Inside the Shiba Mansion, the air was heavy with cruelty and fear. Deep within its halls, Jhonathan stood once more before Arcoos. The knight had returned—more desperate, more unstable, driven by rage rather than purpose.
Arcoos struck first. His massive blade carved through the air in reckless arcs, each swing fueled by fury rather than precision. Steel collided with steel as Jhonathan calmly blocked every strike. His body healed instantly from each wound, closing as if nothing had happened. Arcoos noticed it—no matter what he did, the man in front of him could not be stopped.
For the first time, hesitation crept into Arcoos's eyes. His ability, Sheer Blade, was useless here. There was nothing to cut that would stay cut. No opening that would matter. He clutched his chest, breathing heavily, unsure of what he was even fighting anymore.
Then, suddenly, both of them moved at once.
They charged.
Steel met steel in a violent clash as both warriors endured each other's attacks without stepping back. Blow after blow landed—none decisive, all devastating. The battlefield became a storm of impact and force until, finally, a fatal strike pierced both of their chests at the same moment.
For a brief moment, silence fell.
Then Jhonathan exhaled.
A faint, almost amused breath.
"This… is the first time in a while I've enjoyed a fight," he said quietly.
He stepped forward, blade still lodged, and drove it deeper into Arcoos. The knight's strength faded as his body gave in. Arcoos coughed, eyes trembling with pain and disbelief.
Jhonathan lowered his gaze. "You could have been an asset… but this is where it ends."
With a final motion, Arcoos fell.
Elsewhere in the mansion, screams echoed through the torture chambers. Count Shiba stood over broken, chained girls, whip in hand. His cruelty knew no restraint. One of the girls finally collapsed from pain, unconscious, while another—Sylviana—waited next in line, trembling but still conscious.
Before the whip could fall again, the door burst open.
Jhonathan entered.
In a single motion, Count Shiba was struck down, knocked unconscious before he could even react. From his grasp slipped a strange parchment—the map of the Second Star: Gluttony. It fell to the floor, glowing faintly.
Silence followed.
The survivors looked at Jhonathan in shock. Slowly, he turned to them.
"Go live your own lives," he said coldly. "Become stronger. Become independent."
Then, without waiting for a response, he walked away.
Outside the mansion, the night air was cold and quiet. The mute dancer from the tavern stumbled beside him, drunk and unsteady, clinging to his presence without a word.
Jhonathan didn't look back.
Another star had revealed itself.
And the path forward only grew darker.