He walked toward the spot where the bottle had fallen. He didn't look at the man in the mask or raise his sword. He just stepped forward and bent down to pick up the bottle.
The man raised his sword again, this time holding it right in front of him.
His voice broke the silence
"Isn't it stupid to turn your back on your enemy?"
Dan smiled and said without turning around.
"And isn't it stupid to save your enemy?"
There was a moment of silence. Then the man said, in a low voice:
"Why do you think I saved you?"
Dan slowly turned around, holding a flask, and looked directly at the man wearing a mask.
"Because you could have let me die but you don't ."
The man in the mask sighed slowly, then put his sword back into its sheath. It made a faint metallic sound.
He said in a quiet tone
"Okay... I admit it. But let me ask you, boy..."
He took a step forward, his eyes staring at Dan.
"Why did you look surprised when I said I'm not friends with director Illaris?"
Dan didn't hesitate to answer, his eyes shining with concentration:
"Because you know about the Void Assassin."
The man raised an eyebrow slightly behind the mask:
"And even if I did know, what's so strange about that?"
Dan replied seriously, his voice low but sharp:
The director said he's never seen a Void Assassin. He only heard about them from someone else. How can a man who says he doesn't know the director know what the director doesn't know?"
There was a brief moment of silence, then the man nodded in appreciation.
"A logical analysis. Yes, you're right. I'm not an ordinary person."
Then he continued, sounding more serious:
"To be honest, I didn't want to kill you from the beginning. But I was serious about wanting to remain anonymous. I don't want anyone to know about me."
He paused, then looked directly at Dan and said:
"If you promise not to tell anyone I'm here... I'll leave you alone, kid. What do you say?"
Dan shook his head, smiled slightly sarcastically, and said:
"I'm sorry, but I'll definitely tell the director."
The man didn't change his expression, even though Dan spoke in a strict way. He closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke calmly.
"That's... trouble."
He opened his eyes again and looked at Dan as if he were thinking about him, before continuing
"What if we make a deal, Dan Noctane?"
Dan blinked slowly, worried by the calm, non-threatening, non-confident tone.
The man kept talking.
"I have some special skills and methods that you won't learn at the academy."
He turned to face him and said in a deeper voice:
"How about I teach you some of them? Not out of kindness, but for a small fee: Don't tell anyone I'm here."
Dan didn't say anything for a moment, thinking about this surprising offer. Even though he was careful, you could see a spark of curiosity in his eyes.
The two looked at each other, and then Dan raised his eyebrows and asked in a careful voice:
"May I know... why are you staying here for a while?"
The man replied, looking at the burning ruins:
"I just came to see the site where the battle occurred."
Then he added, as if to justify his presence.
"But the real reason I'm staying... is that the Academy's barrier has been activated."
Dan's eyes opened wide, and he asked in a curious tone:
"And can you tell me how you got in the first place?"
The man just shrugged and said coldly:
"It doesn't matter."
Dan let out a long sigh and muttered as he looked at the horizon.
"It seems the Academy's barriers need to be updated."
The man laughed lightly and said:
"No need to think like that. The barrier is designed to keep out non-human creatures, or those who have made a contract with demons. However... it can be breached. It's not easy, but it can... if you're human."
He was silent for a moment, then looked at Dan sideways.
"I've been wondering... if I hadn't pushed those drops of blood away, how would you have acted?"
Dan answered with a quiet smile:
"I would have just died."
The man's tone changed as he asked, for the first time surprised:
"Are you serious?"
Dan nodded steadily:
"Think about it. If you were going to kill me, I was going to die anyway. It doesn't matter if I die with your sword... or my attack."
The man laughed lightly, shaking his head as he said:
"You really are... a strange boy."
He continued after a moment:
"But that's okay. What do you think? Do you accept my proposal?"
Dan smiled and said in a slightly rebellious tone:
"I'll see if you have anything worth learning... but let's learn something..."
He took a step closer, his voice changing:
"If you want to hurt the Academy... I will not allow it."
The man smiled, that calm, unreadable smile, and then said:
"Don't worry, kid... I have no intention of doing anything."
Dan didn't say anything for a moment, then said:
"By the way, you still haven't told me your name."
The man paused, then lifted his head slightly towards the moon and said in a mysterious tone:
"You can call me... Lone Wolf."