The party had ended, and the vibrant energy of the night had faded into silence. The mansion, once alive with music and laughter, was now still. For the trio, however, things had returned to normal—or as normal as it could get.
During the day, they did as they pleased. But by nightfall, they were back on their usual patrol routes, keeping watch as part of the mission.
Currently, they were sitting inside the room assigned to Elliot, lounging around, chatting like they always did.
"Do we really need to stay here?" Amelia groaned, flopping backwards on the couch, arms crossed. "There are only two days left. Can't we just pack up and leave?"
"Yes. We stay. It's still part of the mission," Elliot replied firmly, leaning against the desk, flipping through a book he wasn't really reading.
"But Sir Lucus himself said we could leave," Amelia argued, lifting her head, "since there's no longer any threat. Protection's not needed."
"Mission is a mission," Elliot repeated, not budging.
Amelia shifted her gaze toward Shirou, silently begging him to take her side.
Shirou held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, don't drag me into this. You teammates talk it out. I'm just a free agent here."
"Hmph," Amelia muttered, turning her face away.
After a moment, Shirou turned to Elliot. "So, you're planning to visit the Highlord when this mission wraps up?"
Elliot nodded. "Yeah. That's the plan. Whether I succeed or not… at least I'll gain something from the experience."
Shirou tilted his head. "And what about Snow White?"
"Well, Amelia and I already talked about that," Elliot said, glancing at her. "Although… it was more like she talked, and I listened."
"Damn right," Amelia added with a grin.
"Truth is, she really wants me to go," Elliot continued, "and from what I know of her, she won't take no for an answer."
Shirou smirked. "Yeah, that sounds about right. But doesn't a team need at least three members to stay registered?"
"You're right," Elliot said, eyes gleaming a little too eagerly. "That's why… we came up with something."
Then both Amelia and Elliot turned toward Shirou in perfect sync.
Shirou immediately raised a hand. "Nope. Not happening."
"We didn't even say anything yet!" Amelia protested.
"I know where this is going. You want me to join Snow White, don't you?"
"Of course not," Amelia said, grinning mischievously. "But if that's what you want, I might just allow it."
"How generous," Shirou replied dryly, then paused for a second. "...Actually, I'll think about it. Maybe I'll join. But only until I leave for Ravaryn."
"That works," Amelia said, shrugging. "If that's your wish, I'll allow you into my team."
Shirou gave her a deadpan look. "Wow. How lucky I am."
Then Elliot leaned forward slightly. "Hey, Shirou."
Shirou glanced at him. "Yeah?"
"If I do make it into the Sovereign Order… I'll be waiting for you. So don't make me wait too long."
Shirou blinked, then smirked. "Hell no. I'm gonna catch up to you faster than you think. And once I do, I'll go even higher—so make sure you keep up."
Elliot smiled, nodding. "Deal. See you at Ravaryn."
"It's a promise."
Elliot was about to say something more, but suddenly stopped. His expression sharpened. Amelia tensed as well. Shirou's hand instinctively dropped to Ashbringer, gripping its hilt tightly.
"…But it's still daytime," Amelia whispered.
"There's one mana signature," Elliot said, his voice low and steady. "And it's already inside the house."
Without hesitation, the trio bolted out the door.
"Multiple signatures are fading," Shirou muttered as they ran. "Fast."
Amelia's eyes widened. "That means—"
"They're being killed," Elliot finished grimly.
There was no time to take the halls. Waving his hand, Elliot froze a section of the marble floor. With a crunch, it shattered beneath them, and the trio dropped down to the lower level.
They didn't stop to think. Instead, they dashed forward, tearing through walls, crashing through obstacles in a straight line toward Lucus's private chamber.
It took only seconds.
They burst through the final wall—into chaos.
Inside, Lucus was cradling Lisa tightly in his arms. His expression, usually calm and composed, was now twisted in panic and fury.
Opposite him stood a tall, bald man with a terrifying presence. One of his massive hands gripped Darwin's neck, suspending the head servant high above the ground. On the other hand, the man held a strange circular device, glowing a pulsing red at the centre.
The man turned and looked directly at the trio. "More guards? No matter. I'll kill all of you—unless he tells me where it is."
His eyes were locked on Lucus.
"Let him go," Elliot demanded, stepping forward.
The man's wicked smile widened as the red light from the device intensified, humming dangerously.
"You want me to let him go?" the man asked mockingly. "Alright then."
Without a moment of hesitation, he snapped Darwin's neck. The crack echoed across the room.
Darwin's lifeless body hit the floor.
"No!" Amelia shouted as they lunged forward—but before they could reach him, the man slammed his fist into the ground.
The entire floor cracked.
Then collapsed.
A hole opened up beneath their feet—a deep one.
"The hell?" Shirou muttered. "Why is there a hidden tunnel inside the mansion?"
Lucus's voice rang out from the corner, filled with rage and desperation. "What are you three waiting for?! Go after him—NOW!"
There was no hesitation.
They jumped.
The fall didn't last long. They landed on solid stone, surrounded by walls lined with glowing crystals. A tunnel stretched ahead, lit by soft blue light.
The trio broke into a run.
"I've never seen Lucus that panicked," Amelia said between breaths. "You think this is where he kept the mana stones?"
"No," Shirou answered. "This feels like something else entirely."
"We're almost at the end," Elliot warned. "Get ready."
They rounded the final bend.
And stopped dead in their tracks.
They had entered a dome-shaped underground chamber—vast and glowing. In the centre stood a massive transparent sphere, made of a glass-like material, covered with ancient enchantments. Even the floor surrounding it pulsed with layered magical circles.
And inside the sphere… was a creature unlike anything Shirou had ever seen.
A bright blue beast, tiger-like in shape, its body glowing faintly with pure mana. Its fur shimmered like light itself.
The bald man stood in front of it.
Amelia stepped forward slowly. "It can't be…"
"You know what that is?" Shirou asked, stunned.
"I've never seen one… but I've read about them," Amelia whispered. "That's… a magical beast."
Shirou blinked. "What's it doing down here?"
Elliot was the one to answer, his voice calm but serious. "It all makes sense now. The mana stones around the mansion—they didn't appear by luck. Magical beasts are creatures made entirely of mana. Each one represents a specific type. They naturally create and release pure mana into their surroundings."
Amelia nodded. "That's why people never hurt or capture them. They're rare—and vital to keeping the world's mana balanced."
"Which means…" Shirou said, putting the pieces together, "Lucus somehow captured one. Trapped it here so that the mana it produced would condense into crystals."
"Exactly," Elliot said.
Then he raised his voice. "Who the hell are you?!"
The man, who had been ignoring them until now, finally turned. He placed the red-glowing device on the ground near the beast, and it began to absorb the creature's mana—slowly, steadily.
Elliot raised his hand, preparing an attack. "I said, speak—!"
Then Amelia gasped. Her voice trembled. "His right hand…"
Shirou turned.
Etched onto the back of the man's hand was a red triangle, and within it, a glowing red arc.
Elliot's voice dropped, filled with disbelief. "The Crimson Eclipse…"
For the first time, Shirou saw it.
Elliot was afraid.
The man smiled coldly. "Now you understand… why I can't let any of you live."
Then his mana exploded outward. Pure, dense, crushing.
"You should've stayed out of this."
Shirou's grip tightened on Ashbringer. His body tensed.
"He's strong… way too strong."
"Early Ascendant," Elliot confirmed grimly. "This is going to be tough."