Vale stared at the tall woman for a long moment, utterly silent.

  One by one, his companions began to recognize her as well. However none of them spoke. Alexandria simply stood there, meeting Vale’s gaze with a gentle, unhurried smile, as if time itself had slowed around her.

  She looked nothing like the creature he had first encountered.

  Back then, she had been a beast, raw, distorted, consumed by power she could not control. Now, standing before him, she was composed, radiant in a quiet way. Her presence was heavy, but no longer suffocating.

  And yet, that wasn’t what twisted Vale’s gut into knots.

  He knew who her mother was.

  Artoria.

  They had met, briefly, tragically. And Vale doubted Alexandria remembered her at all. If she did, she showed no sign of it. Her reaction to Artoria’s corpse had been distant, almost indifferent. Whether that was trauma, suppression, or something else entirely… Vale didn’t know.

  He remained wide-eyed, frozen in place.

  Then, suddenly,

  Hurricane leapt from Vale’s shoulder.

  The raven streaked through the air and landed neatly on Alexandria’s shoulder, feathers ruffling as if he had done this a thousand times before.

  Alexandria blinked in surprise, then raised an eyebrow. Slowly, she reached up and gently petted the bird, a faint chuckle escaping her lips.

  That simple, ordinary motion snapped Vale back to reality.

  He blinked hard, his breath hitching, and finally really looked at her.

  Alexandria was… striking. Her clothing was mostly black, tailored and elegant, accented by a finely woven scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. She carried herself with effortless confidence, every movement deliberate.

  She chuckled softly and stepped closer.

  Vale, his mind still blank, took a hesitant step backward on instinct.

  But as she approached, he realized something.

  There was no hostility, no threat.

  Ember, however, didn’t share that conclusion.

  The small wyvern stepped forward, eyes narrowed, faint embers glowing in his maw. A low, warning rumble rolled from his throat as Alexandria came within five meters.

  She stopped.

  Slowly, she knelt and reached out toward Ember, her expression curious rather than alarmed.

  “Well,” she said softly, “aren’t you a cautious one?”

  Her hand moved in a strange, flowing pattern, precise, deliberate, something Vale couldn’t track no matter how hard he tried.

  Ember’s eyes followed the motion with unsettling accuracy.

  After a tense moment, the flames in his mouth faded. He huffed, then retreated, lying down beside Vale with a dismissive flick of his tail.

  Alexandria rose once more, towering over Vale. She smiled, then bowed deeply.

  “Good day, Vale,” she said. “Are you recovering well?”

  Vale stared at her, stunned.

  Why… is she bowing?

  This was the second time now. The second time someone of unimaginable power had lowered themselves before him.

  Even when they explained it, he couldn’t understand.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Awkwardly, he scratched the back of his head.

  “Uh… yeah,” he replied. “I am.”

  His voice came out uneven, uncertain.

  Alexandria straightened, but then her eyes narrowed, her attention shifting to the side.

  Vale followed her gaze.

  They stood overlooking a vast mountain range, lush with forests and life. Wind whispered through the trees below. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

  Then Alexandria broke the silence.

  “I know we’ve never spoken directly,” she said, her voice quieter now. “My circumstances… made that difficult.”

  She paused, then turned back to him.

  “But you saved me, from the corruption of my own power.” She bowed her head slightly. “For that, I humbly request to become your guardian.”

  Vale’s expression tightened, confusion flooding his features.

  “…Guardian?” he echoed internally. 'In what way? Why me?'

  He remained silent for several seconds before finally speaking aloud.

  “What do you mean by that,” he asked carefully, “exactly?”

  Alexandria considered his question.

  Then she smiled, proud, yet gentle.

  “I will protect you,” she said simply.

  Before Vale could respond, heavy footsteps echoed behind him.

  He turned sharply,

  and saw nothing.

  Frowning, he lingered for a moment before turning back.

  He blinked.

  Standing beside him now was a massive man, nearly two and a half meters tall. His skin was deep olive, his hair short and onyx-black. His presence was overwhelming, dense with power.

  Vale staggered back in shock.

  Instinctively, he tried to sense the man’s energy.

