"I had to compromise," The Headmistress announced as soon as Khan brought his phone to his ear.
"What do you mean, ma'am?" Khan asked.
"I hope you understand," Headmistress Holwen continued. "The peace of the Harbor always comes first."
"Ma'am, what is happening?" Khan pressed on. He had understood that something was off as soon as he saw the Headmistress' call, and that vague explanation intensified his worries.
"I'm not sure either," Headmistress Holwen stated. "Forces that I can't hope to contain have stepped forward. I had to grant them some time."
"Time to do what?" Khan raised his voice. "And who are these forces?"
"A suitor's family," Headmistress Holwen revealed, "And your girlfriend's family. As for what they have in mind, I can only suggest you go look at it yourself."
Khan had countless questions, but the Headmistress cut the call short. "I have to prepare for the political implications. Good luck, Captain."
"Wait!" Khan shouted, but the Headmistress was gone. The call had ended, leaving Khan with the many messages that had reached him in the meantime.
Khan quickly skimmed through those texts without learning much. His classmates had sent prying and worried messages, with Lucian explaining the situation a bit more in detail. However, Khan could only understand that some political factions had chosen to act.
"Hey!" Khan promptly called, slamming his fist on the wall that separated him from the driver. "Hurry back to the second district."
"Sir," The driver spoke through the speaker, "We are already bordering the speed limit."
"This is a direct order from Captain Khan," Khan declared. "Article 61-14, section 3. During emergencies, drivers can ignore the speed limit and other regulations if a superior deems it necessary."
The driver had long since forgotten those regulations, but the second punch that landed on the wall forced him to agree. He also knew his passenger's identity, so he stepped on the accelerator and surpassed the speed limit.
The sudden acceleration barely affected Khan. He glanced past the window seat before looking at his phone again. He sent messages, but no one replied, and anxiety built up as bad thoughts accumulated in his mind. Having just received Raymond's unexpected call didn't help either, and the atmosphere around him grew heavy as he prepared for the worst.
Even with those vague clues, Khan could gain an idea of what was happening. Monica had educated him on the field, and they had both expected retaliations to happen sooner or later.
Monica's parents had publicly agreed to her relationship, but her family was immense. Many factions inhabited it, and it stood to reason that a few didn't like Khan since he brought them no benefits. Those forces might have heavily invested in Monica, only for Khan to ruin their hopes of getting their money back.
The same went for the suitors. Monica was beautiful, her manners were impeccable, and she wielded incredible influence. She was the closest thing to a noble, and many families wanted her. Some had already spent quite a bit getting their descendants close to her, and Khan had made that investment pointless.
Of course, Khan wasn't a fiancé or a husband. He wielded a temporary status that carried weight only if his opponents gave it value. There was still hope for those investments as long as he got out of the picture, which probably was what those factions aimed to accomplish.
Khan's mental state deteriorated during the wait. His grip on the phone tightened, threatening to break the screen, and his eyes often darted to the window seat. The cab was too slow for him, but flying wasn't an option. The situation had gotten political, so he had to avoid easy mistakes.
That apparent calm was only one side of Khan's thoughts. An opposite force existed and showed its presence as bad ideas popped into his mind. His unreasonable and wild desires began to growl, and the wait made them louder.
The trip felt endless, but reaching the second district gave Khan ideas about the state of the situation. He noticed cabs hovering in the distance and small groups of people carefully converging toward his building. It was clear that something big was happening, and his mana almost roared during the last minutes separating him from his destination.
Khan's mind tried to go blank when he became able to see his building from the window seat. His eyes couldn't do much at that distance, so he opened the door to get in contact with the symphony.
The many random influences vanished as Khan focused on known auras. He could sense George, Monica, and another familiar presence. He immediately recognized Francis, and clarity arrived as the cab grew closer.
When the cab stopped above the sidewalk, the unreasonable desires almost gained a proper voice. Khan saw the two injured guards, Francis, his defensive encirclement, George, and Monica, and the symphony handled the rest.
A battle had unfolded, and the general vibe was far from friendly, but Khan only focused on his friends. Monica was livid, and George's seemingly injured state made Khan's feelings flare.
The driver said something that Khan couldn't hear. His mind only had room for one voice that filled him with violent goals. Superior powers were playing with him once again, and he became ready to repeat what had happened on Induna.
'I'll kill them,' Khan instinctively thought. 'I'll kill them all.'
Those thoughts degenerated and began to target the entire block. Khan's actions on Induna had been a declaration that those enemies had ignored, but he would be happy to give them a reminder. Francis and his guards had tainted the sidewalk with their disrespect, and Khan couldn't let something like that exist in his world.
The crutches at Khan's side fell when he leaned further to get a better view of the scene. The sudden event made his aggression skyrocket, and his presence tainted the weak synthetic mana in the area, giving it his properties.
