Rask stood frozen, the defiant silhouette in his eyes vanishing in an instant.

A gasp escaped his throat, a raw pain flaring as if a dull blade had just sliced through his lungs.

After a long moment, the rumbling from the distance shook him from his stupor.

Rask’s brow furrowed. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails had, at some point, dug into his palms, drawing blood that seeped between his fingers.

His Adam’s apple bobbed continuously, as if trying to crush a choked sound in his throat. After a moment, he broke into a self-mocking grin. He cast one last glance toward Blackwater Swamp, gritted his teeth, and turned, running in the opposite direction.

Their paths diverged.

He, too, wanted to be like that snake—to make enemies of every tribe in Norfell for the sake of a female.

But he wasn’t the snake. He shared no Contract mark with the female, no binding oath. He certainly hadn’t gotten what he wanted from her. In the end, he was just a wandering Beastman, and the instinct to seek advantage while avoiding harm had run in his veins for years.

In a Beast Tide, even a Nine-Marked Beastman could be ground into pulp.

He couldn’t possibly sacrifice himself for a female.

Rask let out a low laugh, his handsome face twisting through a complex series of expressions: first bitterness, then calm, and finally, a cold indifference.

’What’s wrong with wanting to live?’

*

Thorne didn’t even glance back to see if Rask was following.

He sped to the edge of the Blackwater Swamp, and his dark green eyes narrowed.

The overwhelming Beast Tide was like a black cloud pressing down on the land, stretching farther than the eye could see. These tribal Beastmen, who usually fought endlessly among themselves, were now united. They swarmed toward the Blackwater Swamp like a crazed horde, their roars vibrating through the rotting mire.

He had lived in Norfell for many years but had never witnessed such an immense spectacle.

Thorne’s fists tightened. His dark green eyes, grim and ruthless, peered through his messy black hair, sweeping over the horde of Beastmen.

"HSSS—"

The great black snake suddenly erupted forth. Its massive body crushed a path through the Beast Tide, its Scale Armor clanging like striking metal.

It raised its triangular head high, its vertical pupils gleaming with a venomous light. With a flick of its giant tail, it sent bone and blood flying. He was already at the level of Seven-Star Peak, and as he tore through the horde, he instantly cleared a crimson vacuum in his wake.

Behind the wall of vines, the pressure on Loras suddenly lightened.

The sharp gazes of the Winged Beastmen instantly locked onto the gap Thorne had torn open in the Beast Tide.

The great black snake thrashed its tail. Amidst the mist of blood, its Scale Armor reflected a cold sheen.

"SCREEE—"

A piercing shriek tore through the sky. The Winged Beastmen stirred up a foul wind with their Feather Wings as they dove!

Their talons, like steel blades, scraped across Thorne’s massive body. RIIIIP! Black scales flew, and blood dripped down, leaving warm patches on the muddy snow.

"HSSS—!"

Struck by searing pain, Thorne let out a sharp hiss.

He abruptly reared up, his massive jaws like a guillotine, and snapped down on a Falcon that failed to ascend in time. His serpentine body coiled tighter and tighter. A sickening CRUNCH echoed as feathers flew and bones shattered.

When his coils loosened, the twisted, lifeless skeleton of the Falcon fell into the bloody mud below.

Dozens more piercing shrieks echoed from the sky as the Winged Beastmen circled, swooping down to attack Thorne.

They were the natural counter to Snake Beastmen. Their sharp talons and beaks flashed like silver through the curtain of snow, and with every dive, they precisely tore away another large chunk of Thorne’s flesh. In an instant, the scales on his massive body were in tatters, and his blood rained down like a torrential storm.

Behind the vine barrier, Loras let out a stifled gasp, his lips paler than the falling snow.

He tilted his head slightly, and his long fingers clenched hard. Vines shot out from the ground, wrapping around Thorne’s body and dragging him back.

Seeing their chance, the smaller Jackal Beastmen launched a surprise attack, their fangs closing in to within inches of Thorne’s tail.

