"...Luna?"
Haru repeated her name quietly. At the sound of it, both of her ears perked up, and her tail began swaying happily behind her.
"...That's a pretty name." A small smile formed on his face.
"Thank you, Master!!" Her entire expression lit up as if someone had turned on a light inside her.
"But..." His smile faded into an awkward one.
"...Is it okay if I ask you something?" His voice carried both curiosity and hesitation.
"What is the Felianie Tribe? I've... never heard of it before."
He immediately waved both hands in front of him.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm just curious!"
"...No." She shook her head gently. "It's alright."
Although she smiled, one of her ears drooped ever so slightly.
"Are you sure?" Haru rubbed the back of his neck.
"I mean... you don't have to answer if it's something painfu—" Before he could continue, Luna gently interrupted him.
"It's fine." She took a quiet breath to steady herself.
"The Felianie Tribe... also known as the Felianie Race... was the second race to inhabit the Deep Magical Forest, alongside the Elven Race."
"...Elves." Haru quietly repeated the word.
Luna nodded. "Yes. The Felianie and Elven races were close allies."
"We patrolled the forests, protected its borders, and guarded the entrance to an underground cavern filled with precious minerals and magical materials."
Her voice remained calm. "We also maintained peace throughout the Deep Magical Forest."
"The Elves, meanwhile, maintained enormous illusion barriers that concealed both of our territories from outsiders."
"They harvested resources, provided healing magic for both races..."
A faint smile crossed her face. "...And they were the ones who welcomed human visitors."
The smile slowly disappeared. Her gaze lowered.
"...Until one day."
Silence filled the room. "A group of humans..."
She paused. "...Corrupted humans... Invaded our forest." Her fingers slowly clenched against her lap. "They came for the minerals... For the magical resources."
"The forest..."
"...Became a battlefield."
Her voice trembled.
"Hundreds of thousands died."
"The Felianie..."
"...The Elves..."
"We fought with everything we had. It wasn't a battle anymore... It was an annihilation."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Even the strongest Elven mages..."
"...Those whose strength rivaled your world's SS-Ranks... Couldn't stop them."
She swallowed hard. "I could only watch... As the beautiful forest I grew up in..."
"...Turned into nothing but blood and ruins."
Her ears slowly folded downward. "So much blood... So much destruction..."
A tear slid down her cheek. "Then... "
"My mother..." A shaky breath escaped her.
"...She shielded me."
"Her heart... Was pierced."
Despite the tears flowing freely now, Luna smiled weakly.
"She still smiled at me... And told me to run."
Her voice cracked. "But... I couldn't."
"I couldn't leave her." Both of her ears drooped completely. "So I stayed. I didn't care if they killed me."
"My mother... She was my entire world."
"...I couldn't leave her behind." Her shoulders began trembling. "I was about to be executed..."
"...Then..." Her eyes slowly lifted. "...Someone arrived." "A man."
"He stood in front of me... After cutting my executioner into pieces."
"He apologized... For arriving late."
She closed her eyes. "His companions..."
"...Wiped out the invaders without mercy."
"He stood there... Protecting me." She wiped away another tear. "But then... The sky split open."
Haru's expression slowly stiffened.
"Dark smoke... No— A dark aura rose from the bodies of the seven invaders."
"The heavens opened... And a gigantic eye appeared. It looked— Like a black hole."
She slowly turned toward Haru.
"It spoke." Her voice became quieter. "Haru... You have enraged... The Seven."
"...Me?" Haru blinked in confusion. "What?"
Luna nodded. "Yes. But... It wasn't you. It was another version of you.. From another world."
"The Haru who saved me. The Haru to whom I devoted my loyalty... For the rest of my life."
She couldn't continue. Her voice broke.
Then...
A warm hand gently rested on her head. She froze. Her ears twitched. Slowly... She looked up.
Haru smiled faintly.
"I'm sorry." His hand gently stroked her hair.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that."
The familiar warmth... The same comforting gesture... For a fleeting moment. She saw both her mother. And her former Master.
Her eyes widened. Then, without warning—
She wrapped both arms around Haru's waist.
Her face buried against him. The tears she had been holding back finally poured out. She cried like a child.
Haru said nothing. He simply rested one hand on her back... And gently patted it.
The room fell silent. Only the sound of quiet sobbing remained.
Several minutes passed before Luna finally calmed herself.
She sniffled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
Her ears slowly rose again.
"So..." Haru spoke softly. "You're... from another world."