Khan had almost made up his mind. He would destroy everything. He would make the very floor pay for that insult. However, his reasonable side stepped forward at the last second and reminded him that his friends were still on the sidewalk.
'I want to lose control,' Khan thought as his internal conflict reached its peak, 'But that won't get me anywhere.'
The internal conflict suddenly ended, and the faint clicking growl in the background went silent. Khan had reached a conclusion, so he jumped forward and let the artificial gravity do its work.
A single and faint step in the air flung Khan toward George. He materialized at his side without making any sound. George actually had to rely on his senses to realize that Khan had arrived.
"You are early," George snickered, but Khan ignored those words to put a hand at the center of his chest.
George's state grew clear in Khan's mind. He couldn't sense the injuries, but the flow of mana created a troublesome picture. George had been hurt badly, and the wounds probably required professional help.
"You need to see a doctor," Khan stated before looking at one of the cabs hovering above the sidewalk. "You. Get down."
The order was slightly more than a whisper, but everyone could hear it. Even the driver inside the cab targeted by Khan understood its seriousness, so she didn't hesitate to bring the vehicle down.
"I can't be bothered with medical bays," George complained.
Khan didn't react but adjusted his request to suit George's wish. As soon as the cab reached the sidewalk, one of the windows went down to reveal a scared middle-aged woman who nodded at Khan's immediate order. "Get a doctor to my flat."
"Yes, sir!" The driver said before closing the window and setting off toward the nearest medical bay.
At that point, Khan turned toward the two injured guards. He ignored the man holding his groin to approach the soldier with the oblique cut on his chest. His walk was slow due to the braced foot, but the metal sounds that his uneven steps caused intensified the overall tension.
Khan reached the injured guard and inspected him from head to toe. The man had calmed down during George's battle, but Khan's arrival had rekindled his panic. Still, his long wound had already stopped bleeding.
"Sir, I-," The man stammered before looking at Francis. He couldn't hope to face Khan on his own, but Francis didn't lift his gaze. Khan's presence was too suffocating, so he left the guard alone.
"Do you know me?" Khan asked in an emotionless voice, making an invisible boulder fall on the guard's chest.
The guard wanted to search for Francis' gaze again, but the pressure radiated by Khan suddenly intensified. The man knew he had to keep his eyes on him to prevent something terrible from happening.
"Answer me," Khan pressed on.
"Y-yes!" The guard coughed. "You are Captain Khan."
"Good," Khan stated. "Where is my military salute?"
"W-what?" The guard gasped.
"A Captain is in your presence," Khan explained. "Stand up and salute him."
The guard wanted to refuse, but Khan's intense eyes never blinked. He appeared ready to inflict a deadly blow at the slightest misstep, so the soldier complied. He struggled on his feet, uncaring of the reopening of his injury, and wrapped his arms behind his back to perform a military salute.
"Now," Khan continued. "Did you hurt Mister Ildoo?"
"No, sir!" The guard promptly replied. "I swear, sir!"
Khan could spot lies, so he knew the guard was telling the truth. Besides, the man was a second-level warrior. He couldn't have possibly hurt George.
The tension remained as Khan turned. The guard began to relax, but Khan's gaze snapped back at him to interrupt the process. The second-level warrior didn't need words to know that his military salute had to stay.
Khan kept his eyes on the soldier for a few seconds before turning again and heading toward the guard with the injured groin. The latter was in pain but had witnessed the previous interaction, so he struggled on his feet even if more blood flowed over his legs.
"Captain Khan, sir!" The man shouted, performing a military salute to welcome Khan's arrival.
"Did you hurt Mister Ildoo?" Khan went straight to the point.
"No, sir," The guard stated. "I swear, sir!"
The guard was telling the truth, but his mana carried something odd that made Khan change his question. "Did you attack Mister Ildoo?"
"S-sir," The guard stammered. "Yes, sir, but Mister Ildoo skillfully dodged my-."
The guard couldn't finish his line since Khan delivered a powerful kick on his left knee. Khan had used the braced leg in the attack, and the impact between the metal protection and the joint generated cracking noises.
Pain tried to reach Khan's mind, but his feelings fended it off. His gaze remained steady while he watched the guard fall on the floor and turn into a mess. The man didn't know whether to hold his broken knee or bleeding groin.
"Where is your gratitude?" Khan asked, unfazed by the man's sorry state.
"W-what?" The guard managed to mutter through his pain.
"You attacked a descendant," Khan explained, "And a student of the advanced classes on top of that. You are guilty in front of the Harbor and the Ildoo family. I'd get a reward if I executed you right here."
The guard knew how bad the situation was and looked for Francis, but the latter kept his gaze lowered. Without Francis' help, the man was nothing more than a soldier who had committed a grave crime, and that realization quickly dawned upon him.
"Are you going to thank me or not?" Khan pressed on.
"Thank you, sir!" The guard mustered the entirety of his strength to shout.
