After the gate was destroyed, everyone emerged from it and found themselves in a place belonging to the Bear Tribe. But Andre wasn't with them.
On the other side, Louis came out — half of his body severed, being reconstructed through Time Reversal Magic. Once his body was restored, he said:
"Lord of Demons, you truly are powerful. I think I've fallen for you, haha. What am I even saying after all this pain? I almost died, if not for teleporting myself away and using Time Reversal Magic.
Lord of Demons, I know you don't want to be part of my plan… but unfortunately, you already are. I've prepared the entire stage just for you."
The Demon Lord, possessing Andre's body, gazed at the moon.
"When was the last time I looked at the moon? I used to see it often in my youth," he said, smiling faintly.
Then he stretched out his hand, rotating it left and right. The moon dimmed, darkness spread, and the world was engulfed in shadow. His red eyes glowed fiercely.
"But now… I want to destroy it. I want to cover the world in darkness — to burn it all."
The moon spun between being shrouded in blackness and glowing bright again under the furious, wrathful eyes of the Demon Lord.
"You're still the same, Org."
"No one has called me by that name in ages… Dorayoth. Why did you follow that sorcerer? Have you become his servant?"
"No. It was an order from the Lord of the Dead."
"The Lord of the Dead, you say? So he's aware of my existence. Tell him I'm coming for him."
"The Lord of the Dead isn't interested in you. He's after Andre — the vessel."
"What? The human I've possessed? The Lord of the Dead is more interested in him than in me? Has his sight weakened, or what?"
"Watch your tongue. Such words could lead to your doom."
"Doom, you say?"
Org drew his sword and charged at Dorayoth, who countered immediately. Their swords clashed, shattering rocks and everything in their vicinity. The shockwaves were so intense that everyone around felt chills run down their spines — even those far away.
Dorayoth finally stepped back, lowering his sword.
"That's enough for now."
The Demon Lord did the same, saying,
"I'll be coming to the Forest of the Dead soon — to tear off your head as I did before. And this time, I'll add the Lord of the Dead to the list."
Dorayoth sheathed his sword. "The Lord of the Dead longs for battle… but perhaps fate has chosen another for that fight."
"No. I'm the one who'll end that old man's life."
"We'll see. For now, this is farewell."
---
Andre woke up, opening his eyes to find himself near the Bear Tribe village.
"Did I teleport here? The last thing I remember… I was about to die. Then that man used magic on me… and I lost consciousness. Wait… could that man be the one who killed Sister Olit and Uncle Albert? Impossible! How could the person who killed the two dearest to me save my life? That makes no sense!"
As Andre wrestled with his thoughts, an eagle suddenly landed on his shoulder. It bore the emblem of the Ice Eagles Squad.
"Who are you? Wait—" The eagle suddenly grew in size until its massive foot pressed down on Andre. It let out a piercing screech.
Moments later, the entire squad rushed toward the sound.
"Well done, Sora! You found him. You're truly a skilled eagle," one said.
The eagle puffed up proudly — but Andre wheezed, "Sora, move your foot! I can't breathe here!"
Sora stepped back, and Andre caught his breath — only for Henry and Oliver to grab him in a tight hug.
"Ah, my friend! I'm so glad you're safe. We were so worried!"
"Oliver, please — stop, I can't—"
"He's right. We really were worried!" Henry said, hugging both Andre and Oliver at the same time.
"I'm happy you're both alive!"
"What's with all this choking today? Henry, you're crushing us!"
"Oh, sorry, I got a bit carried away," Henry laughed.
The deputy commander approached. "I'm glad you're all safe. But that trap — and its maker — we must find out who was behind it as soon as possible."
"I agree," Oliver replied.
"For now, we should head to the village. We still need to clear it of ghouls."
"That'll take a long time," Henry muttered.
"Do you object?"
"No, sir."
"Then move out."
---
Days passed quickly. Julian prepared a report about the orc incident and the gate, then sent it to headquarters. Afterward, we were ordered to investigate further.
I joined a patrol and trained with Volak.
"Well done, Andre. Your swordsmanship has improved significantly."
"Yeah, but not by much. I almost died fighting that ghoul. By some miracle, all my severed limbs and fingers were restored. It was a miracle indeed… but will such miracles always happen? Maybe I'm not meant to be a hero."
"Being a hero, Andre, is difficult. Even the word itself is heavy. If you want to know its true meaning, then tomorrow — come with me to my tribe. There, you'll learn what it truly means."
---
The next day, Andre and Volak went to the village. They saw the Lord of Ice walking toward an old hut. He knocked and entered.
"Why did the Lord of Ice go into that hut?" Andre asked.
"That hut isn't just any hut," Volak replied. "It's where my sister and I grew up after our mother died. My sister — the hero Rose — she also dreamed of becoming a hero, and she achieved it. She once saved me from death. Since you're new and things have been moving so fast, you probably don't know the story. So… let me tell you."