Still within the walls of the Lupus Village's guest house, the lingering sounds of laughter finally died down.
Anthony wiped at his eyes as he leaned against the wall, his large frame supported by sheer mass alone.
"Damn," He chuckled, exhaling. "I don't think I've laughed that hard in ages."
He straightened slightly and gave Dom a friendly smile—one that did nothing to hide the boy's lingering embarrassment.
"I guess you just got your first recruit, Captain." He added.
Dae wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, residual laughter still slipping through his voice. "Is it… Really okay for us to have her in our division?" He asked.
"Of course," Anthony replied easily, smiling as Dom struggled—and failed—to pry Lucy off his body. "Even if the Council has influence, the final say on who joins the knights rests with the knights themselves. More specifically…" His eyes flicked toward Dom. "…a Captain."
Anthony turned and walked toward the door.
"The Monarchs were recruited by Ethan regardless of background or the Capital's consent. The knights still follow that principle."
He stopped by the doorway just as Zoe pushed herself out of the chair with a tired huff.
"The Academy's just a formal channel," Zoe added as she joined him. "It lets mages plead their case and get noticed. But if a Captain likes you enough, you can be recruited without ever setting foot inside it." She smirked at Anthony. "Like me."
Anthony's expression hardened as he gripped the door's handle. "But now that she's part of your squad…" He said without turning back, "…she's your responsibility."
Dae's smile finally faded into a frown as his eyes drifted toward Lucy, who giggled happily as Dom finally managed to free himself from her grip.
"Meaning we'll have to teach her proper human speech and conduct," Dae muttered.
Lucy tilted her head at him, brows knitting in confusion.
"And since she's part of the reason the Council lost its precious money bank," Anthony continued, turning back toward them, "… adding her to your squad puts another mark of revenge on your backs."
Dae pinched the bridge of his nose. "Perfect."
Anthony chuckled at the defeated tone before shifting his attention to Dom, who now stared down at his crossed legs, lost in thought.
Zoe raised a brow. "You look pretty grim. Are you that worried about courting Lucy?" She asked with a teasing grin. "Beast instincts or not, she's still pretty hot."
Dom glanced at Lucy, whose beautiful smile beamed at him unabashedly. He quickly looked away, ears burning, and shook his head.
"That's not it." He muttered as he tugged up his baggy pants, revealing the bandages wrapped tightly around his legs.
Anthony narrowed his eyes, sensing the emotion behind that gesture. "Don't beat yourself up, Dom." He said. "Xavier might be a loud-mouthed prick, but he's still one of the strongest mages alive."
"I know," Dom replied, fingers clenching the fabric of his pants. "Trust me… I know that… it's just…"
Zoe's expression softened as she took him in—the shaking breath, the bitten lip, the tension trembling just beneath his skin.
"I just… I guess I thought I'd finally changed," Dom muttered, bitterness seeping into his voice. "But… I couldn't do anything. Just like I couldn't back then…"
Lucy's tail dropped instantly, her expression lowering as she sensed the shift.
Nearby, Dae looked down at his injured leg, teeth grinding as the same frustration clawed at him.
The mood sank—heavy, suffocating—
Until Anthony's boots thundered forward.
Before either of them could react, his fists cracked down onto their heads.
Dom groaned, clutching his skull as pain bloomed. Lucy snarled, dropping to one knee on the bed, black claws extending as she growled murderously at Anthony—
Only to freeze mid-action.
One glance from his glowing eyes snuffed out her aggression instantly. She whimpered and scrambled behind Dom, trembling like a terrified puppy.
Anthony glared down at the boys, eyes glowing with hardened resolve. "Didn't I tell you not to beat yourselves up?" He asked, his tone just as intimidating.
"I didn't even say anything," Dae grumbled, rubbing his head.
"You had the same look," Anthony scoffed.
Dae averted his gaze, guilt filling his cheeks.
Anthony then turned fully toward Dom, who remained silent. "Even though this is your second loss, can't you see the difference?" He asked.
Dom frowned, thoughts scrambling.
Anthony folded his arms, chest puffing out. "Last time, you were a kid who couldn't even react. This time, you fought back as a knight and landed a damn good hit. Last time, Elon saw you as free food. This time, Xavier saw you as a threat."
Dom's eyes widened.
"And I don't need to tell you how much stronger Xavier is than that human-eating piece of shit."
Hope flickered in Dom's chest.
