In the aftermath of the battle at the bridge, Clevatess stood over Alicia, his gaze fixed on her flashy, oversized gear. "This is confiscated," he said coldly.
"What? Why?!" Alicia snapped, reaching for her armaments.
Before she could touch them, Clevatess's shadow began to ripple and churn like black ink on the ground. He tossed the belongings toward the darkness, and the shadow swallowed them whole, storing them away in a void no human could reach. "It stands out too much," he added, his voice flat. "I'll let you use them when they are actually necessary. For now, you look like a target."
As Alicia grumbled about her missing belongings, Nelluru approached, carrying a massive load of supplies and the **young Prince**, Luna. To Alicia's shock, Nelluru was moving with a fluid, effortless grace. The woman who had been broken and dying just hours ago was now vibrant, her body reconstructed by Clevatess's dark magic.
"Clen, I have gathered everything," Nelluru said. "I even found clothes for the Prince."
Alicia stared at the heavy bags. "Nelluru... isn't that load too heavy for you?"
"It's strange," Nelluru replied, a look of wonder on her face. "My body feels incredibly light. I want to be as useful as possible to you, Hero."
Alicia sighed, realizing she was the only one without a weapon. "If I'm going to protect a Prince, I need a sword. I lost mine in the river."
Following Nelluru's lead, Alicia entered the ruins of the bandit leader's office. She found a fine, well-balanced blade in the desk and sheathed it. "This will do," she whispered.
BOOM!
The stone wall disintegrated. Kaelen burst into the building with his Eagle Power, a soaring, violent force that sent him crashing through the masonry. The impact was so massive that Clen was blasted backward, his small boy-form hitting the floor and sliding.
Clen sat up, his expression one of pure, cold annoyance. "This light body... it really is a nuisance,"he muttered, brushing dust from his shoulders. "It's so light that it's problematic—it blows away far too easily."
Kaelen didn't wait. Using his avian speed, he launched a barrage of heavy, rhythmic strikes that forced Alicia out of the room and into the dirt outside.
Alicia felt the Demon Blood in her veins catch fire. As Kaelen surged forward again, Alicia countered with her **Water Technique**, her movements becoming fluid and impossible to track. In a flash of silver, she bypassed his guard. Her blade whistled through the air, stopping only an inch from Kaelen's throat—a killing blow ready to claim the life of the High-Ranked Soldier of **Drelle**.
**SMACK!**
Before the steel could bite, a small hand struck Alicia's forehead, shattering her focus. The suffocating "killing heat" vanished instantly, replaced by a silver, freezing chill. Alicia collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.
"Wait... **Clen**, what are you doing?" Alicia stammered, still dazed.
Clevatess looked down at her, his wine-red eyes cold. "You were erasing everything but your killing intent," he rumbled. "That is the nature of that technique. If I hadn't stepped in, there would be nothing left of you but a weapon."
Alicia looked at her hands, the weight of the blood still pulsing. "It's... it's just the way the technique works," she muttered.
Clevatess ignored her and turned his gaze toward the frozen Kaelen. **"Run, warrior,"** Clevatess said, his voice flat but echoing with power. "Tell them that Clevatess, the Demon King of the Moon, has returned."
Kaelen didn't wait. Sensing the overwhelming pressure, he retreated into the ruins.
**Nelluru** stepped forward, clutching the Prince tightly. She looked at Clevatess with a strange look of realization. "**Clen**... you are surprisingly kind in your own way, aren't you?"
"I am merely efficient," Clevatess replied, turning his back on them. "The moon is rising. We have spent enough time in this place. We leave."