A week had passed since the recent events.

  Rex was resting in his room, lying in bed. The bandages wrapped around his abdomen were no longer white like they had been at first; they had slightly yellowed, their edges worn. The long recovery process seemed to have exhausted not only his body but his spirit as well. The room carried a heavy yet calm atmosphere.

  Kurumi stood at attention across from the bed. She had been summoned here by Rex’s order, and she was taking it very seriously. Her shoulders were straight, her gaze steady, yet deep down she was still a little tense.

  Rex let out a deep breath. Even this simple action seemed to tire him; his exhaustion was clearly written on his face.

  “Kurumi.”

  At the sound of her name, Kurumi flinched instinctively.

  “Y-Yes, Master Rex!”

  Rex tried to stand up. However, the pain from his wounds did not allow it. His body leaned forward slightly, then stopped. Realizing he couldn’t rise, he simply lowered his head.

  “Thank you… for saving my life,” he said.

  “I am indebted to you.”

  Kurumi froze.

  This was really happening. Rex… that Rex… was bowing his head to her.

  She instinctively glanced at the wound on her arm. Thanks to the healers, only a faint scar remained. Kurumi lightly shook her arms, looking uncomfortable. A master like Rex lowering his head for someone like her felt overwhelmingly strange.

  “I-It’s really nothing, Master Rex,” she said hastily.

  “Please… please raise your head.”

  Rex smiled faintly at her words. Kurumi’s reaction felt strange, yet somehow familiar. Even in the face of something so significant, she shrank back, embarrassed.

  Could she truly become a great warrior?

  That thought deepened Rex’s unintentional smile.

  That was simply how Kurumi was.

  Rex reached toward the table beside him and picked up an old, worn box, extending it toward Kurumi.

  “Take it,” he said.

  “This… is my repayment. Even if it isn’t equal.”

  When Kurumi took the box, the sparkle in her eyes revealed everything. Her excitement was impossible to hide. She slowly opened it.

  Inside was a bow engraved with strange symbols.

  Kurumi lifted it carefully.

  “Is this… a super magical weapon?” she asked, her voice filled with hope.

  Rex shook his head.

  “It is actually ZARONSELIUS,” he said.

  “But the demon inside it has been removed. There is no mana left within it.”

  Kurumi’s expression changed instantly. Disappointment was clear in her eyes. A magical weapon would have been incredibly useful; she couldn’t deny that.

  ZARONSELIUS…

  A demon weapon… why did Rex have it?

  As these thoughts crossed her mind, she drew the bow. At that moment, it created its own arrow. A subtle yet clear vibration ran through it.

  Kurumi sighed.

  “So… there is at least a little magic.”

  Rex nodded. There was something different in his gaze—expectation.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “I originally intended to give this weapon to someone else,” he said.

  “But things didn’t turn out the way I wanted.”

  “If you can become someone capable of carrying this weapon… it will never disappoint you.”

  Kurumi was surprised. Rex having such expectations of someone like her still felt strange. And yet…

  She didn’t want to let that expectation go to waste.

  She gripped the bow firmly. The determination in her eyes was unmistakable.

  “Don’t worry, Master Rex,” she said.

  “I’ll do everything I can.”

  Rex smiled with pride.

  “Very well. I trust you.”

  Kurumi waved with her free hand in thanks and left the room.

  I have to show this to everyone, she thought.

  To Katori, Hu, Amy… Sae.

  I should even continue my training with this.

  As she walked with these thoughts in mind, strange rumors had begun spreading through the Veil of Shadows Cult.

  Unaware of this, Hu, Katori, and Amy were practicing archery.

  When Kurumi spotted them, she waved from a distance. The moment Amy noticed, she ran straight toward her. Kurumi hugged her, then took her hand and walked over to the others.

  Hu spoke with a smile.

  “Looks like one of us has a bow on her back,” she said.

  “Seems heroism gets rewarded.”

