A week had passed since the last meeting. Within the cult, a palpable tension still lingered; glances were more cautious, conversations shorter and quieter. Yet from the outside, there seemed to be no great crisis on the verge of exploding. Everyone appeared to have accepted the silence before the storm.
After the echo of footsteps in the cold corridors of the cult’s residence, there was a knock on the door to Kurumi’s room.
When she opened it, Katori stood there. Her hair, tied on both sides, swayed lightly as she walked. Without saying a word, Katori entered the room, and the moment she noticed Amy sitting on the floor, she bent down and hugged her tightly.
Amy flailed in surprise.
“K-Katori sis… I can’t breathe!”
Kurumi was surprised to see Katori in such high spirits. It wasn’t often that she saw her this cheerful.
“Hey,” she said, “did something happen? You seem really happy.”
Katori straightened up with a grin that said of course.
“Hehe… there’s a festival tonight.”
Kurumi smiled. In such a small region, after so much oppression and constant fleeing, the fact that people could still keep their traditions alive warmed her heart. Still, she could tell that Katori’s excitement didn’t end there.
Amy jumped to her feet.
“Katori sis, are you this happy just because there’s a festival?”
Katori shook her head.
“My father, my mother, and I… we’re going together. To the festival.”
She paused for a moment, then added excitedly,
“Can you believe it? It’s going to be amazing. You should come too—we can spend time together.”
Kurumi flinched. Someone like Rex, attending a festival—especially at a time when the cult was in such turmoil… The thought caught her off guard.
Just then, Amy jumped with excitement.
“That sounds so fun! Yay! I’m going to Ai-mom so she can do my hair for tonight!”
She ran out of the room.
Kurumi smiled as she looked at the door.
“All right,” she said. “I’ll call Hu too. Let’s meet this evening.”
Katori nodded in agreement and left the room.
Kurumi lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
“I hope… it will be a nice day,” she whispered.
When the time for the festival arrived, the area was filled with colorful lights.
Ai and Rex were holding Katori’s hands, walking through the crowd like a truly happy family. But the strangest thing was this: Rex was without his mask. His gray hair fell over his purple eyes, and his face looked more… human than ever.
Hu stopped in amazement.
“Wow… this is the first time I’ve ever seen Master Rex without his mask.”
Kurumi looked at Hu. His reaction wasn’t strange; she had been here for almost three months and had never seen Rex without his mask either.
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Amy ran up and hugged Rex’s leg.
“Uncle Rex is so cool!”
She looked up at him with admiration. Rex hesitated for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and gently patted Amy’s head.
While Ai and Rex walked side by side, Kurumi, Hu, Amy, and Katori headed toward the area where the festival games were.
Katori pointed upward.
“Look… it’s so beautiful.”
Kurumi lifted her head. Magically illuminated lanterns decorated the sky. The lights pierced through the darkness, making the night seem almost innocent.
As Kurumi watched the scene in awe, Sae came to her mind. She wished he were here too. At the very least… she wished he were with them.
Just as she was lost in these thoughts, Hu nudged her as usual.
“Hey! How about playing some of those games? They’ve got witch, demon, and angel masks.”
Kurumi hesitated for a moment. Maybe he was right. She should stop thinking about the cult, about Sae, about the darkness drawing closer. At least for now, she should enjoy the moment.
She winked at Hu.
“All right. Let’s have some fun, then.”
Amy spread her arms and jumped.
“Yayyy!”
While they were busy with the games, Ai and Rex had moved a little away from the crowd. As they walked toward the trees, Ai held Rex’s hand more tightly.
“Are you going to talk to Katori now?” she asked in a gentle but serious voice.
“She needs to know. She’s not a child like before. She’ll understand better now.”
Rex paused and looked up at the sky. The lanterns shimmered through the gaps between the branches.
“Katori is only eleven years old,” he said. “I want to wait until she matures a little more.”
Ai touched Rex’s face.
“She’ll learn one day,” she said. “I just hope you won’t be too late to tell her.”
Rex smiled…
But at that very moment, he heard rustling coming from the bushes.
He turned around.
Rya was standing there, a sword in his hand. His gaze was sharp, filled with anger.
Rex gestured for Ai to step back, then turned to Rya.
“What is it, Rya?” he asked in a cold voice.
“Are you dissatisfied with the decision?”
Rya clenched his fists.
“The punishment you gave was not just.”
Rex took a fighting stance.
“Your war with the Osaki gang could have endangered the cult,” he said.
“The rules are simple. Acting independently of the cult is a serious disciplinary offense—especially for squad leaders.”
At that moment, the rustling in the bushes intensified.
And suddenly—
Magic orbs shot out from the thicket.
Rex tried to form a shield with shadow magic, but he didn’t have enough time.
The explosion tore through the night.
At the same time, back at the festival grounds, Kurumi and the others had just finished a game.
Kurumi picked up the masks.
“So,” she said, “which ones do you want?”
Hu examined the masks one by one.
“Hm… Kurumi, you get the angel. Sae gets the devil… Katori… what should I give her? And there’s Amy too…”
Kurumi thought about Hu’s words. Calling her an angel and Sae a devil sent an unsettling shiver through her.
Just then, rapid footsteps approached from behind.
They turned to see Shinya running toward them. His face was pale as a sheet.
“Breathe… breathe…”
“Where is Master Rex?!”
Hu frowned.
“He went somewhere with Ai-san to enjoy a better view. What happened?”
Shinya lifted his head, his voice trembling.
“Rya… he’s made a deal with several Dravok gang units. They’re going to kill Rex! We have to find him immediately!”
Without listening to anyone, Katori started running.
Kurumi, Hu, and Amy rushed after her.
Hu shouted,
“They must have gone into the forested area!”
Katori felt like her heart was about to tear out of her chest. She could feel her hands shaking. Minutes later, when they reached the forest…
The sight before them left everyone frozen.
Two hundred bodies lay on the ground.
Rex’s body was covered in wounds. His clothes were soaked in blood. And yet… he was still standing.
Rex turned his gaze toward Kurumi and the others.
In a tired, broken voice, he whispered:
“This… is as far as I go.”
Kurumi turned toward Rya in fury.
And before them still stood nearly three hundred enemies.
The darkness… was not over yet.
Which character is stronger?”
