Rabesta's bloodshot eyes fixed on the doctor.
"You… you're the doctor who abandoned Lucian that day!"
He raised his sword, ready to bring it down upon the man.
But Moschino lightly caught the blade with one hand, halting the strike.
The doctor collapsed to the ground, paralyzed by shock.
"Don't go killing the man I went through the trouble of finding, all right?"
Moschino chuckled softly, his tone casual.
Yet Rabesta trembled inside.
Moschino's hand looked as though it was merely resting upon the sword.
And still, no matter how hard Rabesta pulled, the blade would not budge.
What kind of power is hidden within that slender arm?
He sheathed his sword, though his wary eyes never left Moschino.
The doctor slowly stood, adjusting his glasses with a composed voice.
"Rabesta, I've been searching for you for quite some time. To think you've become an executive of the capital's largest mafia… I'm truly astonished."
"You were looking for me? What the hell do you mean by that?"
Rabesta's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"To be direct—I did not abandon little Lucian."
At those words, Rabesta's face flushed red with rage.
"Don't give me that! Then why did Lucian die? She died because you refused to treat her!"
Rabesta's voice trembled with fury, his fist clenching until it seemed it might crush itself.
The doctor lowered his eyes, sorrow weighing heavily on his face.
"I had a son… a soldier. But he was killed in the war with the Pronto Kingdom. At the time, I hated the Pronto people with all my heart. I let that hatred spill over onto you children, treating you with cruelty you didn't deserve. My immaturity led you to misunderstand me all these years…"
He continued.
"I did examine Lucian. But her lungs were gravely damaged—beyond any hope of saving."
"I don't believe that for a second."
Rabesta cut him off coldly, a storm of resentment smoldering in his eyes.
The doctor dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead into the dirt.
"Please… believe me!"
Moschino intervened calmly.
"I just saw the medical records. All he had was a single X-ray of her lungs. No wonder you thought he'd done nothing at all, Rabesta."
The doctor's trembling hand pulled a folded slip of paper from his pocket.
"When the X-ray was finished, Lucian whispered to me in the faintest of voices: 'If I die, please give this to my big brother.' This… is the letter she entrusted to me in secret."
Rabesta took the letter and slowly unfolded it.
I love you, big brother.
Stay close to Nova from now on.
I love you.
The childlike scrawl of Lucian's hand stood etched upon the dirt-stained paper.
Rabesta clutched the letter, frozen in place, lost in a daze.
"When I heard that a Pronto girl living on the streets had passed away, I immediately searched for you to deliver this letter. But you were nowhere to be found… I'm sorry for my cruelty back then. And I'm sorry I failed to give you this sooner…"
Tears spilled down the doctor's cheeks as he bowed his head again, choking on his sobs.
"…Lucian knew. She knew she didn't have long. And she wrote this letter just to keep us from despairing after she was gone."
Nova whispered, eyes glistening with grief.
Rabesta dropped to his knees, crumbling, covering his eyes with one hand as silent tears poured down.
"What the hell have we been fighting for all this time…?"
The tide of regret crashed over him, suffocating his chest.
Endi too could no longer hold back his tears.
"If you ever need anything, Rabesta, come find me. I'll do whatever I can…"
The doctor left those words behind and quietly departed.
Rose placed a hand on Endi's shoulder, speaking softly.
"If only we'd seen this letter sooner, things might have turned out differently."
"Prince Rose?! Since when have you been here?!"
Endi cried out in shock.
"Words are strange things. The one who speaks them often forgets, but the one who receives them can be haunted for years—as if cursed. They cling, eroding the heart. But words of kindness—those remain like charms. Years later, they still give us courage, still push us forward. In our darkest hours, they heal us like medicine."
Rose's voice was gentle, clearing the battlefield haze like a breeze.
"You're right! That's why I'll speak good words out loud more often!"
Endi wiped his tears and responded with a radiant smile.
Nova muttered, trembling.
"…Damn it. What the hell were these four years for? We even made deals with the Old Doal Army—our true enemies…"
Rage and confusion swirled in his mind, unclear whether to blame himself or another.
Suddenly, black fur sprouted all across Nova's body.
Endi and Rose could hardly believe their eyes. Darmaine trembled so hard he nearly fainted.
Nova transformed into a monstrous black panther, baring gleaming fangs.
"Stop, Nova!"
Rabesta's rare shout tore through the night.
"Well, well. Mutant, eh?"
Ponaparto rumbled, voice heavy with intrigue.
"He looks strong."
Cain raised an eyebrow slightly, impressed.
Nova's eyes gleamed with madness, feral and wild.
"We tried to storm the palace. Tried a coup. Plenty were injured. We're all bound for the executioner's block anyway!"
Both warriors and mafia alike froze before the monstrous figure.
"There were no deaths, and it ended in failure. If you truly repent, I could grant you a pardon."
Rose's words were calm but firm.
"No turning back now. I'll see this path through!!"
Nova roared, claws tearing into the ground, his killing intent slicing the air.
At Rose's castle, Saizo, Esta, Jessica, and Moene stood tense, bolstering the guard.
There Lamia appeared, gazing up at the starry sky.
"Ahhh—Lamia, please! It's dangerous out here!"
Alpha stammered as he trailed nervously behind.
"What's wrong?" Jessica demanded sharply.
"I don't know… I just have a terrible feeling."
Lamia's voice wavered, nearly dissolving into the night.
Before the castle gates, Nova the black panther and Ponaparto glared at each other, sparks flying.
"At least I'll take one Marshal down with me."
Nova growled, bloodlust dripping from every word.
"Ha! Come on, then! It's been too long since I've had this kind of fun!"
Ponaparto cracked his fists, eager for battle.
"Don't do it, Nova!"
Endi's desperate cry pierced the chaos.
"It won't be easy to stop him now…"
Rabesta muttered grimly, hand resting on his sword.
"What the hell's gonna happen now?"
Rose sighed, exasperated yet serious.
In that instant, alarms screamed across the capital, shattering the night.
The deafening blare forced Endi to clutch his ears in pain.
From the sky, countless bombs rained down, engulfing the city in fire.
Flames split the night apart, and hot winds surged across the battlefield.
Everyone looked up at once.
A colossal, disc-shaped mass of black iron hung above, blotting out the stars.
Its ominous silhouette loomed like the ghost of a world war.
Endi's mind blanked for a moment.
"What… is that…?"
"No way… thank god we evacuated the townsfolk…"
Rose wiped sweat from his brow, sighing in relief.
The disc landed with a thunderous crash at the military training grounds.
The earth shook, dust exploding skyward.
Both the warriors of Nakatam and the Nova Family mafia stood frozen, shaken by the unknown threat.
Darmaine trembled violently, teeth chattering louder than ever.
"Th-th-th… that's… the Old Doal Army!! They've come for a night raid!!"
"So it is them…!"
Endi clenched his fists tight, bracing himself.