Elena has been held as a hostage to that scissor sword guy. This is not good...

“I am sorry! It was my mistake! I took my eye off of him for a minute and he ran towards one of your students.” Gracie says as she seems disappointed in herself.

“It’s not a big deal...We will find a way out of it.” I say as I look around.

“It is a big deal because you can’t find a way out of his one, Dan ThunderField.” Umba says.

“How about kneeling on the ground and ask her to be free? Maybe I might think about it.” Umba says to me.

“Tsch!” This is going too far...

“Ki!” I hear Elena.

“My, this young girl here as a beautiful body, I wonder, if I rape her in front of everyone. How would her teacher feel?” That scissor man!

“Fine...I will do it.” I say.

“DON’T DO IT!” Elena screams, “DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME! I WILL BE FINE! JUST D-“

Without second thoughts, I do as Umba says.

“Sir Dan...” Everyone seems to be surprised by my action.

“Please, let my student go.” I grovel towards Umba.

“Now, now, shouldn’t you say please Master Umba?” Umba asks me.

*Smack*

I raise my head and Umba kicks my head back down, “Who said you can raise your head?” Umba scolds me.

“UMBA, YOU ARE TAKING THIS TOO FAR! LEAVE HIM RIGHT NOW! THAT’S AN ORDER!” Fracia screams.

“You are forgetting, I am the one with a hostage here. You are in no position to make demands.” Umba says to Fracia.

“UMBAAAA!”

“Fracia! Don’t worry about it, I will be fine.” I say.

“I like your unwavering spirit but I wonder for how long you will have this unwavering spirit of yours.” Umba says to me.

“You, girl! Catch this brat from the back. Make sure you keep his eyes wide open.” Umba says as he makes his way back to his horse.

I nod to Gracie.

Gracie catches my hands, “I am sorry, it was my mistake you are in this situation...” Gracie says.

“It’s alright...It was my mistake to bring my students here in this city.” I say.

XXXXXX

“Can’t we do anything to help Sir Dan?!” Luke asks.

“Not in the situation we are in.” Jack says.

“I am sure there might be a way to save Elena...We just have to figure it out before it’s too late.” Izumi says as she looks at Elena.

“Right now, the only person who can save Sir Dan is...” Jack looks at Elena.

“What?” Both Luke and Izumi seem to be confused.

XXXXXX

Umba comes close to me as he brings out a short knife, “What do you say, Dan?”

“Hey, what are you planning to do?!” Gracie asks me.

“I see...An eye for an eye.” I say.

“Exactly! You are such an intelligent kid but the difference will be, I will be pulling out your eye slowly as you suffer from pain.” Umba says.

“NO WAY! YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!” Luke is angry.

I smile at Luke, “Calm down Luke.” I say with a smile.

“All of you are precious to me...”

5 years ago,

“Mama Serena...” I say as I sit on the kitchen floor.

“Hmm? What’s the matter with that? Why does my kid look in such a depressing mood?” Mama Serena asks me as she cooks food.

“You know Mama Serena, I was showing around my brother’s workplace to Carly and then this guy about our same age appears and starts speaking to her. Naturally, I acted maturely like I should but...”

“But?” Mama Serena is close to me and she has a smug look to her face.

I look away in embarrassment, “I felt weird...” I say.

“Weird? How?” Mama Serena asks.

“Weird in a way...That...I felt like I wanted to punch that guy.” I say.

“Pffft!!!” Mama Serena laughs.

“It’s weird alright! I don’t know what it is but I felt weird...It’s not like that guy was bad or anything.” I say.

“I know, I know.” Mama Serena says as she puts down a bowl of noodles on the table for me.

Mama Serena smirks, “So, it’s little Dan likes Carly?”

I didn’t understand at that time why but...My heartbeat raised and I was embarrassed. I couldn’t even deny it.

Then a few days later, “Dan, do you have a crush on someone?” Carly asked me.

I smiled and answered, “Yeah I do...” I didn’t want to say that it was her who I loved. I wanted to keep it to myself. I felt like our friendship was what mattered more to me...I didn’t want things to change between us but in reality, I just wanted to scream and say to her, “I love you...”

A few months later, just when I had finally planned to propose to her, I saw her there...Holding her little brother at her mother’s funeral in this city.

She didn’t cry in front of everyone, she pretended to be strong but in reality...She was the most heartbroken.

“So, you are leaving?” She asked me when I was about to leave.

“Yeah, my training with Master is over. So you know, I do need to leave and help my brother out a little.” I said.

In reality, I was just running, running away from watching precious people cry. I can’t handle when people close to me cry. I don’t know what to say. This cold personality...I developed this personality over the 4 years by being shut-in. I decided that I don’t want to care about anything but in reality...

I couldn’t resist caring about people. Over the past month, there have people...People who have changed my view, people who I deem to be precious to me and for them...I can sacrifice anything and my eye is a small price to pay for them all.

PRESENT DAY

“We all saw it and just stood there...” Horrell narrates.

“We couldn’t do anything. I wish I had the strength to save Sir Dan. I wish...I had the strength to save both Sir Dan and Elena.” Izumi narrates.

“As his student, it was painful for us to watch his eye being pulled out.” Luke narrates.

“There was something different about Sir Dan though.” Jack narrates.

“The smile on his face didn’t disappear even after his eyeball fell right on the ground.” Elena narrates.

XXXXXX

“Why? Why do you keep on smiling?!” Umba seems to be frustrated.

“That’s because, if I scream, cry or be scared, that’s what my students will learn from me and I don’t want to be a bad influence on them.” I say with a smile.

Man, it hurts like hell but...I can’t help it. I have to smile even if I am in pain. I have to smile to protect everyone else’s smile. I can’t be the one to break down in this difficult situation.

“I guess let’s just make you blind and take away your second eye too.” Umba says with an evil smirk.

“If that satisfies you, feel free to.” I say with a smile.

XXXXXX

Don’t do it, Sir Dan! Just because of me...I am a cursed girl, why are you trying to save me? I am not someone you should save.

Even now, I have caused great pain for you...I truly am a curse...

I close my eyes, I can’t look any more of it!

“Elena, don’t worry everything will be fine.”

Sir Dan?

“You trust me, right?”

Sir Dan, I do...

“So you should know, you can use your powers in front of me because I am your teacher.”

He did say that...He did say that...

That’s the only way to save him. I don’t want to lose him...Not after how kind he has been to me. In just a week, he has taught me so many things. I have known so much about you. You are truly an amazing person but I won’t let you be a sacrificial lamb anymore.

XXXXXX

I feel overwhelming mana near us, “Oh boy...” I look at Elena and say.

“What the hell is happening?!” Umba seems to be surprised.

“Took you some time.” Jack says with a nervous smile.

The earth under us begins to shake as Elena begins to transform herself, “I have had enough of your shit! Get the fuck away from me right now!”

I laid on the ground with a sigh as Gracie left me.

“What the hell are you?!” Umba questions as he looks to be quite afraid.

“I am Elena Foxfire! I am Sir Dan’s student and I will let you know, I won’t forgive you for what you did to me or Sir Dan!” Elena says as she transforms into a huge creature.

A huge white-colored fox to be precise. The fox had red eyes, a cute black nose and long whiskers with huge claws.

The scissor man gets back up clicking both the side of his sword.

In front of him are Izumi, Elena, Jack, Luke and Gracie.

I stand back up as I feel blood dripping out of the gap from my left eye.

I sigh, “It’s you and me Umba, let’s end this.” I say as I stand right in front of me.