Down in the burial pit, Mill and Light were focused on taking down the tent Halo had erected over Fade of Bridle's body.

Halo and the others remained fixed on the Crawler; its jaws were snapping harder and faster than before, and its aggression was unhinged, as though its previous injuries stung it to the core.

Wisely, they kept their distance. The fangs were dangerous, but now the creature was using its claws as a weapon. One hit from those powerful paws would be enough to break every bone it touched. While Halo and Seraph fought cautiously, often sheltering behind Tough, the red-haired girl refused to play it safe."

She was a monster.

Having lost an arm already, she nonetheless confronted the Crawler directly. Even more alarming, her devastating strength remained unchanged. She was still launching herself ten feet skyward to strike. She had no regard for her own survival.

Halo was already past being shocked by her recklessness. What truly worried him were the other Sinners closing in. They moved more slowly than this Crawler, allowing him to estimate their numbers.

Five. There were five of them.

These must be the same Crawlers they'd witnessed at the breeding ground where this one had been nurtured. If so, they were formidable. His first encounter had told him everything he needed to know.

He'd occasionally turned to check on Light and Mill. If they delayed any longer, they'd all be dead by the time Fade of Bridle would be freed.

In the heat of the moment, he heard a loud voice that made him jerk back on instinct.

"I'm taking the sword out. Brace yourselves. He's going to charge the strongest one here."

As soon as Mill extracted the sword, it disappeared from his grasp. In the next instant, crushing pressure descended, holding everyone motionless.

Halo had expected this to some degree. When Seraph first touched the sword, something similar had occurred. But nothing had prepared him for this magnitude.

His legs buckled beneath him, sweat drenching his shirt. The sheer bloodlust and violence emanating from Fade, still buried twelve feet deep, spoke volumes.

One moment, the grave was occupied, the next, Fade of Bridle was standing in front of the Crawler. Halo hadn't even seen him move. White hair still settling from the speed of his arrival, Fade stared up at the beast with eerie calm.

The Crawler, which had been viciously aggressive moments before, seemed suddenly docile. It even lowered itself to its knees and nudged Fade gently, but the man showed no hint of recognition in his eyes.

The moment he rested his hand on the creature's head, it exploded into nothing. He hadn't struck it or shown any violence toward the Sinner, yet its blood and remains splashed across them in a grotesque spray.

Halo gulped as Fade of Bridle turned to them, his body covered in blood, and yet he managed to maintain his calm and relaxed demeanor.

The next second, he had completely vanished.

Even with his malevolent energy diminished from its peak at awakening, Halo and the others remained locked in place. The scene before them was almost unbearable.

The Crawler that had nearly killed them was eliminated, and judging by Fade's trajectory, he was moving to handle the incoming Sinners. He'd gone for the most dangerous threat first, instinctively.

But it posed a deadly threat. The monster had erased a Sinner with one touch. To survive, they needed to bring him to the castle somehow. But how do you reason with something unstoppable?

While he stood there, Light and Mill emerged from the hole.

"All of you, help me snap him out of this. Now."

Halo and Seraph turned to him with a confused look.

"Can we?"

They asked in unison bewilderment.

Mill opened his mouth, but Fade of Bridle was suddenly there. His eyes swept across them, assessing and measuring. They understood instantly. He was looking for the strongest.

Then he started toward the red-haired girl. Her eyes lit up, excited. But beneath it was fear. Clear as day.

"Tch… you bastard. It'll take a hell of a lot more than that to drop me."

She rushed him. He caught her by the face before she closed the distance. She struggled, clawing at his grip with one arm. It wasn't enough.

Mill began walking toward Fade of Bridle, his steps calculated, and spoke as though he knew the legend.

"Fade, this isn't who you are. She's a child, and you wouldn't lay a hand on her. Come back to yourself."

Fade of Bridle turned to Mill, his eyes slightly narrowed as though trying to make sense of what Mill was saying.

For a brief moment, Mill's persistent words appeared to be working on Fade of Bridle. Then the girl went still in his arms.

Halo immediately assumed his stance, and even Mill took a few steps backwards in panic.

Halo's mind raced through possibilities. If Fade of Bridle could indeed be reasoned with and didn't kill children, then they could be freed.

Given his age, Halo and the others looked like children by comparison, they'd all fall within that protected range. But with the red-haired girl not moving in his hands, this wasn't something they could count on.

What followed next made Halo's skin crawl.

Fade of Bridle dropped the girl to the ground and began massaging his temples.

"Relax, she's not dead. Milton, carry her back to the castle."

Fade of Bridle said and began leaving the scene for the castle.

"Thank goodness, you've gained consciousness."

The words left Mill with a smile before he turned to Halo and Seraph.

"Come along, kids. I'll explain everything once we've rested properly."

Relief washed over Halo. They'd survive. He was glad he'd pulled his punches, something had felt wrong about this fight from the start. But the way Mill and Fade spoke to each other… they knew each other. What else had Mill lied about?

"He knew the legend all along… why didn't he tell us? We might have stopped everything before it happened."

Seraph said with evident rage, her fists clenched tightly.

Halo patted her shoulder reassuringly, then signaled Light to get Liam. Tough moved faster, reaching him first.

The night was already approaching, and now, with the threat no more, they needed to return and rest.

But Halo felt no satisfaction. Fade had sought the strongest. Despite her missing arm, despite her exhaustion, he'd chosen the girl. Over all of them. It wounded Halo's pride. She was formidable, even broken. The message was clear: he wasn't strong enough.

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