♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢
A cold wind blowing through the dark and gloomy forest slowly awakens the unconscious EAT.
As he regains consciousness, EAT looks around, confused.
"This is strange... my whole body hurts, but I can't remember anything."
"Why am I here... why does it hurt so much?"
"What was I doing before I got here?"
No matter how long he thinks, nothing returns.
It seems the shock from the insects has caused temporary memory loss.
He squeezes his mind for answers—but nothing comes back.
At that moment—
Behind EAT, a giant Barak raises its fist high into the air.
Mond, who has lost his composure due to Meron's condition, gives the signal.
The massive fist begins to fall rapidly toward EAT's head.
At that critical instant—
Someone, floating far away in the sky, had been observing everything.
He fired a thin, pink beam.
The narrow beam struck with astonishing precision, severing the giant Barak's arm in a single motion.
Wearing a brown eagle cloak, he muttered to himself with slight satisfaction.
"I was aiming for the head..."
Without hesitation, he suddenly moved toward EAT at tremendous speed.
He spoke to the figure already present—a figure wearing a dark purple cloak.
"Hey, ready? Let's finish this quickly. Lord Polun is on his way."
The purple-cloaked figure had already prepared three spheres of dark violet energy, each emitting a sinister glow.
"Ready."
The Barak, focused entirely on tormenting EAT, failed to detect Olpin's presence nearby.
But the moment their eyes met him—
they froze instinctively, like frogs encountering a snake.
Dod: "O... O... Olpin!"
Purple Cloak: "There's no time. Lord Polun is coming. So disappear, insects."
He launched the three prepared spheres at once.
The spheres traced curved paths through the air as they rapidly closed in on Mond and Dod.
Dod, capable of flight, immediately spread his wings and fled with all his strength.
Mond, left behind, instinctively reached out toward him.
"What about us...?"
But Dod had already disappeared into the distance.
At that moment, sensing Mond's danger, the massive Barak—Ugu—rushed forward without hesitation and covered Mond with his own body.
Mond: "Ugu... what do we do now...?"
Ugu: "Ugu... uguugu..."
The first sphere struck Ugu's shell and exploded, sending a pillar of light soaring upward.
As the light penetrated his body, Ugu felt unbearable pain rising from deep within.
His internal fluids began to leak out like tears.
Watching this, Mond felt as if his chest were being torn apart.
Ugu, as if accepting his death, looked at Mond with sorrowful eyes.
The purple cloak froze in shock.
Normally, Barak flee or hide when faced with danger.
Because of that, Olpin and the others considered them no different from ordinary insects.
But Ugu did not run.
Even in extreme pain, he continued protecting Mond.
That act alone left the purple cloak shaken.
"Why...?"
Before he could even fully process that thought—
his body reacted instinctively.
He gathered power in both hands and attempted to alter the trajectory of the third sphere.
He wanted to cancel it—even if only one remained.
The second sphere had already struck Ugu's tail and exploded.
Ugu no longer had the strength to scream.
Yet still—he did not attempt to escape.
The third sphere, forced to halt and change direction by the purple cloak's power,
compressed its energy during that brief moment of suspension—
then shot upward into the night sky at explosive speed.
Soon after—
a scream echoed from the direction it had flown.
It was Dod.
"Nice shot~"
♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢
After the study session ended, the children gathered at a place within the village where water once flowed, now abandoned.
They began explaining "story play" to Rogi.
Today's story belonged to Dabi.
The title was "Space Warrior."
The story had already reached the point just before the final battle.
Leo and Ellie were playing the role of the Space Demon King.
The remaining children, acting as space warriors, were piloting powerful robots and continuing their final battle against Leo.
They had been unable to finish it due to time constraints—
and today was supposed to be the final chapter.
Rogi: "Alright, I understand up to this point. So what do I do?"
Dabi: "Right! When the story starts, you go behind us to the location we mentioned earlier, find the battle suit, put it on, and equip your—"
Pai: "Wait! Before that, we have to open the story gate."
Rogi: "Story gate?"
Pai: "Yeah. The command to open it is 'Acorn.'"
Rogi: "Acorn? Because this is Acorn Village? Haha."
Yona: "'Acorn' is our code—made from 'acorn' and 'story.' You have to say it before starting."
Rogi: "Ah~ So I just shout 'Acorn'?"
Yona: "That's the name of the command. But when you actually open the gate—"
Pai: "You have to shout 'Doritori Toris!'"
Rogi: "What kind of phrase is that?"
Leo: "It's just our secret code."
[Rogi's expression stiffens.]
Rogi: "So... to open the gate, I say 'Acorn,' and 'Acorn' means 'Doritori Toris.'"
Ellie: "Let's just start. You'll understand faster that way."
Everyone: "Alright! Let's begin! Everyone, take your positions!"
The children quickly move into place.
Leo and Ellie run to the opposite side as the Demon King team.
The remaining children spread out, hiding behind imagined destroyed structures.
Rogi stands awkwardly, unsure where to go, looking around.
She spots a few discarded branches and a pot.
Thinking this might be the "equipment" they mentioned,
she puts the pot on her head and picks up a branch as a weapon, then walks toward the others.
Just as she is about to shout "Acorn" to begin—
Dabi notices her.
For a moment, he is stunned—
then suddenly bursts into uncontrollable laughter.
Dabi: "Hahahahahaha!!"
Pai and Yona look at him, confused.
Pai: "What's wrong?"
Yona: "Dabi, what is it?"
Dabi cannot stop laughing.
He points at Rogi, shaking.
Dabi: "What is that—?! Hahahaha!"
The others turn to look at Rogi.
None of them laugh.
To them, it doesn't seem like a big deal.
But Dabi keeps laughing excessively.
Rogi suddenly stops walking.
Her expression hardens.
Then—
she throws the pot at Dabi.
Rogi: "What is this?! I'm not doing this! I'm not playing!"
She throws the branch as well—
and runs away without looking back.
Rogi: "I'm leaving! You guys play by yourselves!"
The children watch her, feeling worried and regretful.
Meanwhile, Dabi picks up the pot—
and starts laughing again.
Seeing this, Pai's anger rises instantly.
Pai: "Dabi, I told you to stop!!"
Dabi: "Huh?"
Dabi doesn't understand why everyone is looking at him with resentment.
Why?
He looks confused.
Pai confronts him directly.
Pai: "How can you laugh until someone feels bad? Do you even think?!"
Leo: "Dabi, that was too much. What are you going to do now?"
Eti: "Oppa, you're the worst~"
Dabi: "Huh? What did I do wrong?"
Pai: "What did you say?"
Realizing Pai is truly angry, Dabi starts running away.
Pai chases after him, shouting loudly.
Pai: "Dabi! You're dead if I catch you!"
Dabi: "Why are you mad at me?!"
The other children watch him with disappointment.
Pai: "You seriously don't know?!"
Dabi: "I don't know!!"
Pai: "You'd better run!"
Dabi: "Help me, guys!"
...No one wanted to help Dabi.
They only hoped he would get caught quickly.