of sulfur lingering in her nose instantly made her understand.
However, her brow remained tightly furrowed, and the worry in her eyes hadn't dissipated. Her gaze drifted involuntarily toward the direction where the previous Spatial Gate had closed, her mind filled with the image of Daemon lying helplessly on the ground.
Seeing her hesitation, Shun knew what she was thinking. He stepped forward and gently brushed the dust from her hair.
His voice was calm yet carried a soothing power. "Still worried about Daemon?"
Ada looked up. The anxiety in her eyes was hard to conceal, and she nodded softly, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible hoarseness. "I... I'm afraid he won't be looked after in the base. What if his injuries hurt badly..."
"Don't you have the dojutsu Senrigan?" Shun interrupted her.
"You can use it to see how Daemon is doing now."
He paused, adding, "I've already given instructions. After he returns to the base, someone will look after his diet and injuries. He won't be mistreated."
Ada's eyes brightened slightly, as if she had suddenly remembered something, and her tense shoulders instantly relaxed somewhat.
She subconsciously raised her hand and pressed it to her forehead. Her sight extended through endless space toward the Kara base.
Her vision quickly locked onto the Kara Base's Lounge. Ada clearly saw that Daemon had been placed on a soft bed. A medical staff member was holding ointment and carefully applying it to the red mark on his wrist, their movements gentle, as if afraid of causing him pain.
On the low table beside the bed were warm Medicinal Soup and clean bandages, clearly prepared care supplies.
Although Daemon's face was still pale, he was no longer the helpless, collapsed figure he was before. He could even slightly frown and push away the Medicinal Soup offered by the medical staff. Though he showed some reluctance, he was generally fine.
Seeing this scene, Ada's hanging heart finally settled. Her tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and the hand pressed to her forehead gently dropped. The anxiety in her eyes was replaced by relief, and even her breathing stabilized significantly.
She turned to look at Shun, her eyes showing genuine gratitude, and softly said, "Thank you, Shun-sama."
Shun nodded slightly and said nothing more.
He gestured for her to follow, and was the first to step into the Spatial Gate that glowed with steaming heat.
Ada took a deep breath, suppressed the lingering worry in her heart, and quickly followed.
Before them was a secluded mountain valley. A pool of clear, natural hot spring water was embedded in the valley floor. The spring water had a faint milky-white color, and the rising hot steam condensed into fine mist in the air, blurring the surrounding scenery into a soft and gentle haze.
The Hot Spring was surrounded by lush green bamboo. Crystal water droplets hung on the bamboo leaves. When the gentle breeze passed, the leaves rustled, emphasizing the quiet and secluded nature of the place.
Besides Ada and Shun, there were no other figures.
The two tacitly remained silent, each walking to a rock beside the Hot Spring's edge to remove their dust-covered clothes.
Ada's movements were somewhat reserved. When her fingertips touched the warm mist, her cheeks quietly flushed pink.
She glanced up at Shun beside her, seeing that he had already stepped into the Hot Spring, his tall figure vaguely visible in the mist. Her heart couldn't help but quicken, and she quickly lowered her head, stepping quietly into the Hot Spring.
The warm spring water flowed over her skin, bringing a comforting warmth.
Ada found a spot slightly farther away from Shun and sat down. The spring water reached just above her shoulders, revealing only her slender neck and delicate collarbone. The surrounding mist enveloped her, like a translucent veil.
The Hot Spring wasn't large, the distance between them was only a few steps. They could clearly hear each other's steady breathing and the subtle sounds of the water flowing.
***
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