As Serene and Lorain stood in a tense standoff, the surrounding bushes swayed gently in the wind.
At the same time, a man quietly stepped out from the bushes.
Simon reacted instantly and took a defensive stance, but the moment he recognized who it was, his expression softened, and a smile spread across his face.
"Knox!"
"Yo, everyone! This is quite an interesting situation, isn't it?"
Knox stepped out casually, as if he had just walked into a normal conversation instead of a battlefield.
The moment Lorain saw who it was—
She moved instantly.
With a light leap, she landed right beside him, her expression brightening in an instant.
"Knox! You're here! I've been looking for you!" she said, beaming with joy.
For a brief moment, the tense atmosphere seemed to loosen.
Then—
A soft laugh cut through it.
"Hehe~"
Lorain's expression froze.
Slowly, she turned her head toward Serene, her eyes sharpening as killing intent seeped out.
"…Hehe? You've still got the guts to laugh in this situation?" Lorain said coldly.
Simon stepped forward, taking advantage of the shift.
"What are you going to do now?" he said, his voice firm. "It's three against one. Why don't you back down quietly?"
However, Serene let out a soft scoff at those words.
"Oh my, how simple-minded. Do you really think he's on your side?"
"…What?"
At Serene's remark, both Simon and Lorain immediately turned their gaze toward Knox at the same time.
At that exact moment, a sharp thread sliced through the air right in front of Lorain's face, passing so close it stirred her hair.
"I'm sorry, Lorain, but you'll have to behave while Serene is talking to Simon," Knox said calmly.
"Knox?! What on earth are you doing?!" Lorain's voice rose in disbelief.
Simon frowned, his expression tightening.
"You didn't… get brainwashed by her, did you?"
Simon looked flustered, while Lorain gritted her teeth and glared sharply at Serene.
Serene, however, met that gaze without the slightest concern, her expression showing mild displeasure, as if she found the reaction beneath her.
"Oh, please. Could you fix that habit of suspecting me first no matter what happens?" Serene said lightly. "I merely borrowed his power through a perfectly legitimate… deal. Or a transaction. Or, if I borrow Knox's word… a contract."
"Deal… transaction… contract?" Simon repeated, frowning.
Lorain, on the other hand, fell silent.
Her expression turned serious as she sank into thought.
She was already familiar with Knox's "contracts."
Having lived with him for a long time, she had come to understand just how seriously he treated promises, transactions, and agreements.
Those weren't things Knox would ever take lightly.
Before either of them could process it further, Serene continued, not giving them a moment to breathe.
"Besides, hello~ are you two stupid?" she said, pointing casually at Knox. "Do you really think I could control his mind?"
She let out a small laugh.
"I'd rather believe a stray dog could start talking than believe something like that."
For a moment—
Silence.
Simon froze.
And Lorain…
Lorain felt something crack inside her pride.
As someone who believed she understood Knox better than anyone, the thought that she had even momentarily considered that possibility felt like a direct betrayal of her own confidence.
Without any warning, Knox suddenly spread both of his arms outward.
The threads stretched outward and intertwined, forming a dense web that rose between Lorain and Simon, creating a barrier that separated the two sides completely.
"…?!"
Lorain's eyes widened.
"Wait a minute, Knox! What are you doing?! Isn't Simon your friend?!"
At her words, Knox's movements paused.
The threads stopped expanding.
For a brief moment, the violet strands hung silently in the air, unmoving.
Then, Knox spoke quietly.
"I'm sorry, Lorain. But even if Simon and I are friends… you know me. I don't break my contracts just because of something like that."
Knox's voice stayed calm as he continued.
"And as long as Simon is Special Entry No. 1, just like me, people like Serene will keep approaching him."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Simon, then back to Lorain.
"In that case, isn't it better to settle this now, while everything is still in front of us?"
He paused for a moment before adding,
"Besides, even if we set Serene aside, there will always be others like her… people with unknown intentions who will try to get close to Simon."
"I understand that. But… Simon, as he is right now, can't beat Serene."
Lorain's voice carried a hint of urgency.
"What are you going to do if he really gets expelled at this rate?!"
Knox didn't look the least bit shaken.
"You're getting ahead of yourself. Just because he can't beat Serene doesn't mean he'll be expelled immediately."
Lorain frowned.
"Then… are you really going to leave it like this?"
Knox narrowed his eyes slightly.
"No. If I'm right, soon—"
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion echoed from deep within the forest.
The ground trembled faintly, and even the air seemed to vibrate from the impact.
All eyes turned toward the source of the sound.
It was the exact direction where Simon and Serene had originally been heading.
"…That sound just now…!" Simon muttered.
Knox's lips curved into a faint grin.
"He's here. The contract is concluded."
Then he shifted his gaze toward Lorain.
"Now, Lorain. We're heading over there."
– Simon Side –
Simon moved through the forest, trying to escape Serene by any means possible while continuing to devise a plan with Pier.
"I didn't expect things to escalate this much…"
[It can't be helped, boy.]
[Dealing with the next head of Kizen this time is likely part of that 'request' as well.]
"You're saying stopping Lorain is a simple request?"
[To be precise, the request is to remove the obstacles that arose during the process of recruiting you.]
[From that friend's perspective, Lorain's intervention was likely unexpected.]
[Still, since it is a task entrusted to him, he must be trying to take responsibility.]
[The problem is… that responsibility has now spilled over to us.]
Simon let out a short breath.
"…Haa… then, shall we take a gamble, Pier?"
[Gambling?]
"Yes. Given the current situation… I think that's our only option."
After saying that, Simon suddenly came to a stop.
Serene, who had been pursuing from behind, narrowed her eyes the moment she noticed.
"Oh my, are you saying you're going to surrender just like that?"
Her voice carried a faint amusement.
"If you decide to join the Ivory Tower even now, I can treat you very well."
"I'm sorry, but this is my answer, Serene."
The moment he finished speaking, Simon moved.
His feet, wrapped in jet-black energy, struck the ground as he kicked and smashed through the surrounding trees one after another, sending debris flying in all directions.
Serene, watching from above, narrowed her eyes, clearly wary of what he was trying to do.
BAAANG!!!
The ground beside Simon suddenly bulged upward before violently bursting apart.
From the opening, a massive figure rose.
A gigantic monster emerged from beneath the earth.
"Here it is… Bigkrum."
Serene clicked her tongue at the sight and immediately soared higher into the sky, creating distance between herself and the creature.
Meanwhile, Simon quickly grabbed Pier's badge and spoke.
"Pier! You can persuade him, right?"
But—
[…What a disaster. This isn't Bigkrum!]
Simon's eyes widened.
"What did you say?"
[That is a sophisticated fake. It is merely a replica of Bigkrum!]
Before Pier could finish explaining, Simon had already stepped back in haste.
"Pier! Come back for now! You're going to catch the Observer's eye!"
[I understand!]
Pier immediately withdrew, hiding his presence.
Simon continued retreating while keeping his eyes fixed on the situation in front of him.