As they exited the kitchen, Aster naturally took the lead while Mary trailed behind, her thoughts drifting toward dinner, wondering what kind of meal awaited her. Yet, as they walked through the halls, Mary couldn't shake the feeling that Aster was deliberately avoiding something—or maybe someone. It was subtle, but her movements seemed calculated, steering them along a specific path which Mary pretended not to notice

When they finally entered the dining hall, Mary's eyes widened in surprise. The long, polished table was covered with an impressive array of dishes, most of them heavily centered around meats. Mary couldn't comprehend how someone could make so much food in such a short amount of time but she decided to ask later if she had time. Since the aroma alone was enough to make her mouth water. As her gaze darted across the spread: roasted cuts of beef, glazed hams, spiced poultry, and a variety of side dishes like buttery potatoes, fresh salads, and warm rolls

"Wow" Mary whispered, her voice tinged with awe

Without hesitation, she sat down and eagerly reached for the nearest dish. But before she could take her first bite, however, Aster's hand gently but firmly stopped her

"My lady" Aster said with a calm, authoritative tone, "it is important to have proper table manners, even when dining alone"

Mary blinked clearly confused as she asked. "But I'm the only one here. Can't I eat as I like in my own home?"

"You can" Aster replied, her expression unwavering. "However, practicing proper dining etiquette regularly will make it second nature, especially when hosting or attending formal gatherings. It's a skill that reflects your noble status, my lady"

Mary pouted, reluctantly withdrawing her hand. "Can't I learn it later?"

"It's better to start now. And it's not as complicated as it seems" Aster assured her, pulling up a chair beside Mary. She neatly arranged the various utensils next to Mary's plate, gesturing toward them

"These might look like too many tools, but it's simple once you know the rules. Start from the outside and work your way in with each course" Aster explained patiently before picking up a soup spoon. "When eating soup, scoop away from you rather than toward yourself. If you wish to share food, always make sure to pass the dish counterclockwise"

"Counterclockwise?" Mary repeated, tilting her head

"It means to your right, my lady," Aster clarified, her tone steady

Mary sighed. "Great. Can i eat now?"

Aster nodded, satisfied. "Yes, as long as you follow the rules"

Finally given permission, Mary wasted no time. She picked up her fork and began with the salad, cautiously following the instructions. Aster watched her closely, offering occasional corrections and reminders, ensuring that each motion was precise

Once the salad was gone, Mary moved on to the main dishes. Her initial hesitance faded as she dug into the meats, savoring each bite. The roasted lamb melted in her mouth, and the seasoned chicken was perfectly tender. She worked her way through the courses, meticulously adhering to Aster's guidance, though she couldn't help grumbling about the unnecessary extra steps and the complexity of it all

"I still don't see why we need all these rules just to eat" Mary muttered between bites as she stuffed more food into her already full mouth

Aster's gaze remained steady despite the fact that Mary was eating as if her sole purpose was to fill her stomach. "Proper dining etiquette isn't just about eating, my lady. It's a reflection of discipline and respect—qualities that speak volumes about one's character"

Mary huffed but said nothing, her focus returning to her plate as she devoured a potato in two bites

As the meal progressed, Mary began to notice just how much food was in front of her. Every time she thought she was making a dent in the spread, it seemed as though the table remained just as full as before. Her stomach, once growling with hunger, now felt increasingly heavy. Yet the food was so delicious she found herself pushing past her limits

By the time she leaned back in her chair, her plate clean, Mary was thoroughly stuffed. She groaned softly, placing a hand on her stomach, which felt ready to burst. Despite her desire to keep going, it was clear she couldn't manage another bite

"I think… I ate too much" Mary mumbled, her voice strained

Aster, standing by her side, looked down at her with a faint trace of amusement in her otherwise stoic expression. "You paced yourself better than I expected, my lady. However, overeating is not considered proper dining etiquette neither is stuffing your face until you can't eat anymore"

Mary shot her a tired glare. "You could've said that before my stomach felt like it was going to explode"

Aster showed a faint smile as she spoke. "Consider it a lesson learned, my lady"

Groaning, Mary leaned her head back, staring at the ornate ceiling of the dining hall. "This noble etiquette stuff is exhausting and i haven't even started yet"

Aster placed a folded napkin neatly on the table before bowing slightly. "You'll adjust just fine, my lady. All you need is time"

"Then can we adjust tomorrow?" Mary asked weakly, earning a quiet chuckle from the ever-watchful knight

Aster straightened herself as she asked. "In that case, shall we do a little exercise to help digest your meal, my lady?"

