Eizo's hand slowly reached out, guiding Nate toward Kilian, whose face was beaming. His eyes gleamed with triumph. He couldn't hide his joy—his face now bore a satisfied smile, like a hunter who had finally captured the rarest prey.
But before his fingers could touch Nate—
BANG!
A bullet shot out at high speed—piercing through Kilian's hand. Blood spurted violently, staining his once-pristine white cloak. Kilian stifled a groan, his expression shifting drastically—shock, annoyance, and fury all at once. He and Eizo simultaneously turned toward the source of the shot.
"You!?" Kilian hissed, his eyes narrowing with hatred.
Standing tall in the distance was Archer, flanked by his two brothers—Aiden and Zayan. Archer still had his gun raised, the barrel still warm. Aiden's face twisted into an angry sneer. Zayan… silent, but his gaze was piercing.
Archer pulled the trigger again, but Kilian was ready this time—he moved swiftly, dodging as he backed away from Eizo.
"Well, well…" Kilian drawled in an annoyingly casual tone. "Look who showed up. Looks like you could use a little lesson in manners—from Sweden."
Archer stepped forward, planting himself in front of Eizo, his body a shield.
"Hah. Look who's talking. What stupid scheme are you plotting this time?" Aiden shot back, his tone sharp and harsh, his voice like embers ready to ignite.
And then…
A dark aura erupted behind Kilian. The ground trembled. The air grew heavy. Then it appeared—a massive demon's head with curling horns and blazing crimson eyes. Its jaw gaped wide, exhaling the breath of hell itself.
"Sorry," Kilian said lightly, standing right before the demon's mouth. "I'm not in the mood for chit-chat. I've got plenty of other matters to attend to. And… let's hope the prophecy doesn't fail again."
With a single step, he entered the demon's mouth.
Slowly, the jaws closed… swallowing Kilian into darkness. But before they sealed completely, Kilian and Archer's eyes met—a fierce clash of gazes, as if sharing a long, bitter history.
Then—
BOOM!
Flames engulfed the demon and Kilian's body… then vanished, leaving only a scorched mark on the ground.
Silence blanketed them all.
But it wasn't peace that followed… only Eizo's faint muttering, still seated, his head bowed in frustration.
"Why… why did you stop me? If I handed Nate over, I could've lived happily… my siblings and I could've escaped all of this…" His voice was hoarse, wounded. "That's a small price… for a decent life…"
Archer glanced at him briefly, cold, saying nothing. His face was unreadable—as if refusing to allow any feeling to surface.
Zayan, standing on the other side, lowered his head instead… his expression grim, as if he shared the weight in Eizo's heart.
But Aiden… Aiden stepped forward, eyes blazing red with fury. His teeth clenched tight. His fists trembled, as though restraining an instinct to strangle Eizo right there.
"If it weren't out of necessity—" Aiden muttered, holding back.
They all knew… this wasn't just a battle between good and evil. It was about choices—about the value of life, and the price one must pay to remain human.