The sun had set. The moon rose into view over Bear Path, the town booming with life. Street lights flickered on, illuminating the incoming duo—Fenric and Kuro—as they approached on Beretta.

  Just as they were about to cross in front of the guild—

  THUNK.

  A stray axe struck the road mere inches ahead.

  Fenric slammed the brakes. Beretta screeched to a halt, the sidecar fishtailing slightly before settling.

  "Holy shit, that was close!" Fenric screamed, heart hammering. "Who the fuck—" He caught himself mid-sentence, ears swiveling toward the source. His mouth snapped shut. "...Shit. It's Lovia."

  Lovia appeared from the side shadows, picked up her axe with practiced ease, and placed it over her shoulder. She looked at Kuro—her eyes scanning him from head to toe, taking in the torn clothes, the dried blood, the exhaustion written across his face.

  Concern flooded her features, then slowly melted into relief.

  He was alive. Battered, but alive.

  "Fenric." Her voice was deceptively calm. "My half-beast friend." The sarcasm dripped like venom. "Where have you been?"

  "Nothing new, Lovia." Fenric tried to sound casual, forcing a laugh. "Just earning money for living. Doing mundane quests, you know. The basics. Guild work. Normal stuff."

  "I see." Lovia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And what quest did you do that left you looking awfully clean while Kuro looks just... awful?"

  "Ha ha... of course, you know how Kuro is. Even if he did nothing, he'd still be covered in blood. That's just how he operates. Ha..." Fenric's laugh was too loud, too nervous. "And what quest we did, you ask? I have no problem saying what quest we did. But as the receptionist, shouldn't you already know what we did? Are you slacking, Lovia? That's not a good look for guild staff."

  "Stop." Lovia's voice dropped to something cold and sharp. "Stop trying to buy time and spit it out already."

  Fenric swallowed. "Easy there. Why are you fuming? I'm just making small talk—"

  "If you don't want your head to split open," Lovia interrupted, hefting the axe slightly, "the next thing out of your mouth better be the truth about where you've been."

  Kuro sat silently in the sidecar, watching the exchange with faint amusement flickering in his dark eyes. His lips twitched—not quite a smile, but close.

  Fenric's mind raced. "...Ah... hmm... Ah... RIGHT! Bandits!" His face brightened with forced enthusiasm. "We were on a quest Kuro took—some bandits terrorizing passengers on the southern road. We tried to capture them peacefully, but things got messy. Turned into a chase. That's why Kuro looks like he wrestled a bear. Hehe."

  Lovia tilted her head. "Oh really?" Her voice was dangerously calm. "I didn't know bandits used the Tall Forest for their hideout. They must be one exceptionally daring group, huh?"

  The blood drained from Fenric's face.

  "Wh-what? What are you talking about? They aren't in the... Tall... Forest..." His speech slowed as he caught the knowing look on Lovia's face—the way her eyes had gone sharp, her jaw set.

  She knew.

  "...Shit."

  Lovia's hand shot out faster than a striking snake. She grabbed Fenric's dog ear and twisted—hard.

  "Ah! AHHH!" Fenric yelped, body contorting awkwardly as he tried to escape the grip without tearing his own ear off.

  "You dare lie to me?" Lovia's voice rose, trembling with anger and something else—fear, maybe. Worry. "You brought a novice—a D-rank—to the Tall Forest? The Tall Forest? Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what's in there? Do you know how many adventurers we've lost to that place?"

  She released Fenric's ear long enough to round on Kuro, jabbing a finger toward him.

  "And you—" Her voice cracked slightly. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you always trying to have a conversation with death? Don't you understand that people—that I—" She stopped herself, face flushing.

  She looked straight into Kuro's eyes.

  For a moment, their gazes locked. His dark, unreadable. Hers bright with unshed tears and frustration.

  Her face turned crimson. She jerked her gaze back to Fenric, voice rising an octave. "Speak, fool! Cat got your tongue?"

  "Of course I'll speak—ah!—but before that—ahh!—can you please release my ear? It might—AHHHH—come off!"

  Lovia released him with a shove. "Answer. Now."

  Fenric rubbed his sore, reddened ear, tail tucked between his legs. "Yes! But you should know—I brought Kuro to the Tall Forest for you."

  "For me?" Lovia's voice went quiet. "What do you mean?"

  "Because he's weak." Fenric spoke quickly, words tumbling over each other. "And you worry about him. All the time. I see it, Lovia. Every time he takes a quest, you watch him leave like he might not come back. You check the quest board three times to make sure it's not too dangerous."

  Lovia's face flushed deeper.