Mary nodded quickly, eager to rid herself of the bloated feeling. The suggestion seemed harmless enough, and any relief sounded welcome

Watching her nod Aster glanced away momentarily, and Mary's senses twitched as she caught a faint fluctuation of mana spreading through the building. Before she could process it, the dining hall doors opened, and Robert entered. He moved with mechanical efficiency, swiftly clearing the table of dishes. And following close behind him was Lorraine, her signature bright smile lighting up the room

"Ah, little lady May" Lorraine greeted cheerfully, waving to Mary

Mary returned the wave, though her reaction was slow since she was confused by the weird nickname used to address her

Meanwhile Robert wasted no time, finishing the cleanup with practiced precision. He gave a polite low bow before exiting, leaving Lorraine behind. The maid didn't seem inclined to follow, instead watching Mary with a curious, almost playful expression

"Do you have anything to do here, Lorraine?" Aster asked her tone cold

Seeing her Lorraine simply smiled as she spoke "Oh Ash dear, our master has personally requested me to make clothes for our the little lady May, so i would need to take her measurments. Don't worry you can watch and i promise that i'll be gentle with her"

Aster didn't bother to respond to her as she just observed her before gesturing for Mary to follow her

Seeing her gesture Mary pushed herself up from the chair with a groan, the heaviness in her stomach making her movements sluggish. She trailed after Aster, while Lorraine followed closely behind, her footsteps light and almost mischievous

As they exited the room Aster naturally took the lead nagivating the mansion but following behind her Mary couldn't help but feel goosebups all over her body since she felt something intangible that was spreading throughout the entire mansion before returning to Aster. Seemingly repeating this process multiple times Mary tried to identify what this intangible thing was but she just couldn't grasp what it was. It was nothing like the aura that was shown by Ethan and it didn't really seem like mana since she couldn't really sense it for some reason

But more importantly seeing how it was being used she thought maybe it was something like echo location although she wasn't sure she could try it later when she was alone. Thinking that she stopped paying attention to it and just walked in silence no longer bothered by the weird spreading thing but more so by the silence

After a bit of walking they arrived at a rather spacious room with all the furnitures seemingly removed for some reason. Before Mary could ask what to do next Aster suddenly stepped out of the room and closed the door leaving her alone with Lorraine

Looking at the door blankly Mary didn't know how to react when she was suddenly dragged into the middle of the room as Lorraine forced her to stand upright while she took her measurements with her six arms

Standing still Mary didn't know what to say since she was just bewildered at how Aster suddenly left the room without a word leaving her alone with Lorraine. Not understanding her sudden action she was caught off guard by the intangible wave that spread across the room causing her body to shiver as goosebumps appeared all over her body causing Lorraine to frown as she looked at Mary with a questioning look. Seeing her Mary just smiled trying to ignore the constant wave of energy that scanned the room multiple times every second

Trying her best to stay still Mary tried to find something to distract herself as she thought about trying to try to copy whatever Aster was doing as she closed her eyes and spread her mana across the room before quickly retrieving it as she repeated the process making it match her breathing 

Then before she even realized it they were done but Lorraine didn't seem satisfied as she put away the tape measure to touched all over Mary's body seemingly feeling the texture

"What are you doing?" Mary inquired confused since it should be over

"Seeing if your skin will be comfortable to wear" Lorraine answered half heartedly not even bothering to come up with an excuse since she couldn't really paying much attention to her at the moment

Hearing her words Mary frowned before immediately just passing it off as a joke

But as time went on Lorraine's action seems to become more and more bizarre as she brought her face to Mary's skin sniffing it before rubbing her face all over her body. The final straw for Mary was when she tried to lick her skin seemingly trying to taste it causing Mary to instinctively pull away from her

As Mary stared at Lorraine in terror and astonishment until the door suddenly opened as Aster stepped in alarmed by the sudden movement in the room

Seeing Aster enter the room Lorraine clicked her tongue in regret since she didn't even get a chance to take a small bite out of Mary's cute face. But she quickly regained her composure as she smiled brightly ready to greet Aster

But before she could even open her mouth she felt something pressing on her shoulders as the space around her rippled under the influence of Aster's intangible aura as she walked past her to examine Mary ensuring that she was unharmed

