The storm outside Noctharis Castle had not calmed at all.
Thunder rolled above the towers, and every flash of lightning turned the Devil Horns' chamber white for a heartbeat before the blue firelight swallowed the room again.
The crew gathered around the table, faces tense.
Mil crossed his arms.
"So the plan is to create a scene and get one of us thrown into prison?"
Ikiro immediately shook his head.
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
"I think I have a better plan."
The room went silent.
Ton whispered dramatically, "That sentence has never ended well."
Ikiro ignored him and stepped into the center of the room like a professor about to change history.
"Plan Two is very simple."
The crew leaned in.
"We use dark magic to transform one of us into another person, create a disturbance, get arrested, enter the prison, and then I track the location and rescue Junyu."
Silence.
Long silence.
Katsa blinked once.
Michael blinked twice.
Mil stared at Ikiro as if he had lost his mind.
Ton slowly raised a hand.
"Question."
Ikiro nodded confidently.
"Do we know dark magic?"
Ikiro smiled.
"…No."
The entire room exploded.
"WHAT?!"
"That's not a plan!"
"That's a wish!"
Ton pointed accusingly.
"You skipped the most important part!"
Ikiro coughed awkwardly.
"Well, that's the part we figure out because time is running out."
Mil rubbed his forehead.
"I'm starting to understand why Junyu makes all the speeches."
Salim suddenly froze.
The beach.
The girls.
The note.
His eyes widened.
What if there's actually a party happening on the beach?
What if those girls know someone who uses dark magic?
His thoughts accelerated.
And because I'm obviously handsome, they'll definitely help me.
Salim slammed both hands onto the table.
"LET'S GO!"
Everyone jumped.
"I am a genius."
Katsa stared at him.
"That announcement alone makes me doubt the plan."
Salim pointed proudly at himself.
"I'll do it."
Everyone asked at once.
"HOW?!"
Salim straightened dramatically.
"I know where a party is happening."
Ton gasped.
"A party?"
Salim nodded.
"With girls."
Ton stood up so fast his bunk squeaked.
"YAY!"
Mil looked horrified.
"Seriously? Your captain is in prison and your first reaction is yay?"
Ton pointed at Salim.
"He said girls. My brain stopped working."
Salim grabbed Ton's arm.
"We'll be back in an hour. Come on. Time for a rescue mission disguised as a beach party."
Ton saluted.
"For Junyu!"
A pause.
"And maybe for girls."
Katsa sighed so deeply that even the storm seemed quieter.
THE ROOFTOPS
Salim and Ton slipped out of the chamber and climbed toward the upper roofs of the castle.
Rain mist drifted through the air.
Blue flames burned along the towers, making the wet stone shine like glass.
As they crossed a narrow bridge between two rooftops, Salim glanced at Ton.
"You know… ever since those experiments, you've been acting really strange."
Ton kept walking.
His voice dropped unnaturally deep.
"I act strange because if I act normal, I might kill all of you."
Salim stared at him.
Then he laughed.
"Good joke."
Ton did not laugh.
I wasn't joking.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
THE BEACH GATE
They finally reached the roof overlooking the beach entrance.
Lanterns flickered in the distance, and faint music carried through the rain.
But standing at the gate were several armed guards.
Salim crouched behind a chimney.
"I'll handle them."
Ton nodded.
"Be careful."
Salim grinned.
"Relax."
He stood, drew an arrow, and prepared to fire.
Then he noticed something.
The guards were not moving.
He lowered the bow slowly.
Blood spread across the wet stone.
One guard collapsed face-first into a puddle.
Another slid against the wall.
A third lay motionless beside the gate.
Salim's smile disappeared.
"What…?"
A wet sound came from above.
He looked up.
Ton was clinging to the ceiling upside down like a spider.
His fingers were dug into the stone.
His tongue flicked out like a lizard's.
His eyes glowed pure green.
A dark smile stretched across his face.
Rain dripped from his claws.
For a heartbeat, Salim forgot how to breathe.
Ton tilted his head.
"Safe."
Salim pointed at him with a shaking hand.
"DUDE… WHAT ARE YOU?!"