  "So I brought him to the forest to train him properly. With real threats, not just goblins and wolves. I taught him techniques to defend himself—how to read an opponent, how to move, how to survive. I wanted to make him stronger. Strong enough that you wouldn't have to worry anymore."

  Lovia's stern expression wavered. Her hands trembled slightly. "Fenric..."

  "And," Fenric continued, voice softening, "you know he lost his memory in the Tall Forest. I thought... maybe being there would help. Maybe something would come back." He glanced at Kuro, who was now actively glaring. "And you know what? It worked. He remembered something. Ask him yourself."

  Lovia turned slowly toward Kuro, hands clasped together nervously. "Cutie?"

  "Hm?"

  "First—" She took a breath. "First, are you okay? Really okay? You look..." Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "You look like you went through hell. That blood—please tell me it's not yours."

  Ofcourse not.

  She studied his face for a long moment, searching for any sign he was lying. Finally, she exhaled shakily. "Then... did you really remember something? Can you tell me what it is?"

  Kuro looked puzzled for just a moment—clearly caught off-guard by Fenric's improvised memory-recovery story. His jaw tightened briefly, then relaxed.

  "...Yeah." He spoke slowly, carefully. "I remembered... I'm from the second city. Euneim. I was part of a guild there. My rank was..." He hesitated. "B or A. That part's not clear. But I know I was higher than D."

  "Wait." Lovia's hands flew to her mouth. "Really? You're serious? You came from Euneim?" Wonder filled her voice. "That's... that's incredible! You remembered where you're from!"

  Then her expression shifted, becoming thoughtful. "But being B or A rank..." She frowned slightly. "I don't know about that. Maybe your memory's still a bit fuzzy?"

  "Why?" Kuro's eyes narrowed.

  "Because if you were A or B rank, Ella would probably recognize you. She's from Euneim too—part of the Dragonbloods. Master Rhanes has connections there as well. If you'd been that high-ranked, someone would know you." She smiled gently, reaching out as if to touch his arm, then thinking better of it. "But that's okay. At least you know where you came from. That's huge, Kuro. That's... that's really good."

  Kuro's jaw worked silently for a moment. "...Yeah. Can we talk more about this later? I'm exhausted."

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  "Oh!" Lovia's face fell. "Of course! I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. You should rest. Go, please. We can talk tomorrow." Her smile returned, bright and genuine. "Sleep well, okay? Both of you. And Fenric—" Her voice hardened. "We'll discuss your training methods later."

  Fenric gulped. "Yes, ma'am."

  She waved as Fenric restarted Beretta and they drove off down the lamplit street.

  But as they disappeared around the corner, her smile faded. Her brow furrowed.

  Then what were those tremors I felt earlier today? The ones that shook the whole town? Master Rhanes went to investigate.

  She looked toward the southern road—toward the Tall Forest barely visible in the distance.

  I hope everything's alright. Please let everything be alright.

  Kuro went straight to the couch and collapsed, not even bothering to remove his boots.

  Within seconds, his breathing evened out. Asleep.

  Fenric watched him from the doorway, arms crossed, tail swaying slowly.

  Even though his wounds healed, the pain must still linger. I saw him wince when Lovia wasn't looking. The fact he can move at all...

  He approached quietly and draped a blanket over Kuro's still form.

  "Sweet dreams, partner," Fenric whispered. "And... I'm sorry. Next time—" His voice caught. "Next time I'll be there. Really there. Not just dropping you off and waiting like a coward. I promise."

  He turned away before his eyes could water again.

  Dawn broke.

  The first rays of sunlight crept over Bear Path's walls, painting the cobblestones gold.

  A lone figure appeared on the southern road.

  Limping. Dragging something massive behind them.

  The early-rising merchants noticed first.

  "What in the—"

  "Is that—?"

  "Get Master Rhanes. Now."

  Word spread like wildfire. Within minutes, a crowd had gathered at the gates—guild members, guards, merchants, curious townsfolk.

  They parted as the figure approached.

  Ella Silverwing emerged from the morning mist, rope slung over her shoulder, dragging Morvane's severed head behind her.

  The head was enormous—easily the size of a wagon. Its single remaining eye stared sightless at the sky, the ocean-blue iris dull and lifeless. The beak hung open, revealing rows of serrated teeth.

  Silence fell over the crowd.

  Someone whispered: "That's... that's Morvane."

  The name spread like ripples in a pond.

  Morvane. The Night King. The apex predator, the high beast of the Tall Forest.

  Dead.

  A child started crying. His mother pulled him close, staring at the beast that had haunted their nightmares for years—now reduced to a trophy being dragged through the dirt.

