The blood spattered across the trees.
Mil—still trapped inside James's body—hung against the tree with a sword buried through his torso.
His breathing was weak.
His remaining eye struggled to stay open.
For a few seconds, the only sound was the ocean.
The storm that had ravaged Noctharis throughout the night was finally beginning to fade.
Morgan calmly lit a cigarette.
He took a slow drag before sitting down on a nearby rock.
Smoke drifted through the cold morning air.
He exhaled.
"James... do you know what is happening here?"
Mil slowly moved.
His back pressed against the tree as he forced himself upright.
He looked toward Morgan.
"I don't know shit."
Morgan remained calm.
"The odds of the battle started well for me. But after a while, it all changed."
His eyes moved toward the ocean.
"You were strong because of the dragon."
Mil summoned Ragnorak back to his body.
The dragon's remaining energy returned to him, but Mil could barely feel it.
Almost all of his energy was gone.
Morgan took another drag.
"Final Testament was a power that is not only with the strong ones... but also with the great ones."
He looked directly at Mil.
"You don't need to be strong for that."
A pause.
"You only need to be ready for it."
Mil stared at him.
"Why are you telling me this?"
His voice weakened.
"I am just a half-dead, half-blind person."
Morgan's expression didn't change.
"That's why I'm telling you this."
Smoke passed between them.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Morgan slowly loosened his grip on his cigarette.
Then—
his eyes changed.
The crimson sky above them began clearing.
The strange pressure surrounding the battlefield disappeared.
Final Testament returned back.
Morgan looked at Mil.
"James... do you know where you lost?"
Mil remained silent.
"I'll tell you."
Morgan's voice became colder.
"You lost because you tried too much."
The wind moved through the trees.
"Sometimes... too much isn't too good."
Mil looked down.
His hand trembled as he grabbed the sword buried in his torso.
He pulled it out.
"AHH!!"
He threw the sword away.
His breathing became heavier.
"I lost..."
He looked at the destruction surrounding him.
"And everything is gone."
Morgan stood.
"Yes."
He dropped the cigarette onto the ground.
"Everything is gone."
He crushed it beneath his foot.
Then he picked up his blade.
"I won't kill you."
Mil looked up.
"You will spend your whole life in prison."
Morgan stepped closer.
"And I will kill you after you see what we will accomplish."
Mil's remaining eye widened.
Before he could respond—
SHNK.
Morgan drove the blade through Mil's torso.
Mil's body jerked.
Another sword appeared in Morgan's hand.
SHNK.
A second blade pierced him.
Morgan pushed Mil back against the tree, pinning him there.
"AHH!!"
Mil cried out in pain.
Morgan then cut through the tree.
The enormous piece of wood broke away.
He lifted Mil with it and carried him away.
7:00 AM — NOCTHARIS CASTLE
BUZZZZZZ—
The alarm echoed throughout the castle.
The storm had finally settled.
Doors opened one after another.
Servants stepped into the corridors.
Delegates emerged from their rooms.
Then they stopped.
Blood covered the walls.
Blood stained the windows.
The corridors were damaged.
The castle looked as though it had survived a war.
The Devil Horns stepped out of their room.
Katsa looked around.
"What happened here...?"
Before anyone could answer, they noticed a message on the board:
COME TO THE MAIN HALL. IMMEDIATELY.
The crew exchanged looks.
They followed the others toward the hall.
As they entered, their expressions changed.
The destruction from the previous night was everywhere.
Broken walls.
Cracked floors.
Burn marks.
Blood.
And then they saw him.
Mil.
Still trapped inside James's body.
He was being carried by guards.
Two swords remained embedded through him.
His clothing was torn.
One eye was gone.
Blood covered his body.
Yet—
he was still breathing.
Ton's eyes immediately turned green.
His fists tightened.
"Mil..."
He tried to move forward.
Several members grabbed him.
"Ton, don't!"
Ton struggled against them.
"LET ME GO!"
The masked man stepped forward.
"Yesterday, a guard went rogue."
Everyone stared at him.
"He attacked us..."
He paused.
"...with a dragon."
The Devil Horns stood frozen.
The masked man gestured toward Mil.
"And this is what happened to him."
Silence.
Nobody knew what to say.
Even Junyu's empty place within the group suddenly felt heavier.
Ton stared at Mil.
His green eyes trembled.
The masked man continued.
"He will be thrown into prison."
His gaze swept across everyone.
"And this will happen to any of you if you try to do something similar."
Nobody answered.
Then he looked toward the clock.
"The auction is at ten."
A pause.
"And Lacod Junyu will be executed around that time."
The words hit the Devil Horns hard.
"See you all there."
The guards carried Mil away.
Ton watched helplessly.
Katsa lowered her head.
Salim clenched his fists.
Ikiro remained completely silent.
The Devil Horns quickly returned to their room.
The door slammed shut.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Ikiro looked at everyone.
His expression had completely changed.
He placed his hands on the table.
"Let's start..."
Everyone looked at him.
"PHASE THREE."