Despite feeling like she might be crushed like a bug at any moment, Lorraine's smiling face didn't waver as she stood her ground to the best of her abilities

Seeing her stand upright Aster retrieved her aura as she had already confirmed Mary's safety allowing Lorraine to take a deep breath before Aster questioned her

"Do you have anything else to do here, Lorraine?" Aster asked, her tone cold

At Aster's cold voice Lorraine's smile seemed relieved before a wide grin quickly took it's place. "Oh dear Ash, as much as I'd love to say yes, your Lord hasn't delivered the materials I need yet. So all I can do is watch for now" She raised her hands in mock surrender before adding, "But don't worry—I won't bother our little lady May. After all, I did promise, didn't I?"

Aster's sharp eyes narrowed slightly at Lorraine's words, though she said nothing. Instead, she turned back to Mary and gestured for her to follow

Seeing her gesture Mary hurriedly followed her out of the room as Lorraine trailed behind them from a distance

But as they walked Mary couldn't help but feel uncomfortable since her body kept warning her about something. Despite not turning around Mary was sure the thing her instincts kept warning her about was Lorraine since she was sure she would be following them

Choosing to ignore her trembling body while pretending not to notice Lorraine who was clearly following them Mary arrived infront of what seemed to be a blue vortex of mana floating in the air

While Mary froze at the sight of the giant mana vortex before her. Aster calmly walked up to it before looking back and motioning for her to follow before walking into it and dissapearing

Seeing this Mary hesitated before cautiously approaching closer and putting her hand through it. Closing her eyes and bracing herself, Mary waited to be sucked in only to open her eyes in surprise when nothing happened

Her body wasn't pulled in like she had imagined and her instincts wasn't really warning her about any danger if you exclude Lorraine who was right behind her, breathing down her neck quite literally

Confirming that the vortex is safe and that staying here would be more dangerous for her Mary immediately stepped in allowing the vortex to swallow her whole and take her somewhere else

**********************

Somewhere on the World Continent

A lone figure hurried down a long, dimly lit corridor. His steps were quick and deliberate, his expression tense. As he reached the large door at the end of the hall, he hesitated. Was this truly a threat worthy of the Archduke's attention?

Normally, the Grand Marshal or two of the Zodiacs would handle such matters. But this was different. This was a special case with most of the Zodiacs away

After a brief moment of contemplation, the servant steeled himself, finally deciding to knock—

"There's no need to knock. Just come in"

A voice, calm yet firm, cut through his hesitation

The servant tensed but quickly obeyed, pushing the door open and stepping inside

Inside, a spacious study came into view. A man sat behind an imposing desk, piles of documents stacked high on either side. The light cast shadows across his sharp features, but even in the low light, it was clear who he was

Ethan.

Calm and composed, he slowly set down his pen, turning his full attention to the flustered servant with a warm gaze giving a quiet reassurance that helped ease some of the tension

With a gentle smile, he spoke

"There's no need to be so tense. Take your time to take a deep breath and slowly report the situation"

The servant inhaled shakily, grounding himself before beginning his report

"Yes, Master Ethan. There's been an emergency. A report just came in detailing the appearance of an unusual lone Red Dragon rampaging near human territory. At first, we assumed it was a young Red Dragon that had been separated from its group… but further observation suggests otherwise"

Ethan's expression remained steady, his golden eyes attentive as he listened

But his attention only seemed to make the servant more agitated as he swallowed before continuing

"Based on the color of its scales, its size, and the nature of its mana, we believe it may not be a young Red Dragon but rather a newly born Crimson Dragon"

Following his words a brief moment of silence followed as the air in the study seemed to shift, the weight of those words settling between them

"A Crimson Dragon…" Ethan murmured, his voice thoughtful rather than alarmed

The servant nodded quickly, pressing on. "We don't have full confirmation yet, nor do we know whether it poses a direct threat to the Empire. However, given the rarity of Crimson Dragons and their history of destruction, it's highly likely to continue its rampage"

Hearing the report Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers idly tapping against the desk in a slow, rhythmic motion as he asked

"How many recorded incidents of Crimson Dragons are there?"

"Only three has been recorded in history, Master Ethan. And each time they all ended in catastrophic destruction before any proper response could be formed. If this truly is a Crimson Dragon, it would be the first sighting in over a thousand years"

As the servant finished his report, he stood in tense silence, awaiting the Archduke's reaction

Perhaps noticing this, Ethan's fingers, which had been steadily tapping against the desk, suddenly stopped. After a brief pause, he asked one last question. "Where's the body?"

