Taro walked away from the explosion, his heavy steps pressing into the cracked and scorched earth. Amidst the smoke rising to the sky, the screams of the wounded and the mourning still echoed. The clan lands they once took pride in had now turned into ruins. Taro's fists were clenched, blood dripping from them—some his own, most from others. His breath was heavy but steady. He didn't stop to rest. He couldn't. There was still much to do.
Everywhere his eyes touched, homes were destroyed, walls shattered, roofs collapsed. Children were crying. People limped. There were faces he recognized—some dead, some barely clinging to life. But he didn't stop, holding on to one thought: This would never happen again.
The remaining clan members gathered behind him in the square. Everyone who could walk had dragged themselves there. Taro saw Kou among them, still disbelieving and angry, carrying an unconscious Ciel on his back. The boy's face looked ghostly.
Taku approached quickly, his arms already bandaged."Father, we need instructions. The fires haven't died out yet. Some of the wounded might not make it through the night. And we don't know if that explosion was his last move."
Taro straightened slowly, his breath still deep and controlled."Bring the water carriers. Ice won't be enough. Put together four-person teams to put out the fires. Everyone who can walk must help."
He turned to Kou."Take the boy to the Eastern Clan's Hospital. At the very least, it'll help him recover."
Kou nodded, suppressing his pain, and quickly moved away.
"What about the dead?" someone asked.
Taro's voice lowered."Treat them with respect. At dawn tomorrow, we burn them on the high fields."
The clan was in recovery. Fires had been extinguished, the wounded stabilized, prayers offered. The once lively village was now silent, cloaked in a mourning stillness. Taro stood alone at the highest peak.
"You know what I hate most about fights like these, Father?" a voice called from the darkness.
Taro didn't turn. He knew who it was.
Kou stood beside him, arms crossed. His eyes were bloodshot—red not just from fatigue."They make us question if we were ever strong at all. Maybe I'm not the one who should say it, but… maybe we never were."
"Strength doesn't lie in the punches we throw," Taro said. "It lies in how we protect what's left and rebuild."
"Ciel shouldn't have lost."
"Reeves fought without limits. And Ciel didn't care if he died. That's a dangerous kind of madness to face."
"You killed him."
"I stopped him. Killing someone like that doesn't undo what they've done. It only stops them from doing more."
Kou clenched his fists."If I'd just moved faster… maybe I could've helped more."
Taro looked at him with tired but soft eyes."Your time will come. Don't let his fall fill you with hate. Let it make you better."
Kou said nothing.
...
Meanwhile, deep in the forests beyond the clan lands, something stirred.
The explosion hadn't gone unnoticed. It had drawn in many curious and cruel beings. One of them, a figure cloaked in red and shadow, knelt at a stone altar where strange symbols had begun to glow.
"So, Reeves is dead. Foolish—he overstepped."
Another figure stepped from the shadows—a tall, noble woman with silver markings painted on her face.
"Did you think he'd survive?"
"No. But I expected him to leave something behind."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
The man lifted a glowing red shard—what remained of Reeves' essence, still pulsing faintly."Even in death, he offers us tools. This… will speed everything up."
Ciel began to stir.
His body ached, his mind was cloudy. He opened his eyes. A ceiling he didn't recognize loomed above. He tried to sit up but groaned and fell back down.
"Don't move," came Taku's voice from beside him. "You've got internal bleeding and a mild concussion. You were lucky."
Ciel blinked. "Reeves…?"
"He's gone. Thanks to Master Taro."
Ciel closed his eyes. "I failed."
"No. You survived. That was what mattered most."
Ciel wanted to argue. To scream that he hadn't been strong enough. But instead, he whispered,"I need to better myself. I need to be ready for the next time."
Taku looked at him, quietly impressed."You'll have your chance. But for now, rest."
Two days passed.
Funerals were held. The clan mourned and honored the fallen. Taro led the ceremony, his voice firm, his presence strong. But inside, he carried the weight of their loss.
On the morning of the third day, scouts returned with grim news. Strange markings had been found in the nearby forests—carved into trees and etched onto stones. The same symbols found on Reeves' body.
Taro gathered the remaining warriors.
"This wasn't a lone attack. We've stirred the hive. Now the swarm is coming."
He looked at Kou, Taku, and the recovering Ciel.
"Prepare yourselves. Our war… is just beginning."
One Month Later
The full moon hung silently in the sky, casting a soft silver glow over the slowly healing clan lands. Morning was breaking. The charred remains had been cleared away, and the scent of ash was gradually being replaced by the earthy fragrance of wildflowers reclaiming the soil. The scars of war still lingered—on the land, and in the hearts of the people—but life, stubborn as ever, pressed on.
From the training grounds came the sharp crack of wooden staffs clashing in the crisp morning air.
"Again," said Ciel, pulling back. Sweat dripped from his brow.
Ciel and Kou now stood more firmly. The bruises on Ciel's body had faded. The fire in his eyes seemed to have dimmed—but something else had taken its place: discipline.
