The Strongest With Nothing Left

The king, still processing what he just witnessed, finally broke the silence. "Li… who is that child?"

Li, who was still pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration after smacking Arin, simply responded, "My student."

The king blinked, "Your… student?"

"Yes," Li replied flatly, his tone void of any elaboration.

The king and Venkur exchanged stunned glances. "Since when did you take in a student?" the king asked, his curiosity now piqued. "And why him of all people?"

"I don't owe you an explanation," Li responded coldly. "The boy is under my training. That's all you need to know."

Arin, rubbing his head where Li had smacked him, suddenly perked up. "That's right! I'm Master Li's student! He's been training me every day!" Arin said proudly, flashing a grin. "And someday, I'll be as strong as him—"

"Tch. Dream on," Li cut him off, walking toward the exit. "We're leaving. Now."

"W-Wait, Master—" Arin quickly chased after him, still rubbing his head.

The king watched the two leave, still completely bewildered. "That boy… has no idea who his master really is," he muttered. "And yet… Li seems to care about him."

Venkur crossed his arms, a faint smile forming on his lips. "Hah. Maybe that kid will be the one to bring that ghost back to life."

Inside the throne room, an unsettling silence lingered. The king, the knights, and the nobles present were left in sheer disbelief. For years, Li Vrak had been known as The Living Nightmare a man devoid of any warmth, empathy, or care. His lifeless gaze and mechanical efficiency in killing earned him that dreaded title.

And yet, just now… they all saw it. A glimpse of humanity.

"Did you see that?" one of the nobles whispered. "The Living Nightmare… he actually showed emotion." 

"No, that can't be…" another noble stammered. "It must've been a trick of the eye. There's no way he of all people—"

"It wasn't a trick," the king interrupted, his voice steady but filled with curiosity. "I saw it too. The moment that child rushed in… his entire demeanor changed. I saw frustration, irritation… and even concern."

Venkur, who stood beside the king, chuckled under his breath. "Hah… It's been years since I last saw that."

"Saw what?" the king turned toward him.

"Him," Venkur said, narrowing his eyes toward the exit where Li had left. "Not The Living Nightmare, not the cold-hearted executioner but Li. The real one. The man who once laughed, joked, and cared for his comrades."

The nobles erupted into murmur. "Ridiculous. Are you suggesting that child somehow brought back his humanity?"

"Tch… Perhaps not entirely," Venkur shrugged. "But mark my words… if that boy stays by his side long enough," his voice grew quieter, "the Living Nightmare will eventually cease to exist. And in its place… Li Vrak, the man we once knew, will return."

The king remained silent, processing Venkur's words.

And deep down, he hoped Venkur was right.

As Li carried Arin out of the castle with one arm like a sack of potatoes, his grip firm but not harsh, he let out a heavy sigh, clearly annoyed. "What the hell were you thinking, barging in like that?!" Li scolded, his tone sharper than usual.

Arin, still slightly dazed from the earlier impact, rubbed his head. "O-Ow… my bad, Master. I-I thought the king was trying to—"

"Shut it," Li cut him off. "And how the hell did you even get sent flying through a window in the first place?"

Arin froze. Sweat immediately dripped down his forehead as his eyes darted away. "Uh… about that…"

Li narrowed his eyes. "Arin."

"Uh…" Arin hesitated but eventually broke under the pressure. "Elise."

Li stopped walking. "…What?"

"Elise," Arin repeated, his voice small. "She kinda… uh… well, she was the one who launched me towards the castle window…*"

Li's eye twitched. "How?"

"W-Well… she found out you left for the kingdom and got super worried. So when I woke up and heard the town talking about it, I rushed to tell her. And then she grabbed me, and I kinda suggested that maybe I should go after you to protect you and—"

"Get to the point."

"She got… really fired up," Arin gulped. "Like… really fired up. Said something like 'If your master's in trouble, you have to do something!' and before I could react, she threw me with a wind magic spell… and, well…"

"...She launched you with magic." Li deadpanned. "And you didn't think to stop her?"

"I mean… she was pretty determined," Arin nervously chuckled. "I kinda just went along with it…"

Li pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're a goddamn idiot."

As Li held Arin like dead weight in one arm, his face was a mix of irritation and disbelief. Without a word, he extended his other hand, sensing the faint trace of Elise's mana lingering from her earlier magic. 

"Tch…" Li scoffed as he immediately locked onto her location. "Hold on tight," he muttered, before vanishing from the castle gates.

Elise walked nervously toward the large gates of the kingdom, trying to keep her head low. "Maybe if I leave now… they won't notice I was the cause of that…" she mumbled, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "I mean, it's not like I meant to send him flying… right?"

