That morning felt too calm for everything that had just happened.
Thin mist moved slowly around the area near the forbidden forest. The sunlight had fully appeared, but it couldn't erase the strange feeling hanging in the air.
Rena and Claire still stood in silence.
Meanwhile, Tina, still lying on the ground, couldn't react at all to what had happened.
No one moved immediately.
No one truly had answers.
Because they had witnessed something that should have been impossible.
And what had just happened—even the two heroes currently had expressions that showed they didn't understand it.
Then Rena shifted her attention, looking around with both fists clenched outside her large robe pockets.
With calm and steady breathing,
Rena immediately gazed toward the half-monster males in the distance, following the hummingbird being carried by the fish half-monster male.
Her brows furrowed sharply, then she concluded, tucking her left hand into her large robe pocket.
They…
We can't leave the half-monster males any longer…
Then suddenly, Rena wore a shadowed face, biting her lip as if wanting to speak fully.
If not…!!!!
Her sentence hung in the air.
The words Rena spoke came out truly breathless.
Then Rena slowly looked at her large robe's right pocket… then regulated her breathing again, muttering.
My… secret admirer…
Suddenly, silence fell.
Rena fell silent.
Hero Claire also fell silent, but her eyes remained on Hero Tina, who was also confused.
Then suddenly, Hero Tina rose and finally stood up like Rena and Claire.
Seeing that, both Rena and Hero Claire reacted slightly—but their reaction wasn't sympathy, rather caution.
Then Hero Tina spoke calmly, not caring about the two of them, her left hand partially covering her mouth.
It seems…
Those half-monster males… aren't truly eating living creatures.
Hearing that, Hero Claire quickly interrupted, still in a cautious stance, her lips trembling.
Of course not!!
Didn't you also see that half-monster male carrying many ordinary monster bodies in his long beak!!!
Hearing that, Rena remained silent. Meanwhile, Hero Tina began cleaning the blood splatters on her body with just her hands.
Her magic staff floated beside her in an unstable condition—it seemed about to fall to the ground but still hovered. At least, that's what Rena and Hero Claire saw.
Then Rena thought to herself, her face shadowed again, muttering.
…the heroes' mana…
it's true indeed…
those half-monster males…
Then, coincidentally, both Rena and Hero Tina said the same thing—except Rena muttered while Hero Tina spoke loudly, her eyes now sharp after cleaning herself.
The half-monster males have become full monsters.
Those words came out simultaneously, making Rena, who had been speaking in her heart, startled. She now focused herself on Hero Tina, who continued speaking.
Then Tina said, briefly glancing back at the half-monster males following the hummingbird.
B-but!!!!
Their human consciousness…
Then silence fell again.
Rena, Hero Claire, and even Tina herself still seemed to be thinking about what they had just said.
Because fundamentally… these three humans were only guessing—based on how quickly all this had happened!!
Then quickly, Rena spoke, her eyes sparkling, both fists clenched tightly outside her large robe pockets, looking at Hero Tina.
If that's the case!!!
Then… Hero Anna!!
Hearing that, both heroes were startled. But they showed different expressions—at least, that's what happened with Hero Claire's expression, which looked happy… but then suddenly turned shadowed when she saw Tina's expression, which had been shadowed from the start upon hearing those words.
Then Rena continued, her jaw now tensing as she stared sharply at Hero Tina.
Can she be saved?!!!
Hearing that, Hero Tina didn't answer. Instead, she did something.
Tina stared at the magic book still floating beside her. Its pages kept moving on their own, as if still trying to read something.
Then Hero Tina, her voice soft, her brows arched, now covering her mouth with her right hand, said.
Rena… you deserve…
to get the answer…
When those words appeared, silence fell again. Rena, hearing from close by, and Hero Claire, who could only look upward…
And now, the three of them would face something different—not about battle, but about what each of them would believe, with different visions, even while standing in the same place.