Even now, dozens of planes constantly arrived and departed from Midnight Airport in Nighthaven without pause.

    Beyond the smoothly opening automatic doors, a woman stepped in, removing her hat as she cheerfully exclaimed—

    "I''m finally back! Nighthaven!"

    The woman with beautiful, cherry-blossom-colored hair cascading freely was none other than Alice.

    She had just landed in Nighthaven after taking a flight from the airport near Saint Maria.

    On the way there, they had left before sunrise and only arrived after noon. But on the way back, they departed in the late morning and hadn’t even reached noon yet.

    The sheer speed of an airplane, effortlessly surpassing trains and cars, left Alice in awe.

    “Slow down a bit. What’s the rush, you hyperactive thing?”

    Clatter.

    Dragging a suitcase in one hand, Raven followed after her, scolding her.

    His expression seemed to say, What kind of person gets this excited after a trip is already over?

    Alice’s energy showed no signs of settling, and Raven looked utterly drained by it.

    Of course, it wasn’t just because the trip had been fun—Alice had managed to shake off the emotional burdens of her past.

    "You''re really excited. Is being back in Nighthaven that great?"

    "Of course! This is my hometown!"

    "...Wasn''t your hometown Japan?"

    "I was born in Japan, but Nighthaven is my true home!"

    Geez, Jin, you really don’t understand what Nighthaven means to beastfolk! You have zero sensitivity!

    Alice shook her head in exasperation, pressing a hand to her forehead.

    Nowhere else on Earth was as free for beastfolk as Nighthaven.

    In a way, it was only natural for her to feel a strong sense of belonging here—for beastfolk, this city was a spiritual home.

    But by definition, a "hometown" referred to the place one was born and raised.

    All Raven had done was point out the technical truth, yet he somehow ended up looking like the bad guy.

    "Anyway... it''s a lot quieter here than I expected. This doesn’t feel like the Midnight Airport I know."

    Alice casually glanced around and shared her impression.

    It was no surprise.

    Midnight Airport was one of the two major airports in Nighthaven.

    Normally, it was so packed with people that even going to the bathroom was a struggle.

    But right now, what she saw was the opposite—it felt more like a quiet, lesser-used airport, with more staff than actual passengers.

    Well, maybe "less popular" wasn’t the right phrase.

    From the floors to the ceiling, everything screamed luxury.

    It was clear that this place wasn’t just an ordinary terminal.

    Raven, unfazed, answered as if it were obvious.

    "That’s because this is a private terminal for business jets and charter flights. Just using this place costs a fortune. I wouldn’t come here either."

    "Heh... I guess we have Victor to thank for this luxury."

    "No kidding. You’ve got good friends, huh?"

    The reason they were able to use this exclusive, high-end terminal was simple—Victor had arranged a private jet for them to return to Nighthaven.

    Victor was a world-renowned Fixer, after all.

    Running a private jet with the money he earned from his contracts wasn’t much of a burden for him.

    Since he planned to stay in Saint Maria a bit longer to recover from his injuries, lending a private jet to Raven’s group was no big deal.

    Air travel was so expensive that people often said you were buying time with money.

    And yet, Victor had lent them a private jet, for free, no less.

    He truly was a man as grand as his overwhelming muscles.

    "Hmph, I’m already starting to miss that guy’s muscles."

    "Victor would be thrilled if he heard that."

    As Raven gazed up at the sky, thinking about Victor resting in bed, the rest of their group casually strolled up from behind.

    "Ah, there you are. We were looking for you."

    "Hm? What’s up?"

    "We’ll be heading off first. Haha... There were a few hiccups, but this trip was really fun."

    "Yeah... Glad you had a good time. See you back at the office after the holiday."

    "Goodbye! See you after the break!"

    "Yes."

    "See you later."

    "Take care."

    David, alongside Reine, gave a polite farewell.

    It seemed they planned to head home first and unpack.

    "Yuria... we can hang out again later, right?"

    "...!"

