Neto’s sister pushed through the crowd, her face streaked with tears, eyes locked on the closing opening.

At the last possible moment, Tyler burst through the portal, leaping forward with Neto still in his arms. They hit the ground hard, rolling across solid stone as the opening snapped shut behind them.

The flesh disintegrated completely, dissolving into nothing.

Silence fell. And then Cheers erupted across Leafrest as the last traces of fear finally lifted. Word spread quickly— almost unreal in its speed —that the demon general was gone.

The Town folks laughed, shouted, and embraced one another in the streets. Some fell to their knees in relief, pressing their foreheads to the ground as if afraid the nightmare might return if they stood too tall.

Not everyone celebrated without tears.

Here and there, quiet sobs slipped through the fragile joy. Families clung to one another, counting who had returned and who had not. Names were spoken softly, some answered, others met only with silence. Not everyone had made it out. A few had died within that living nightmare. Even so, there was comfort in knowing the terror was finally over. They had endured hell itself and walked back into the sunlight with their lives.

It took several hours before the town truly began to recover. The wounded were treated, the shaken were comforted, and the dead were mourned. Messengers were dispatched to the capital without delay. Word spread quickly—almost unbelievably so—that a Demon General had fallen without the intervention of the Hero Party. By nightfall, the story was already moving through the kingdom, growing with every retelling.

Amid the exhaustion and lingering fear, a guard approached Tyler and Kaeya. His armor was scratched and dented, bearing the marks of desperate fighting. Dark circles lined his eyes, and his movements were heavy with fatigue. He stopped before them and bowed deeply, far lower than duty required.

"Thank you," he said, his voice thick and unsteady. "If you two hadn’t led us, I don’t believe anyone here would have survived."

Before Tyler could respond, more townsfolk gathered around them. Words of gratitude spilled out from all sides— some awkward, some heartfelt, some choked by tears. Kaeya accepted them with a composed nod, offering brief reassurances. Tyler simply stood there, didn’t say anything just copied Kaeya’s nod and nodded at them.

After the crowd slowly dispersed, another guard approached. He glanced around carefully before speaking.

"May I ask you both to come with me for a moment?" he said quietly.

They followed him a short distance away from the others, to a corner where the noise of celebration faded into a distant murmur. The guard turned to Kaeya and began to kneel.

She stopped him immediately. "There’s no need for that."

The guard straightened, eyes sharp with certainty. "Your Highness," he said, lowering his voice. "That sword technique you used —blades of light formed from pure mana— only the royal bloodline can wield it. No adventurer, no matter how talented, could use it."

Kaeya hesitated, lips parting as if to respond, but the guard continued before she could.

"And you," he added, turning to Tyler. "Mr. Richard. Former member of the Hero Party. The kingdom announced your death months ago. Yet here you are, alive, fighting demon generals alongside Her Highness."

He exhaled slowly. "I understand now. You’re both acting in secret, hunting demons without drawing attention. Rest assured, I will never speak of this to anyone. My loyalty is to the kingdom— and to those who saved this town."

Tyler remained silent, but his eyes shifted to Kaeya, studying her carefully. Royal family. Is she Princess Commander’s subordinate. The pieces slid into place far too neatly. But is she some sort of niece of Queen or king?

So that was it.

Kaeya wasn’t just a capable adventurer. Her position was far higher than she had ever let on.

Tyler smiled faintly, as if amused by the revelation, but his mind was already working. Information was leverage, whether used openly or kept in reserve. For now, there was no need to say anything. No need to act.

He would wait.

Plans were best executed when the timing was right. Decateron did gave him new mission. And this Girl from Royal family might be the key.

---

Neto’s eyes fluttered open, his vision still hazy. The first thing he saw was a beautiful girl leaning over him, tears streaming down her face as they splashed onto his chest.

She noticed his eyes open and gasped. "You woke up..." Her voice broke, and then, strangely, she began to laugh through her tears, relief washing over her expression.

Neto winced slightly and lifted himself up, gently easing her aside so he could breathe properly. "Huh... what happened?" he asked, his voice rough but steady.

