Michael, after traveling from Lucien Reach to Ashfang Alley, finally reached the old man's house.
The evening wind blew gently through the broken streets as he stepped inside.
The moment he entered, he saw Lacod Junyu, Ikiro Sanim, Salim, Katsa, Mil, and Ton sitting around the room.
The atmosphere felt strangely heavy.
Ikiro looked up first and smirked slightly.
"So, you're back, Michael."
Michael removed his coat and asked,
"Why are all of you here? What happened?"
Lacod Junyu slowly stood up.
A completely new red aura burned behind him, darker and more intense than before.
The room seemed to tremble from his presence alone.
Junyu said,
"Great job handling Crimson Oath."
Then he looked closely at Michael.
"And you look older."
Michael sighed.
"How did all of your missions go?"
Katsa remained silent.
Ever since she destroyed Verdant Path and killed thousands of innocent people, she had been haunted by nightmares, hallucinations, and the screams of the people who died there.
She couldn't even look Michael in the eyes.
Junyu answered for everyone.
"A complete mess."
He began counting on his fingers.
"Verdant Path: destroyed. Innocent people died."
"Crimson Oath: destroyed. Good job."
"But me and Ikiro never even entered Skyveil Order or Obsidian Crown."
Michael frowned.
"Why not?"
Ikiro replied,
"Those two crews were smarter than the others. Organization X realized what was happening after Iron Fang, Verdant Path, and Crimson Oath fell. They stopped accepting outsiders completely."
Junyu crossed his arms.
"Instead of wasting time trying to infiltrate them..."
"...we trained for the Black Meeting."
Michael's eyes narrowed.
Then he turned toward Katsa.
"Katsa... what exactly did you do in Verdant Path?"
"Why did innocent people die?"
Katsa finally spoke, her voice barely audible.
"I bombed the entire town."
"I killed many people."
Michael stared at her in disbelief.
"You're saying that like it's a normal thing!"
Katsa looked away, unable to answer.
Before the argument could continue, Ikiro slammed his hand on the table.
"Enough!"
"We are not fighting each other here."
"Start preparing for the Black Meeting."
Michael asked,
"Why?"
Junyu's red aura suddenly flared violently.
For the first time, his voice carried the weight of a king.
"Because it's time for the final war."
The room fell completely silent.
Even the air felt frozen.
Junyu looked at each of them one by one.
"Everyone in this room will go to the Black Meeting."
"We will interrupt it."
"Our mission is simple: destroy the Black Fang Order..."
"...and everything standing above it."
His eyes stopped on Mil and Ton.
"Especially you two."
"I don't know if you're ready for what is coming."
Then Junyu walked to the center of the room.
The red aura swirled around him like fire.
"Listen carefully."
"The next seven days should feel like seven years."
"Train until your bodies break."
"Train until your minds break."
"Train until fear itself disappears from your hearts."
He pointed toward the door.
"Go wherever you want."
"Find your weaknesses."
"Destroy them."
"But when we return..."
"...no one among us should fear the Black Meeting."
Junyu extended his hand toward the center of the room.
"After seven days, we return to this house."
"And when we meet again..."
"...we march to the Black Meeting together."
One by one, they stepped forward.
Junyu spoke first.
"I, Lacod Junyu, take a vow that I will save every person suffering in these lands because of the Black Fang Order."
Ikiro placed his hand over Junyu's.
"I, Ikiro Sanim, take a vow that I will not let anyone among us die."
Salim left his bow and took a step
I, Salim take a vow that I will kill all the people who are behind this."
Michael stepped forward.
"I, Michael , take a vow that I will become a shield for everyone."
Mil and Ton spoke together.
"We, Mil and Ton, take a vow that we will return stronger than ever."
Katsa slowly walked forward.
Tears formed in her eyes.
Her voice cracked as she spoke.
"I, Katsa, take a vow that I will spend the rest of my life saving people."
For a moment, no one moved.
Then all seven hands came together in the center.
The old house shook with their voices.
"TOGETHER..."
"...WE ARE THE..."
DEVIL HORNS.