The servant blinked, momentarily thrown off by the question before bowing slightly as he explained

"Due to the absence of the Zodiacs, there was no one available to subdue the dragon, Master Ethan"

Ethan shook his head and clarified which only deepened the servants confusion. "That's not what i meant. Where's the corpse?"

The servant hesitated before bowing once more, his brows furrowed in uncertainty. "I'm sorry, Master Ethan, but i don't think i understand"

Ethan exhaled softly, before speaking. "The Crimson Dragon is dead"

For a moment, the servant doubted his own ears. Had he misheard?

"Master Ethan… forgive me, but could you enlighten this servant?"

Ethan simply leaned forward, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. His next words were brief but carried a weight that sent a shiver down the servant's spine "Lucas is back"

Though Ethan's voice remained calm, the meaning behind those words struck like a thunderclap

If The servant inhaled sharply, his earlier confusion melting into something else—excitement.

If Lucas had returned, then it all made sense.

The Hero had come back. There was no need to worry

Because without a doubt he would protect human territory

********************

"Where am I?" Lucas muttered to himself, but no answer came

With a sigh, he scratched his head, glancing around—only to realize a moment later that he couldn't actually see anything since he was wearing a blindfold at the moment

"Should I just walk around a little more? Maybe I'll get lucky and land somewhere in the Empire" he considered, but quickly shook his head

That was a terrible idea

What if he ended up at the bottom of the sea? Or worse, in another dimension? He had already stumbled through the Abyss and the Outer Realm by accident before. And last time… well, he somehow managed to land himself inside an active volcano

No. Definitely not worth the effort

"Then should I just sit still and wait for somebody to come pick me up?" He entertained the thought for a moment before dismissing it just as quickly

He needed to find Scarlett and let her know about the mess he had caused—before she found out on her own and reprimanded him for not reporting it to her sooner

As he floated aimlessly in the sky—upside down, no less—debating his next move, his senses suddenly picked up something

A dragon. The scent of dried blood. The lingering taste of something burnt in the air

Frowning, he turned toward the source of the disturbance, only to be met with an utterly bizarre sight

An upside-down red dragon was rampaging across an upside-down mountain range, burning everything in its path

Lucas blinked

Did Scarlett flip the dimension again?

He glanced around, expecting some sign of spatial distortion, only to realize—he was the one floating upside down

With an embarrassed huff, he righted himself midair, then pulled out his phone. A mechanical eye with wings materialized over his shoulder, acting as his sight while he scrolled through the files sent to him by Ethan

"Hmm… it looks like a Red Dragon, but that doesn't make sense. Red Dragons travel in groups, and this one's alone. Maybe a subspecies?"

He compared the image of a standard Red Dragon on his screen to the one currently torching the landscape

"It's similar… just darker red. Probably a variant?"

He continued searching until he found a match. The exact description of the dragon before him

"A Crimson Dragon, huh? Never seen one before"

With that realization, Lucas pocketed his phone and dismissed the Guardian's Eye

"Thanks. You can go back now"

The mechanical eye gave a brief flicker before vanishing. Lucas stretched, rolling his shoulders as he recalled what he had just read about Crimson Dragons

Born from the blood of its kin, forever consumed by madness. A Crimson Dragon is one of the cursed dragons, fated to suffer for as long as it lives—just like the Black Dragons

He exhaled slowly. What a tragic existence

Taking a deep breath, he disappeared from his spot—reappearing directly in front of the raging beast

The Crimson Dragon, still lost in its frenzy, let out a furious roar, flames spilling from its maw as it swung its massive claws

Lucas, unfazed, calmly reached out—his hand pressing firmly against the dragon's head

The moment his fingers made contact, the creature froze mid-rampage

Its entire body trembled violently, muscles straining as it instinctively fought back, but its resistance was in vain. No matter how much it struggled, it couldn't move

Not against him

Lucas watched silently, his grip steady, his gaze unreadable

"Calm down" he murmured, his voice quiet but commanding

The Crimson Dragon's crazed, burning eyes flickered. For the first time, hesitation seeped into its frenzied mind

Lucas tightened his grip ever so slightly

"You've just been born but you've already suffered enough. So consider this my mercy"

The Crimson Dragon's frenzied eyes flickered, and for the first time, it noticed something—something vast, something impossibly heavy—looming high above in the sky