  And froze.

  His eyes widened, and his thoughts scattered.

  The man smiled warmly. His physique was monstrous, something even elite athletes could never hope to achieve. He wore dark clothing, matching Alexandria’s.

  The two exchanged a glance.

  Confused, Vale finally spoke.

  “…Is that you?” he asked slowly. “Barbatos?”

  The man laughed and pointed a thumb at himself.

  “Yeah,” he said brightly. “Was wondering how long it’d take you to figure that out.”

  Vale stared for several more seconds.

  Then he began to circle Barbatos, walking around him again and again, studying every angle, seeing, at last, what lay beneath the familiar onyx shell.

  When he finally stopped, he stood before the two towering figures, heart pounding.

  He looked at them with a complicated expression.

  After all… it wasn’t every day that the two strongest beings on the planet stood before him, smiling.

  Silence lingered a moment longer before Barbatos finally spoke.

  “Vale… there’s something I meant to tell you.”

  He paused, then continued calmly, “Alexandria and I will be leaving the planet for a while.”

  Vale raised a curious eyebrow, his expression tightening slightly as he processed the words.

  “May I ask why?” he said carefully.

  Barbatos glanced toward Alexandria. She stood quietly beside him, eyes steady, then gave a single, deliberate nod.

  He sighed and turned his attention back to Vale.

  “With the recent increase in Hell Gate activity, it would be unwise to remain idle,” Barbatos said. “Training is necessary. And frankly…” He hesitated, then spoke plainly. “A single serious match between Alexandria and myself could fracture the planet. Training off-world is our only viable option.”

  Vale brought a finger to his chin, thinking it over.

  “That… makes sense,” he admitted. Then his gaze sharpened. “But there’s something I don’t understand. How are you able to maintain that form?” He gestured vaguely at Barbatos. “Without passively destroying everything around you. You said before that simply existing like that was dangerous.”

  Barbatos blinked. His smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful, almost curious look. He lifted his hand to his chin and tilted his head slightly, staring at nothing in particular.

  “Well,” he murmured, “how do I explain this…”

  He remained silent for several seconds.

  “Not long ago,” Barbatos continued, “I faced an enemy as powerful as myself. For the first time in my existence, I could fight without restraint.”

  His eyes drifted into the distance, as if replaying the battle.

  “In that conflict, I learned more than I ever had before, about my power, about control, and about myself.” He looked back at Vale. “Now I can maintain this form. It isn’t effortless. It requires constant focus, but… it’s possible.”

  He shrugged lightly and looked away again.

  Vale followed his gaze, then spoke quietly.

  “So everything really does come down to focus.”

  Barbatos chuckled softly.

  “Of course. How else do you think people summon whirlwinds of fire?” he said. “They imagine them first. Then, through focus, they give that image form. Reality bends to their intent.”

  Vale stared at him, absorbing the words.

  But he didn’t respond.

  After a long silence, Barbatos turned and began walking away.

  Alexandria lingered for a moment, then looked back at Vale with a gentle, playful smile.

  “I’ll keep an eye on you from Saturn,” she said lightly.

  She turned and followed Barbatos, their towering figures disappearing down the corridor.

  Vale remained where he was.

  He stood before the massive window, staring through it, not at the stars beyond, and not at his own reflection. In truth, he wasn’t looking at anything at all.

  He was focusing.

  On himself.

  On his memories.

  On Mirage, the great wolf bound to his soul.

  On the dreadful, blood-soaked angel whose presence still haunted him.

  He knew nothing. Not truly.

  Not about them.

  Not about himself.

  The realization gnawed at him like a blade pressed against his thoughts.

  Time passed unnoticed.

  Finally, something shifted in his expression, something uncertain, yet resolute.

  Vale turned and began walking through the halls.

  Ember padded quietly at his side, while his ravens circled overhead, their wings whispering softly through the air. Vale said nothing. His thoughts were empty, his body moving almost on instinct alone.

  After a long while, he reached his room.

  The door closed behind him.

  And there, in the silence, a single question surfaced, clear, unavoidable, and heavier than anything he had ever faced.

  ''What am I?''