Silence settled over the ruined bandit camp.
The fire had dimmed to dying embers, casting weak orange light over fallen bodies and scattered stolen goods.
Renn stood among them, breathing steady, expression unreadable as he gathered what remained.
Among the loot—
A rapier.
Long. Thin. Elegant.
He picked it up carefully and turned toward the edge of the camp. She was already there.
She stepped forward from the shadows, her violet eyes fixed on the recovered weapon. Renn held it out.
"You said this was yours."
She took the rapier slowly, her fingers tightening around the hilt like it belonged there more than anywhere else in the world.
"…Yes."
A pause.
Then her gaze shifted past him—to the broken center of the camp.
"You killed them all," she said quietly.
Renn's expression didn't change.
"…They were in the way."
Seris studied him for a moment.
"You're not normal."
Renn glanced away slightly. Then Renn spoke.
"What's your name?"
She looked at him as if weighing the question.
"…Seris."
He nodded once.
"Renn."
A faint sound broke the stillness. Gravel shifting. Renn turned slightly.
Leon.
Still alive.
Barely.
He pushed himself up from the ground, one hand gripping his side, breathing uneven but forced into a grin.
"Well…" Leon coughed lightly. "That was unexpected."
His eyes flicked toward Seris. Then the rapier in her hand.
"You got what you came for," he said slowly. "No need to make this worse."
He lifted his hands slightly.
"Let's talk. I can still be useful to you both."
His gaze lingered on Renn.
"You don't understand what's waiting in the Kingdom. The Trial—"
The air shifted. It wasn't loud. It wasn't visible. But everything stopped. Seris didn't move. She simply looked at Leon.
And in that moment—
The world seemed to press down.
A crushing killing intent filled the space, sharp enough to silence even the wind. Leon's smirk faded.
"…W-what is this…?"
Seris took one step forward. The rapier lowered slightly.
Then—
A single flash. Not a swing. Not a motion anyone could properly follow. Just light. Leon's body froze mid-breath. His eyes widened. Then his head detached cleanly from his body, falling silently into the dirt.
The rest of him collapsed a moment later. Silence returned. Seris stood still, expression unchanged, as if nothing had happened.
Renn didn't flinch. Only watched. Then quietly—
"…Let's go."
Seris sheathed her rapier without a word. And together, they walked away from the burning remains of the camp.