But it was too late

Before it could react, a massive sword came crashing down

In an instant, the Guardian's Sword cleaved through the dragon's neck in one swift, merciful strike. There was no pain, no struggle—just the silent end of a life that had known nothing but suffering and madness since it's birth

Lucas exhaled as the dragon's lifeless body collapsed, its blood soaking into the scorched earth. But he didn't linger on the sight. Instead, he reached out—his fingers brushing against the air as he grasped something unseen

The newborn dragon's soul

It pulsed weakly, fragile and vulnerable, on the verge of being torn apart by the very forces that had cursed its existence. Lucas furrowed his brow, steadying it with his power, ensuring it remained whole

With careful precision, he guided the soul away—far beyond the reach of the Abyss, away from the clutches of the The World of Chaos, from Hell, from Heaven. Far from the madness that had tormented it since the moment of it's birth

Somewhere beyond this cursed realm

Somewhere safe, somewhere quiet

He sent it into a distant world—a place untouched by war, untainted by divine or infernal hands. A peaceful world where humans and monsters didn't exist, where it could finally be free

Only after it vanished from his grasp did Lucas sigh, his shoulders easing slightly

"At least now… you can rest. Far away from this cursed world"

With those final words, he fell silent, his gaze drifting across the ruined landscape

Now, all that was left was to wait

Someone would inevitably come to retrieve the dragon's corpse—after all, a Crimson Dragon's remains were far too valuable to leave unattended. Plus the last thing he needed was for it to fall into the wrong hands

So, all he had to do was stay put

But where should he sit?

He needed to be somewhere high up, somewhere visible so that whoever arrived could find him easily. But at the same time, he couldn't just sit on the dragon's head—that would be far too disrespectful

His eyes wandered across the scorched land before settling on something

The Guardian's Sword, a massive turquoise metal in the shape of a sword, remained deeply embedded in the ground where it had fallen

Its pommel, shaped like a crescent moon, curved like a hook to counterbalance the weapon's asymmetry. Ethan, the sword's designer, had likely never imagined it would become a resting spot for Lucas

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips

"Yeah… that'll do"

With that, he vanished, reappearing within the hollow curve of the Guardian's Sword's pommel before settling into a comfortable position. Now, all that was left to do was to wait

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long

His senses picked up on something—movement in the shadows

A monster. The scent of countless flowers. The taste of ice cream

Lucas's face lit up

That bizarre combination could only mean one thing

"BEST BUDDY!"

In an instant, he shot towards the source like a cannonball, his arms spread wide open in excitement ready to embrace his one and only best friend

******************

"BEST BUDDY!"

Emerging from the shadows Ethan barely had time to react. The moment he heard Lucas's overly enthusiastic voice, he instinctively pulled the servant behind him and stepped aside, dodging just in time as Lucas came barreling toward them at full speed

Lucas, realizing he had missed, rolled smoothly across the ground with practiced ease before springing to his feet in one fluid motion. With his arms raised like a bird, he struck a dramatic pose, as if awaiting applause—or at the very least, some kind of acknowledgment

He got neither.

Instead, Ethan's cold, unimpressed voice rang out

"Lucas, be more mindful of your surroundings. And at the very least try to maintain the dignity of a hero when others are present"

Lucas blinked. He glanced at Ethan, then at the unfamiliar servant peeking from behind him

Oh.

Right.

This wasn't Aster.

For a moment, he stood frozen in place before quickly clearing his throat with an exaggerated ahem and putting on his most serious expression. Then, with absolutely no shame, he turned to the servant and made an offer

"If you promise not to tell anyone, Ethan and i will give you a selfie and our signature"

There was a beat of silence

Then Ethan sighed

"Why exactly am i included in this?"

At his question Lucas grinned "Ethan, friends should help cover up for each others mistakes"

At Lucas's shameless response, Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly

The servant, meanwhile, was too stunned to react—his mind struggling to process what was happening—when Ethan finally spoke

"If you promise not to tell anyone what you just saw today, I'll give you a raise along with a two-month paid vacation for you and your family to any world you wish to visit"

Before the servant could respond, Lucas eagerly chimed in

"And Ethan and I will throw in a selfie and our signatures. Pretty good deal, right?"