"Thank you for what?" Khan questioned.
"T-thank you," The guard hesitated, "For showing mercy."
The look of defeat on the guard's face satisfied Khan. He didn't feel any better. He didn't like treating people like that. That behavior actually disgusted him. However, he needed everyone to understand that messing with him had consequences, heavy ones if his friends were involved.
Khan finally turned toward Monica and the other guard, and slow steps unfolded again. The metal braces were a hindrance, but that odd walk didn't interfere with his presence. Everyone remained too scared of Khan and the aura he radiated to even look at his intense eyes.
Monica was an exception. Francis' group felt pure terror, but she smiled as she let go of her prisoner. That domineering behavior perfectly suited Khan's new status. No other man could stand so proudly at her side, and knowing what had triggered that reaction made him incredibly attractive in her eyes.
'He is born for power,' Monica thought while her education kicked in. Her submissive side flared at that serious and intense gaze. She stepped back and performed a respectful nod to give Khan full control of the matter.
"Captain Khan, sir," The guard announced when Khan reached him and even performed a military salute to give an appropriate welcome.
"Did you hurt Mister Ildoo?" Khan questioned.
"Yes, sir," The guard stated, going to his knees while keeping his arms behind his back. "I'll accept any punishment you see fit, sir."
That straightforward approach slightly surprised Khan, but he didn't falter. Monica had seized the guard's hand before his arrival, so he could guess what he used to attack, and his following question matched that understanding.
"Which hand did you use to hurt him?" Khan asked, lifting his left arm to cover it with the purple-red sword.
The guard had lowered his head, but the arrival of the chaos element made him peek at Khan. That glowing sword could only mean one thing. He was about to lose a hand. Khan was simply giving him a chance to choose which.
"Both, sir," The guard revealed, breaking his military salute to show both arms to Khan.
Khan hid his surprise, but his senses confirmed the absence of ploys. The guard was simply being honest. He was performing his role dutifully and respectfully without showing any bias for Khan's status or background.
'Interesting,' Khan couldn't help but think before changing approach. "Stand up. You work for me now."
"Sir?" The guard gasped, lifting his gaze to check how serious Khan was.
"I gave you an order," Khan declared, lifting his glowing hand a bit higher. "Unless you prefer losing both hands."
"C-captain, it's not that," The guard stammered. "I'm under contract with the Alstair family."
"Rescind it," Khan ordered.
"Only a member of the Alstair family can rescind the contract, sir," The guard explained.
"That won't be a problem," Khan uttered, dispersing his mana to look at Francis.
From an outsider's perspective, the scene didn't make any sense. Khan was alone and without a leg, while Francis' group still had two active third-level warriors and Francis himself. They stood a good chance to fight, but no one dared to move in Khan's presence. Everyone was too scared to even look at him.
Only the people on the sidewalk could understand what was happening. Their subservient behavior wasn't out of choice. They simply felt too scared for unknown reasons. The very air was telling them to respect the threat that Khan posed.
"Mister Alstair," Khan called while slowly walking toward the main group. "I've taken a liking to one of your guards. I hope you don't mind giving him to me."
Francis dared to lift his gaze but immediately lowered it at the sight of those cold eyes. Memories from Milia 222 resurfaced and reminded him about the difference between him and Khan. Francis was outclassed in every way. In that situation, he could only obey.
"I'll rescind his contract," Francis whispered.
"You heard him," Khan said, turning toward the guard. "Go assist George. Bring him into my flat."
"Y-yes, sir!" The guard initially hesitated, but one look at Francis made him shoot on his feet and approach George. The latter didn't want help, but he pointed at the bottle Monica had left on the floor while he walked toward the building's entrance.
"Mister Alstair," Khan continued, turning toward Francis again. "You are with me."
"What?" Francis gasped, finally looking Khan in the eyes.
"We have matters to discuss," Khan explained. "We'll do that in my flat."
The three guards around Francis would prefer not to help him after his treatment of their companions. However, they had duties that went beyond a simple descendant, so the third-level warrior among them decided to speak.
"Captain, sir," The guard announced, but a needle suddenly landed at his feet and turned into a small spherical version of the Wave spell.
The sudden attack made the guard retreat, and his gesture pushed his companions back, Francis included. The two second-level warriors lost their balance due to the abrupt movement and fear, and Francis fell with them.
"You will speak only when spoken to," Khan ordered.
The guard wanted to argue, but the fuming spot before him made him gulp in fear. Somehow, he knew Khan had missed on purpose. He would have taken both his feet otherwise.
"I have orders for you too," Khan continued. "Clean this mess and bring the injured to a medical bay. Also, remove these cars from my sidewalk."
"Sir, we must stay with Mister Alstair," The guard explained.
"No, Mister Alstair will follow me alone," Khan stated. "If you have something against that, I'll simply make you unable to be with him."
