When everyone was still waiting for Saito's answer—
The door suddenly swung open.
The guards outside immediately reacted.
"Hey! I already said you can't enter—!"
The man didn't even look at them.
"Shut up."
He walked straight in.
The entire room instantly tensed.
Saito's eyes sharpened the moment he saw him.
Takashi's expression darkened.
Takeru's ears lifted slightly, alert.
Even Kaito's gaze narrowed.
The man stopped at the center of the room.
Smiling casually.
"…Long time no see, boy."
Silence.
Saito slowly stood up.
His hand moved to his sword.
"…Kuro."
His voice was low.
Cold.
"…Are you here to make trouble again?"
Kuro raised both hands slightly, as if harmless.
"No, no."
"I'm here just as a former ruler of this village."
Saito's grip tightened.
"…So you want revenge."
Kuro tilted his head slightly.
"I don't want to fight you again, boy."
He stepped forward slowly.
"But I heard you've been having trouble."
His eyes shifted across the room—maps, reports, injured lists.
"…So I intend to help."
Takashi immediately stepped forward.
"Help…?"
His tone sharpened.
"You and your gang tortured this village for a long time."
"And now you're here to help?"
Kuro sighed lightly, almost bored.
"Let's not talk about the past."
He spread his hands slightly.
"What matters is now, isn't it?"
Kuro's smile widened slightly as he looked around the room.
"…You had a problem with the Gold Gang, right?"
He tapped his finger lightly against the floor.
"Then let's make a deal."
The room went still.
Even Takeru's ears twitched slightly.
Kuro continued calmly.
"I help you deal with them…"
"…and in return, you give me a portion of your territory to rule."
A heavy silence dropped instantly.
Kaito slowly stood up.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
His voice was low.
Dangerous.
Saito raised one hand immediately without looking back.
"…Stop."
Kaito paused.
His eyes narrowed, but he stayed still.
Saito exhaled slowly, then looked directly at Kuro.
"…Fine."
Everyone turned toward him.
Takashi's eyes widened slightly.
"Saito—"
Saito lifted his hand again.
"…I trust him."
A beat of silence.
Then he added,
"…For now."
Takashi frowned.
"…But you don't know what he'll do with that power."
Saito's expression didn't change.
"…I know."
He glanced slightly toward Kuro.
"…But right now, we need help."
His gaze shifted briefly to the reports on the table.
The injured guards.
The attacked villages.
The growing threat of the Gold Gang.
"…Just like Fein said."
"We need all the help we can get."
The room stayed quiet.
Kuro leaned back slightly, letting out a quiet chuckle.
"…Heh."
A soft, almost amused laugh.
"…Good answer, boy."
Kuro stood calmly in the middle of the room, arms loosely crossed, as if the tension in the air didn't concern him at all.
"First thing…" he said, voice steady.
"Their location… I know where they are."
Saito's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Ok."
Kuro continued without hesitation.
"They're in the forest nearby Kor Village."
At that, Saito went silent for a moment. His gaze lowered slightly as he processed it.
"…It's near our territory," he muttered.
Then his expression changed.
More focused.
More decisive.
"Alright… I've made my decision."
The room fell completely silent.
Everyone turned toward him.
Saito lifted his head, eyes steady.
"Tonight… their gang will no longer exist in this world."
At Kor Village—
The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Shadows moved carefully along the outer wall as members of the Gold Gang advanced through the darkness.
Their footsteps were light.
Controlled.
Hooks latched onto the stone walls with soft clinks.
One by one, they began climbing.
Weapons ready.
Eyes cold.
A masked gangster reached the top first and slowly pulled himself over the edge.
His hand moved toward the knife at his waist—
FWOOOSH!
A fireball slammed directly into his chest.
BOOM!
The explosion threw him off the wall.
The other gangsters froze.
At the nearby tower—
Bypass Village invokers stood with flames swirling around their hands.
One of them shouted,
"Enemy spotted!"
More fire erupted into the night sky.
Fein stood below in full armor, his expression sharp.
"Attack!"
