Rain lashed against the towers of Noctharis Castle, and thunder rolled across the sea like distant war drums.
Blue flames flickered along the walls of the Devil Horns' chamber, casting restless shadows across the room.
Mil stood near the window, staring at unfamiliar hands.
The guard's hands.
He flexed his fingers slowly. Every movement felt wrong, as if his body belonged to someone else and he was borrowing it for a single dangerous night.
"How are you feeling?" Katsa asked carefully.
Mil rolled his shoulders.
"It's all fine."
The voice that came out was the guard's voice, not his own. Even hearing it made the room uneasy.
Ton pointed immediately.
"That is not fine. You sound like a tired uncle."
Mil glared at him.
The guard's face looked surprisingly threatening.
Ton took a step back.
"Okay, that's worse."
Ikiro stepped into the center of the room, blue energy circling around his fingertips.
"Phase Two begins now."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Everyone focused on him.
"Creating a scene and getting arrested."
Mil nodded once.
"I understand."
He looked toward the storm outside.
"I'll use my power at the right moment."
Lightning flashed.
"And there is no better moment than this."
Michael folded his arms.
"Just don't kill anyone."
The silver-haired girl nearly dropped the cup in her hands.
"WHAT?!"
Ton immediately raised both hands.
"It's a little private. I can explain."
She looked at him for one second.
Then looked away.
"I prefer not to know."
Ton sighed dramatically.
"Rejected again."
Mil ignored them and extended his hand.
Dark energy gathered in his palm.
With a low metallic cry, Yoru no Kiba appeared.
The ancient blade filled the chamber with a cold pressure that made the blue flames bend away from it.
Mil rested the sword on his shoulder.
"I'm leaving."
He looked at the crew one by one.
"When the guards come searching, act like you've been asleep the whole time."
Salim saluted.
"I was born for pretending."
Katsa muttered,
"That explains a lot."
Mil turned to Ikiro.
"Put the tracker on me."
Ikiro closed his eyes.
Blue energy erupted from his body and spread through the room like flowing water. A glowing screen formed in the air before him, covered in shifting symbols, lines, and moving points.
The others stared.
Ton whispered,
"He could've been doing this for months and never told us."
Michael whispered back,
"I'm still angry about that."
Ikiro adjusted the streams of energy with precise movements.
"This is the tracker."
The blue screen pulsed brighter.
"I'm syncing it with your energy flow."
He pressed both palms forward.
A thin thread of blue light entered Mil's chest.
Mil's borrowed body shivered.
"Done."
The glow faded.
The silver-haired girl suddenly spoke.
"Wait."
Everyone turned toward her.
"Could you bring my little sister from her room before you leave? She fell asleep earlier and her room is very far away."
Mil answered immediately.
"Tell me where."
She gave the location.
Salim stepped forward.
"Actually, I'll go."
Mil shook his head.
"I'll be back in a second."
Before anyone could reply—
WHOOSH.
The air burst outward.
The window curtains snapped violently.
Mil vanished.
Silence.
Ton blinked.
"Did he just—"
The chamber door opened.
Mil stood there calmly.
In his arms was a sleeping little girl.
He walked inside, placed her gently on the nearest bed beside her sister, and adjusted the blanket carefully.
The girl stared at him in complete disbelief.
Salim pointed with both hands.
"HOW FAST IS MIL?!"
Ton inspected Mil suspiciously.
"You disappeared, kidnapped a child, returned, and tucked her in before I finished blinking."
Mil shrugged.
"Efficient."
The little girl yawned in her sleep and hugged the blanket.
For a brief moment, the tension in the room softened.
The silver-haired girl looked genuinely moved.
"…Thank you."
Mil nodded once, then turned back toward the storm.
His expression hardened again.
"Goodbye, friends."
The thunder outside grew louder.
"I'll see you again when you rescue Junyu."
The words lingered in the room.
No one laughed.
No one made a joke.
Katsa lowered her eyes.
Michael gripped Regicide tighter.
Salim looked away.
Even Ton fell silent.
Mil stepped onto the windowsill.
Rain immediately soaked the guard's uniform.
Lightning illuminated him for a heartbeat.
Then he jumped.
THE ROOF OF NOCTHARIS
A black figure landed soundlessly atop the highest tower.
Wind tore across the rooftop.
Rain streamed from his cloak.
Another flash of lightning revealed the guard's face—
and behind it, Mil's cold eyes.
He crouched in the shadows, Yoru no Kiba resting across his knees.
Below him, the lights of the Black Meeting glowed like a kingdom waiting to burn.
Mil looked toward the central hall.
He was no longer thinking about escape.
He was planning chaos.
A chaos so great that the entire castle would forget the underground prison for even a few minutes.
And somewhere deep beneath those towers, Junyu waited in darkness, unaware that the first move of the rescue mission had already begun.