What is this?

What exactly is happening?

Being caught from behind is one thing, but the voice and situation are completely unexpected.

"Why..."

How did Mother—no, the master—end up here?

There was no need to turn around to see her face.

I recognized her the moment I heard her voice.

Because of that, my mind snapped into focus, and my body tensed on its own.

What should I do?

"Why."

Why is she here?

Of all places.

"The place where the Black Leader resides."

This is the dwelling of the Black Leader, whom I corrupted into a demon.

The fact that the master has come here left me utterly shaken.

What state «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» am I in right now?

"What do you think? A complete mess."

I was dressed in black to impersonate Cheonma and had altered my physical appearance.

"Excuse me? Can you hear me?"

"......."

I swallowed dryly at the sound of the master's voice.

"Hmm."

A quiet murmur. I could tell that if I stayed silent any longer, things would get troublesome.

"......Why are you speaking—."

Before she could say any more, I turned around.

"......Who are you?"

"Oh my."

As I turned and met her gaze, the master let out a startled sound.

Her eyes widened as she looked at me. Seeing her face, I was certain.

"Damn."

Just as I expected, it really was the master. Like last time, she was draped in a veil, but there was no mistaking her.

Her fingers idly fidgeted with the mask she held.

She had her hands hidden behind her back, having discreetly taken it out as she turned.

As she stared at my face, she tilted her head slightly.

Had she noticed something odd? As a growing tension swelled inside me—

"Are you going inside?"

"......."

She gestured toward the door with her hand.

I stared at that hand for a moment before answering.

"......That was my intention."

"Oh dear, in that case, could you let me go first? As I mentioned earlier, I have urgent business."

She spoke with a bright smile, as if making a polite request.

I frowned.

That soft smile was just like the one I'd seen in the past. It made me unconsciously clamp my mouth shut.

But.

"I'm afraid that's going to be difficult."

Even so, I had to speak. If I couldn't act with expressions, then at least I could keep my face impassive. That was the best approach, based on past experience.

I forced my expression to harden and stared at the master. She made a peculiar face in response.

What kind of expression was that? Was she annoyed at being refused?

Or had she sensed something? Countless thoughts ran through my mind when—

"Hey."

The master spoke to me.

"Haven't we met somewhere before?"

"......."

At those words, I nearly lost control of my expression.

She doesn't recognize me? Even with the Qi Translation Technique altering my face... to think she wouldn’t recognize me.

"Even though she's the master."

Could she be pretending not to recognize me? I considered that for a moment.

"Not sure."

Judging by her reaction, that didn’t seem to be the case.

I couldn’t be certain, but that was my impression at the moment.

"I don't know. This is my first time seeing you."

"Mm... really?"

The master tilted her head. Then, she subtly approached me and reached out a hand.

I hesitated, watching her hand. Should I push her away? She was moving slowly enough that I could have, but I decided to let her be.

I wanted to understand her intent.

Yet, just as she extended her hand, she stopped. Her fingers froze near my cheek.

What was this? Was she about to touch me? I stared at her hand with questioning eyes.

"Oh, my apologies. It was instinctive."

"......."

The master awkwardly withdrew her hand.

"Strange. I feel like I’ve seen you before."

"If you have no business with me, may I go inside now?"

"Ah."

The master nodded slightly at my words.

"But."

Just when I thought she was finally letting me go, she grabbed my arm.

"Are you... someone who works here?"

The unexpected question made me freeze for a moment.

Someone who works here?

I hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering. I couldn’t afford to delay my response.

"I am not."

"Ah, I see. Then, a guest?"

"Something like that."

Hearing my answer, the master nodded as if satisfied. Was that enough? Did she buy it? I felt a moment of relief when—

"But why don’t you find me suspicious?"

Her eyes gleamed sharply as she asked.

"......!"

I almost lost control of my breathing.

Her voice remained relaxed and soft, yet the air around her seemed to ripple.

This was something I wouldn't have noticed before.

Or perhaps, I had been oblivious during the day, only sensing it now that night had fallen.

My heightened senses kicked in instinctively.

Be careful. If things go wrong here, this could be a disaster.

Stay on edge.

Stay as vigilant as possible.

My instincts screamed at me.

My once sluggish mind, dulled by carelessness, suddenly started spinning wildly.

"A person of importance must be staying here. Yet, I approached without hesitation, and you weren't alarmed?"

Why didn’t I question her identity when she insisted on going inside?

The chill ran down my spine.

I couldn't afford to say the wrong thing here.

So I carefully picked my words before responding.

"I merely came as a guest. And seeing how at ease you are walking around, I assumed you were a guest as well. Was I mistaken?"

"Hmm."

The master's eyes narrowed slightly at my explanation.

I had thrown out those words in a rush—would they work? What if they didn’t?

Would I have to fight?

"...With Mother?"