The gates burst open.
Kor Village soldiers charged forward in formation, shields raised as they rushed the stunned gangsters.
Steel clashed immediately.
The silent infiltration turned into open battle.
Fein gripped his sword tightly as he watched the fight begin.
"Don't let a single one escape!"
Meanwhile—
Deep in the forest—
Saito, Kaito, Takeru, and Kuro moved through the darkness beneath the trees.
The air felt damp.
Heavy.
Only the sound of leaves crunching beneath their feet broke the silence.
Kuro walked slightly ahead of them, hands in his pockets.
Then he slowed.
"…Just like I said."
He lifted a hand and pointed forward.
Saito narrowed his eyes.
Through the trees—
Rows of tents came into view.
Torches flickered around the campsite.
Gold Gang members moved between supply crates and wagons.
Some stood guard.
Others rested near campfires.
At the center—
A much larger tent stood surrounded by armed men.
Saito stared at the camp quietly.
"…So this is their base."
Saito tightened his grip on his sword and took a step forward—
But Kuro suddenly raised a hand, stopping him.
"…Let me handle this."
Saito glanced at him.
Kuro's expression stayed calm.
"There's a tent at the east side," he continued.
"That's where they're holding the slaves."
He tilted his head slightly toward the camp.
"You guys go there first."
A brief silence followed.
Then Saito nodded once.
"…Alright."
Kuro smiled faintly.
Without another word, he stepped out from the trees and began walking casually toward the camp.
The moment the nearby Gold Gang members noticed him—
They immediately reacted.
"Stop right there!"
Weapons were raised instantly.
Several gangsters surrounded him from every direction.
One of them pointed a blade toward Kuro's chest.
"Who the hell are you?"
Kuro didn't even flinch.
"…I want to meet with Goldy."
The guards stiffened slightly at the name.
Another gangster stepped closer.
"You're trespassing in Gold Gang territory."
Kuro gave a small shrug.
"Technically…"
He smiled slightly wider.
"…your gang is inside my city."
The tension rose immediately.
Several members tightened their grips on their weapons.
Then—
The large tent at the center opened.
Horun stepped out slowly, massive sword resting against his shoulder.
His eyes landed on Kuro.
A short silence followed.
Then Horun spoke.
"…Let him in."
The guards hesitated.
"But sir—"
"I said let him in."
The surrounding members slowly stepped aside.
Kuro walked forward calmly, hands still in his pockets.
No fear.
No hesitation.
He passed Horun without another word and headed straight toward the massive tent.
After Kuro entered the tent—
Saito immediately turned toward the eastern side of the camp.
"…Let's move."
Kaito and Takeru followed closely behind as the three slipped through the shadows between the tents.
The camp was noisy near the center, most of the gangsters distracted by Kuro's sudden arrival.
That made their movement easier.
Soon—
A larger tent came into view.
Two guards stood outside holding rifles.
Before they could react—
Kaito vanished.
A flicker.
THUD.
THUD.
The two guards collapsed instantly before even making a sound.
Takeru blinked once.
"…Still creepy."
Kaito ignored him and pushed the tent open.
Inside—
Rows of chained prisoners looked up in fear.
Men.
Women.
Even teenagers.
Their clothes were dirty and torn from travel and abuse.
The moment some of them saw Saito—
Their eyes widened.
"…Sir Saito?"
Saito immediately rushed forward and lowered his voice.
"Shh."
He raised a finger carefully.
"…Be quiet."
The prisoners quickly covered their mouths, trying not to make noise.
Saito crouched beside them.
"…We're getting you out."
Nearby—
Kaito walked through the rows calmly, slicing through chains one after another.
CLINK.
CLINK.
Iron restraints fell to the ground.
Takeru moved beside him, tearing apart thicker chains with his claws.
One of the prisoners trembled slightly.
"…A-are you really here to save us?"
Saito nodded once.
"…Yeah."
"Stay calm."
"We'll get everyone out safely."
Around them, chains continued falling as Kaito and Takeru worked quickly through the tent.