Just as she was a few steps away from reaching the gate, a terrifying chill ran down her spine.

"…Huh?"

Before she could even turn around, a harsh voice pierced her from behind. "Going somewhere?"

Elise froze. Slowly turning her head, she was met with the dead, piercing glare of Li Vrak standing just inches from her. Arin was slung over his shoulder like a defeated warrior, his face still dizzy from the impact earlier.

"L-Li?!" Elise stammered. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that." Li's voice was dangerously low. "Why is my student telling me you launched him through a castle window?"

Elise audibly gulped. "I-I can explain—"

"No." Li interrupted, his glare intensifying. "You can explain after I figure out how to deal with you for this stunt."

"E-Eh?!" Elise yelped. "I-I was just worried about you—"

"By turning my student into a human projectile?" Li deadpanned, shifting Arin slightly, who lazily waved at Elise. "Sup, Miss Elise…"

"H-Hi, Arin…" Elise forced a smile, already feeling her doom incoming.

Elise, desperate to find a way out of this increasingly dangerous situation, frantically searched for something anything to divert the conversation. She knew if she didn't, Li was about to roast her alive with words.

That's when she noticed it.

Li wasn't speaking in his usual cold, lifeless monotone. No there was frustration in his voice. Genuine frustration. His gaze, while sharp, wasn't empty… it carried concern. And his hand, although firm on Arin, wasn't careless it was gentle. Protective.

Elise's eyes widened slightly. "…You know…" she muttered. "You're actually showing a lot of emotion right now."

Li froze. "What?"

"I mean—" Elise's brain worked on overdrive, realizing she finally caught something to deflect her impending scolding. "You're scolding me like a parent or something. You're annoyed, angry, even frustrated" She leaned in slightly with a sly grin. "Is it because you were worried about Arin?"

"Tch." Li clicked his tongue, immediately turning his head away. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Ohhh~" Elise grinned wider, feeling like she just hit a goldmine. "You totally were! That's why you came storming after me, huh? You were so worried that you instantly tracked me down—"

"I was annoyed, not worried." Li snapped, clearly flustered as he refused to meet her gaze. "And I'm here because you catapulted my student through a castle window. Not because I cared."

"Mhm~ sure, sure." Elise teased, now completely forgetting her own predicament. "And the way you gently carried him over your shoulder like he's precious cargo? Totally not worry, right?"

Li visibly gritted his teeth, his hand subconsciously adjusting Arin to make him comfortable. "…Shut up."

"*Awwww, the emotionless nightmare cares~!" Elise sang, completely forgetting she was in trouble. "What's next? Tucking Arin into bed? Lullabies? 'I'm proud of you, son' moments—"

"You've got five seconds to shut your mouth before I hurl you through a castle window next." Li growled, his face slightly tinted red.

"Hehe~" Elise giggled triumphantly. "I'm so telling Arin you care about him."

"You'll do no such thing."

"Ohhh yes I will."

"I'll break your legs."

"Worth it." Elise smirked.

Li sighed heavily as he finally set Arin down, his grip loosening. "Stay out of trouble," he muttered.

"Yes, Master!" Arin grinned brightly, brushing the dust off his clothes before immediately turning toward Elise. Without skipping a beat, he leaned close to her and whispered, "Did you see that?"

"*Ohhh I did~." Elise smirked mischievously, crossing her arms. "The Living Nightmare actually has a heart after all."

Right?!" Arin snickered. "He even looked worried when he found me—"

"And the way he scolded me like a father?" Elise added, grinning. "Like 'How could you do this, Elise?'" She mimicked his deep tone mockingly. "It was so parental it was adorable."

"I know! And did you see how careful he was carrying me just now?" Arin laughed. "Like I was fragile or something!"

Li stood behind them, silently watching the two of them snickering and whispering like mischievous children. He could hear every word, and his eye visibly twitched in annoyance. "…Idiots."

But as his gaze lingered on them Arin smiling like a child without a care, Elise laughing freely like the weight of the world didn't exist Li felt something tug in his chest. …Why am I not stopping them from teasing me? He wondered.

His hand clenched slightly. And why didn't I abandon him after saving him that day?

…Why did I train him?

The realization hit him like a hammer.

Everything changed the moment he met Arin. Ever since that day, his once cold, lifeless heart… started moving again. Without even realizing it, he began to care. His once hollow existence of killing, surviving, and solitude… was being slowly rewritten. 

And he hated it.

No… that wasn't entirely true.

He feared it.

"Tch…" Li scoffed, forcing himself to turn away from the two as they kept teasing him. But as the words slipped out of his mouth, a faint, almost unnoticeable smile crept onto his face. "…I should've let that damn wolf eat you." He grumbled under his breath, the subtle curve of his lips betraying his true feelings.

