Chapter 85 — The Return
Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
Brook woke before sunrise.
For several seconds, he didn't remember where he was.
Then everything returned.
The forest.
Asmodaos.
Elias.
Draven.
Crowley.
The voice.
Brook sat up.
He looked at his hands.
Nothing.
No white glow.
No strange energy.
Just his hands.
He smiled faintly.
"Good."
A voice answered from inside his head.
Disappointed?
Brook looked around.
Lucifer.
Brook sighed.
"I knew you were going to say something."
Lucifer appeared in the white space of Brook's mind, leaning against nothing.
You looked like you expected fireworks.
"I was checking."
For what?
"Whether I'd lost control."
Michael appeared beside Lucifer.
You haven't.
Brook looked at him.
"Good."
Death stood farther away.
Silent.
Brook looked toward him.
"You see anything?"
Death slowly lifted his eyes.
Not yet.
Brook nodded.
He had learned not to push Death.
Lucifer looked toward Michael.
He's getting better.
Michael nodded.
Yes.
Brook looked between them.
"Are you two talking about me while I'm standing right here?"
Lucifer smiled.
Yes.
Brook shook his head.
"Unbelievable."
Downstairs, Xcution was already awake.
Crowley stood at the table.
Henry was reading a report.
Sera was checking supplies.
Kael was eating.
Brook walked in.
Kael looked at him.
"You sleep?"
"Enough."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the one you're getting."
Kael laughed.
Henry looked up.
"We have a problem."
Brook's smile disappeared.
"What now?"
Henry handed him the report.
Brook read it.
Three settlements.
All along the eastern road.
All attacked overnight.
No civilians killed.
No buildings destroyed.
No supplies stolen.
Brook looked at Crowley.
"They're doing it again."
Crowley nodded.
"Yes."
"Testing us."
"Exactly."
Kael stood.
"Then we hit them."
Crowley looked at him.
"No."
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
"Because we're going to do something smarter."
Crowley placed a map on the table.
"We're going to let them attack."
Everyone stared at him.
Brook frowned.
"Explain."
"We know they're trying to provoke us."
Crowley pointed to the eastern road.
"So we give them what they want."
Henry understood.
"You want them to think we're taking the bait."
Crowley nodded.
"Exactly."
Sera looked at the map.
"And then?"
"We follow them."
Brook smiled.
"Finally."
Crowley looked at him.
"Don't get excited."
"Too late."
By midday, Xcution moved toward the eastern settlement.
They deliberately traveled openly.
No attempt was made to hide.
No scouts were sent ahead.
They wanted to be seen.
Brook walked beside Henry.
"You think it'll work?"
Henry shrugged.
"If they're watching us?"
A pause.
"They're definitely watching us."
Brook looked toward the trees.
He felt it too.
Eyes.
Several.
He whispered:
"Michael."
Yes.
"How many?"
Michael looked around the white space.
Seven.
Brook's eyes narrowed.
"Seven?"
Lucifer appeared.
Eight.
Brook glanced at him.
"You always have to correct him?"
Yes.
Michael ignored him.
One is behind you.
Brook didn't turn.
He marked the ground.
Flash.
He disappeared.
The hidden figure barely had time to react before Brook appeared behind him.
Brook grabbed his collar.
"Got you."
The figure froze.
It was a teenager.
Not a Knight.
Not an Abomination.
Human.
Brook lowered his sword.
"Who are you?"
The boy trembled.
"I don't know."
Henry approached.
"Then why were you following us?"
"I was told to."
"By who?"
The boy looked terrified.
"I can't."
Brook sighed.
"That's getting old."
He crouched.
"Listen to me. Nobody here is going to hurt you."
The boy stared at him.
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
The boy swallowed.
"He said if I told you…"
He looked around.
"…they'd kill my family."
Brook's expression hardened.
"Who?"
The boy whispered:
"The man in the black coat."
Brook's heart tightened.
"Elias?"
The boy nodded.
Brook looked at Henry.
Henry's expression changed.
They brought the boy back to the settlement.
The others questioned him carefully.
His name was Tomas.
He lived in a nearby village.
He claimed a man had approached him three days earlier.
The man had been wearing a black coat.
He knew everything about Tomas's family.
He offered him money.
Then gave him one instruction.
Watch Xcution.
Brook sat across from him.
"What did he want to know?"
Tomas looked at him.
"Where you were going."
"Anything else?"
"The people you talked to."
Brook frowned.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Did he mention Elias?"
Tomas hesitated.
"Yes."
Brook leaned forward.
"What did he say?"
Tomas looked down.
"He said…"
He swallowed.
"…that Elias was going to save you."
Brook went silent.
Kael looked confused.
"Save him from what?"
Tomas shook his head.
"He didn't say."
Crowley stepped closer.
"Did the man give you anything?"
Tomas reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a small black coin.
Crowley immediately froze.
Brook noticed.
"You recognize it."
Crowley took the coin.
"Yes."
"What is it?"
Crowley turned it over.
A horned symbol was carved into one side.
On the other—
a crown.
Crowley's face changed.
Kael noticed.
"What?"
Crowley closed his hand around it.
"Nothing."
Brook stared at him.
"Don't."
Crowley looked at him.
Brook pointed at the coin.
"You know what that means."
Crowley remained silent.
Kael looked between them.
"What the hell is going on?"
Crowley finally spoke.
