Wind howled, pushed forward by a power that defied nature.
Aiyan and the knight stood frozen in silence.
And then—
he spoke again.
The Mysterious Witch Hat Man opened his mouth, and the air grew heavy with his presence.
"Sleep."
The word was quiet—
low,
cold,
and unrelenting.
His glowing blue eyes bored into theirs, as if stripping away their souls. His shadow stretched under moonlight, flickering in the burning remnants of the city.
And just like that—
they collapsed.
Not from pain.
Not from exhaustion.
But as if the world itself had folded around them.
No touch.
No magic circle.
Just a voice.
They dropped to the bloodstained stone.
The man didn't wait.
He walked forward, slow, deliberate—into the smoke, into the fire, into the veiled ruins of the city.
The brim of his hat caught the moonlight one last time…
Then he was gone.
Hours Later – Safe Zone, Outer District
Two bodies were found near the epicenter: Aiyan and the knight—unmoving but alive. The Adventurer's Guild pulled them from the wreckage, silent and shaken.
No one spoke of the figure they glimpsed in the fog.
He had saved what remained of Caelumbre.
Or… at least, some of it.
The Night Crawlers—unspeakable horrors—had been swallowed whole in a moment.
An entire swarm, erased by a force no one understood.
What was left behind was a crater.
No scorch marks.
No blood.
Just… stillness.
And the sense that time itself had been broken.
People asked:
Who was he?
What kind of power was that?
Why didn't he arrive earlier?
Even Aiyan—half-conscious in the infirmary—burned with that bitter question.
"That bastard… If he had that power all along… why didn't he stop it before it started?"
She hated him.
And yet… he haunted her more than the monsters ever could.
Scene: Ebonlight Infirmary
White ceilings. Dim oil lights. Aiyan opened her eyes.
She was alive.
Barely.
Her memory throbbed.
She remembered being healed—by him.
"Still… maybe I'm just tired."
Her limbs felt lighter than they should have.
Her wounds were gone.
But her spirit carried scars deeper than any blade could reach.
She stirred… and noticed men in long coats and top hats entering the infirmary.
They weren't doctors.
They didn't belong to the Guild.
They were something else.
The Eye of Veritas—a secretive royal order.
Investigators of truth and illusion.
Already questioning survivors.
"Who was the man in the Witch hat?"
"What did you see?"
"Did he speak to you?"
Aiyan's answers were vague.
Carefully chosen.
"He saved us. That's all I remember."
She lied.
Because even speaking about him made her chest tighten.
That bastard… Whoever he is, he's not normal.
He's not just strong…
He's something else.
And somehow,
she knew—
He mattered.
Scene: The Ruins of Caelumbre
Once a city of over half a million.
Now called: The Dead City.
Death toll:
265,223 souls.
Over a thousand adventurers.
Fifteen hundred knights.
A treasury emptied.
Magic resources lost beyond measure.
The Night Crawlers had come like shadows.
No pattern.
No warning.
Just death.
Those who survived carried trauma deeper than wounds.
"He devoured them all," whispered a recovering soldier.
"The Blackhole Pathway… it was like watching a god rip reality apart."
Even the Arch-Sorcerers, long revered for their strength, admitted:
"This wasn't magic. It was… something else."
Scene: The Capital - Grief and Chaos
Churches of the Exalted One wept for the dead.
Chants echoed through cathedrals.
Coffins lined the streets.
Citizens wore black.
Some rebuilt.
Others wept.
Many… took their own lives.
Grief sat in the air like ash.
Heavy.
Inescapable.
Scene: Dorma Hall - Royal Assembly
In a grand marble chamber, beneath a chandelier of gold and crystal, ten powerful figures sat at a long table.
Nobles.
Generals.
Royal Blood.
But one seat—at the head—remained empty.
They argued.
Loud.
Desperate.
"We lost half our army!"
"And the treasury!"
"The Prince is still missing—"
"The King hides him, I swear!"
"That cursed aura… It's his blood!"
Then—
BOOM.
The grand doors opened.
"THE PRESENCE OF THE SUN IS HERE. THE KING!"
Step
Heavy boots echoed into the silence.
A tall figure emerged, cloaked in shadow. Behind him: the High Priest, mouth curved in a permanent smile, eyes veiled by the hood's dark fabric.
Step
The King said nothing.
He simply sat.
And silence followed him like a second skin.
"Tell me," he said finally, his voice deep and sharp.
"Who is this… 'Mysterious Hero' they speak of?"
Theories.
Excuses.
Panic.
Then-
"Find him.
Someone with power like that—cannot remain free."
A pause.
The King's voice dropped lower.
"…And have you found my son?"
Gasps.
Silence.
The High Priest's smile widened, eyes still shadowed.
"I shall take care of it, my King."
He opened his eyes.
Dark gold.
Piercing.
Wrong.
Every soul in the room flinched, a dread crawling under their skin like rot.
The High Priest grinned wider.
Scene: Ebonlight Infirmary – Reunion
Aiyan sat up—greeted by a tight hug from Elara.
"I thought you were dead," Elara whispered, crying.
"Thank the Exalted One…"
The knight—standing nearby—gave a respectful nod.
"Glad you're safe, Miss."
"That kind of power we saw… it's not something we should tempt."
He straightened.
"I never got to introduce myself properly. Vincent Von Trigurvelf. You may call me Vin."
Aiyan blinked.
"I'm… Aiyan Berasuko."
She gestured to Elara.
"This is Elara Vior. She's the Guild Receptionist—she helped me when I first joined."
Elara smiled and bowed.
"It's an honor to meet a Royal Kn-."
Vin waved it off.
"Not anymore. I've walked away from titles. I walk the Adventurer's Path now—Knight-Class Pathway. Swordsman."
Elara giggled.
"Really? I won't tell anyone, then—Sir Vincent."
"Please… just Vincent."
Aiyan laughed softly, the sound unguarded. It reminded her of something.
Someone.
Her brothers.
Vincent and Elara exchanged glances, both blushing slightly.
But Aiyan's smile faded.
"I miss them… I hope they're okay…"
Scene: A Gifted Home
As reward for her efforts, Aiyan was granted a modest two-story home—a Victorian-style residence with wrought-iron fencing, ivy-lined windows, and warm oil lamps.
Vincent and Elara celebrated with her.
"Not bad for your first mission," Elara teased.
But Aiyan wasn't at peace.
She stood by the window, revolver at her side, fresh bullets courtesy of Elara.
"I need answers."
Scene: The Kingdom Library
Rain poured over the broken city. People moved slowly in mourning.
Aiyan walked with an umbrella in one hand, her briefcase in the other.
She passed workers, knights, priests… all rebuilding a city broken in spirit.
She stopped.
The Kingdom Library.
Untouched.
"Why is this the only building left standing…?"
She stepped inside.
Ding—
The bell echoed like a scream in her ears.
Her vision blurred.
Something veiled.
Something vast.
Something faceless.
Covered in a cloak of stars and shadow.
A wide, grinning mouth—
"Ugh… again…"
She clutched her head. The presence faded… but not fully.
"Still… Maybe the answers I need are in here."
Thunder cracked outside.
Aiyan walked deeper into the Kingdom Library.
Would Aiyan find the answers that she is looking for?
Was that a sign ?
Who knows
Chapter 7 has Ended