The staffs clashed. Kou deflected a quick strike and countered. Ciel blocked the incoming blow and nodded slightly.
"Better. You're holding your stance tighter."
"I still can't match your speed," said Kou, panting.
"Of course you can't," Ciel replied with a faint smirk.
Kou looked down, gripping his staff tightly. "Still… it's not enough. We don't know what we'll face next."
"Gods, I'm the one who took the most damage, and even I don't talk this much... Anyway."
---
In the newly rebuilt clan hall, Taro stood at the head of a large table, surrounded by maps and reports. He marked regions in the forest where cursed symbols had been found. Behind him, the elders whispered quietly, discussing patrol routes and defensive plans.
But Taro's gaze was distant.
He could feel something moving in the shadows. Watching. Waiting.
Still, for now, the clan needed peace. Healing. Unity.
He turned around and spoke in a clear voice:
"We do not train because war is inevitable—but because we know how fragile peace truly is. This time, we will not be caught unprepared."
Two soldiers entered the room. Both nervous. One of them ran up to Taro.
"Sir! We have bad news..."
"Speak quickly."
"Sir, one of the maps that were in your mansion... it seems to have disappeared."
"Which one?"
"The largest one, sir..."
"Damn it..."
That night, under the stars, Kou and Ciel sat atop the old lookout hill, watching the lights of the village below.
"Have you ever thought about running away?" Ciel asked quietly.
Kou smiled faintly. "Once. A long time ago."
Kou laid back in the grass, arms behind his head. "Next time, I want to be strong enough. To protect someone. I don't want to be the one waiting to be saved."
A long silence passed between them. Quiet—but peaceful.
Then, from deep within the forest, came a soft rustling sound.
Something was watching.
But it hadn't moved yet.
A soldier, walked to the top of the lookout hill. He approaches the two, stopping next to Kou who's lying on the hill.
"Are you Ciel Voldrald?" He says, looking at Ciel.
"Yeah. That's me. What is it?" Ciel responds, curious about what this could be.
"I'm here to inform you on Master Taro's behalf. He says to let you know that "The Map" has been stolen."
"The... The Map?"
"Yes, he said the map."
"...Thanks for letting me know." The soldier takes his leave.
"Dad said what?" Kou asks, confused.
"It's... not a problem. I'll be back soon."
Kou, still confused about what's going on. As Ciel, calmly walks away, he's still confused but doesn't make a big deal about it.
Ciel, after losing sight of Kou, starts rushing to the clan mansion. His freshly closed wounds and other injuries make it hard for him, but he keeps running at full pace. Running through multiple debris and destroyed houses just to get to the mansion.
In the mansion, Taro, the elders and practically every person who has commendable amount of authority are still planning inside. The room is barely lit up with a few candles on the table and oil lanterns in every corner. Taku sits in silence in the corner. Taro, standing in the middle with a few other soldiers and making plans.
Ciel, rushes in the room, panting. He swallows hard, catching the attention of practically everyone in the room. He slowly walks towards Taro, who is towering over everything else in the room, including him.
"Sorry to interrupt, but is it true, Mr. Taro...? That the map has been stolen?" Ciel hopes for the answer to be "No.", but deep down knows the answer.
Taro, stares at Ciel, his hands on the table. He confirms with a straight face. "Yes, Ciel. Unfortunately. They stole the map while we were distracted."
Ciel, stands there for a few moments. Then, takes his leave. After Ciel leaves, curiously, Taku follows him. Taro doesn't question or stop his son.
Taku, calls out from behind Ciel. "Hey, what map were you two talking about?"
"It's... It's not any of your business, Taku."
Taku, gets faster and grabs Ciel's wrist, stopping him in his track. "You can't just treat me like this anymore, after fighting side to side on the battlefield, with our lives on the line."
Ciel, doesn't respond.
"Look, I know we didn't get off on the right foot. But it doesn't have to keep being like this, we don't have to despise each other. Am I wrong?"
Ciel, stands for a while and finally responds. "It's not that, I don't despise you. It's just not important, trust me."
The two stand in silence for a moment, before Ciel keeps walking and Taku doesn't stop him this time.
Ciel, thinks to himself. "The consequences of this... It was bigger than I could have predicted..." Ciel walks into the training room in the mansion.
He deeply inhales and exhales, his mind races with thoughts. He stands in front of the wooden log rooted to the ground and multiple layers of rope tied to it. He starts punching the wood.
"It was all my fault. I should've taken it more seriously. Now this...?"
He keeps punching the wood. His punches getting harder with each strike.
"I should have known that was distraction. It was obvious! Where was my mind?"
Ciel's knuckles start to bleed, but he doesn't care.
"Did I enjoy the chaos? The Chaos..."
"IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!" He punches the wood one last time, breaking it in half as the blood from his knuckles drip down to the floor.
Kou had already walked in.
"Ciel... are you okay?"