Luna nodded.
"But..." He looked at her. "...Can I ask one more thing? When that giant eye appeared... It mentioned. 'The Seven.' Who are they?"
Luna's ears immediately stood upright.
One ear flicked once. When she answered...
The warmth in her voice was gone.
"Oh... They're called..."
"...The Hyreons."
Her eyes became deadly serious.
"...The Seven Pillars of Death."
Haru's expression darkened.
Silence settled over the room once again.
Then—
Luna's ears suddenly stood upright.
Her gaze snapped toward the door.
Noticing the change in her expression, Haru instinctively followed her line of sight.
Creak—
The doorknob slowly turned.
Without hesitation, Luna stepped in front of Haru.
Her tail stiffened behind her.
The door opened. Yumi stepped inside.
The moment their eyes met, neither woman looked away.
"What are your intentions with him?" Yumi smiled politely. Her voice, however, carried a quiet sharpness.
Another woman entered behind her and gently closed the door.
"Oh?"
Aezeth's eyes curved into an amused smile.
"So this is the little kitty who stole my man."
Her smirk carried more annoyance than amusement.
"Luna, wa—"
Before Haru could finish, Luna spoke first.
"Identify yourselves." Her tone was calm. Cold.
Controlled.
"Ah... Luna." Haru scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I know that woman." He pointed toward Yumi before glancing at Aezeth. "...Her, though..."
He shook his head. "I don't recognize her."
"Luna." He smiled awkwardly.
"That's Ms. Yumi Harakura. I know her."
Luna's ears flicked once. She shifted her gaze toward Aezeth. "My Master doesn't recognize you." Her pink eyes locked onto Aezeth's.
Aezeth returned the stare without the slightest hint of discomfort. Instead... Her smile only deepened.
"I—"
Before she could answer—
Yumi spoke over her. "Her name is Aezeth Velfie."
"We're both Division Commanders from the World Association Headquarters."
Aezeth folded her arms and clicked her tongue softly. Her eyes closed in visible annoyance as Yumi continued speaking.
"I came here to check on Haru."
Yumi cast a brief sidelong glance toward Aezeth.
"...But it seems a rat followed me inside."
A vein pulsed near Aezeth's temple.
"What did you say?"
She smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile.
"Wanna go, witch?"
Yumi didn't even spare her another glance.
Instead, she looked directly at Luna and Haru.
"My, my..." Aezeth's smile twitched.
"...Aren't I talking to you, wi—"
"I understand why Ms. Yumi came." Haru's voice unintentionally cut her off. "She's been looking after me." He looked toward Aezeth. "But..."
"Why are you here too... Ms. Aezeth?"
Luna remained silent, though her tail swayed slowly behind her as she watched the exchange.
"Were you perhaps—"
"No." Aezeth interrupted him. She calmly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's simply..." A faint smile crossed her lips. "...A personal decision."
Haru blinked. "...I don't really know what that means." His attention drifted back toward Yumi.
"Ah... Ms. Yu—"
Again—
He was interrupted.
"You don't have to be so formal." A gentle smile appeared on Yumi's face. "...Just call me Yumi."
Aezeth froze. For the first time since entering the room... She had been completely ignored.
"Oh..." Haru rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry..."
"...Yumi."
"It's alright." She smiled reassuringly before her attention shifted toward Luna.
"But..."
Her curiosity finally surfaced. She walked last Aezeth who's processing that she was ignored, and sat elegantly on the couch by the window.
"Would you mind telling me who this feline woman is?" Her eyes lingered on Luna. "And..."
"...Why does she call you 'Master'?"
Aezeth finally recovered from being ignored.
With practiced elegance, she walked over and sat beside Yumi on the couch.
"Same question." She crossed one leg over the other. "I'm curious too, dear."
Haru instinctively looked toward Luna.
Then—
Luna lightly hopped onto the bed.
She deliberately positioned herself between Haru and the two women before sitting beside him.
Her tail curled protectively around her legs.
"My name is Luna." She inclined her head slightly.
"I'm from the Felianie Tribe." She looked directly at them. "And yes." "Haru is my Master."
Neither Yumi nor Aezeth spoke.
"As for why..."
A brief silence followed.
"...Let's just say..."
"It's complicated."
The warmth disappeared from Luna's voice.
"I'm sorry. But I won't be sharing anything beyond that."
Silence lingered.
It was one of those moments where words weren't necessary.
The three women understood each other perfectly.
