The battlefield fell silent.
Saito slowly dropped to one knee.
His sword slipped from his hand and rested on the cracked ground.
He stared at it.
"...I failed."
Footsteps approached.
Tap...
Tap...
Alpha stopped beside the Blue Scarf crew.
He looked in the direction Void had disappeared.
"Your friend..."
"...made the right choice."
"He protected all of you."
"You should consider yourselves fortunate."
Bomb clenched his fists.
"...Even so..."
"He's with them now."
Alya lowered her gaze.
"What will happen to him?"
Rin looked at Saito.
"Saito."
"We have to get him back."
Saito remained silent.
His eyes never left the sword lying on the ground.
After a long pause, Alpha spoke again.
"Well..."
"If this is your situation..."
"...then you haven't truly lost the battle."
Saito slowly looked up.
"...How?"
Alpha smiled faintly.
"I'm watching them."
Saito frowned.
"If you're trying to make a joke..."
"...this isn't the place, old man."
Alpha calmly shook his head.
"I'm not."
"We can return to the royal mansion."
"And..."
"I'll tell you where they are..."
"...if you truly intend to rescue your friend."
Bomb looked at him in confusion.
"But..."
"You're standing here."
"How would you know where they are?"
Before Alpha could answer—
Alya looked down at her device.
"...Wait."
Fanny leaned over.
"What is it?"
Alya watched the readings flicker.
"His aura..."
"It keeps appearing..."
"...then disappearing."
"...Then appearing again."
"It's like..."
"...he's in two places at once."
Rin blinked.
"How can anyone do that?"
Alpha rested both hands on his cane.
"You've all seen my clones."
He smiled.
"They aren't clones."
"They're all..."
"...the real me."
The crew fell silent.
Saito stared at Alpha.
"So..."
"You're just..."
"...that fast?"
Alpha nodded.
"...Yes."
He turned toward the road leading back to Roma Village.
"Now..."
"Let's head back."
Saito picked up his sword and looked once more toward the direction Kaito had been taken.
Then, without another word, the Blue Scarf crew followed Alpha, determined that this time, they would not leave their captain's friend behind.
Inside the moving carriage...
Silence filled the cabin.
Kaito sat by the window.
His hands rested on his knees as he stared quietly at his reflection in the glass.
The scenery outside rolled past.
He didn't say a word.
Across from him, Void calmly poured himself another cup of tea.
The aroma filled the carriage.
He took a small sip before placing another cup on the table.
"This tea..."
"...was delivered by the Ninth Noctarion."
He gently pushed the cup toward Kaito.
"She wanted you to have it."
Kaito didn't even look at it.
"I don't want it."
Void remained expressionless.
"Are you sure?"
"Hers..."
"...is the best tea among the Noctarions."
Kaito's eyes stayed fixed on the window.
"..."
No reply came.
Void simply picked the untouched cup back up.
"...Very well."
He drank it himself.
The carriage fell silent once more.
Only the soft rattling of the wheels echoed through the night as the former Eighth Noctarion sat opposite the Fourth, neither willing to break the uneasy silence.
Back at the Royal Mansion...
The atmosphere was heavy.
No one spoke for several moments.
Marquis looked at Saito.
"So..."
"Your friend was taken by Void."
Saito lowered his head slightly.
"...Yeah."
"But..."
He looked toward Alpha.
"Now we've got your help."
"So..."
"What do we need to do?"
Alpha calmly leaned on his cane.
He looked directly at Saito.
"Not..."
"...we."
"You."
Saito frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Alpha's expression remained calm.
"Even if you wish to bring him back..."
"...what will you do?"
The room fell silent.
Alpha continued.
"There are still countless assassins under the Noctarions."
He slowly unfolded a map across the table.
"And..."
"They've even hired assassins from outside organizations."
His finger traced several locations around Roma.
"That surprised even me."
He looked at everyone in the room.
"This..."
"...has never happened before."
Marquis folded his arms.
"So the Noctarions are gathering every blade they can."
Alpha nodded once.
"Exactly."
"This is no longer a simple rescue mission."
"It's becoming..."
"...a war between organizations."
Saito stared at the map.
Then slowly clenched his fist.
"I don't care how many assassins they have."