  "Everyone! Everyone!" A town guard finally found his voice and sprinted toward the guild. "Ella—Ella of the Dragonbloods—Ella Silverwing has returned!" He burst through the guild doors. "You won't believe what she's brought!"

  Inside, the few guild members who'd stayed overnight—too drunk to make it home—stirred from their sleeping positions.

  "What is it?" one mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

  "Just... come see."

  Thud.

  Ella dropped the rope. The massive head settled in front of the guild entrance, jaw crunching against cobblestones.

  Her legs gave out. She crashed to the ground, leaning against the beast's gore-streaked hide, breathing in ragged gasps. Her face was pale beneath the dirt and sweat.

  "Beer," she whispered hoarsely.

  The crowd stared, speechless.

  "What did she say?" someone asked.

  Ella lifted her head, eyes blazing. "I said BRING ME BEER!"

  Lovia came with the largest jar they had, filled to the brim with dark beer, and placed it in front of Ella.

  Ella snatched it and drank—gulping desperately, liquid spilling down her chin. She drained the entire jar in one go and slammed it down.

  "Must've been one hell of a fight," Lovia said softly, crouching beside her. And Morvane is the source of the tremors, huh?

  "You have no idea." Ella's voice was rough, raw.

  "Ella, you're injured badly. You need treatment. Let me—"

  "Beer is my treatment." Ella's lips quirked into a ghost of a smile. "But... yeah. Probably should see the physician. Help me up?"

  Lovia pulled Ella to her feet, slinging the taller woman's arm over her shoulders.

  "Gobmer!" Lovia called to the guild's weapon seller, who stood gaping at the head. "Snap out of it! Get this to the inventory. Carefully. And get Master Rhanes. Tell him... tell him we have a situation."

  As they limped toward the physician's office, Ella glanced back at the crowd gathering around Morvane's head.

  They were cheering now. Celebrating. Chanting her name.

  "Ella! Ella! Ella!"

  She looked away, jaw tight.

  If they only knew...

  Afternoon.

  Kuro stood shirtless before the mirror in Fenric's room, studying the changes.

  His body had become more defined—muscles carved from recent battles. Bandages wrapped his torso in several places, covering wounds that had closed but not yet faded.

  The curse mark dominated his right shoulder.

  It had grown.

  The blueish-grey veins had spread—not upward toward his neck as before, but outward, spiraling across his chest in intricate, root-like patterns. They pulsed faintly with inner light, like a heartbeat visible through skin.

  "That mark on your shoulder," Fenric spoke from the doorway, making Kuro turn. "That's the reason you heal so fast, isn't it?"

  "...Probably."

  "Okay, so..." Fenric leaned against the doorframe. "Will you tell me how you got it?" He gestured toward the curse mark.

  "I'll tell you when I understand it myself."

  "Fair enough." Fenric sighed. "So that's why you're so set on getting to Euneim, huh? You think you'll find answers there?"

  "I know I will." Kuro's voice was certain.

  "Too bad your ticket there just got a lot harder to get." Fenric's ears drooped. "With Morvane's head going to Ella..."

  Kuro turned away from the mirror, jaw tight. "Tch."

  "Hey," Fenric straightened. "We'll figure something out. But for now? Town's throwing another celebration. Bigger than the Crown Horn party." He grinned. "Wanna go?"

  Kuro pulled on a clean shirt—one of Fenric's that hung slightly loose on him. "Yeah. Let's go."

  Knock, knock.

  "Hm?" Fenric moved to the door. "Who could that be?"

  He opened it.

  Master Rhanes stood on the doorstep, imposing as always. Beside him, bandaged heavily but upright, stood Ella.

  "Boss!" Fenric's eyes widened. "And Ella! What brings you both here?"

  "That's how you greet your guests?" Rhanes raised an eyebrow.

  "Sorry, sorry! Come in, please."

  Rhanes and Ella settled onto the couch. The furniture creaked under Rhanes's weight—the man was built like a mountain.

  "Ella," Fenric said, genuine concern in his voice, "are you sure you should be walking around? You look like you should be in bed for a week."

  "I'm fine, Fenric." Ella's voice was steady despite the obvious pain. "But what about Kuro? Is he okay?"

  "Yeah, he's—" Fenric paused. "Wait. Why are you looking at me like that? You look... intense."

  "It's nothing." Ella's jaw was tight. "That's just my face right now."

  "No, it's not. What happened? Is this about—"

  "It's Windwaker," Rhanes interrupted gently. "Ella's vehicle was destroyed in the Tall Forest. Beasts got to it while she was fighting."