"...Very well."
Aezeth leaned back against the couch. Although she looked away, the annoyance on her face remained obvious.
Yumi simply smiled. "...It's nice to meet you, Luna."
Luna gave a small nod in return.
Then—
"...So."
All three women immediately looked toward Haru.
"Oh..." He smiled awkwardly. "So..."
"I don't think the two of you came all the way here just for introductions."
He looked toward Yumi. "What's going on?"
"Oh..." Yumi blinked before letting out a quiet laugh. "Right."
She cleared her throat.
"It's about what happened inside that dungeon."
Beside her, Aezeth casually pulled a lipstick and a small mirror from her luxurious handbag.
While Yumi spoke, Aezeth calmly touched up her lipstick as though the room wasn't filled with tension.
Haru's attention stayed on Yumi.
Meanwhile, Luna quietly lay down along the edge of the bed like a resting cat. One ear remained pointed toward the conversation.
Her tail curled neatly around her legs.
Relaxed... Yet still ready to move the instant Haru was threatened.
"What exactly happened inside that E-rank Void Rift you entered?" Yumi asked.
Haru blinked. The lightness in his face disappeared, replaced by something heavier.
"So... I went in to train on my own," he began quietly. "At first, everything was normal... until I defeated the boss using the sword you gave me."
His fingers slowly tightened around the bedsheet.
"Then..." His voice dropped. "The space around me started to distort."
Yumi gave a small nod, silently urging him to continue.
Across the room, Aezeth leaned forward ever so slightly, her interest unmistakable.
"A voice started talking to me." Haru swallowed. "There wasn't anyone there... no body... just a voice."
His grip tightened. "It wanted me dead."
The room grew quieter. "And... it said something."
His eyes met Yumi's.
«"I won't allow you to stand in his way."»
The words echoed in his memory.
«"Someone embedded a law into reality."»
He took a slow breath before continuing.
«"Only one version of an individual may exist within a single universe."»
Another pause.
«"Either one replaces the other... or they become one."»
Silence settled over the room.
Yumi's brows slowly drew together. Aezeth's playful smile had long since disappeared.
"And lastly..." Haru continued, "...it said something about the World System. It said the World System was stopping it from killing me herself."
That final word lingered.
Aezeth's eyes narrowed, though she remained perfectly composed. Yumi folded her arms.
"...World System..." she murmured.
She looked toward Aezeth for only a moment before returning her attention to Haru.
"What does it mean... 'Only one version may exist within a single universe'... replacing the other... or becoming one?" she asked quietly.
A brief pause.
"And more importantly..." Her gaze sharpened. "Who is this 'him' the voice was talking about?"
Her voice lowered. "And you said... herself."
Neither of them noticed Luna. Curled at the edge of the bed like a resting cat, one ear twitched almost imperceptibly.
"...Did the voice sound like a woman?" Yumi asked.
Haru nodded. "Yes... but it was distorted."
Luna slowly opened one eye. Only for a second.
Then she closed it again.
"This information isn't something we can take lightly," Yumi said.
She exchanged a look with Aezeth.
"I know," Aezeth replied, unusually serious. "The President needs to hear this herself."
She leaned back into the couch.
"If what Haru heard is true... then we're dealing with something far beyond an ordinary Rift."
She exhaled. "I'll prepare a meeting as soon as we return."
Yumi nodded before looking back at Haru.
"One more question." He looked at her.
"According to every report, no one entered that Rift after you."
Her eyes shifted toward Luna. "So..."
"How did she get inside?"
Before Haru could answer—
"I came through a Dimensional Portal." Luna answered calmly. "But that's all I can tell you for now."
One eye opened just enough to meet Yumi's gaze.
Yumi studied her for a long moment before giving a slow nod.
"...I see."
Aezeth let out an exaggerated sigh.
"This cat is seriously starting to annoy me."
Even with the smile on her face, the irritation behind it was obvious.
Yumi rose from the couch. Aezeth watched her for a second before shaking her head and making her way toward the door first.
"I guess we'll be leaving now~"
She glanced over her shoulder with her usual teasing smile. "Take care, Haru."
Yumi stopped beside the door.
"We need to report this immediately."
Her voice softened. "Please... Take care."
Before leaving, she gave Luna one last glance.
The feline woman still looked peacefully curled up on the bed— Yet every instinct told Yumi she hadn't relaxed for even a second.
Click.
The door closed behind them. The room fell silent once again.
Leaving only Haru... and Luna.