"I heard Kysa's presence completely vanished from the world, right around the time I was getting ready to hand her ass to her too."

Brave spoke, his shark-like teeth snapping as though he chewed metal for breakfast.

"Yeah, I've heard that, though I'm not certain. She might simply be suppressing her presence to remain hidden, it's not uncommon." Nava added.

"No, it's been more than a month, and Kysa never misses a day without revealing herself. They say a war is rising, everyone striving to be the strongest Knight."

It was early morning, and Halo was having his breakfast.

They were seated in the dining room, which, unlike other royal settings, resembled an academy dining hall more than a palace. Tables and benches filled the space.

Halo could feel Kysa's overwhelming laughter as Brave and Nava spoke about her so casually. The pride in Brave's voice, his absolute certainty that he could defeat her, and Nava's gentle approval only made Kysa laugh even harder.

While they ate, Omega walked in fully dressed in pink. Unlike her usual revealing clothes, this robe covered her down to her toenails.

"Ha! You really think my charms won't affect you unless I wear something…revealing, Nava?"

She spun in a full circle, letting her presence fill the room.

"Be grateful you've seen me. Even if I were locked in a cave, the thought of me alone would be enough to charm you."

Halo was seated on a bench away from the three. He didn't know what exactly was happening, but Omega's new appearance was pleasant enough. Nava, however, drooled as though his mind was being twisted.

"Oh, Omega. How kind of you. I'm pleased to be in your presence, my lady."

Omega wore a sinister smile.

"Now, bow before me…"

Before Nava could get to his knees, Brave rose to his feet.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You fell for that shit?"

Brave whipped around to face Omega, forcing her to deactivate her ability.

"Okay, okay, but he asked for it."

The moment Nava was free, his rage began burning red. Veins popped from all over his body as he reached for his swords.

"You cheated, you little pervert."

Though they looked no different from children, Halo was glad to see there were people in this world who still held on to some humor. Most importantly, they were all enjoying themselves, and their antics gave him a pretty good idea of what their Flaws could be.

Nava turned to Halo.

"Uh-huh. Prove you can do the same trick on Halo, and I'll admit you didn't cheat."

Halo frowned. 'Huh? Why me?'

Omega looked threatened for a moment.

"How could I possibly do that? His mind is so formidable that even Thor's True Ability, Great Ally, failed on him."

Nava energetically turned to Omega.

"Exactly! Why else would I want you to try on him?"

Halo watched in both understanding and disappointment as Omega and Nava went at each other. Brave stood between them, making sure Omega didn't so much as touch his precious Nava.

After a brief moment, Halo fled while they argued.

In his room, Kysa, Saint, and Light took form.

"I wanted to talk yesterday, not today. Why show yourself now?"

Saint looked disappointed, while Light and Kysa kept fighting as usual.

"I already told you about how much I don't like being in the presence of that guy… well, I don't know if it's for the best or worse, but he's definitely more mysterious than he used to be."

Halo had heard enough about Jihriel already. Mysterious or not, it was his responsibility to figure him out, gain his trust, and influence him.

"You don't need to be in his presence. As I mentioned yesterday, your freedom isn't in question. If he believes a price must be paid, he'll have to bring it to me."

Saint rested in a seat.

"You're not planning to leave Wood Fringe anytime soon, are you? I have matters of my own to handle. In the meantime, I can supply you with Sin Fragments while you deal with the matters here."

Kysa's words enthusiastically cut in barely a second later.

"Me, me… I want to go with you."

Halo smiled. With those two together, they could even threaten the entire continent. Perhaps he wouldn't have to lie about being an Assassin for long.

"By the way, I don't think Thor's ability allows him to read minds."

Halo turned to Saint and furrowed his brow.

"The name Great Ally tells me enough. The gods don't hand out mind‑reading as manipulation, you'd need to forge a True Ability of your own for that. In the end, everything depends on how creative you are."

Saint relaxed in her seat.

"Thor's ability likely makes him exact with anyone he counts as an ally. It may allow him to dominate and enslave people or Sinners, and in that way, even betrayals are revealed before they occur."

She shrugged.

"Maybe that explains why Jihriel picked him as his advisor. It's a remarkably useful ability for a cohort."

Halo's expression darkened.

"Are you saying I've been enslaved?"

She let out an annoyed sigh.

"It's not really enslavement. The ability tells him who would make a good ally, who might betray him, or who's hiding something. Your case is different, though. He can't break your mental defense barrier, but I doubt that's all he has. Someone that experienced wouldn't rely on a single trick."

Halo gave her a lazy look. This still didn't change anything. If they could know his agenda, it wouldn't be all that bad, but still, he couldn't risk it.

Maybe being told by a lonely whim that you were a character in a game, one he'd played for quite some time, and that your actions had made the situation of the world ten times worse. Even a madman would take offense.

"But Thor isn't the one you need to worry about. For Jihriel, it's a natural phenomenon, but you need to be careful with Hazard. That guy isn't normal. Not at all."

Halo lay down on his bed, watching as Light and Kysa chatted freely while Light braided her red hair.

Friendship. That was all he wanted. He needed to put things in place to gain the favor of Jihriel and his inner circle.

Soon, a dark aura radiated from Dark Saint.

"I am Saint Paris. My title is Dark Saint. If you want another name, call me the Child of Misfortune. But if anyone calls me Child of Manipulation to my face, I'll kill them. I don't care if they're your leader."

Halo stared at her with his peripheral vision.

"Tch…"

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