Even if she no longer remembered me and had become a dangerous existence...

Fighting Mother, here?

It wasn’t just a matter of winning or losing.

A deep-rooted aversion welled up from within me.

But.

Clench.

I slowly tightened my grip on my hidden hands behind my back.

If I had no choice, I couldn’t back down. Even if I couldn’t win, I couldn’t die doing nothing.

With that in mind, I slowly focused my energy into my heart when—

"I see."

The master spoke.

"That makes sense."

With those words, she swiftly turned around.

"I do have urgent business, but since you say the same, I’ll yield. Besides, I’m already running late."

"......."

She walked away gracefully, each step light and elegant.

"Take care. I don't know who you are, but... oh."

She paused mid-step and turned back to me.

"Could you pass on a message?"

The way she said it, her face—

"When the next full moon rises, come to the hilltop."

She smiled, as beautiful as a blooming flower.

Just like the mother I remembered.

*********

I stood there for a long time after sending the master away.

My tense heart showed no signs of calming, and I was too preoccupied wiping away the cold sweat that kept trickling down.

"Huuuu..."

I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding back. It was a sigh that had been pent up inside me for too long.

But even after letting it out, the lingering tension refused to fade.

"...Ha."

I rubbed my chest with my hand.

It was absurd.

"What the hell was that?"

What exactly was that?

How was I supposed to describe it?

I hadn't sensed anything at first, yet paradoxically, I had glimpsed something immense.

The fact that I couldn't detect her presence was almost laughable.

But when I laid eyes on the master, her sheer presence was enough to make my blood run cold.

Was this also because I had become part of the Moonlit Night Tribe and my power had grown?

I could see things I hadn't seen before.

The master herself didn’t exude anything particularly distinct, but on the surface—or perhaps deep within—

"Something vast is bound within her."

Faintly, almost transparently.

A subtle ripple surrounded her.

Yet, despite being subtle, it was unsettling. Just looking at it made my body tremble.

How could something so vague feel so overwhelmingly massive?

I couldn't comprehend it.

"This... isn’t simply about strength."

It wasn’t just a matter of being powerful.

It was—

"Something higher."

Not just strong, but exalted.

A presence so towering and high that merely looking up at it felt impossible.

And I had to witness that from the master.

"......"

I forcibly wiped away the cold sweat. Had she truly left?

I had still been thinking of her as my mother.

But after seeing that, I could no longer be sure if she was even the same kind of being.

"Hoo..."

I let out another deep breath and reached for the door handle in front of me.

Even at this moment, I hesitated over whether to enter or not.

Creak—!

In the end, I chose to enter.

As the door opened and I stepped inside, the presence within turned to look at me.

In that instant, their eyes widened, and they sprang up.

"You..."

The Black Leader eyed me warily. I had already put my mask back on.

Beyond it, I could examine his body.

"The demonic energy is still there."

The demonic energy I had implanted in him before was still present.

After confirming this, I spoke to the Black Leader.

"Have you been well?"

"......"

"Judging by your state, it doesn’t seem like it."

This was our first meeting since I had corrupted him into a demon.

His face was filled with wariness and hostility.

That much was clear.

"I sensed it before, but... a complete corruption seems impossible."

I had embedded demonic energy in him to turn him into a demon.

Yet, it seemed I couldn't make him fully obedient.

Was this a trait of the Moonlit Night Tribe? I wasn’t sure.

It was something worth investigating, but for now, I pushed it aside and focused on him.

"It seems you had another visitor besides me."

I was referring to the master I had just encountered.

"What...?"

"They said, 'When the next full moon rises, go to the hilltop.' I was told to pass that along."

I watched the Black Leader's reaction as I relayed the master's words.

It had felt like some kind of code phrase, so I expected some kind of response.

"What are you talking about...? Full moon? Hilltop?"

"Hmm?"

His reaction was strange.

Was he trying to feign ignorance?

I pressed down on my heart and questioned him again.

"Answer properly."

Wooong—!!

"Ugh..."

As my command activated, the Black Leader writhed in pain and spoke again.

"I truly... don't know what that means..."

"What?"

He gave the same answer again. My eyes widened.

He didn’t know? Then why would she ask me to relay those words—

"...Huh?"

I stopped mid-thought and turned my head sharply.

I looked toward the direction where the master had vanished.

A chilling realization crawled into my mind.

"...That phrase."

"When the next full moon rises, go to the hilltop."

The message the master had asked me to deliver.

"Could it be..."

It wasn’t a message for the Black Leader.

"...Was it meant for me?"

Had she already realized that I wasn’t just another guest?

"Did she say it knowing I would be the one to hear it?"

A shiver ran down my spine.

With a creaking motion, I turned my head toward the Black Leader.

Or more precisely, toward the window in his room.

Outside, in the night sky, two moons shone.

One had already waned, nearly a crescent.

The other was just about to become full.