A long silence.
Emilia crossed her arms, her voice colder than the Voidsea. "Julius, I thought you were a helpful, if weird, teammate. But you're not just weird. You're a full-on gooner."
"Wha—"
"I'm a 10/10 Felinor, you're a fat, delusional, Depths-dwelling freak who thinks he can trade thresher kills for dates."
"Wait—"
"You're fat. And stupid. And also fat. Did I mention fat?"
He collapsed onto a rock emotionally, hand over his heart. "Ouch..."
"I'm not into you. I don't like you. You're just a Depths-teammate. That's it."
The fire crackled. The King Thresher's corpse still twitched. Julius stared blankly at the horizon.
"Depths-teammate…? Just a… teammate?"
She nodded.
"...So no Megurger?"
She stood up and walked away without saying a word.
[Later That Night – Castle Light]
Julius walked into Castle Light, Megurger crumbs on his chest, heart in shambles. Everyone avoided him. Some pitied him. Most smelled the remnants of the cursed bean incident.
He looked around and sighed.
"Where'd my real teammates go…"
The stone gates of Castle Light creaked open as Julius waddled in, licking the last bits of sauce off his fingers from a Megurger he bought at a mysterious vendor with no face. He was sweaty, bruised, and emotionally crushed after being rejected by the love of his life in the middle of the Depths.
"Fat and stupid," he muttered, dragging his halberd across the ground. "She really said fat and stupid…"
Castle Light was bustling as usual—traders, divers, and wanderers alike walking the halls with either pride or paranoia. But something felt off.
"Where's my squad?" Julius asked aloud.
Nobody answered him. In fact, most avoided eye contact. A few Castle Light guards whispered in the corner. One pointed toward the entrance. Another just covered his nose.
"Did Reinhart and Subaru leave a note?" Julius asked a passing vendor.
"...They left a crater," the vendor replied solemnly. "We... don't talk about it."
Hours Earlier…
Subaru sat cross-legged in one of Castle Light's dining rooms, chewing on a Megurger so expired its bun had fossilized. He had raided Julius's old backpack for hidden snacks and found a suspicious combo: Megurger #13, expired mayo, a single wrinkly bean from a tin labeled "Property of Old Man Beansworth", and what seemed to be pre-Aeon era cheese.
Reinhart was meditating just across the room. "Are you sure you should be eating that?" he asked without opening his eyes.
"I've eaten worse," Subaru replied, proudly scarfing down the rotten meal.
The room began to tremble.
Then came the fart.
It wasn't just gas. It was an event. A phenomena that should be studied by the Ministry.
Three freshies died instantly—two from the smell, and one who had the misfortune of walking in at the wrong moment and fainted backward into a hole leading straight to the Voidsea.
Alen Drakkengard, who had been resting on the far side of Castle Light, suddenly flinched. His eyes widened, sweat beading on his forehead.
"What... is that presence? It's stronger than any I've felt…"
In an instant, he vanished using his teleportation ability—escaping not to save the freshies, but to preserve his own existence.
Back in the chamber, Reinhart stood with his back against the far wall, eyes tearing up.
"Subaru," he croaked, holding his cloak over his nose, "we need to run."
Subaru was already halfway down the hall, fleeing like a wind elemental in full sprint, leaving only a vapor trail of stink and trauma.
Back in the Present – Julius Returns
"WHERE DID THEY GO!?" Julius shouted at a guard. "I leave for ONE romantic quest and they're GONE!?"
"...Sir," the guard said, visibly shaking, "they fled after… after the Incident."
Julius sniffed. "Smells fine to me."
"THE AIR WAS CLEANSED HOURS AGO!"
Meanwhile, on the Outskirts of Castle Light…
Emilia, covered in cuts and bruises, her half-ripped clothes fluttering in the Depths wind, struggled against a brutal Sharko. She gasped for breath, her flamecharm flickering like a candle in a hurricane.
"I… shouldn't have come alone…"
Just as the Sharko lunged in for the final strike—
A blur shot by.
Not toward her.
Past her.
Subaru Olof ran with wild eyes, Megurger crumbs falling from his mouth.
"Sorry! Gotta go!" he shouted, never once slowing down.
Emilia blinked. "Was… was that…"
Before she could finish, the Sharko roared—only to be blasted backward by a darkened sword slash, its chest erupting in purple sparks. Reinhart landed in front of Emilia, his Ironsing-infused blade dripping with resonance.
"You alright?" he asked.
Emilia nodded slowly. "Where's the creep?"
"Julius? I think he's looking for us."
Later That Night – Campfire
Reinhart sat beside a small fire, staring into its flickering orange glow. Emilia, now changed into spare robes and patching her wounds, roasted Sharko meat over her flamecharm.
Subaru sat nearby, dirty, tired, and somehow still chewing.
"Do you ever think," Subaru said, mouth full, "maybe I shouldn't have eaten that Megurger?"
"No," Reinhart replied. "You knew what you were doing."
Emilia turned to him. "You wiped four freshies today."
"Five," Subaru corrected.
She blinked.
"One of them was carrying another one."
Reinhart rubbed his temples. "We need to lay low. No more chaos. No more expired food."
"Agreed," Emilia said. "Also… where's Julius?"
Meanwhile – Castle Light's Mess Hall
Julius stood over a tray of sharko meat, his stomach grumbling. Alone, rejected, and now abandoned, he took one sad bite. The memory of Emilia's words echoed in his head.
"Fat. Stupid. Fat."
A single tear rolled down his cheek as he chewed.
Then someone walked by and whispered:
"Isn't that the guy who farted the guards into comas?"
Julius didn't reply.
He just took another bite.
His hunger would always remain.