"Who goes there? Introduce yourself before you come any closer," one of the guards exclaimed. He was a man without a helmet, with short hair and a shaved beard, the typical appearance of a city guard.

After that direct question, Yoichi sensed that Ryutaro was about to answer and anticipated him. "We are tamers from the Nightblades guild returning from a mission," the blond-haired warrior stated, raising both his arms in a sign of peace.

​​

The guards did not immediately respond, motioning him and his companions to approach. Their watchful eyes carefully scrutinized the tamers and stopped when they framed at the gatekeeper. The old monk looked too different from the young men travelling with him, and the veil on his face was worth more than a thousand introductions.

"That's him," one of the guards said, approaching the helmetless man in the front row. He nodded, ordering Yoichi and the others to stop. Immediately, he walked towards the carriage, intending to poke inside it.

Neither Ryutaro nor the other members of his team said anything during that brief process, leaving it to Enatsu's injured body to justify their arrival at that late hour of the night.

"What's this guy doing inside a carriage? He looks injured," the helmetless guard remarked, pointing at Enatsu with one finger. At the same moment, the man turned away from the young merchant, fearing that he was just gone through some strange infectious disease and might contaminate him.

"Yes, that is exactly why we did not wait until morning to come back to town. My friend needs urgent care, and I don't…"

"I'm not talking to you, kid. Who is in charge of this mission?" the guard interrupted rudely. He addressed Yoichi in an arrogant tone as if just being younger than him did not allow him to speak.

"Takamori Sada, our guild leader," Shioko added, having already prepared a short and simple answer. The archer was convinced that they would lose interest in continuing with more unnecessary inquisitive questions by providing the guards with a name.

"What about the monk? Who is he? He doesn't look like a tamer to me," the guard replied, speaking to Shioko and pointing at Ryutaro. The gatekeeper remained stationary in the same position, sitting at the front of the carriage.

Yoichi continued to look at him, knowing that every word he said would only make the guards, who were being much rougher than usual, more nervous.

Deep inside, the young tamer hoped with all his might that his master would invent a false identity or some other ploy to escape captivity. Unfortunately, Yoichi inwardly knew that Ryutaro would never do such a thing.

"Hey, old man! I asked you a question!" the guard spoke again. He walked over to one of the horses pulling the carriage and grabbed its reins, preventing the driver from moving the coach forward or backwards.

"Chief!" a second guard called from the rear. The soldier dressed in full Goldhaven Police armor was trying to get the helmetless guard's attention with a swinging motion of his hands.

After speaking, the same soldier walked towards the guards' leader, carrying with him a rolled scroll. Under the tired gazes of the travelers, the helmetless man unrolled the parchment and read the contents of the message.

Out of the corner of his eye, he stared at Ryutaro from head to toe, paying particular attention to his clothing and features. "No doubt about it, it's him," he affirmed, snapping his fingers and giving a sudden order to his men.

After that sound, without any warning, the five guards under his orders encircled Ryutaro's carriage. Their hands rested on the hilts of their swords, stored near their belts.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" Yoichi trembled, hoping he hadn't realized what was about to happen.

"Ryutaro-Sama, you are under arrest by order of His Majesty the Supreme Emperor Nishiyama," the helmetless man commanded, ordering his men to arrest the wanted escapee. The message he had read moments before must have contained the Emperor's orders.

Although Ryutaro had been absent from Goldhaven's sacred Dojo for a little over twenty-four hours, one of the Imperial Family's thousands of informants had reported everything to his superiors, and Shinzo Nishiyama had immediately ordered the arrest of the Arena guardian.

"Please, Ryutaro-Sama. Let us escort you to the Palace. The Emperor wants to speak with you," the head of the guards repeated. With a hand behind his back, he motioned his men not to draw their weapons.

Outlaw or not, Ryutaro was a living legend. He was Emperor Tatsui's most trusted warrior; his only fault had always been his extreme, innate loyalty.

"Hey, stop! You don't know what you're doing! You don't know who this man is!" Yoichi grunted, fussing and clutching Ichiro's reins to avoid making it fidget as well.

"Yoichi..." Shioko whispered, stepping closer to her partner and trying to calm him down. At the same time, two of the men who had surrounded Ryutaro turned toward Yoichi, drawing their swords.

The metallic sound of steel slithering against the edges of their scabbards echoed in the still night air: two long katanas were pointed at the young tamer who was trying to defend his master.

Ryutaro was still standing in the same position, seated and motionless. His hidden gaze seemed to point forward, in the direction of the entrance to the city he had defended all his life long. The same place for which he had sacrificed his time and blood was turning against him for the second time.

Impulsively, Yoichi dismounted from his horse, continuing to mutter like a rabid beast. "This man is a legend! He is much more than just the guardian of the Dojo, and you know it!" he shouted, looking the two men in front of him in the eyes. "Supreme Ryutaro is a good and wise person. You cannot imprison him! He has committed no crime!"

"Stay away, boy! This is none of your business!" a guard barked, moving the tip of his katana forward and threatening to hit him.

"Yoichi, that's enough!" - Shioko's voice tried to bring her friend back to his senses. However, he seemed to have lost his wits. Still from Taya's horseback, the archer's gaze sought Kenji under the faint light of the torches hanging on the walls.