Chapter 722: Leaving Sabertooth
"I..." Yukino bit her lip. She had thought a simple visitation request wouldn’t cause problems.
She never imagined the first problem would come from her own guild.
Was it truly unforgivable for a legal guild to have a member with a relative branded a criminal?
But Jiemma didn’t even need her reply. The Council document already made it clear: the applicant was Yukino Agria, and the prisoner she wished to visit was Sorano Agria.
The relationship was obvious.
"I’ll give you one final chance," Jiemma declared coldly. "Deny your ties to that woman. Do that, and prove your worth in the future, and I’ll overlook this. I’ll even smooth things over with the Council. In return, you will remain in Sabertooth."
His words carried weight. A Mage who commanded the Celestial Spirit Zodiac Keys was a rarity.
Jiemma recognized Yukino’s potential. He fully expected her to represent Sabertooth in the upcoming Grand Magic Games and bring even greater glory to the guild.
For that, he was willing to "forgive" her. But she had to demonstrate the proper obedience.
Yukino lowered her head, stunned. She never thought the master would demand something so cruel.
Choose between her sister... and her guild?
Then there was no need to hesitate.
"No." Yukino’s voice was soft at first, but unyielding.
"What?" Jiemma blinked. He either hadn’t heard or simply couldn’t believe it.
"I said I refuse!" Yukino lifted her head, her eyes burning as she locked them on her guild master. It was the loudest she had ever spoken since joining Sabertooth.
"I am Yukino Agria! Sorano Agria, once the Oración Seis’ ’Angel’ and now a prisoner of the Council, is my sister! I will never deny her existence. Never!"
She drew in a breath, her voice trembling but resolute. "If Master Jiemma orders me to betray her as a condition for staying... then..."
The words hurt, but she forced them out clearly, each one sharp as a blade: "Then I’ll leave Sabertooth!"
The guild hall froze in stunned silence. Then chaos erupted.
This quiet girl, who spoke with honorifics to everyone, who seemed fragile and meek, she had just defied Jiemma himself.
Voluntarily leaving Fiore’s number one guild? Unthinkable.
Frosch’s eyes brimmed with tears. Lector stood dumbfounded.
Even Sting and Rogue, who had been lounging indifferently, straightened with surprise. The Yukino standing before them was so resolute, so unshakable, she felt like a stranger.
Jiemma was silent for a long moment, as though even he could not believe her choice. At last, his voice rumbled like thunder. "Do you truly understand what you’re saying?"
"Yes." Yukino raised her hand. Her fingers glowed with golden light as she gathered her magic.
Her right hand lifted her clothes slightly, while her left hand pressed two glowing fingers against the emblem over her lower abdomen, the proud mark of Sabertooth.
The tiger crest shimmered, then dissolved into drifting sparks of light, scattering like dust in the wind.
Gasps rippled through the hall.
Lowering her clothes again, Yukino bowed gracefully. "With that, I take my leave. Thank you for the care you’ve given me until now. Goodbye."
Before anyone could stop her, she turned and walked steadily toward the doors of the guild hall.
Her cloak swayed gently with her steps. Her back was straight. At that moment, she looked regal—dignified, and free.
Bang!
Jiemma’s palm slammed against the armrest of his throne. He shot to his feet, fury radiating from every word.
"You dare erase our emblem on your own?! Speak words that insult Sabertooth, and walk away so brazenly?! Do you think you can leave this guild so easily?!"
"Then... what does Master Jiemma intend to do to a wandering mage who has already left the guild?" Yukino asked, forcing herself to stay calm. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped three of her Celestial Spirit Keys tightly. Even so, standing against the master of Sabertooth made her heart pound with pressure.
Jiemma stomped his right foot into the ground. A massive fist of magic erupted forward, bursting with brutal power. "At the very least, I’ll make sure you remember this deeply..."
Bang!
A sudden explosion cut him off as thick smoke filled the guild hall.
Jiemma’s attack stopped short. He swept his hand sharply, dispersing the haze, only to see a tall figure standing between him and Yukino.
Dobengal, clad in a ninja-like outfit, blocked the path. His voice was calm but firm. "Master, please, control your anger."
Jiemma’s eyes narrowed. "So, this is the result of your recent self-punishment? I thought you’d grown stronger. Instead, you’ve grown bold enough to defy my will!"
Dobengal exhaled slowly. Punishment? Is that how he sees it? No, such thoughts weren’t important right now. What mattered was Yukino.
He bowed his head slightly, his mask hiding the flicker of resolve in his eyes. "I do not stand here to defy you. I stand here for the sake of Sabertooth’s dignity."
That statement gave Jiemma pause, his anger restrained, if only slightly.
Dobengal seized the opening. "Since Yukino has already renounced the guild, for the master of Sabertooth to strike personally would be beneath you. Worse, it could tarnish our reputation.
"Laying hands on a wandering mage without cause risks violating the Treaty on the Prohibition of Armed Conflict. If she were to bring her wounds to the Council, it could reflect poorly on Sabertooth."
He straightened his back. "A mage like her is not worth the master himself bearing such a burden. If she must be taught a lesson, then let me handle it."
Jiemma leaned back into his chair, frowning. Something about the reasoning pricked at him, but it was sound.
Meanwhile, Yukino could feel Dobengal’s intention. His words weren’t meant to demean her, they were a shield. A reminder.
Jiemma finally gave a curt grunt. "Hmph. Then..."
From the sidelines, Sting spoke up, arms crossed, chin tilted upward. "Master, let her go. She’ll regret walking away from Sabertooth for the rest of her life."
Rogue, expression unreadable, added coldly, "Losing one newcomer isn’t a loss worth dwelling on."
Jiemma was persuaded. He waved Dobengal aside with a dismissive motion, then fixed his glare back on Yukino. "Fine. Get out. But know this, you are forbidden from ever stepping foot in this city again."
Yukino pressed her lips together, holding back the urge to thank them. Instead, she simply turned and walked toward the guild doors.
"Yukino..." Frosch cried out, little eyes glistening. But before he could run after her, Lector held him back, shaking his head.
The hall grew heavy. The tension lingered like smoke long after Yukino’s footsteps faded. Members slipped away uneasily, some making excuses to leave, others rushing to take missions. That day, Sabertooth’s atmosphere was darker than ever.
Outside the city gates, Yukino finally slowed her pace. She stopped, turning to look at the city where she had spent so much of her recent life.
She still couldn’t quite believe it herself, standing up to Sabertooth, to Jiemma. But she had done it.
And for her sister’s sake, she had no regrets.
Yukino lifted her eyes to the sky, her expression distant and lonely.
"What should I do next... Sister?"