Chapter 55: CHP 55 THE HUNT FOR JUYEW

Chapter 55 — The Hunt for Juyew

The morning sun rose over the Kingdom of Aurelia, but the kingdom remained troubled. News of Kael’s death had spread everywhere, and people were afraid of what might happen next. The message left on Kael’s body had made one thing clear: someone powerful was working in the shadows, and Aurelia had become their target.

Inside the royal medical room, Kil Ful slowly opened his eyes.

His head felt heavy, and his body was still recovering from the surge of energy he had released the previous day. For a few moments, he stared at the ceiling, trying to remember what had happened. Then the memory of Kael hanging from the clock tower returned, and his expression immediately changed.

He sat up.

"Sensei..."

His hands tightened around the blanket.

The door opened, and Gyro entered the room. He noticed Kil Ful sitting upright and walked toward him.

"You’re awake," Gyro said. "How are you feeling?"

Kil Ful looked directly at him.

"Gyro-sensei, please. I want to go and kill Juyew."

Gyro’s expression became serious.

"No, Kil Ful. You will not go alone."

"Then assign me a team!" Kil Ful replied immediately. "I can’t just sit here while the person who killed my sensei is still alive!"

"Listen to me," Gyro said firmly. "I understand your anger, but anger won’t bring Kael back. If you rush into a fight without thinking, Juyew will use that against you. We still don’t know everything about his abilities or the people working with him."

Kil Ful lowered his head, struggling to control his emotions.

"Then let me go with others. I won’t go alone."

Gyro watched him for a moment before answering.

"Fine. You, Morry, Ravian, and Seema will go together. Seema will lead the team."

Kil Ful nodded.

Gyro continued, making every word clear.

"Your mission is to investigate Juyew’s movements and gather information. Do not engage him in battle until I arrive. I don’t care what he says or what you see. You will not fight him without me."

Kil Ful hesitated before answering.

"Okay, Gyro-sensei."

Gyro studied his face, knowing that Kil Ful’s promise would be tested the moment he came face-to-face with Juyew.

"Remember this, Kil Ful. You may want revenge, but you must return alive. Don’t throw away your life just because you’re hurting."

Kil Ful looked away.

"I understand."

But deep inside, one thought continued to burn.

Juyew... I’m coming for you.

---

The Departure from Aurelia

The following morning, Kil Ful, Morry, Ravian, and Seema gathered at the kingdom’s main gate. They had prepared their equipment and supplies for the journey. Morry was still recovering from the shock of Kael’s death, but he insisted on joining the mission. Ravian stayed close to him, keeping an eye on his condition.

Seema stood at the front of the group, checking that everyone was ready.

"Before we leave, remember that this is an investigation," she said. "We are not going there to start a war."

Kil Ful remained silent, staring toward the road ahead.

Morry glanced at him. "Kil Ful, don’t do anything reckless."

"I’m fine," Kil Ful replied.

Ravian gave him a doubtful look. "That’s exactly what someone about to do something reckless would say."

Normally, Kil Ful might have responded with a joke, but this time he said nothing.

At the gate, Gyro was waiting for them. He approached Seema and spoke in a low, serious voice.

"Seema, I’m trusting you with this team. Make sure they don’t fight Juyew until I arrive. Especially Kil Ful."

Seema glanced at Kil Ful before turning back to Gyro.

"Understood. I’ll keep them under control."

Gyro nodded.

"I’ll follow as soon as I finish making the necessary arrangements. Until then, stay hidden, observe their movements, and don’t reveal your presence unnecessarily."

"We’ll be careful," Seema promised.

Gyro looked at the four of them one final time.

"Return safely."

With that, the team left Aurelia and began their journey toward the abandoned village where Juyew had previously been seen.

Kil Ful walked at the front for much of the journey, his face unusually serious. Every step brought him closer to the person he believed was responsible for Kael’s death.

He had promised Gyro that he wouldn’t attack.

But keeping that promise would become much harder once he saw Juyew again.

---

The Abandoned Village

After several hours of travelling, the team finally reached the abandoned village.

The place looked almost exactly as it had during their previous encounter with Juyew. Empty houses stood along the narrow streets, their windows broken and their doors hanging loosely from damaged frames. Weeds had spread across the pathways, and an eerie silence covered the entire settlement.

Seema raised her hand, signalling everyone to stop.

"Someone is here."

The four of them moved carefully toward a damaged building and hid behind its broken wall. From their position, they could see the centre of the village.

A man dressed in black stood in the open space.

Juyew.

His posture was relaxed, as if he had nothing to fear. Beside him stood Bek, the assistant who had helped Veyron hang Kael’s body from Aurelia’s clock tower.

Veyron was nowhere to be seen.

Juyew folded his arms and looked around the deserted village.

"After everything, our plan still hasn’t leaked," he said calmly.

Bek lowered his head slightly.

"Because we eliminated the person who could have exposed it, Master?"

"Exactly."

Juyew’s smile widened.

"Kael discovered too much. If he had returned to Aurelia and reported what he learned, our plans would have been in danger. So we killed him before he could spread the information."

For a moment, nobody behind the broken wall moved.

Morry’s expression hardened.

Ravian slowly clenched his fists.

