"Are you okay, Father? Please, don't push yourself."
"I'm fine. Thank you for worrying, Mary."
As the sun dipped toward the horizon and the town began to dissolve into the deep hues of twilight, Mary, Gaut, and Sakura walked together toward their home.
Fortunately, Gaut’s injuries weren't severe. He had personally insisted on being discharged that very day, wanting to free up his hospital bed for the influx of wounded people being carried in.
Sakura watched with a gentle smile as Mary walked alongside her father, supporting him. When Mary turned back to address her, Sakura offered a small nod.
"Thank you for coming with us. If I were alone, I would have been too anxious if something happened. You've been such a help."
"There is no need for thanks. This one has merely done what any friend would do."
"...Truly, thank you, Sakura. If you hadn't been there, I think I would have done something beyond redemption."
"This one has only repaid the debt owed to Lord Gaut for his kindness. I have done nothing worthy of such gratitude."
Mary kept her head slightly lowered, but her gratitude was sincere. Sakura smiled back at her, and Mary returned the expression. After letting her father walk a few paces ahead, Mary lowered her voice.
"Tomorrow, I’m going to hand my badge over to the Security Force. I hope it helps resolve the situation..."
"This one believes Mary-dono's courageous act will undoubtedly help save this town. Truly."
Mary had a badge imbued with Kurotobari's power hidden in a desk drawer at home. Turning it over to the authorities might provide a vital lead. More than that, it was a symbolic gesture—a declaration of her intent to sever her ties with the Society of Friends of the Night and let go of her hatred. It was a milestone for both the town and Mary herself.
Sakura felt a warm swell of relief. Though she didn't feel she had played a major role, seeing Mary and Gaut reconcile and prepare to move toward a future beyond their shared grief touched her deeply.
May this family’s happiness last a long time, she prayed.
"When you go to the Security Force tomorrow, this one shall accompany you," Sakura said, offering reassurance. "Please, rest easy, Mary-dono."
"Yeah, thank you! You can stop here. From here, it's just a short walk for Father and me."
Sakura nodded. She stood still, watching as Mary ran to catch up to Gaut. The two of them walked slowly, matching their strides, as they headed toward their house.
This is how it should be, Sakura thought. The sadness might never fully vanish, but there was no reason to seek solace in a path as hollow as revenge. The road Mary needed to travel was the warm, happy one shared with her father.
Feeling lighter, Sakura turned to head back to the hospital where the others were waiting.
She walked at a steady pace. After a few minutes, she passed a man on the street. She took a few more steps before she froze. The face of the man she had just passed... it was familiar.
As realization struck, Sakura spun around. In that same instant, inky shadows surged from the ground, clamping over her mouth and lashing around her limbs, completely neutralizing her.
"Mmph! Mmgh!"
"Oh? You noticed? You're quite sharp, aren't you?"
The man spoke with a twisted, malicious grin. Looking at him closely, Sakura recognized him. It was Glonas, the Representative of the Society of Friends of the Night.
She cursed her own carelessness. He was wearing ordinary civilian clothes instead of the ostentatious, priest-like robes he wore during their assemblies, and that disguise had bought him the second he needed.
Glonas let out a dark chuckle.
"Rest assured, I have no intention of harming you further. My objective is singular: the execution of the traitor who has fallen into evil."
"Mmph! Mmghh!?"
Glonas reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge shaped like three overlapping black feathers. As the object began to pulse with an ominous light, Sakura realized his intent. She tried to scream through the shadow covering her mouth.
"Mmmgh—! Mmghuuuuu!!"
"Ah, it was a wise decision to silence you. It would be quite a nuisance if the traitor were alerted by your shouting."
There was no mistake. Glonas intended to kill Mary and Gaut. He planned to purge them as punishment for their betrayal of Kurotobari and the Society.
Sakura struggled with everything she had, refusing to let him go, but the shadow restraints didn't budge. Glonas watched her futile efforts with visible amusement.
"That woman is a hopeless great sinner. To spurn the blessing of Lord Kurotobari and then dare to sell out her comrades... such a fool! I shall execute justice upon her in Lord Kurotobari’s stead."
Glonas had somehow learned of Mary’s plan to hand over her badge. Sakura felt a chill of horror. Did the Society’s influence even reach inside the hospital?
Turning his back on her, Glonas began to stalk after Mary and Gaut.
"Lord Kurotobari... I shall now execute the sinner who profanes your justice! Please, bear witness to our loyalty and devotion!"
"Mmuuuuu! Mmguuuuu!!"
With an ecstatic, fanatical smile, Glonas closed the distance. As he moved, he was engulfed in a black light. His body twisted and grew, transforming into the Crow Magic Armor Beast—a monstrous avian form with razor-sharp claws and massive wings.
Sakura screamed until her throat was raw, but her voice was swallowed by the silence.
The monster was about to unleash its madness upon the unsuspecting father and daughter when a young man suddenly stepped out from the shadows, blocking his path.
"...Just as I thought. I had a feeling this would happen."
"Who are you...?" Glonas hissed.
The creature had been trying to move silently so as not to alert Mary, and he stared at the intruder with bewilderment.
Yugo looked at him and murmured in a low, cold voice. He didn't bother answering the monster's question. Instead, he posed one of his own.
"Hey, do you know? People are beings bound by their past... apparently. Or so my partner tells me."