  "Oh." Fenric's ears flattened. "Oh, Ella. I'm... I'm so sorry. That's—"

  "It's fine." Ella's voice was clipped. She clearly didn't want to discuss it.

  Kuro entered from the back room, still adjusting his borrowed shirt. "Would've stayed in one piece if you hadn't driven into the most dangerous forest in the region."

  The room went silent.

  "Kuro," Fenric hissed urgently, "maybe not right now—"

  "He's right." Ella's voice was quiet. She stared at her bandaged hands. "It was reckless. I was reckless. I wanted to get there fast, prove something, and I..." She clenched her fists. "I paid for it."

  Rhanes watched the exchange with interest but said nothing.

  Kuro studied Ella for a moment, then gave a single nod.

  "Kuro," Rhanes said, voice carrying authority that cut through the tension. "Ella. I need both of you to report. Everything that happened in the Tall Forest. Leave nothing out."

  Kuro glanced at Ella. She glanced back.

  "...Of course, Senior," Kuro said.

  "Yes, Master Rhanes," Ella added.

  For the next several minutes, they recounted the battle.

  She spoke first, describing her late visit and Morvan's smartness.

  Kuro filled in his perspective—the camouflage technique, Ella's arrival. His gun shots. The final coordinated strike.

  They both carefully omitted certain details.

  Rhanes listened in silence, face unreadable. When they finished, he leaned back, exhaling slowly.

  "Hmm." He steepled his fingers. "Good. You both did something impossible and survived. That speaks to your skill and your willingness to work together." His voice hardened. "But you also did something deeply unethical."

  Ella's head dropped. "I'm sorry, Master."

  "What do you mean?" Kuro asked, genuinely confused.

  "Dude," Fenric whispered, "just listen."

  "Disturbing the balance of the Tall Forest." Rhanes's voice was grave. "Both kings are dead—Ravmor and now Morvane. That forest is home to hundreds of high beasts, all kept in check by the territorial boundaries the kings enforced. Without them?" He shook his head. "Chaos. Complete chaos. Nearby villages will face increased attacks. Stray beasts will raid towns, ambush travelers. The ecosystem will collapse until new kings emerge—and that could take years."

  Ella bowed her head lower. "I'm deeply sorry. I didn't think—"

  "Ravmor's death might stabilize naturally," Rhanes continued. "That region has a dense beast population. A new king will rise within months. But Morvane?" His eyes were hard. "Morvane was one of the rarest high beasts in existence. There may not be another creature in that forest capable of filling that void. The Sunless Depth will become a war zone."

  Fenric nudged Kuro hard and made exaggerated apologetic gestures.

  Kuro sighed. He bowed his head slightly, just enough to show acknowledgment.

  "What's done is done." Rhanes's expression softened marginally. "You can't undo the kill. But understand—actions have consequences. Even heroic ones. Remember that. "That said, Kuro—you continue to prove you're far from ordinary. Fighting Morvane and surviving, even with Ella's help? That's no small feat. I have high expectations for your future."

  He paused. "May I borrow Mosvmora for the evening? I'd like to inspect it for damage. The beast swallowed it, after all."

  "Of course, Senior." Kuro retrieved his sword—sheath and all—and handed it over.

  Rhanes took it and immediately jerked slightly, surprised. His eyes narrowed.

  The weight... it's changed. Heavier. Denser.

  He looked at the blade with new interest. "Interesting. I'll return this tomorrow morning."

  "Sure, Senior."

  Rhanes left, the door closing behind him with a solid thud.

  Ella stood as well. "I should go too. Thanks for—"

  "Stop."

  She stopped, looking back at Kuro.

  "I want to ask you something."

  Ella stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Fenric.

  Fenric caught the look and blinked rapidly—oh, private conversation—then quickly stepped outside. "I'll just... check on Beretta. Make sure the engine's okay. Yep. That's what I'm doing."

  The door closed.

  Silence filled the room.

  "I don't have much time," Ella said finally. "Make it quick."

  "Won't take long." Kuro's voice was flat, analytical. "How did you use wind magic without your weapon?"

  Ella blinked. "...What? That's what you want to ask? I thought—" She shook her head. "It's the magic crystals. Obviously. What else would it be?"

  "I don't think you understood my question," Kuro's eyes locked onto hers. "I asked how you used the magic crystals without your weapon. Magic crystals only function when channeled through a weapon. That's how the system works, If I'm not wrong."

  Ella's expression went completely still.

  Her hand, resting casually at her side, clenched into a fist.

  Silence stretched between them like a drawn blade.