The forest finally gave them up.
After three days of endless green, twisted roots, and skies that never stayed the same color twice, Crey stepped out between two massive trees and into open air. His boots touched dirt that felt real, stable, and quiet, ordinary in a way that made his shoulders sag in relief.
Behind him, All For One followed.
No portals. No thunder. Just walking.
Crey stopped, hands on his hips, and let out a long, exhausted breath.
"Three days," he said. "Three days in a forest that eats sound, bends direction, and somehow smells like burned metal."
All For One tilted his head slightly, looking at the open road ahead. A dirt path stretched forward, flanked by rolling hills and a pale sky.
"I have done many things in my life," All For One replied calmly. "I have fought heroes and symbols. make people fear. And yet…"
He glanced back at the forest.
"…I have never been chased by a tree that screamed my name."
Crey snorted despite himself.
"Right? That part was new for me too."
They stood there for a moment, just breathing. For the first time since the Deadly Hunt began, nothing was actively trying to kill them.
Crey rolled his shoulders. "Let's recap," he said. "Day one: the forest rearranges itself every hour. Day two: shadow beasts that only attack when you think about them. Day three—"
"The rain that whispered," All For One finished, "and attempted to rewrite my memories."
"Yeah, that," Crey nodded. "I'm still not over that."
They started walking down the path, side by side, an almost absurd image: a man who could rewrite reality and the most infamous villain in history, casually leaving a nightmare forest like hikers finishing a bad trail.
"That forest wasn't natural," Crey said after a while. "It wasn't even authored directly."
All For One hummed. "A discarded draft. A failed experiment. The Author leaves many such things behind."
Crey frowned. "You sound like you've been here before."
"I have," All For One replied. "Just never this… exposed."
Before Crey could answer, a scream ripped through the air.
Not human.
Not entirely.
They both stopped.
Ahead, the dirt road curved around a hill. Beyond it, something moved fast and violently. Then came the sound of splintering wood.
A carriage burst into view.
It was old-fashioned and wooden, pulled by two panicked horses that immediately broke free as a massive shape slammed into the side of the vehicle. The carriage flipped once, twice, before crashing hard into the dirt.
From the shadows behind it emerged a monster.
Too many limbs. Too many eyes.
Its body shifted like it couldn't decide what shape it wanted to be, flesh tearing and reforming with every movement.
Steel rang in raw desperation.
Knights clustered around the wreck in a collapsing formation, shields raised more out of instinct than courage. Behind cracked visors, eyes were wide, glassy and unfocused, reflecting the monster's writhing form.
Hands shook around sword hilts. One knight's breath hitched, his blade lowering inch by inch as terror crept in. Another stared too long, frozen, lips trembling in a prayer he no longer believed in.
"H—Hold the line!" Someone shouted with a broken voice, but no one answered.
A spear slipped from numb fingers and fell into the mud. A banner collapsed beside it, trampled as a knight was dragged screaming into the creature's mass. Others backed away step by step, eyes locked forward, bodies already deciding to flee before their minds could follow.
Fear had won.
Crey stared at the scene for a second.
Then he sighed.
"So," he said quietly, eyes narrowing, power humming just beneath his skin,
"It's like that."
The monster turned toward them.
All For One smiled.
*****
Hana ran.
Mud splashed up her boots as she tore through narrow streets that twisted and collapsed behind her. The sky above flickered with golden text, rules, countdowns and warnings she refused to look at.
"STOP HER!"
"DON'T LET HER ESCAPE!" But she didn't care.
"THAT'S THE ANOMALY; GET HER!"
Voices screamed from every direction.
People chased her.
Not monsters.
Not villains.
Players.
The Deadly Hunt had done exactly what the Author promised; it had turned the world into predators and prey.
Hana's lungs burned. Her vision tunneled. But her grip never loosened.
A small hand was locked tightly in hers.
Eri.
The child stumbled, almost falling as the ground shifted under her feet. Hana caught her instantly, pulling her closer, lifting her when she needed to.
"I—I'm sorry," Eri whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I'm slowing you down—"
"No," Hana snapped, sharper than she intended, then softened immediately. "No. You're not."
A projectile exploded against the wall beside them. Stone shattered. Someone laughed behind them.
"Catch her! The Author wants her alive!"
Hana skidded around a corner, slashing her blade backward without looking. The air screamed as reality folded; one pursuer was thrown violently into a wall, unconscious.
But more replaced him.
Always more.
The city wasn't safe. There were no safe zones. No allies she could trust. Everyone wanted the key.
Eri squeezed Hana's hand tighter.
"They're… They're all scary," Eri sobbed.
Hana dropped into a slide beneath a collapsing beam, then vaulted over debris, pulling Eri along with her.
"I know," she said through clenched teeth. "But listen to me."
She ducked into a narrow alley, the walls closing in as the ground shimmered beneath her feet. Probability bent just enough for her to stay ahead.
"I don't care what this game is," Hana continued, voice steady despite the chaos. "I don't care what the Author wants."
She glanced down at Eri, small, shaking and terrified.
"As long as you're holding my hand," Hana said, eyes burning with resolve.
"No one is taking you."
Eri trembled behind her, tears blurring her vision. Hana squeezed her hand once, gently and deliberately, then leaned down just enough for her voice to soften.
"Close your eyes." Hana whispered.
"Just for a minute. Don't look. Trust me."
Eri hesitated… then nodded, eyes shutting tight as her small fingers clung to Hana's coat.
Hana straightened.
And for the first time, she didn't look back.
I'm becoming more and more like him. She murmured under her breath, too low for anyone else to hear.
Cold. Decisive. Willing to cross the line.
Behind them, the shouts grew louder.
"THIS WAY!"
"SHE CAN'T RUN FOREVER!"
Hana's blade reformed in her free hand, humming low and hungry.
She turned one last corner.
And stopped.
The alley ended.
Ahead lay open ground.
And far too many silhouettes waiting.
Hana pulled Eri fully behind her, feet planting firmly into the earth. Her posture shifted, no longer defensive, no longer evasive.
Her expression hardened into something cold.
Something final.
She spoke without raising her voice, but it carried.
"At first," Hana said calmly, "I held back."
A few of the figures laughed nervously.
"I thought you were civilians."
Silence crept in.
Hana's eyes lifted, empty of warmth.
"Now," she continued, "I don't care."
And then—
She let go.
The air collapsed.
An invisible pressure exploded outward from Hana, bending light, crushing sound and forcing knees to buckle. Stone cracked beneath her boots. Walls groaned. The ground itself screamed as probability warped around her presence.
Some of the hunters dropped instantly, gasping, unable to breathe. Others staggered back, eyes wide with primal fear as their instincts finally understood the truth.
This wasn't a chase anymore.
This was judgment.
The Deadly Hunt had begun.
And Hana Fujikawa was done running.