As they were heading back to the town they lived in, Arin and Elise were chatting away, laughing about how they managed to drag Li out of his usual lifeless demeanor. But then, as if sensing something, both of them instinctively turned around to glance at Li.

And what they saw froze them in place.

Li… was smiling.

Not a mocking smirk. Not a cold, condescending grin. But a genuine, relaxed smile subtle, yet undeniably real.

"…W-Wait… is he—?" Elise stuttered, rubbing her eyes as if she was hallucinating.

"No way… Master? Are you actually smiling?" Arin blurted out, his jaw practically on the ground.

Li's smile vanished the moment he noticed their stares. "Hmph… Shut it, both of you." He turned his gaze away, slightly embarrassed. "Focus on walking or I'll make you both carry each other back home."

But even as he said that, the warmth in his heart — the one he hadn't felt in years — lingered. And despite himself…

He couldn't help but smile again.

Li let out a long sigh, finally giving in. "Tch… Fine." Without any warning, he suddenly approached both of them. "I'll carry you both. Faster that way."

"H-Huh?!" Elise blinked, confused. "Wait what do you mean—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Li grabbed Arin by the back of his shirt, lifting him up like a sack of potatoes and placing him behind his back. "Hold on tight, kid."

"*Eh?! W-Wait what about—AAAH!" Elise barely had time to react before Li effortlessly scooped her up in his arms, carrying her like a princess. Her face instantly turned beet red. "W-Wha—PUT ME DOWN!"

"Stop squirming." Li said bluntly. "Or do you want to walk all the way back?"

"I-I—" Elise was at a complete loss for words, feeling the strength of his arms holding her so firmly. Meanwhile, Arin was already grinning behind Li. "Haha! This is awesome! Let's go, Master!"

"…Hold on tight."

The next moment

Li launched off the ground with inhuman speed, dashing through the forest like a bolt of lightning. Trees blurred past them, and the ground beneath their feet practically vanished. The sheer force of Li's movement created powerful gusts of wind, making it feel like they were flying.

"W-WHAAAT THE HEEEELL!!" Elise screamed, clutching onto Li's neck for dear life. "THIS IS WAY TOO FAST!!"

"WOOOOHOOO!!" Arin, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. "THIS IS INSANE, MASTER! I FEEL LIKE I'M RIDING A DRAGON!!"

Li said nothing, only increasing his speed. The wind howled past their ears, the scenery around them becoming nothing but a blur. But despite his usual cold demeanor…

A faint smirk crossed Li's face. "Heh…"

"WE'RE GONNA DIIIIE!!" Elise wailed, still clinging onto him as if her life depended on it.

"Nah, you'll be fine." Li replied casually, his voice completely unfazed as they continued soaring through the forest. "…Just don't throw up on me."*

As they were speeding through the forest like a storm, Li suddenly bent his knees and launched himself high into the air — so high that they practically soared above the treetops.

"W-WAIT WHY ARE WE GOING UP?!" Elise screamed in pure terror, gripping Li's neck even tighter. "S-STOP!! PUT ME DOOOOOWN!!"

"Pffft—HAHAHAHA!!" Arin, on the other hand, was losing it from pure excitement. "THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!! MASTER, JUMP EVEN HIGHER!!"

"Shut up, kid." Li muttered, but there was a noticeable hint of amusement in his tone.

As they reached the peak of the jump, Elise peeked down and instantly regretted it. "OH MY GOD WE'RE SO HIGH UP!! WHY DID YOU JUMP THIS HIGH?!"

"Relax." Li said nonchalantly. "We're landing soon."

"LANDING?!" Elise's face turned pale. "W-WHERE?!"

"Right…" Li tilted his body slightly. "There."

In an instant, they began plummeting toward the ground. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Elise's scream practically echoed through the entire forest as they descended.

Li landed flawlessly on the ground, creating a small crater from the impact but completely unphased. Elise, however, looked like she just survived a dragon raid. "I-I'M ALIVE?!" She gasped, still clutching onto Li like her life depended on it. "OH MY GOD I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIEEEE!!"

"Tch. Weak.*" Li muttered under his breath, setting her down. "You're fine. Stop being dramatic."

"DRAMATIC?!" Elise staggered, her legs still shaking. "YOU JUMPED LIKE A DAMN DRAGON!!"

Meanwhile, Arin hopped off Li's back, his eyes practically sparkling. "Master!! That was SO AWESOME!! Can you do it again?!"

"No." Li instantly shut him down. "We're walking the rest of the way."*

"Awww…" Arin pouted. "But that was so cool…"

Elise, however, stumbled away from Li, her legs still wobbly. "I-I swear I aged ten years just now…"