Aron's breath caught in relief—but something was different this time. It still wasn't enough to survive. But it wasn't the same anymore.
The King Knight stood in a cross stance. Then it moved toward him.
But unlike before—Aron saw it.
The impossible speed that had killed him over and over now looked slower. Sharper. Almost readable.
'...I can see it?'
'This was my chance.'
Aron tightened his grip and prepared to launch his attack. But Suddenly, Its attention shifted past Aron—toward Zekai.
Aron didn't know what changed, but it clearly sensed something off about Zekai. Whatever it was, it had turned its focus toward him.
"Oh—no."
It didn't matter what it was thinking. Aron wasn't going to let Zekai die in front of him.
The King Knight raised its sword and brought it down toward Zekai's head.
"This is bad. Nothing can happen to Mr. Zekai."
Aron rushed forward without hesitation, grabbed the sword lying on the ground, and tightened his grip as he stepped in to face it.
Without thinking, he held his breath and charged forward at full speed, placing himself in front of Zekai to protect him.
Aron focused everything on his sword. He swung it with all his strength.
"AHHHH!"
"Now—!"
But the moment our blades met, it pressed down with overwhelming force. His sword was pushed aside instantly.
It blocked his attack effortlessly—like his strength meant nothing. But with a single swing, the King Knight sent him flying.
The impact hurled him backward. Aron's body slammed into the wall. Pain exploded through his back.
"Ugh—!"
But the next impact crushed him completely. It felt like every bone in his body shattered at once. Blood surged up from inside him, forcing its way out. At that point—he had nothing left to give.
Before Aron could recover—The King knight stepped forward— then vanished again. He couldn't even tell where it came from anymore—only that it was already there before he could react.
A second later— Its blade pierced straight through Aron's throat.
"…This is too much…"
Darkness.
"—!"
—
Aron returned again. But this time, every pain remained. None of it disappeared.
Every cut. Every impact. This time—the pain didn't fade when he came back.
It waited. He could feel everything.
Aron body remembered every death— even when it hadn't happened yet.
Tears started falling from his eyes without him realizing it.
"I… can't…"
[ …CONDITION… ]
Mental State: Collapse
Pain Memory: Overloaded
Loop Stability: Failing
[ WARNING ]
Subject nearing psychological break
"I'm weak…"
"Useless…"
Aron grip loosened.
"I always run."
"No wonder no one ever stays…"
His chest tightened.
"…and I'm tired of it."
"Then why… am I still standing?"
"I can't do this… Mr. Zekai…"
...
And somehow, in the middle of all that pain—memories began surfacing.
Not randomly.
Like everything had been dragging him back to this exact moment.
A different thought rose from somewhere deep inside him.
Once… Aron used to be like everyone else.
He laughed easily. Talked freely. Trusted people without hesitation. And he was kind.
Too kind.
Back then, he didn't know that kindness could become a weakness.
He didn't know people could smile at you… while calculating how to use you.
"I really believed everyone around me was good…"
His fingers trembled.
"But when the time came… they showed me their true colors."
People took his kindness whenever it was convenient. Borrowed from him. Leaned on him. Used him.
And when they were done—
they threw him away like he had never mattered. Some mocked him for it.
Some bullied him because they knew he wouldn't fight back.
Because kind people were easy to hurt.
Easy to corner. Easy to break.
Slowly… Aron changed.
The boy who once spoke freely became quiet. The one who smiled easily stopped smiling.
He swallowed every word. Locked every feeling inside.
"I wanted to be like everyone else…"
His voice cracked.
"But my kindness only made me an easy target."
So he walked away. From friends. From people.
From connection itself.
If kindness only brought pain—then maybe being alone hurt less.
Day by day, the world around him became quieter.
Colder. Emptier. And before he realized it—
he had become someone who expected betrayal before kindness.
Until he met Zekai.
Back then, Aron's life was simple. Work. Smile. Apologize. Repeat.
Even when he was tired. Even when people treated him badly. Even when his chest felt heavy for reasons he couldn't explain.
He kept going. Because stopping meant thinking.
And thinking hurt. Then one ordinary day, while working at the convenience store—
A voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, kid… this drink doesn't have a price tag."
Aron looked up.
A man stood there lazily holding the bottle.
Zekai.
Aron took the drink from his hand and checked it automatically.
Just another customer. That's what he thought.
Then—
"Why do you look so down?"
Aron froze slightly.
His fingers stopped moving.
"...No. I'm fine. Just working."
But Zekai kept looking at him.
Not casually. Like he was actually seeing him.
Zekai had always been strangely good at reading people. A glance at someone's expression. Their posture. Their eyes.
Sometimes that was enough.
"Doesn't look like it."
Aron blinked.
"You look like something's missing."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Aron frowned.
"Missing?"
Zekai looked away for a second, clearly not used to conversations like this.
Like even he regretted saying it.
"…Ah, forget it. None of my business."
Aron stared.
At first, he thought Zekai would be the same as everyone else. Someone who noticed weakness just to poke at it.
Someone who would notice weakness, take what they wanted, and leave. But instead—
Zekai placed another drink in front of him.
"Whatever it is… don't keep everything bottled up."
Aron looked up.
Zekai's voice stayed casual. But his eyes didn't.
"In life, when you lose something… you end up gaining something else."
A pause.
"That's just fate."
Aron said nothing.
Zekai turned slightly.
"One day, everything changes."
He nudged the drink closer.
"Take it."
Aron hesitated.
"I don't need—"
But Zekai had already started walking away.
Then he stopped halfway. Without turning back—
"See you, Aron."
A beat.
"That's your name, right?"
And then he left.
From that day—
Zekai's words stayed with him, because he could feel the deeper meaning behind them. It felt like Zekai also carried unresolved pain and things he could never fix within himself.
Little by little… something inside Aron changed.
His kindness stopped feeling like weakness. His heart stopped feeling empty.
Zekai never gave him some grand speech. But he made Aron realize something simple.
Life never stays the same.
"Change will come—whether you want it or not. And when it does… you have to accept it."
"Why don't you try being kind one more time?"
Because of him… Aron smiled more.
He made friends. Started believing people could stay.
Started believing kindness wasn't stupidity.
And eventually—
"I even found someone who loved me."
A life he never thought he could have.
"You changed the thoughts inside me. You gave my way of thinking a new beginning."
Aron's trembling hands tightened around the sword. His eyes burned.
"You changed me."
His voice trembled. "You changed the way I saw life."
The King Knight stood ahead. Silent. Unmoving.
But Aron's gaze never left it.
"Everything I have now…"
"All of this… is because of you, Mr. Zekai."
Tears blurred his vision. But he smiled.
A broken, stubborn smile.
Aron wiped his face roughly. He didn't know what existed inside Zekai, but that didn't matter.
Aron hands stopped shaking.
"So at least once…"
"I'll save you. No matter what."
That's the only thing he held onto. If someone gave him kindness—even a little—he would return it.
"But for you… I'll return it tenfold." That was the only way I knew how to live."
This time—
"I won't run."
"Even if it kills me again."
Even if this doesn't end here—Even if he didn't make it out—That doesn't matter anymore.
"So this time…"
He raised the sword.
"I'll be the one protecting you."
"Thank you."
Silence.
For one impossible second—something inside him refused to break.
[ STATUS UPDATE ]
Mental State: Stabilized Directive: Protect Target
[ NEW CONDITION ]
— RESOLVE DETECTED —
End of Chapter 15 - The Kind One III