"I made a promise."
"I'm bringing Kaito home."
Alpha watched him quietly.
A faint smile appeared on the old man's face.
"...Good."
"That was the answer I wanted to hear."
Alpha unfolded another section of the map.
He pointed to a small mark near the edge of the Roma region.
"Then..."
"How about you start here."
"I've received information..."
"...that several assassins have been seen in this area."
"They may not know where Void is..."
"But they might know something."
Saito studied the map for a moment before nodding.
"...Alright."
He turned toward his crew.
"Let's go, guys."
Bomb was the first to stand.
"I'm ready."
Rin spun his scythe onto his shoulder.
"Time to hunt."
Alya checked her device.
"I'll keep tracking any unusual aura."
Fanny tightened the straps on her gloves.
"We'll bring Kaito back."
Without another word, the Blue Scarf crew left the room together.
The doors slowly closed behind them.
Silence returned.
Marquis looked toward Alpha.
"...And what should we do?"
Alpha folded the map.
"You should continue preparing for the Roma Spotlight."
Marquis frowned.
"Even now?"
Alpha nodded.
"I've already hired several members from the Balance Table..."
"...to guard the event."
"I only hope..."
"...it will be enough."
Marquis walked toward the window overlooking Roma Village.
He watched workers continuing their preparations despite everything that had happened.
"...To be honest..."
"I care more about those children..."
"...than the festival."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"It's strange..."
"They've managed to make us worry about them..."
"...more than our own celebration."
Alpha smiled faintly.
"...Me too."
For the first time that day, the old man allowed himself a genuine smile, silently hoping the young gangsters would return safely from the dangerous path that lay ahead.
The Blue Scarf crew left Roma Village and continued along the forest road.
The evening breeze brushed through the trees.
No one spoke for several minutes.
Only the sound of their footsteps echoed along the path.
Alya glanced down at the tracking device in her hand.
"The place we're heading..."
"...is Morax Village."
Saito nodded.
"How far?"
"About three kilometers."
"We should be there before night."
Saito looked ahead.
"Good."
For a while, silence returned.
Rin eventually broke it.
"...You okay, Captain?"
Saito didn't answer immediately.
After a few seconds, he gave a small nod.
"...I am."
Bomb walked beside him and lightly bumped his shoulder.
"Hey."
"We'll get him back."
Saito looked at Bomb.
Then at Rin.
Alya.
Fanny.
A determined smile slowly returned to his face.
"...Yeah."
"We will."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"Enough with the chit-chat."
His eyes sharpened as Morax Village drew closer.
"...Let's get him back."
The crew nodded together.
"...Right!"
With renewed determination, the Blue Scarf gang quickened their pace, leaving the fading lights of Roma behind as they marched toward the next stage of their rescue mission.
After about an hour of walking...
As the sun began to sink below the horizon...
The Blue Scarf crew arrived at Morax Village.
Unlike Moa Village—
This place was alive.
Villagers filled the streets.
Merchants called out to passing customers.
Food stalls lined both sides of the road, filling the air with the smell of grilled meat, roasted vegetables, and fresh bread.
Children laughed as they ran through the marketplace.
It almost felt peaceful.
Saito looked around.
"...This is more like it."
Then his eyes stopped on something in the center of the village.
A towering stone statue.
A man with long flowing hair.
A calm expression.
Mist carved from stone curled around his body like drifting smoke.
Saito tilted his head.
"...Wait."
"I thought there wasn't a Primordeus here."
Alya looked up from her device.
"Normally, no."
"But Morax Village is the closest village to Jokun City's border."
"It's near Yein Village."
Saito nodded in understanding.
"So..."
"They adopted Jokun's culture."
Fanny smiled.
"Yep."
"This is the only village in Roma City that worships Felin."
Bomb scratched his chin.
"...Should we try?"
Saito looked at the statue.
Then nodded.
"...Why not."
The others agreed.
Together, they walked toward a small prayer chamber built beside the statue.
The room was quiet.
Incense drifted through the air.
Candles flickered softly beneath the stone image of Felin.
Without saying a word, the Blue Scarf crew sat down side by side, each quietly offering a moment of respect before continuing the difficult journey that awaited them.