Leon leaned back in his chair, his bandaged face partly hidden in shadow. His tone was casual, but his words carried weight.
"Where'd Zackary go?" he asked, glancing at Maximilian across the table.
"Apparently, he went to find his children's mother," Maximilian replied calmly, his eyes drifting toward the window. "Vlad, Aisha, and Elfreda joined him."
Leon's expression remained unreadable beneath the wrappings that covered his face. "Still can't believe he has kids now," he muttered.
"Maybe…" Maximilian's gaze lingered on the horizon outside, voice softening. "Maybe having people who care about him will help him heal."
Nightfall Kingdom
Far beyond the borders of the Twilight Territory, Zackary and his companions finally reached the capital of the Nightfall Kingdom.
Even with their appearances altered by magic, they drew more attention than they wanted. The grandness of their clothes still betrayed them, marking them as people of importance. As Zackary walked down the bustling street, cradling little Amilia in his arms, he felt countless eyes on them.
"Papa, I'm hungry," Amilia murmured, her soft voice pulling him from his thoughts. Her newly black hair framed her face, while her blue eyes shimmered like jewels—mirroring his own.
"I guess we can make a stop," Zackary said, glancing toward Aisha. She carried Gray in her arms, the boy's dark hair and blue eyes identical to Amilia's.
"Yeah, that sounds good," Aurelius added suddenly, making Zackary start. He hadn't even noticed the man at his side.
"The brown hair suits you," Zackary said with a smile.
"Thank you," Aurelius smirked.
"Hmm, where's Elfreda?" Zackary asked, scanning the group.
"She won't be accompanying us any farther," Vlad said abruptly, his tone leaving no room for questions. Zackary let it go and followed Aisha, who led them toward a restaurant she knew.
The streets quieted as they approached a small, elegant restaurant. Inside, a young woman with light-blue hair rushed forward to greet them.
"Welcome, custom—" Her words cut off as an overwhelming pressure crashed down upon her. She froze, wide-eyed, seeing past their disguises in a single instant.
Such dense magical energy… Monsters, why are they here? Why?
She could barely breathe.
Aisha's sharp eyes caught her trembling. With a faint smile, she said gently, "Oh my, if you can see through our disguises, I can only imagine how much trouble our presence is giving you."
At her subtle nod, the others instantly suppressed their power, vanishing to nothing.
The young woman gasped for air. "W-Who are you?"
"We're customers," Aurelius said in a teasing tone, clearly amused by her terror. "We came to eat."
"Yulia! Why are you making our poor customers stand around like that?" An older woman burst into the room, scolding the girl. She bowed quickly. "I apologize for my daughter's insolence. Please, come in."
"It's alright. My children are hungry," Zackary said warmly. "Could you show us to our seats?"
The woman smiled and ushered them to a table.
Later, as they waited for their food, Aurelius leaned back with a sly grin. "That young lady was quite something—to be able to see through our disguises."
"You're scaring the poor thing," Vlad muttered, stifling a laugh as Yulia visibly flinched under Aurelius's gaze.
When the meals arrived, Amilia and Gray's eyes lit up with excitement, making the older woman chuckle.
"Oh my, you must've traveled far. The children look famished."
"We have come quite far from home," Zackary admitted, gently patting Gray's head.
"Not many travel to our kingdom this time of year because of the cold," she remarked curiously.
"Our friend here came to find his wife," Vlad teased, making Zackary turn away, embarrassed.
"Oh my… by your expression, you must miss her dearly," the woman teased kindly.
They finished their meal, and soon, the group was back on the road.
The West Gate
After three hours of travel, they arrived at the western gate of the Nightfall Kingdom.
"Everything seems in order. You may pass," a knight said, stepping aside.
"Thank you," Aisha replied as they crossed through. Once far enough from the gate, she raised a hand, and in an instant, the world shifted.
They reappeared inside a wooden cabin at the edge of a forest near the Eclipse Tower.
"Where are we?" Vlad asked, scanning the rustic interior.
"This cabin lies just outside the forest, near the tower," Aisha explained.
"How much time do we have before the Blood Moon?" Zackary asked.
"One day. If we wait until nightfall, we can move," Aisha answered.
Zackary frowned. They had already lost two days fighting monsters on their way here. "Then we'll leave tomorrow morning. We'll make it by dawn of the Blood Moon."
The children tugged at his sleeve. "Father, I'm sleepy," Gray mumbled. Amilia was already fast asleep in Aisha's arms.
"I guess it's time to rest," Zackary said softly. He carried both children to bed, then lay beside them. Watching their peaceful faces, the exhaustion of the last two days finally overwhelmed him, and he drifted into sleep.
In he's dream, he found himself embraced by a silver-haired woman. He reached for her, desperate to hold on, but the dream shifted.
Now he stood in a field of flowers, the woman's face clearer than ever. As the vision faded, her voice whispered in his ear: "Next time, we should watch the stars."
In his mind, glowing words appeared: Synchronization 34%.
Then, darkness.
Two Days Ago — Demon King's Castle
On the training grounds, two figures clashed, their blows sending shockwaves across the castle.
"He's holding his own against His Majesty. How impressive," Kaito muttered as he watched.
"Wow… His Grace is so strong," Nia whispered, her eyes struggling to follow the blinding speed.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave thundered as Vogarth's fist collided with Xoraxys's defense. The Demon King smirked, sweat dripping down his brow.
"You keep taking my strikes. Impressive."
Xoraxys grinned, blood trickling down his cheek. "I can say the same. But we both know we can push harder."
Vogarth roared, his body twisting, transforming into a towering crimson lion beast.
"That's what I'm talking about!"
Then shadows erupted from Xoraxys, swallowing the entire training ground in suffocating darkness.
"I… I can't see. I can't hear… I can't feel anything," Akira thought, trembling.
The darkness vanished as suddenly as it came. Vogarth, his beast form fading, sat bloodied on the ground, smiling. "I guess it's a draw."
"I'm impressed you fought without your senses," Xoraxys said, his body covered in bleeding claw marks.
"That was so cool, Your Grace!" Nia exclaimed.
"You did great, Your Majesty," Kaito added, handing Vogarth water.
"You can't keep injuring yourself," Cassie, the dragon maid, scolded furiously.
"My apologies," Vogarth chuckled. "I couldn't refuse such a warrior."
Xoraxys and Nia walked toward the gates. "Leaving already?" Luciferus asked.
"Yes. Her training begins now," Xoraxys replied with a smile.
The Next Day — Stardumn Domain
In the forest, Xoraxys sparred with Nia. She lunged from behind.
"Got you!"
"Don't announce yourself," Xoraxys scolded, blasting her back with magic.
She vanished into shadow and struck from his own, but he dodged effortlessly. Suddenly, she felt his hand on her head.
"Today's lesson ends here. Good girl," he said, catching her blade with his bare hand.
As he walked away, she followed.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Following you?" she said innocently.
"Then do it properly." He vanished into the shadows.
"Well then, follow me."
Nia dove into the shadows, grinning. "I'll catch you!"
"I hope you do," his voice echoed ahead.
Present
"Papa, where are you going?" Amilia asked, half-asleep.
"I'll be right back," Zackary whispered, kissing her forehead.
"I'll keep them safe," Aurelius promised.
Outside, Aisha and Vlad waited by the horses.
"You ready, Your Grace?" Aisha asked.
"It doesn't matter what you say. We've come this far," Vlad muttered.
"Yeah. I'm ready," Zackary said firmly. Together, the three mounted their horses and rode toward the Eclipse Tower.