Lili stood frozen, stunned. Then slowly, her fists unclenched.
Lyra placed a hand on her arm. "He respects you more than you know. You helped him become who he is. And we already decided… we're not going without you."
Lili gave a shaky nod. "…Okay."
Later that night, the sky was quiet—stars scattered across it like shattered glass.
Leo sat on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the dark horizon. The wind played with his long white hair, now reaching his shoulders. He held Nullfang in his lap, quiet.
"What does she think she is…?" he muttered. "Calling herself trouble…"
Behind him, soft footsteps.
"You're here," he said without turning.
"Yeah," Lili replied gently.
"Can I sit?"
"…Sure."
She sat beside him, silent for a moment. Then—
"I never thought I'd have something like this," she said softly. "People who believe in me. Who stand by me. Who trust me."
She laughed quietly, but it cracked.
"I've been hated my whole life. Feared, judged, used. I thought I was fine with it. That I didn't need anyone. But then you two showed up… and for the first time, I wasn't alone."
Her voice trembled. "You didn't owe me anything. But you gave me everything."
Tears slid down her cheeks. She tried to hide them, but they kept falling, warmth soaking the cold night air.
"I didn't think I could cry from happiness," she whispered.
Leo looked at her, then reached over silently and pulled her close—resting her head gently on his shoulder.
"You're not alone anymore, Lili," he said, voice low and firm. "You never will be again."
And together, beneath the stars, they sat in silence—shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart.
Inside, the three of them sat around a table. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling above, the flicker of torches casting dancing shadows on the walls. Leo leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the rough wooden ceiling.
Then—
Snap!
Lili clapped her fingers, and with a puff of golden smoke, the entire table was suddenly packed with luxurious food—roasted meat, glowing fruits, golden bread, and bubbling drinks.
"Dinner is served!" Lili grinned like a proud chef.
"Whoaaa," Leo's eyes sparkled. "You've been holding back."
Lyra was already seated with her hands neatly folded on her lap. "Let's eat!"
They all dug in, and for a moment, only the sounds of chewing, sipping, and satisfied sighs filled the air.
That is, until—
"COUGH! COUGH! HACK—"
Leo suddenly choked mid-bite, thumping his chest. "Ack—!"
"Oh come on," Lili rolled her eyes. "Can't you eat like a normal human?!"
Lyra quickly handed him a glass of water. "Here, here—drink this!"
Leo downed it in one go, then wiped his mouth. "Phew… Thanks…"
He blinked.
Then he turned toward Lili, a serious look crossing his face. But with Lyra present, he didn't want to say it out loud. His eyes narrowed slightly—and with a flicker of intent, his telekinesis connected with Lili's mind.
"Hey. Wait. My Void Reclaim… it doesn't work like that, right?"
Lili glanced at him, casually chewing on a drumstick. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… with him… The Demon King. I didn't absorb anything through a counter or clash. He didn't even attack me. How did I take his ability?"
"I was so dumb that day… I should've asked."
Lili smirked and responded through the link.
"You are dumb. Took you two years to ask."
Leo squinted. "Answer the question."
"Fine, fine. When you first came here, I worked on unbinding your Void Reclaim from this world's magic structure. It was limited by the system—rules, conditions. I broke all that. You're welcome."
"So now your Void Reclaim doesn't need a counter or clash. If someone willingly transfers their power to you—with their aura and mana open—you can absorb it fully. Forever."
Leo nodded slowly.
"And if they don't?"
"You touch them with Void Reclaim active. You'll see every single skill and magic inside them like a library. You can take one… or all of it. Depends on you."
"…Damn."
He looked at his hand. "That's kinda busted."
"Now you get it?"
Suddenly—
"Ahem. AHEM."
Both Leo and Lili blinked and turned to see Lyra, arms crossed, face half-pouting with a forced smile.
"Are you two gonna keep talking with your brains or are we going to enjoy this very magical dinner together?"
They both looked at her.
Then at each other.
Then quickly nodded in unison, laughing nervously.
"Y-Yeah, yeah! Let's go!"
"Totally, food time! Best dinner ever! Haha…"
They dove back into eating like nothing happened, Lyra watching them with a smug "I'm watching you" expression.
And just like that, the cave echoed with laughter and the clinking of dishes—a rare moment of peace.
Scene shift
Both guards tensed up, eyes narrowing at the darkness.
"Who the hell are you?!" one barked. "You know who we are?! We're capital guards—"
A calm but cold voice cut through the night. It was a girl's voice. Confident. Sharp.
"I know exactly who you are. Trash. The kind that rots behind the gold gates while others starve."
The guards stiffened. There was something off about that voice. It wasn't afraid. It wasn't bluffing.
"Tch. Come out, girl. Let's see who's barking."
From the shadows, she stepped forward.
She looked young—maybe 16 or 17—but the way she moved was seasoned, balanced. She wore a dark purple tunic lined with reinforced leather over her chest and shoulders, a short forest-green cloak draped behind her back. Her arms were wrapped in soft black bracers, and her legs were fitted with tight black trousers tucked into slim hunting boots. A belt ran across her waist holding a dagger, and a quiver full of arrows clung to her back beside a curved, darkwood bow.
Her eyes were piercing blue, glinting like ice under the moonlight.
Her black hair was cut short, brushing just below her ears—sleek and sharp like her demeanor.
She was human.
The first guard scoffed, stepping forward with a wicked grin. "Heh… A pretty little thing like you should be in bed, not pretending to be a hero—"
Fwip!
An arrow struck clean through his forehead before he could finish the sentence.
He dropped without a sound.
The second guard froze in disbelief, trembling. The girl pulled another arrow halfway from her quiver.
"Still feel like a tough guy?" she said calmly. "Or do you want to sleep forever too?"
"You bitch—!"
He roared in fury and rushed at her. She sidestepped with fluid grace, spun, and delivered a leaping roundhouse kick. Her boot slammed into his jaw, sending him crashing against the nearby wall. Dust and splinters flew.
He snarled and got up, reaching for his sword—but—
Thunk.
A small, curved knife embedded itself in the side of his skull. His body froze mid-motion and collapsed.
From the shadows behind the girl, another figure emerged.
A young male demi-human, around 17 or 18. His skin was lightly tanned, and his sharp golden eyes gleamed under a hood. Wolf-like ears peeked through short, messy silver hair. He wore a dark leather jacket lined with fur at the collar, fingerless gloves, and black combat pants with twin knives strapped to his thighs. A small, triangular tail flicked behind him.
He looked calm, expression unreadable.
"You were late," the girl said with a smirk, not looking at him.
"I got bored waiting for you to miss," he replied casually, stepping past the guard's corpse.
The couple, still huddled together, stared in stunned silence.
The girl looked at them. "You okay?"