The sun—if such a thing could even shine in the Depths—hung dimly over Castle Light, casting a glow that felt more like the final flickers of a dying lantern. Inside the fortress, tension rippled like a mantra wave.
Alen Drakkengard stood calmly beside Subaru Olof, who was collapsed on the cobblestone with a half-eaten Megurger in hand and dried sweat still clinging to his brow. Reinhart and Julius had only just reunited with their friend—and they were speechless.
Subaru had pushed not one but two freshies into Layer 2 by sheer accident.
"Subaru," Reinhart said slowly, his voice tight, "...explain. Now."
"I can't—I literally don't know," Subaru gasped. "I've been running from a cultivator for like four chapters."
"FOUR?" Julius yelled, stuffing a pastry into his mouth to calm himself.
Behind them, Castle Light's walls buzzed with panic. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Isn't that the Drakkengard?"
"The aura farmer?"
"Why is he here with a freshie?"
"Do you think he'll wipe everyone again?"
Guards stationed above the ramparts had their mantras drawn. Mages were quietly channeling Flamecharm and Galebreath. Nobody wanted a repeat of the Red Slaughter—the last time Alen visited Castle Light.
And yet, he was just standing still. Calm. Relaxed.
"You're the ones who know this... boy?" Alen finally asked, his eyes barely flicking to Reinhart and Julius.
Reinhart tensed, the hairs on his arms rising. Even without casting a single mantra, Alen radiated pure, refined bloodlust. His aura alone was pressing down on them like an anchor in the mind.
"Yes," Reinhart said carefully. "We're his squadmates."
"Fascinating," Alen muttered. "You two aren't ordinary either. I felt it from miles away."
He turned back to Subaru, who had finally finished the last bite of his Megurger. "You parried my Judgement attack... without seeing it coming. How?"
"I—I don't know, man!" Subaru blurted. "I think I just do things sometimes. I was scared. It worked."
"You're either lying or cursed by fate itself," Alen said, stepping forward. "Either way… interesting."
"Wait wait wait," Julius cut in. "So you're telling me... you spared this guy because he parried you once?"
"I spared him," Alen said, "because I saw potential. Not in power... but in timing. In survival. He's unpolished. But the Depths didn't kill him. That alone... demands respect."
Julius blinked. "...He almost died like seven times."
"But he didn't," Alen replied.
There was a silence. Only the distant murmur of panicked divers, confused freshies, and winded Depths creatures filled the void.
And then a guard captain shouted, "STEP AWAY FROM THE DRAGONSCALES, OR WE WILL FIRE!"
Alen turned, just slightly, to look at the guard tower.
Everyone froze.
The guards hesitated, then lowered their weapons—every single one, simultaneously.
Reinhart stared. "What did you just do?"
Alen shrugged. "Tension like that disrupts aura cultivation. I simply asked their souls to be quiet."
Subaru coughed. "He's not kidding. I felt it. I think I even pooped a little."
Reinhart ignored him and stepped closer. "So what do you want with Subaru?"
Alen looked straight at Reinhart. "I want to understand him. No freshie should have lived through what he has. And yet... here he is."
He tapped Red Death's hilt, the spear humming softly on his back.
"I've decided," Alen said. "I'm staying for a while. Castle Light's tensions aside, this... group... intrigues me."
"You're not gonna farm us for essence or something, right?" Julius asked nervously.
"I farm aura, not corpses," Alen replied. "For now."
The atmosphere didn't get any lighter. But the killing intent faded slightly.
Alen walked over to a stone bench on the outer courtyard and sat cross-legged, eyes closed, already beginning to pulse out controlled waves of aura—harmless, but dense.
Subaru leaned back, exhaling in disbelief. "...I'm alive."
Reinhart sat beside him. "Barely. And you wiped two more freshies. That's four, Subaru. Four."
"They got in my way!" Subaru defended. "I didn't mean to!"
Julius laughed. "The most dangerous thing in Castle Light right now isn't Alen Drakkengard. It's you."
Castle Light's commander, an older diver clad in heavy plate, approached cautiously. "We've sent word to the Guild. Reinforcements are being considered. If this man stays here... he must register."
Alen opened his eyes.
"I don't register to guilds," he said simply. "But if you'd like to duel me for control of this keep... I'm open."
The commander backed away slowly.
Julius whispered, "He's unreal. I think I saw a vein in the commander's soul pop."
Subaru raised a hand. "Uhh... what if we just, like, camp here for the night and let things chill?"
"That depends," Reinhart said, gazing toward Alen. "What do you really want, aura farmer?"
Alen answered without opening his eyes.
"A mystery like this doesn't come often. I want to see how far the parry machine can go. And I want to see who breaks first—the Depths... or your fate."
As the trio exchanged wary glances, one thing became painfully clear.
Subaru had somehow, unintentionally, impressed one of the most terrifying forces in the entire Depths.
And now?
They were stuck with him.