The sparring field was still steaming from Shichiro and Rokuro's battle
Shichiro chuckled.
"You levelled up from 2 to max gang.. What the hell
Rokuro stretched. "Skill issue."
Kentarō cackled. "Skill issue ? wth do you mean gang you PULLED HIM TOWARDS YOU"
"Shut up, Kentaro.""It's Kentarō!!, ROH!! ROH!! ROH!!""Yeah, yeah. Kentarow."
Everyone burst out laughing.
For the first time in days, their spirits felt light.
But Aegis didn't laugh.
He looked north. Eyes focused. Jaw set.
Rokuro noticed. "Aegis? Something wrong?"
Aegis took a breath, heavy and uncertain.
"When Typhon vanished… right before he flew off… he went north. Not randomly. Not out of instinct. Like he was returning to something."
Katsu crossed his arms. "Returning to what? A nest? A base?"
Aegis shook his head."No. Something worse."
Ryosen frowned. "Then spit it out. What's up north?"
Aegis hesitated, the kind of hesitation that made everyone go silent.
"There's a mountain range up there called Hollowpeak. My family used to tell stories about it."
Shichiro's face fell."Do you mean, Abyssal spire..?"
Aegis shook his head.
"They are different. But."
"Typhon wasn't retreating. He was waking something up."
A sudden silence.
Even Kentarō didn't crack a joke.
Rokuro pulled on his gloves, a cold mist forming instinctively."So you're saying Typhon's calling backup?"
"Not just backup," Aegis said quietly."He's calling something ancient."
Katsu sighed and wiped his face."You're telling me… after all the trauma, death, tornadoes, and almost dying every two hours… now we have a second monster waking up?"
Kentarō snapped his fingers. "Peak adventure, baby."
Shichiro exhaled, resting Infernal Comet on his shoulder."Alright, so what's the plan?"
Aegis looked around at each of them.
"I say we go north. Not all of us, it's too risky.We need a recon team. See what Typhon's really doing."
Ryosen stepped forward immediately."I'll go. He… he recognized me. He said my name. There's history there. I need answers."
Shichiro's eyes widened. "He WHAT?"
Ryosen avoided eye contact."He called me Ryosen Shion… like he knew me before I even awakened my Heart."
Katsu put a hand on his shoulder. "You good, bro?"
"Not really," Ryosen admitted softly.
Aegis stepped beside him."Then I'm going with you."
Kentarō blinked. "Wait-why you two?"
Aegis summoned a faint layer of protective aura, his armor flickering for a moment."Because Typhon can't break my shield… and Ryosen is the only one Typhon is interested in talking to instead of instantly killing."
"Damn," Rokuro muttered. "That's one hell of a reason."
Shichiro clenched his fists."So the rest of us stay and guard the Haven?"
Aegis nodded."Exactly. Build. Strengthen. Prepare. If Typhon wakes something old… the Haven will be the first target."
The wind blew cold across the plains.
For the first time since the arc began… the group felt a shadow bigger than Typhon watching them.
Something in the north was stirring.
Something ancient.
Something Heartless.
Aegis turned his back and began walking.Ryosen followed, tightening his fists, eyes full of fear and determination.
Katsu shouted after them:
"HEY! If you two die, I'm reviving you just to kill you again!"
Kentarō cupped his hands and yelled:
"BRING FOOD WHEN YOU COME BACK!!"
Shichiro raised a hand, smiling despite the tension."Stay safe, idiots."
Aegis smirked."No promises."
And as the two of them headed north toward the unknown…
The storm quietly sharpened its blade.
The real fight hadn't even begun.