Anthony cast a side glance at Dae. "And that applies to you, too."
Dae met his gaze silently.
"Even though it was a graze, I can't remember the last time something could cut through that wind of his. Not since that damn fox who recruited him into the knights, or your grandfather."
Dae flinched at the thought of his power being compared to not only his grandfather but also the Devil Fox, another Monarch, and Xavier's master.
"If someone that strong was determined to kill you," Anthony continued, "it means he saw you as dangerous." He shrugged. "Sure. You're weaker than him now. But you both managed to push him that far."
A crooked grin spread across his face. "I'd love to see what you'll do to him once you become real monsters."
They stayed silent, pride still aching—but doubt loosened its grip at the thought of their potential.
Sensing the change in their eyes, Anthony placed a gentle hand atop their heads. "You're still young…" He said softly. "There's no need to rush. You'll get there."
Just like that, the weight lifted, and the young mages smiled softly.
Zoe stared at Anthony with a respectful look before letting out a small giggle. "I thought you hated giving speeches, Tony."
Anthony chuckled as he stepped away from them. "That wasn't a speech," he said easily. "Just some advice from a wise old man."
Zoe rolled her eyes dramatically.
Anthony smirked at her reaction before turning his attention back to the boys.
"You both already have the potential to get stronger," He said with his gaze lingering on Dom with a strange intensity in his eyes. "Far more than you realize."
They exchanged a look—confidence passing silently between them. Sensing the tension finally faded, Lucy laughed and suddenly threw her arms around Dom from behind, nuzzling her nose against his neck as her tail wagged happily.
Anthony beat Dom's chest with a cocky grin. "Anyway, I did promise to help you reach the top, right? So I can give you some training to get strong—"
"Oh. I'm good, actually." Dom said.
Dom's words stomped the room into silence…
Especially Dae, who snapped his head toward him with a sharp glare.
"Are you kidding me?" Dae said, glaring at Dom. "For the last couple of weeks, all you've done is brag about Tony helping you. And now you're turning him down?"
Dom shook his head. "The only thing I needed Tony for was the annoying official stuff—squad stuff, Council bullshit. I'll handle everything else myself."
His body immediately flinched as sizzling heat washed over the room.
Anthony's eyes glowed as licks of flame spilled from his skin. "So you're just… using me?" He asked, his voice threatening.
Dom rubbed his cheek, suddenly nervous.
Zoe pulled the lollipop from her mouth and whistled. "You've got some serious balls, kid." She commented.
Dom let out an awkward laugh before turning back to Anthony, whose expression had gone neutral--despite the clearly threatening aura rolling off him.
Even so, Dom swallowed his fear and spoke firmly. "If I want to become the greatest magic knight, I want to do it with my own power."
His fists tightened.
"If I let you give me too many pointers, it'll look like I couldn't do it completely without help. I can't take that."
Anthony said nothing.
The silence made Dom even more nervous—but he kept going.
"I know I sound really selfish right now…" He looked down at his fists. "…but after fighting that guy, I learned a few things for myself. I can get stronger. I know that now."
Anthony narrowed his eyes as Dom finally relaxed his grip.
"Besides, it's like you said a long time ago…"
Dom looked up again, and Anthony caught the determined smirk on his face.
"The greatest power isn't always the flashiest. Sometimes, you just have to master what's already inside you."
Anthony furrowed his brows in confusion-- those words seemed strange, yet familiar… until the memory hit him.
Those were the same words he said to Dom all those years ago.
He let out a short chuckle… which quickly turned into full-blown laughter, leaving everyone else staring at him in confusion.
Nearly a minute passed before he finally stopped, a hand covering his wide grin. "Are you for real? I pulled that shit out of my ass, and you're still using it?"
Dom nodded, his expression confident.
Anthony laughed again before giving him a contented smile. "Alright. Go ahead. You can use me all you want. In exchange…"
Dom shivered as Anthony's eyes glowed with expectation.
"You have to become stronger than everyone," Anthony continued, his grin widening with a hint of venom within. "…including me."
Dom stiffened under the intense gaze—but still managed to match his grin.
"Deal."
They clasped hands in a sudden, tight handshake.
"But…" Anthony added, his smile turning teasing. "…in case you come crawling back for help, you know where to find me."
"We'll see about that," Dom chuckled as they let go.
Anthony laughed, then turned to Dae with the same smirk. "What about you? After all those years fighting with—and against—Jin, I know a thing or two about his fighting style and tricks."
