Nightfall approached too quickly. The farewell was difficult for all of them, Liam especially, but their Purposes wouldn't wait.

Halo kept going on about how much he'd miss Seraph's cooking, prompting both her and Liam to scold him like parents. They wanted him to take better care of himself.

Using the same technique that had helped him escape StoneHaven's walls, he managed to slip back into Iris's place undetected.

His thoughts lingered on Seraph, he hoped she'd make it through whatever was weighing on her. But first, he needed to examine the gift she'd given him.

She'd designed it with his aesthetic in mind but added her own touch, a long coat with a dramatic high collar.

The cost was very dark, almost a solid silhouette, and it reached down past the hips. It had a straight, vertical row of white buttons running down the center, and the collar was the stiff, stand-up type.

The sleeves were wide and loose-fitting. It even had hand pockets, something his current clothes lacked.

It was weird getting a coat out of the blue, but given how his clothes kept getting ripped, it was actually ideal. The craftsmanship suggested a True Ability, something that would never tear.

But despite the comfort, his duty called.

***

StoneHaven's guards operated under two separate commands. One controlled the lower districts where commoners lived, the other oversaw the upper areas where the wealthy and powerful resided.

Even the powerful eventually aged, losing their strength. That's why younger guards patrolled the upper districts. But something was wrong here. Deeply wrong.

But those guards were their targets now.

"My research shows the Chaos Eaters never set foot in the latter part of this land, the same area Mika kept you in. Odd… but it means our attention should be on these people first."

Iris said.

Halo lounged in his seat, distracted by his new black shirt. It seemed to drink in the light around it. He was so mesmerized that he barely heard half of what Iris said.

"I'm sorry, are you listening?"

Halo snapped from his daze and turned in her direction.

A soft smile played on her lips. It was as if Halo's mannerisms amused her.

"Okay—

"We had three guards in the area, but Tough took one out. Two remain."

She shrugged.

"Honestly, these two are formidable on their own. But if we take them out, the mastermind will have no choice but to show themselves."

Halo furrowed his brow.

After taking nearly three weeks to rescue him from Mika, Iris should have discovered something important. He'd expected as much, anyway.

"I… I suspect the mastermind might be one of the four witches, but without solid evidence, we can't assume anything."

Her expression turned serious, her voice unwavering.

"We must deal with every obstacle."

Halo gave her a hot stare, bemused.

Aeliana, the librarian, had been called a witch. Mika had mentioned something about witches too. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he'd been encountering that word, "witch", for a while now without ever understanding what it meant.

But judging from Iris's expression, the fire within her wasn't something for small talk.

"We're fugitives, particularly you. If we strike head-on, we'll be signing our own death warrants."

She exhaled.

"Our numbers are too few, and the guards can simply buy the strength of bandits and adventurers. That leaves us with one path, attack from the shadows."

"Uh-huh…"

Halo said and leaned into his seat.

"Our goal shouldn't be killing at this stage. What we need most is information."

Her expression darkened. She was resentful of what her actions put Halo through.

"I can't let you suffer any more than you already have. It's better if Light is the one to spy on them."

Halo frowned.

Spector.

He was the composed one, hair pulled back in a ponytail. If Halo was being honest with himself, he wanted to test himself against this guard.

Since training with Fade of Bridle, he hadn't faced anyone truly challenging. But one look at this man told him that he could give him what he wanted.

"Spector? What do you know about him?"

Iris played with her dark hair for a moment.

"Calm and composed with a ponytail and always smiling?"

Halo nodded positively.

"Light spied on them for a bit, but once we had to save you, he stopped everything. If we're right… the one he saw was their second-in-command."

A faint smile played on Halo's lips.

He needed to test himself. Sitting around spying for weeks wasn't his style. Besides, that's exactly what they'd expect.

But this was about him. He planned to join Jihriel's cohort, NeverLight, one day. For that, he needed to know precisely how strong he was. Spector would be the perfect first test.

He wasn't about to blow their whole operation, though. That kind of recklessness would come back to bite him. Better to wait, learn what he needed, and then make his move.

"How do you expect Light to get this done?"

Iris's eyes narrowed.

"Really, I just want him to know exactly who they're serving. Maybe it's a witch, maybe someone worse. And as much as fighting would help, avoiding one is the safest choice we've got."

It was a tall order for two people, especially since Iris couldn't hold her own in a fight. Everything fell to him, as usual. That just made him more eager to eliminate Spector. One less problem, only the commander would remain.

With a thought, Light materialized before them.

He didn't need to say anything. Light gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Halo understood immediately. Light was on board with his idea.

Relief coursed through him.

For the first time in months, Light had actually acknowledged him. That was all the encouragement he needed. He'd face Spector solo.

"You know what to do, right, Light?"

Iris asked with a concerned tone.

Light nodded.

"Stay safe, and please don't get caught."

As soon as the words left her, Light disappeared.

Iris turned to Halo.

"I think Light isn't mad at you anymore."

She smiled.

"I like your new dress…"

He glanced at his new shirt. Amazing piece, but why would Seraph give him this?

Iris energetically got to her feet.

Halo leaned back, thinking over everything Iris had said. Spector would wait, and so would the operation. For now… there was something quieter to focus on.

"Do you want to play chess to kill time?" Iris asked, stretching her arms.

Halo smirked. "Sure. But I'll need to train soon."

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