Seema’s eyes narrowed as she listened to the conversation. They had come looking for evidence, and now Juyew was openly confirming that Kael had discovered his plan.

But Kil Ful heard only one thing.

We killed him.

His breathing became heavier.

The memory of Kael’s body hanging from the clock tower flashed through his mind. He remembered kneeling beneath it, begging his sensei to return. He remembered the helplessness that had consumed him.

Now Juyew was standing in front of him, smiling as he discussed Kael’s death.

Kil Ful’s hands began to shake.

"I’m going to kill him," he whispered.

Seema immediately turned toward him.

"Kil Ful, no."

"He just admitted it!" Kil Ful hissed. "He killed Sensei, and he’s standing there like it means nothing!"

Seema grabbed his arm.

"Remember Gyro’s orders. We do not fight him until he arrives."

Kil Ful tried to pull away.

"Let go of me!"

"Control yourself!" Seema ordered. "Juyew is a Transcendent. We don’t know what he can do, and Bek is standing right beside him. If you attack now, you’ll put the entire team in danger."

For one brief moment, Kil Ful seemed to hesitate.

Then he looked at Juyew again.

Juyew was still smiling.

Something inside Kil Ful finally snapped.

"I DON’T CARE!"

White energy erupted around his body.

Seema’s eyes widened.

"Kil Ful, STOP!"

But it was too late.

---

White Aura Against the Void

Kil Ful burst out from behind the broken wall, his White Aura blazing around him. Dust swept across the street as his energy surged, and the damaged ground beneath his feet cracked under the pressure.

Juyew turned toward the approaching figure.

His smile disappeared for a fraction of a second before returning.

"Well, well..."

Kil Ful accelerated, moving directly toward him.

"JUYEW!"

His eyes shone with fierce determination as he drew back his fist, concentrating his White Aura around his arm.

"This is for Sensei!"

He launched himself at Juyew with a powerful punch.

Juyew raised one hand.

BOOM!

The impact sent a shockwave through the abandoned village. Dust and broken stones flew in every direction as the two energies collided. Nearby walls trembled, and cracks spread across the ground.

Bek immediately stepped back, watching the confrontation.

Juyew remained standing.

Kil Ful’s punch had been powerful, but Juyew had stopped it with a single hand.

"You’re the student Kael trained," Juyew said, looking at Kil Ful. "I remember you."

Kil Ful gritted his teeth and pushed more energy into his fist.

"SHUT UP!"

He twisted his body and launched another strike, aiming for Juyew’s side. Juyew shifted his position and avoided the punch, then pushed Kil Ful’s arm away with a controlled movement.

Kil Ful stumbled several steps but quickly regained his balance.

His White Aura flared brighter.

"I’m not finished!"

He rushed forward again, unleashing a rapid combination of punches and kicks. Juyew moved between the attacks with unsettling calm, avoiding each strike without appearing to exert much effort.

Kil Ful managed to land a glancing blow against Juyew’s shoulder, forcing him to take a short step backward.

For the first time, Juyew’s expression changed.

"So you’ve improved."

Kil Ful’s eyes burned with anger.

"I’ll make you regret ever touching my sensei!"

He gathered White Aura around his fist and drove forward with another heavy punch. Juyew blocked it, but the force pushed him several steps across the cracked ground.

The shockwave swept through the village centre.

Behind them, Seema rushed out of hiding with Morry and Ravian following close behind.

"Kil Ful!" Seema shouted. "Fall back! That is an order!"

Kil Ful didn’t listen.

His attention remained fixed on Juyew.

Morry raised his hand, preparing to activate Eternal Bond if he needed to protect Kil Ful from a counterattack. Ravian shifted his stance, ready to manipulate the forces around them if the fight threatened to overwhelm the team.

Seema moved between them and the surrounding buildings, trying to keep the battle from spreading.

But Juyew was no longer smiling in amusement.

He lowered his hand and looked directly at Kil Ful.

"You came here to investigate," he said. "Instead, you’ve given me exactly what I wanted."

Kil Ful’s expression tightened.

"What are you talking about?"

Juyew’s eyes narrowed.

"You let your emotions decide your actions. You ignored your leader’s orders, exposed your team’s position, and attacked an enemy whose full abilities you don’t understand."

He glanced toward Seema, Morry, and Ravian.

"And now your friends are standing here with you."

Bek stepped forward, a faint smile appearing beneath his hood.

"Master, shall I take care of the others?"

Juyew raised his hand slightly, stopping him.

"Not yet."

He returned his attention to Kil Ful.

"I want to see how much Kael’s student has learned."

Kil Ful tightened his fists, his White Aura swirling around him.

"Then come and find out!"

Juyew’s energy began to rise.

The air around the village grew heavy, and the shadows beneath the abandoned buildings seemed to deepen.

Seema immediately understood that the situation had become far more dangerous than she had feared.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves!" she shouted.

Morry and Ravian moved into position beside her.

Kil Ful stood at the front, his eyes locked on the man who had taken his sensei away.

He had ignored Gyro’s warning.

He had broken the team’s plan.

And now, before Gyro could arrive, the confrontation they had been ordered to avoid had begun.

The battle against Juyew was underway.