Dae frowned thoughtfully. "Honestly… I'd prefer all the help I can get to grow stronger." He said, then shot Dom a glare. "But if I ask now, it'll feel like I lost to this idiot."
Dom folded his arms with a cocky grin.
Dae sighed and turned back to Anthony. "For the sake of pride, I'll have to decline too."
Anthony nodded in understanding.
"Besides…" Dae said, staring at his open palm. "Just like this muscle-head, I learned something from fighting Xavier."
He glanced at the swords resting neatly on the shelf, smiling faintly. "And it'd be satisfying if I could surpass my grandfather with my own power."
Anthony shrugged. "Fine by me." He turned and walked toward the door. "But like I said, now that you've caught the Council's attention, they're going to come after you."
He stopped at the doorway, one hand on his hip. "Honestly, the smartest move would be resigning and disappearing completely."
Zoe opened the door for him—but Anthony paused halfway through the frame. "Though judging by your faces, I already know you won't do that."
Zoe glanced back at them, noting the seriousness burning in their young eyes.
"If you thought this job was hard," Anthony added, "… the Council will throw even deadlier missions at you—just to justify killing you."
The tension in the room darkened as his leaking aura pressed down harder.
Dom flinched when Anthony looked over his shoulder, his red eye glowing brightly.
"Do you still want to remain as one of my knights?"
Dom's fists clenched again—this time out of fear and hesitation.
Xavier was already overwhelming. What else could the Council throw at them now?
The doubts piled up—
Until two soft hands grabbed his.
Dom looked up to find Lucy staring straight into his eyes. She didn't understand everything that was said, but she understood enough. Her grip was firm. Supportive. Unquestioning.
Dom's eyes widened at her warmth, then glanced at Dae, who gave him a firm nod.
That small moment was enough.
The hesitation in Dom's heart faded as he turned back to Anthony, his gaze burning with resolve.
"Yes, sir." He replied.
Anthony smirked. "Good answer."
With that, he walked out. Zoe followed, giving them one last friendly wave before shutting the door.
A few seconds passed in silence.
Dae exhaled sharply, placing a hand on his chest. "That was…"
"Intense?" Dom offered.
Dae nodded, finally releasing the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"He's not a Monarch for nothing," Dom muttered, scratching his head. "I thought I understood how strong he was back then, but now…" He shuddered. "He's on a whole different level."
Dae rose from the bed, limping toward the sword shelf. Dom watched as he reached for one blade and unsheathed it—revealing the jet-black katana that once belonged to his grandfather.
"Xavier said the difference between an SS class and an A class is a factor of a thousand, right?" Dae asked.
Dom nodded stiffly.
"Then…" Dae turned back to him, eyes tensed. "…what do you think the difference between an A class and an X is?"
Dom frowned.
If Xavier crushed them so easily, he couldn't even imagine how helpless he'd be against Anthony at full strength.
He met Dae's gaze, both thinking the same thing.
"The Monarchs are insane, huh?" Dom said with a nervous smile.
Dae nodded as he sheathed the sword. "They ended a five-hundred-year war on their own, after all." His grip tightened around the sword's hilt. "Surpassing them won't be easy."
"But that's not going to stop us," Dom said, smirking.
"Of course not," Dae replied—just in time to see Lucy cuddled against Dom's side.
As Dom awkwardly tried to explain why she shouldn't be pressing her body against him so much, Dae sighed and rubbed his hair.
"So not only did we make the Council our enemy," He muttered, "we're also taking care of a stray beast girl while going on potentially fatal missions."
Dom's eyes lit up as he shot Dae a grin. "Doesn't that sound like when Ethan took in the Devil Fox, even though the Council was already planning to execute him?" He struggled as Lucy tried to hug him again. "I heard the Council hated that."
Dae studied him quietly. "If we're already following in the Monarchs' early footsteps…" He said slowly, "…then it seems my grandfather was right about you."
Dom chuckled proudly.
A teasing smirk crept onto Dae's face. "But something's different."
"What?" Dom asked.
Dae stifled a laugh. "At least the Devil Fox didn't try to mate with Ethan."
Dom blushed hard—just in time for Lucy to finally hug him properly and licked his cheek.
"Hey—stop!" Dom yelped, completely mortified as Lucy smothered him with affectionate hugs and licks.
Dae laughed openly at the sight…