Ethan shot him a cold look before, without another word, pulling out a contract

"You can sign here" he said to the servant, motioning toward the designated line. Then, without missing a beat, he turned to Lucas. "You sign next to my signature"

Lucas grinned as he scribbled his name down with an unnecessary flourish

Still dazed, the servant carefully read through the contract under Ethan's watchful eye. Ethan, ever the meticulous one, patiently explained each clause, reassuring the servant that there were no hidden loopholes to exploit

Meanwhile Lucas, on the other hand, had already moved on. Having finished signing, he summoned the Guardian's Eye once again, then promptly grabbed Ethan and pulled him closer

Before Ethan could protest, Lucas positioned the three of them—himself and Ethan on either side of the servant—while the Guardian's Eye took the picture

With a satisfied nod, Lucas snatched the servant's phone, swiftly transferring the image before proceeding to take several more selfies, changing poses each time. Ethan, of course, remained expressionless in all of them

Finally, Lucas pulled out a sticker and scribbled both his and Ethan's signatures on it—since Ethan outright refused to cooperate

Handing it over, he explained, "This sticker can be placed on anything, and even after its first use, you can remove it and stick it somewhere else"

With that, he finally released the bewildered servant, leaving just him and Ethan alone

Silence stretched between them for a moment before Ethan sighed, rubbing his temple

"Lucas…"

Lucas simply grinned. "Yes, best buddy?"

Ethan closed his eyes briefly, as if questioning his every life decision that had led him to this moment

But before he could dwell on it further, Lucas interrupted him with an enthusiastic voice

"Anyway, I heard you got married, Best Buddy. Congratulations! Here's my happy wedding gift"

He gestured dramatically toward the massive Crimson Dragon's corpse

But before Ethan could respond, Lucas suddenly added, "Oh, and can you tell Scarlett to move the World of Chaos somewhere else? Also, can you come pick me up later when she's done?"

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked "…What did you do this time?"

Lucas let out a sheepish chuckle. "Well… the invaders may or may not have figured out our location"

Ethan's gaze sharpened. "And?"

Lucas immediately looked away. "And I may have let a single board slip past"

"How many?"

"Look, I was busy, alright? I tried to finish off the three Outer Gods as fast as I could by giving up my sense of sight, balance and direction, but before I could wipe them out, fifteen more showed up. Man, that hivemind thing is seriously annoying"

Ethan remained silent, waiting. He knew Lucas wasn't done

Sure enough, Lucas hesitated before continuing, "And… there might have been a queen onboard"

Ethan's expression remained unreadable. "How many kings?"

"None. Just one rook and one bishop. Really small numbers"

Ethan stared at him.

Lucas sighed. "Okay, fine. Maybe they had, like… 10 million pawns and 3 million knights. But it's still a small number! I'm pretty sure the Empire can handle it"

Ethan let out a slow breath, looking past Lucas to gaze at the sky. Then, without warning, he interrupted

"I'll inform Scarlett. You should get going unless you want to be swarmed by Outer Beasts"

Lucas blinked. "Wait, they're already here? No, more importantly—how many Outer Gods are leading them?"

Ethan's voice was calm, almost indifferent as he quickly counted the never ending sea of invaders

"Twenty-five Outer Gods, accompanied by roughly 2,000 Outer Beasts and 40,000 boards"

Lucas processed the numbers for a moment before asking, "In total?"

Ethan shook his head

"No. Just the first wave"

Lucas fell silent. Then, after a moment, he let out a long sigh, muttering to himself

"Man… I really hate this hiveminds thing"

Saying that Lucas was about to jump towards the sky and take off when he suddenly stopped, turning back to Ethan with a questioning look

"Oh, right—quick question"

Ethan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting

"Someone kept reversing the flow of time while I was fighting the Outer Gods. Was that you or Scarlett? Because, honestly, that really threw me off my rhythm"

Ethan shook his head. "Neither me nor Scarlett. It was someone else"

Lucas blinked. "Really? Did you manage to recruit them?"

Ethan’s expression remained neutral. "No. Unfortunately, he refused"

Lucas clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Ah, what a shame. The World of Chaos could really use the extra time… and hands"

He stretched before flashing Ethan a confident smile befitting that of a hero

"Well, it was nice seeing you, Best Buddy. Don’t forget to pick me up when you’re done!"

And with that, he jumped—disappearing in an instant, leaving nothing in his wake

Ethan watched the empty space where Lucas had been, exhaling softly

"Troublesome as always"

Then, without further delay, he turned and strode away into the shadows. There was still work to be done