  Kurumi smiled slightly. For a moment, she felt proud—but she quickly regained her humility.

  “No,” she said.

  “I just did what I had to do.”

  “You know… I’m weak, and I don’t have much skill. This was the only thing I could do.”

  Katori refused to accept those words. To her, Kurumi was a hero.

  “That’s not true,” she said in a trembling voice.

  “If it weren’t for you… my father wouldn’t be here anymore.”

  Those words struck Katori’s heart deeply. She couldn’t hold back her tears and threw her arms around Kurumi, burying her face into her shoulder.

  As she cried, she repeated the same words over and over.

  “Thank you… thank you…”

  Kurumi stood there in shock.

  This was the first time in her life someone had thanked her like this.

  Kurumi—the girl who was always running away, whose only goal had been protecting Amy—had saved a cult master and was now being thanked through tears by his daughter.

  Kurumi smiled gently and stroked Katori’s head.

  “Katori… there’s no need to cry,” she said.

  “I should be the one thanking you for giving me this peaceful home.”

  “You are… like the family I never had.”

  Those words made Katori even more emotional. She didn’t let go of Kurumi, still clinging to her.

  Hu watched them with a smile, though her mind was elsewhere. How would the cult be managed while Rex was absent?

  After some time, the moment passed. They walked through Ayano’s lush green fields toward the cult headquarters.

  Hu sighed.

  Who will lead tonight’s meeting?

  Sae is strong, but… the other squad leaders don’t respect him the way they respect Rex.

  “I hope nothing goes wrong,” she thought.

  Kurumi nudged Hu.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  Hu scratched the back of her head.

  “Nothing… just the meeting tonight.”

  Kurumi thought about it too. With Rex in this condition, who would preside over the meeting?

  Before long, everyone had gathered at the meeting grounds.

  The soldiers were lined up by squads. In front of them stood the squad leaders:

  Squad Second Leader Chuya

  Squad Leader Shira

  Squad Leader Shinya

  Squad Second Leader Itadori

  Squad Leader Ryuga

  Squad Second Leader Yuta

  Squad Leader Kira

  Kurumi scanned the area. The soldiers were whispering among themselves, discussing something anxiously.

  Then she noticed something.

  The space beside Chuya was empty.

  Squad Leader Tora still hadn’t arrived.

  Hu sighed.

  “So the rumors were true,” she said quietly.

  “He really left the cult.”

  Kurumi turned her gaze to the raised platform. She wondered why Sae had summoned everyone.

  Sae stood calmly atop the platform. His white hair fluttered in the wind, his gray eyes surveying the soldiers from head to toe.

  Silence fell.

  It was so deep that only the sound of tree branches swaying in the wind could be heard.

  Sae broke the silence.

  “Squad Leader Tora,” he said,

  “has left the Veil of Shadows Cult.”

  Hu sighed.

  “Every day, a new problem…” she muttered.

  Murmurs spread among the soldiers. The discussion was cut off by a voice.

  Chuya raised his hand.

  “Sae,” he said.

  “I’ll bring Tora back.”

  “There’s no need to appoint a new leader for the First Squad.”

  “Just give me time.”

  Kurumi held her breath. Would Sae accept this?

  Sae continued to look down at Chuya from the platform.

  “You have one week,” he said coldly.

  “If you fail to bring him back within a week… I will kill you.”

  Chuya simply nodded. He was determined. No matter what, he would bring Tora back.

  Kurumi let out a deep breath. The endless problems within the cult were wearing her down.

  From a distance, Sae’s gaze shifted to Kurumi and Hu. It was as if he wanted something from them… but thought better of it.

  Finally, he spoke.

  “The meeting is over,” he said.

  “Soldiers without squads may disperse.”

  “Kurumi and Hu… come to me after the meeting.”

  Kurumi was surprised.

  Why is Sae calling me?

  Hu, on the other hand, was calm.

  She knew exactly why Sae had summoned them.

  This… was the sign of a new mission.