Planet—Earth
Country of Hinode
Two weeks had passed since the Fifth and Seventh Battalions departed for Nitchtron.
Morning settled peacefully over the Red Moon headquarters. Steel rang throughout the monastery courtyard as soldiers crossed blades beneath the clear sky, each strike followed by another in an endless rhythm of discipline and repetition. Others stood before rows of wooden targets, sending shurikens spinning through the air while instructors wandered between them, correcting posture, footwork, and breathing with practiced eyes.
Within the monastery, little changed. The halls echoed with synchronized kata as younger disciples mirrored the movements of their masters, while neighboring chambers remained silent, occupied by soldiers seated in meditation. Deeper inside, the control room hummed with quiet efficiency as technicians monitored communications and finalized preparations for the battalions' return.
Above it all, perched along the edge of the monastery's rooftop, sat a lone man.
Tall and lean, he wore a long black coat lined with crimson that drifted lazily in the mountain breeze. Messy platinum-blond hair framed the black mask covering his face, its painted crimson smile giving him an expression that never changed. His eyes remained closed, yet there was nothing inattentive about him. Resting one arm across a raised knee, he looked completely at ease, as though the world around him had nothing capable of disturbing his peace.
A transport aircraft broke the silence as it emerged from the distant horizon, gliding toward the cargo platform carved into the mountainside.
The masked man's smile deepened ever so slightly.
"Well, well, well..." he murmured. "They're finally here."
The aircraft settled onto the platform with a low rumble before its cargo ramp lowered. Soldiers from the Fifth and Seventh Battalions filed out in orderly ranks and made their way toward the monastery.
The difference between them and the headquarters surrounding them was impossible to miss.
Where the monastery overflowed with purpose, the returning battalions carried only silence. Their faces were drained of expression, their steps steady but heavy, as though they had left Nitchtron without ever truly leaving it behind.
Training gradually came to a halt as they entered the courtyard. Conversations faded, swords lowered, and curious eyes followed the returning soldiers in quiet respect.
No one spoke, they didn't need to.
The attack on Nitchtron had already become known throughout the Red Moon, and so had the Ancients' betrayal. Even those who had never set foot on that battlefield understood that the wounds left behind belonged to more than the Fifth and Seventh Battalions.
They belonged to the Red Moon itself.
Levi walked among them. Unlike the others, whose faces still bore the weight of their failed mission, his expression remained unchanged. Bandages wrapped him from head to toe, leaving only his hazel eyes exposed. Despite the injuries covering his body, there wasn't the slightest trace of pain or frustration in them.
"Look over there..."
"It's him... Wow, he really is beaten up."
"I heard his condition was critical."
"Apparently they had to perform emergency surgery on the way back. That's why they arrived so late."
Whispers rippled through the courtyard as soldiers stole curious glances at the infamous Wrath Boy. Excitement mingled with disbelief as they watched him pass, but their murmurs died the moment a familiar voice called out from above.
"Yo!"
"What's up, my friends?"
Perched on the monastery rooftop, the masked man greeted them with a carefree wave, raising two fingers with an almost childish grin beneath the painted crimson smile of his mask.
In an instant, every soldier in the courtyard straightened before bowing in unison.
Levi blinked.
He glanced around before looking at Kayo, who had already lowered his head.
"Who is this guy? Why is everyone bowing to him?"
Kayo parted his lips to answer, but before a single word escaped, the masked man was suddenly standing right in front of Levi.
"Don't be silly, my friend," he said in a calm, soothing voice. "We've met before."
Levi stared at him for a moment before tilting his head.
The man's posture stiffened awkwardly.
"Uhhh..." He scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle. "You don't remember me, do you?
"Man…. fame does really change people."
Levi simply continued staring.
"Well... I guess we never properly introduced ourselves." He extended a gloved hand. "I'm—"
"Levi," Nury interrupted, "this is Cozy Gotou, the First Blade of the Red Moon Clan."
Cozy slowly lowered his hand before shrugging with a laugh.
"Oop. Looks like someone beat me to it."
He turned toward Nury and waved enthusiastically.
"Hello there, Nury! My old pal."
Nury met his greeting with the same emotionless expression she always wore.
"Well... it's good to see you're still the same as ever. It's always nice to—"
"What are you doing here, Cozy?"
She cut him off without the slightest hesitation.
Cozy pointed to himself.
"Me?"
He looked around theatrically before placing a hand against his chest.
"I'm the First Blade."
He spread his arms.
"I work here."
Then, with a cheerful smile beneath his mask, he added,
"You said it yourself."
Nury didn't react.
Her gaze remained fixed on him, silently waiting for the real answer.
"Uhhh... I just came to welcome you all home and see how everyone was doing. After all, I was originally assigned to this mission before I gave my spot to my little buddy here."
Cozy draped an arm around Levi's shoulders.
"I figured it was the least I could do after everything that happened."
His smile lingered for a moment before it softened.
"...Sometimes I wonder if things would've turned out differently had I gone instead."
Nury's eyes narrowed.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
Before Cozy could answer, Levi slipped out from beneath his arm and headed toward the staircase leading to the training grounds at the mountain peak.
"Where do you think you're going?" Nury called after him.
Levi didn't even look back.
"Where else?"
He continued climbing the stairs.
Then, without warning, Cozy was standing directly in front of him.
Levi stopped short.
When did he—? Levi thought.
"Move."
"No can do." Cozy wagged a finger with a playful grin. "You, my friend, are coming to the meeting with the rest of us."
"Not interested."
Levi's voice remained flat.
"Nury's got everything covered, and I'm pretty sure you all know what happened anyway. I don't have anything to say to those old pricks."
He stepped to the side, intending to walk past him.
A gloved hand settled gently on his shoulder.
"What a bummer," Cozy sighed. "But unfortunately for you, it's tradition for all of my buddies to attend after a mission this important."
The smile beneath his mask faded.
"So... do me a favor."
"Come with us."
The atmosphere changed with it.
There was no visible surge of Stardust, no overwhelming pressure crashing down upon the courtyard. Yet Levi instinctively understood.
Behind the carefree smile, the awkward jokes, and the playful demeanor stood someone unimaginably dangerous.
Cozy lifted his free hand and gestured toward the monastery.
Levi stared at him for a long moment before clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Without another word, he turned around and walked back toward the monastery, making his way to the Shogun's chamber—to a meeting that would determine where the Red Moon would go from here.