    Sabrina, who had been clinging to Yuria, looked reluctant to part.

    But thanks to Yuria gently hugging her and assuring her they’d see each other again, she finally let go.

    Why is she so popular with the girls?

    Raven glanced at Yuria, waving at the departing Sabrina, with a baffled expression.

    Come to think of it—Alice, Reine, Sabrina...

    Even Karen, who had barely known her for a day, had been desperate to give her candy.

    Looking at it that way, Yuria really was some kind of magnet for affection.

    She seems so harmless, like a small, defenseless creature... but the more I think about it, the less I understand her.

    He quietly observed Yuria’s back, recalling the events in Belmond.

    That time, she had fought against Akashmir, one of the most troublesome members of the Seven Sins.

    Even if she had covered herself with cloth, her physique, stride, and breathing—

    There were things that couldn’t be hidden.

    That ghost had been Yuria. There was no doubt about it.

    Which meant... he needed to be cautious.

    If she had managed to stall Akashmir, someone even Raven himself wasn’t confident he could defeat—

    That meant she was hiding some kind of power.

    If she’s on the same level as the Seven Sins... if she ever lost control, the damage would be catastrophic.

    Whether she was some unheard-of esper or using an entirely different form of magic...

    If she was an unpredictable bomb waiting to go off, then as a Fixer, Raven couldn’t just let his guard down around her.

    But if she was truly dangerous, would Greg Visk, who had seen everything, remain silent?

    If she were as dangerous as someone like Drakel, the vampire who wreaked havoc in the Western Labyrinth, or Morte, the necromancer...

    Then Greg would never have placed so much trust in her.

    So, because he trusted both Greg and Yuria, Raven had no choice but to put his judgment on hold.

    He had grown too close to Yuria to recklessly ruin their current relationship.

    But after his conversations with Victor in Saint Maria—

    After seeing the Cat Beastfolk fighting Morte—

    His thoughts had shifted.

    “...The Nexus Project and the Child of God, huh.”

    Raven turned his gaze away from Yuria, looking toward the vast glass window beside him.

    What reflected in it was Nighthaven, gleaming under the midday sun.

    The rising Liberation Army, the reappearance of divine traces, and the lingering Invader threat...

    The future was unpredictable, but one thing was certain—it wouldn’t be peaceful.

    Raven let out a small sigh.

    "Jin, what are you doing? Let’s go already!"

    "...?"

    "...Ah, yeah. Let’s go. Home."

    Adjusting his expression as if switching masks, Raven followed the two ahead, walking at a relaxed pace.

    Alice, bathed in the bright sunlight—

    Raven, lingering in the shadows—

    And Yuria, turning back slightly to look at him.

    Somehow, that scene felt oddly familiar.

    In a dimly lit workshop, where machines hummed without rest, a white-haired woman sat in deep concentration—so intense it was unclear if she was even breathing.

    She held a small screwdriver, carefully adjusting a minuscule gear with precise, deliberate movements.

    With each delicate twist, the magical currents flowing around her responded like musical notes, bouncing and weaving through the air in an elegant, rhythmic dance.

    It was as if she were a master conductor, orchestrating a grand symphony beneath her fingertips—one composed of the very laws of magic.

    Then—click.

    The nearly imperceptible gear finally aligned into place.

    The unstable magical energy that had been flickering unpredictably, like a candle in the wind, suddenly found its course.

    As if guided by an unseen hand, the raw power adjusted itself with precision, flowing steadily into the small doll resting on the woman’s workbench.

    Like a radio tuning into the correct frequency after broadcasting static, the magic surged toward the tiny construct, drawn into its core.

    Ten seconds passed—no, exactly eleven.

    Then, abruptly, the doll on the workbench slowly opened its eyes... and spoke.

    “Hello, Master. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

    “It... it worked—!!!”

    The white-haired woman let out a triumphant cry, jumping up in exhilaration.

    This was the elation of a mechanic who, despite the holiday, had worked tirelessly, never taking a break.

    She had finally succeeded.