A refuge. A fortress. A last bastion of hope for divers lucky—or skilled—enough to survive the horrors of the Depths. Its torch-lit walls pulsed with life, merchants haggling, blacksmiths hammering, and campfires glowing. Friendly chatter filled the air.
And then—
"WHOOSH."
A blood-red portal tore reality in half just outside the main gate.
The atmosphere shifted immediately. Conversations stopped. Merchants froze mid-sale. Even the guards at the gate instinctively reached for their halberds.
Because they knew that aura.
"No…" one whispered. "It's him."
From the swirling tear in space stepped Alen Drakkengard, cloak fluttering, his obsidian-shadowed spear Red Death slung lazily across his back.
And slumped over his shoulder like a sack of wet bread?
Subaru Olof, passed out, covered in dirt and dried Megurger grease.
The silence was thunderous. People backed away instinctively, guards gripped their weapons tighter. A child dropped their fruit basket and ran. One elderly diver even collapsed in fear, whispering about the last time Alen came.
Castle Light had been raided by him before. Alone. And lived to tell of it. Barely.
But this time… Alen looked bored.
"Relax. I'm not here to farm you all again. The freshie wanted to visit."
He gently dropped Subaru like a sack of potatoes onto the ground. The moment Subaru's face touched stone, he mumbled:
"I… see the light… tell Julius I stole the last burger…"
And then—he twitched.
Subaru's body rolled slightly…
And accidentally shoved a nearby freshie off the edge of Castle Light's southern balcony.
There was a pause.
Then a scream.
"NOOOOOOOOOO—"
Splash. Layer 2. Gone. Wipe #4.
The crowd gasped.
But it got worse.
"YOU IDIOT!" shouted another freshie—his friend. "HE WAS GONNA GET POWERED UP TODAY! I'LL KILL YOU!"
He rushed Subaru in rage, fists flying.
Subaru, groggy and half-conscious, flinched and rolled to the side, yelling:
"NOT AGAIN!"
The angry freshie missed… and tumbled over the edge too.
Wipe #5.
The courtyard went deathly still.
Then a lone diver whispered:
"He's… he's worse than the Depths. He's a Freshie Reaper…"
Subaru lay on his back, panting.
"This place really needs guardrails…"
Suddenly—"SUBARU!?"
From the crowd rushed Reinhart Era, followed by Julius Vendet, both wide-eyed.
Reinhart's Ironsing blade flashed in alarm. Julius had half a skewer of roasted mystery-meat in one hand, dripping with strange gravy.
"You're alive?!" Reinhart shouted, skidding to a stop.
"Barely," Subaru croaked. "I may have wiped five people. By accident."
Julius looked at Alen, and his expression changed instantly. All traces of hunger vanished.
"Is that… is that the guy who raided Castle Light last month and nearly sent Castle Guard Zarnak into therapy?"
"The very one," Alen said, casually twirling Red Death. "Though I didn't finish the job. Zarnak ran."
Reinhart stepped forward, unsure if he was supposed to fight or run. The aura rolling off Alen felt like standing next to a silent avalanche. Blood-red shadows shimmered subtly around his shoulders. Even standing still, the world bent around him.
"Who… are you?" Reinhart asked, hand trembling on his blade.
"The Aura Farmer," Subaru said, still lying flat on the stone. "Don't fight him. I watched him slice a cultivator into soup."
Julius nodded, swallowing dryly.
"He's got final boss energy."
Alen glanced between them. His gaze rested a beat longer on Reinhart, as if studying something.
"You two his companions?"
"Yeah," Julius said. "We're… the survivors. Of a lot."
Alen folded his arms. His blood-pressure aura dimmed slightly. Something in Subaru's story made him curious.
"Come. You owe me an explanation. All of you."
Later – Inside Castle Light's Inner Courtyard
The four sat on a worn bench near the mess hall, as far from civilians as possible. Most of the other divers watched from afar, hiding behind crates, tents, or tower posts. Some whispered rumors.
"He's taming the Drakkengard…"
"Is that the Freshie Reaper? Two fell today…"
"That's the guy who parried Judgement…"
Reinhart and Julius sat on either side of Subaru like anxious parents waiting for a report card.
"Okay," Julius said. "Start from the top. What the hell happened?"
Subaru took a deep breath. His voice cracked slightly, as if even recounting it brought back trauma.
"So after I wiped that cultivator's son, I ran for my life…"
He began explaining everything: the chases, the Megurger-fueled breakdown, the accidental Layer 2 push, meeting Alen, the fight between Alen and Jade Flame Huakai, the Judgement parry, and finally their chat over expired food.
By the end, Reinhart was holding his face in both hands.
"You fought a cultivator, wiped his son, then parried the strongest attack in existence, and now you're best friends with a Castle Light raider."
"Best friends is strong," Alen said, polishing Red Death. "But he's interesting."
Julius looked at Alen with haunted eyes.
"Why are you helping him?"
"Because I want to study him. Something's broken in him—but in a way that breaks the rules of this world."
Subaru blinked.
"That's… weirdly poetic."
Reinhart sighed.
"You wiped five people in two days."
"I didn't mean to!"
"You pushed them in the Depths."
"Tripped! Twice!"
Alen cracked a rare grin.
"Let the boy live. He's chaos wrapped in survival instinct. I respect it."
A pause passed.
Julius looked around and said:
"We're never gonna be allowed back here again, are we?"
Reinhart nodded solemnly.
"Absolutely not."
Alen stood.
"I need rest. I'll be outside. Don't worry—I won't kill anyone. Unless provoked."
The moment he left the courtyard, three people fainted from sheer presence. The walls of Castle Light sighed in collective tension.
Subaru sat back, cheeks still flushed.
"So… I brought a war criminal into a sanctuary… and accidentally wiped two more guys."
Reinhart stood, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"We're getting you therapy."
Julius grunted.
"And a leash."