"It isn't a symbol of Asmodaos."
Brook frowned.
"Then whose is it?"
Crowley looked down at the coin.
"I don't know."
Brook didn't believe him.
But before he could press—
An explosion shook the settlement.
Everyone jumped.
Crowley immediately shouted:
"Positions!"
Black-armored soldiers flooded into the village.
This time there were fewer.
But they moved differently.
They weren't attacking civilians.
They were targeting Xcution.
Brook teleported.
Flash.
His sword struck one.
The Knight blocked.
Brook teleported again.
The Knight followed.
Brook smiled.
He changed direction.
Flash.
He appeared behind another.
Strike.
The Knight fell.
Michael's voice remained calm.
Don't overextend.
Brook nodded.
"I've got it."
Lucifer laughed.
He's finally listening to you.
Michael looked at him.
He has always listened.
Brook ducked beneath a blade.
"Can you two wait?"
Lucifer smiled.
No.
Brook laughed despite himself.
Then a Knight slammed into him.
He crashed through a wall.
Brook groaned.
"Okay."
He stood.
"Maybe a little less talking."
Henry and Kael fought side by side.
Sera protected the civilians.
Crowley moved through the enemy ranks.
But something was wrong.
The Knights were withdrawing.
Again.
Brook noticed.
"They're leaving!"
Henry looked over.
"What?"
"They're retreating!"
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
Brook looked around.
Then he realized.
"Because they got what they came for."
Crowley stopped.
"What?"
Brook pointed toward the center of the settlement.
Tomas.
The boy was gone.
Crowley's expression hardened.
"Find him."
Everyone scattered.
Brook searched the buildings.
Henry checked the road.
Kael ran toward the forest.
Sera searched the southern side.
Nothing.
Then Brook heard something.
A faint cry.
He followed it.
Behind a storage building, Tomas was sitting on the ground.
Elias stood in front of him.
Brook froze.
"Elias."
Elias turned.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Tomas looked between them.
Elias slowly stepped away from the boy.
Brook walked closer.
"You took him."
"I was protecting him."
"From us?"
"From them."
Brook frowned.
"Then why didn't you tell us?"
Elias looked at him.
"Because you wouldn't have believed me."
"Try me."
Elias looked down.
Then he said:
"They're coming."
Brook's expression hardened.
"Who?"
Elias looked toward the eastern road.
"The people behind the Knights."
Brook stepped closer.
"Draven?"
Elias's eyes shifted.
Brook noticed.
"Yes."
Elias didn't answer.
Brook's voice became sharper.
"You know where he is."
Elias nodded.
"Yes."
"Take us there."
Elias shook his head.
"No."
Brook stared.
"Why?"
"Because if you meet him now…"
Elias hesitated.
"…you'll never be able to go back."
Brook's anger grew.
"You don't get to decide that for me."
"I know."
"Then stop trying."
Elias looked at him.
"I'm trying to keep you alive."
Brook stepped closer.
"And you're doing a terrible job."
Elias almost smiled.
"Yeah."
Brook's expression softened slightly.
Then Elias said:
"I need you to trust me one more time."
Brook stared at him.
"After everything?"
Elias nodded.
"Yes."
Brook didn't answer.
Behind them, Crowley arrived.
He looked at Elias.
Then Tomas.
Then Brook.
Crowley's hand moved toward his weapon.
"Elias."
Elias looked at him.
Crowley spoke quietly.
"Come home."
Elias's eyes lowered.
"I can't."
"You can."
"No."
Crowley stepped forward.
"You don't understand what you're becoming."
Elias looked at him.
"Maybe I do."
Crowley stopped.
For a moment, something passed between them.
Recognition.
Fear.
History.
Then Elias looked at Brook.
"I'll see you soon."
Brook grabbed his arm.
"Wait."
Elias pulled away.
Brook stared.
"Elias."
Elias backed into the trees.
"Don't follow me."
Brook took a step.
Elias's voice became quiet.
"Please."
Brook stopped.
Elias disappeared into the forest.
That evening, Xcution returned to Shinokuni-01.
Nobody spoke much.
The encounter had left everyone unsettled.
Kael sat at the table.
"He could've killed us."
Henry nodded.
"He didn't."
Sera looked at Brook.
"Do you still trust him?"
Brook looked down.
"I don't know."
Crowley sat across from him.
"That's progress."
Brook looked up.
"What?"
"Not knowing."
Crowley leaned back.
"Blind trust gets people killed."
Brook nodded.
Kael looked toward the window.
"Then what do we do?"
Crowley answered:
"We wait."
Brook frowned.
"We don't wait."
Crowley looked at him.
"We follow the trail."
Brook nodded.
"Exactly."
Crowley smiled.
"Tomorrow."
Far beyond Shinokuni-01…
Elias stood alone.
The black coin rested in his hand.
The mysterious voice returned.
You allowed him to live.
Elias stared at the coin.
"He wasn't part of the plan."
Everything is part of the plan.
Elias's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
The voice laughed softly.
Soon.
Elias clenched his fist.
"You keep saying that."
Because you aren't ready.
Elias looked toward the distant lights of Shinokuni-01.
"Neither is Brook."
The voice became quiet.
Brook isn't the one who needs to be ready.
Elias froze.
"Then who?"
Silence.
The coin went cold.
Elias stared into the darkness.
For the first time, he wondered if the voice had been talking about him.
End of Chapter 85