"Chairman, are we really just letting them leave like that?"

Watching Ethan, Asta, and Secre walk away, one of the attendants couldn't hide his frustration. But no one was more unwilling than Chairman Kira himself.

And yet... what choice did he have?

He knew Ethan wasn't bluffing. Had he stayed stubborn until noon, most of the Council would already be dead.

"Phew... that was close," Asta exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Ethan!"

"But hey," Asta continued, tilting his head, "you weren't actually gonna kill them all just now, right?"

Thwack!

Secre lightly thumped Asta's forehead with a tiny fist, her face full of exasperation. "You idiot. Of course not. He was just scaring those nobles and royals. Otherwise, do you think Kira would've caved so fast?"

"Ohhh... right." Asta laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I really thought you were gonna massacre everyone..."

Ethan met his gaze calmly. "No, I wasn't joking. If it had come to that, I would've done it."

Killing them all would have caused irreparable damage to the Clover Kingdom. As much as those nobles and royals disgusted him, Ethan couldn't deny their importance to the kingdom's structure.

But not killing them just because they were important? Sorry—not his style.

That was the fundamental difference between him and people like Asta. Ethan wasn't bound by ideals. If it came down to it, he would act—no hesitation, no mercy.

The capital bustled with life—streets packed with vendors and shoppers, laughter echoing off the rebuilt stonework.

A month had passed since the demonic invasion. Reconstruction was nearly complete.

People smiled everywhere, grateful to be alive. But not everyone shared in the peace.

Black Bull Base — Common Room

The entire Black Bull squad had gathered in the main lounge. Yami sat on the couch, legs crossed, a cigarette burning between his fingers. Despite his usual laid-back posture, there was a deep furrow in his brow.

Across the room, Asta and the others paced restlessly.

"This is the tenth day, right?" Noelle's voice trembled slightly. "Why isn't Vanessa back yet?"

Ten days ago, Vanessa had left the base—and vanished.

At first, they hadn't worried. Maybe she'd gotten drunk somewhere and passed out. Typical Vanessa.

But ten days with no word?

"We've checked everywhere—every tavern in the capital, even out by the border towns. Nothing," Finral reported.

"I searched the nearby forests," Magna added. "No signs of anyone staying there."

"I've asked other squads to keep an eye out, but no word yet..." said Charmy.

No matter how they cut it, the facts were clear: Vanessa was missing.

It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Yami exhaled a cloud of smoke and crushed the cigarette in the ashtray.

This wasn't normal.

You don't disappear for ten days without a trace unless something serious happened.

"Trouble always shows up in waves..." Yami muttered.

Still, as captain, he didn't let panic take hold. Instead, he mentally went through every possible scenario.

If it was foul play, then someone must've had a motive. But Vanessa had never made any enemies that he knew of.

And if it was some kind of natural disaster, the kingdom had reported nothing out of the ordinary lately.

That left only one possibility—

Creeaakk...

Just then, the front door opened.

All eyes turned instantly toward it.

"Vanessa, you're back—eh? Wait... Ethan?"

The collective hope instantly deflated.

Ethan walked in, confused by the sour expressions. "What's with the long faces? I'm not welcome?"

No one answered. They slumped back onto the sofas, deflated like popped balloons.

Ethan scratched his head, still baffled.

"Anyway, I actually came to ask you all a favor," he said. "You know my new squad, Dawnlight? We're still green. I was hoping we could do a little training match. Team to team—what do you think?"

Asta nodded—then hesitated and shook his head. The others all seemed equally unenthusiastic.

Even Luck, usually the first to jump at a fight, looked totally uninterested.

Something was seriously wrong.

Yami stood up. "It's not the right time, Ethan. We've got a problem on our hands."

"A problem?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's Vanessa," Yami said.

As the story unfolded, Ethan's brows drew together in thought.

Ten days gone... no trail... no enemies... This wasn't just drunken wandering. Something was off.

But if it wasn't a grudge or an accident... then what?

Then it clicked.

Ethan stroked his chin, voice low. "I've got a guess... Might sound crazy, but—what if she's in the Witch's Forest?"

The room fell silent.

"Witch's... Forest?" someone echoed.

Even Noelle froze, her eyes going wide. "Wait—the Witch's Forest? That place? The hidden haven where all the witches live? The one where every man who enters ends up dead?"

Ethan nodded. "That's the one. And it's not a myth. It's real."

"But... why would Vanessa go there?" Asta asked, stunned.

Only Yami sighed.

He'd never pressed for his squadmates' pasts. But that didn't mean he was clueless.

"I should've told you earlier," Yami admitted. "Vanessa... is a witch."

Gasp.

Everyone stared, stunned. But when they thought about it—her clothes, her aura, her charm—it kind of made sense.

Vanessa... a witch?

"Then what are we waiting for?" Asta said, pulling out the Demon-Slayer Sword and planting it into the floor.

Crackling lightning flared across Luck's body as he stepped up.

Even Gauche, ever the doting big brother, stood with burning resolve.

"What do you mean 'what now'? Of course we go get her back!"

-------------------------

Support me so I can keep bringing you more chapters! Your comments, reviews, and power stones mean a lot.

To Access 40+ Advance chapters head over to Patreon:

patreon .com / Samorash

~~Do leave a comment!