Loras’s pupils contracted. He focused his power on the Jackal Beastmen while yanking Thorne back. The instant the vine barrier shattered open, the Snake Beastman fell heavily at his feet. Loras himself stumbled backward into a wooden post, the coppery tang of blood rising in his throat.

Thorne’s dark green, vertical pupils blazed with ferocity. He gasped for breath, his enormous serpentine body covered in wounds, with not a single patch of skin left intact.

Loras stared intently at the reformed vine barrier, veins bulging on the back of his pale hands. His voice was so hoarse it sounded like it was being squeezed from his very lungs as he said gravely to Thorne, "Take Evangeline and go! I can’t hold on for much longer!"

Thorne’s vertical pupils constricted. Lying in a pool of his own blood, his serpentine body twisted and shifted back into human form.

He stared at the trickle of blood on Loras’s lips, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. Though he despised this Beastman for having hurt Eva, he couldn’t suppress a pang of anguish in that moment. He forced a single word through his gritted teeth, "...Fine."

Without another word, Thorne shot off like an arrow, sprinting deep into the Blackwater Swamp.

Loras breathed a sigh of relief and poured the last of his strength into the vines.

"PFFT—"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body wracked with exhaustion, but the blood-soaked vines surged, growing several more inches.

Loras’s consciousness began to fade, memories fluttering down like the heavy snow from the sky.

The process of his transformation from a Moonlight Flower into a Beastman was already a blur. All he could vaguely recall was the excruciating pain of his roots tearing apart to become bone.

But his memories after becoming a Beastman were crystal clear: he had become a version of himself that perpetually cowered and trembled in the shadows.

’Holding back the Beast Tide to give Evangeline and her cub time to escape...’

’This is probably the bravest I’ve ever been, right?’

Loras tugged at the corner of his lips, a shadow falling over his violet eyes.

Just then, Thorne’s voice carried from the distance. It was a roar, yet it held his usual defiance. "Loras! Stay alive! If you die, Eva will be sad!"

Loras froze, and a flicker of light suddenly returned to his violet eyes.

*

Thorne rushed back to the bamboo house, but there was no sign of Evangeline. Danton’s place was also empty.

A cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his expression terrifyingly dark.

"Thorne!" Caden Albright’s voice called out.

Thorne spun around. His gaze moved past Caden Albright and landed on Bunny, whose small face was pale and timid.

He strode forward and scooped Bunny into his arms. "Where’s Eva?" he asked, his voice low and tight.

’Eva isn’t one to run away. She wouldn’t have left on her own. Something must have happened.’

"Eva went into labor. Danton took her away," Caden Albright said succinctly.

Hearing this, Thorne’s brow furrowed, unsure whether to feel relieved or even more worried.

Caden Albright glanced at Bunny. The little girl’s eyes were red-rimmed, with tears welling up.

He went inside, brought out Genesis, and gently placed the baby in Thorne’s other arm. His voice was soft, but left no room for argument. "Take them to the sea and wait for Eva."

A flicker of emotion crossed Thorne’s eyes. His arms, holding Bunny and Genesis, tightened instinctively, shielding the two young ones securely. He looked up at Caden Albright’s calm face, his throat working, but he didn’t know what to say.

"I trust you." Caden Albright raised a hand and pressed it firmly on Thorne’s shoulder, the corners of his long, narrow eyes curving into a faint smile.

A fierce look remained on Thorne’s face as he rasped, "You’d better come back alive."

Caden Albright let out a low chuckle. His long fingers untied the black and gold headband from his forehead, revealing a Star Pattern as black as the night sky.

He gently tied the headband around Bunny’s forehead, covering the faint, black Star Pattern there.

"Faye, be a good girl and listen to Father Thorne. Wait for your father to come and find you." Caden Albright’s fingertips brushed over Bunny’s damp eyelashes. His voice was very soft. Sunlight fell upon his stunning face, casting mottled specks of light that made him look almost ethereally beautiful.