"You really don’t remember?" she asked, half laughing, half crying. "You saved me and collapsed, and we thought—"

"Yeah..." Neto chuckled weakly, then paused. His brow furrowed as he looked at her more carefully. "But... who are you?"

The words hit her like a blow.

Her laughter died instantly. Panic flooded her face as she grabbed his sleeve. "I—I’m your step sister. Don’t joke like that. Did you forget already?"

Neto stared at her, searching his memory. "I remember a lot of things," he said slowly. "My mom and Dad seperated. But I can’t remember anything after that. And you? My Step sister? When did my mom remarry?"

She froze, her fingers trembling.

Nearby, Tyler watched the scene unfold as he passed by, a faintly amused expression crossing his face. Looks like he lost part of his memories, he thought. Selective ones, too.

Before the girl could say anything more, another figure stepped forward.

She was calmer, her posture relaxed, her expression gentle but hesitant. She looked slightly older, more composed, and there was a familiarity in her eyes that made Neto’s breath catch.

"Yuka?" he said, eyes widening.

She blinked, clearly startled, then smiled shyly. "Yeah. I didn’t think you’d recognize me. The last time we met was when we were kids."

Neto’s cheeks reddened. "You... you grew up a lot."

Yuka laughed softly, a faint blush coloring her face. "So did you."

The two stood there, awkward and smiling, an unspoken history resurfacing between them.

Behind them, Neto’s step sister clenched her hands. Watching her brother smile so warmly at someone else made her chest ache. She wanted to interrupt, to remind him of everything they had shared, but the look on his face stopped her.

In the end, she turned away quietly, swallowing the pain and saying nothing.

---

A day later, the chaos of Leafrest Town had finally settled into something resembling normalcy.

Tyler was tightening the strap of his bag when Kaeya approached him, her expression thoughtful rather than urgent for once.

"Tyler," she said, hesitating slightly, "you mentioned before that you live in the forest, right? Could you take me there?"

Tyler glanced at her, mildly surprised, then nodded without much thought. "Of course. You even lent me your magic cannon back there. I’d be pretty heartless if I refused after that." He paused, then added casually, "But if you don’t mind me asking, why exactly do you want to enter the forest?"

Kaeya exhaled slowly, as if weighing how much to say. "I’m searching for a druid," she finally replied.

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "A druid?"

"Yes," Kaeya said, her tone turning oddly solemn. "A druid who might be able to save the world."

The way she said it was dramatic enough that Tyler couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment. Then he laughed softly. "You really know how to make things sound heavy. Alright, then. Let me restock a few things first, and we can leave after that."

Kaeya nodded. "That works for me."

They had barely taken a few steps when the air around them suddenly thickened.

The sounds of the town vanished. The warmth of the sun disappeared. Even the ground beneath their feet seemed to lose its texture.

Darkness swallowed everything.

Tyler stopped mid-step, rubbing his temple in irritation. "Seriously?" he muttered. "Can I get one day without something like this happening?"

From within the darkness, footsteps echoed—slow, unhurried, and deliberate.

A figure emerged.

It was an ordinary man at first glance, dressed simply, his posture relaxed. But the moment Tyler saw his face, he felt an inexplicable pull. The man was... beautiful. Not in an exaggerated or unnatural way, but in a quiet, effortless manner that made it hard to look away. Even Tyler, who had never once questioned his preferences, had to admit the man was striking.

Something about him felt wrong, though. Not hostile. Not aggressive.

Just overwhelmingly present.

Kaeya, on the other hand, froze completely.

Her hand went to the hilt of her sword, but she didn’t draw it. Her breathing turned shallow, and her eyes widened with something far closer to fear than surprise.

"D-Demon King...?" she whispered.

The man smiled faintly, as if amused by the title, though he neither confirmed nor denied it.

Tyler shifted his stance slightly, placing himself half a step in front of Kaeya without even realizing it. His expression hardened, irritation mixing with curiosity.

"Well," Tyler said dryly, breaking the silence, "if you’re here to start another apocalypse, could you at least schedule an appointment next time?"

The man’s smile deepened, and the darkness around them seemed to pulse, as though the world itself was holding its breath.