Cabdan burst through the ornate double doors of a wealthy mansion -- a stark contrast to the grim, rundown slums he ruled. Behind him, two henchmen carried Barr on a stretcher, his body limp and still unconscious.

  Maid: "Welcome home, mister Cabdan! The doctor is already waiting for you in the library."

  Cabdan: "Good... You two, follow me."

  The henchmen hauled Barr down the opulent hallway, the polished floors reflecting the warm glow of chandeliers above. Cabdan led the way, his pinky ring catching the light, its magical glow now dim and lifeless.

  When they reached the library, Cabdan flung open the double doors. Inside, the Leopard stood from an armchair, his sharp gaze narrowing as he faced Cabdan.

  The Leopard: "Cabdan, what is the meaning of this?! You'd better have a good reason for bringing me here on such short notice...!"

  Cabdan smiled, his calm demeanor unfazed.

  Cabdan: "I do apologize, Leopard, but something urgent has come up. Your services are required."

  At his signal, the henchmen laid Barr on a long table, his pale, blood-soaked form looking more corpse than man.

  The Leopard: "I recognize him... from yesterday! What happened to him? He's nearly dead! I'll need --"

  Cabdan: "Everything you require is already here..."

  Several maids entered the library, pushing carts stocked with herbs, bandages, water, and surgical tools.

  Cabdan: "I've equipped my home with everything you'd find in the orphanage, and more."

  The Leopard glanced at the carts, mildly surprised by Cabdan's foresight. But there was no time to dwell on it -- Barr's condition was critical.

  The Leopard: "Alright... I'll need two helpers. Everyone else -- out! Quickly!"

  Cabdan: "Let the doctor work, everyone. Follow me."

  The staff filed out of the room, leaving behind two pale-faced maids with vacant, blackened gazes.

  Cabdan: "You two... stay and assist him. Yes?"

  He grinned, stepping out and closing the doors behind him.

  Inside the library, the Leopard worked swiftly, his hands moving with precision as he stabilized Barr. The two maids stood by, their empty stares betraying no emotion. Unbeknownst to the Leopard, someone was watching him -- peering through the eyes of the maids.

  A man clad in dark armor grinned from afar, his eyes glowing with a sinister, black energy.

  Mysterious man: "There you are, Sadduccee... It's been far too long since I last laid eyes on you...!"

  His lips curled in a grotesque smile, his voice dripping with malice.

  Outside the library, Cabdan waited in the hallway, staring at his pinky ring. The glow that had once marked its power was completely gone.

  Cabdan: "Never thought this is what I'd use it for..."

  He slid the ring off his finger, holding it up for a moment before replacing it with another -- a dark, ominous band that emanated a faint black glow.

  Cabdan: "But I have to admit... black does look better on me."

  He stretched out his hand, admiring the way the new ring caught the light.

  Cabdan: "Beautiful. May it be a reflection, an omen of a brand-new, long-lasting alliance... dear Lunalus."

  Through the ring's connection, the mysterious man -- Lunalus -- grinned widely.

  Lunalus (Mysterious man): "Your city is as good as ours, Sadduccee..."

  After some time, the library doors opened. The Leopard emerged, his exhaustion evident as he wiped his hands clean of blood.

  The Leopard: "... Come in, Cabdan."

  Cabdan stepped inside, his gaze falling on the scene. Barr lay unconscious but alive, his skin pale from blood loss.

  The Leopard: "He's stable, but barely. He won't be getting out of that bed for at least a month... I've instructed your staff on how to proceed to care for him."

  The maids worked silently, cleaning up the grisly mess.

  Cabdan: "You two -- fetch the other maids. Fill them in on the doctor's instructions and clean this mess."

  The maids bowed slightly and left the room without a word.

  The Leopard: "What's more, his... genital area is completely --"

  Cabdan: "Destroyed?"

  The Leopard hesitated, nodding.

  The Leopard: "... To put it lightly, yes. He can still urinate, but..."

  Cabdan: "As long as he lives, that's what matters."

  He placed a hand on the Leopard's shoulder, flashing a yellowed smile.

  The Leopard: "As for his arm, I'm no miracle worker. What's still attached should recover with time, but he'll never regain the hand he lost."

  Cabdan: "Of course, of course... that's more than understandable. Thank you, doctor. You may go, now."

  The Leopard: "Not so fast, Cabdan! You owe me an explanation. These injuries -- what exactly happened here? If I didn't know better, I'd say that..."

  The doctor hesitates to finish his sentence, his gaze blanking out as he weighs his words carefully before saying them out loud. Cabdan sighed, lowering himself into a chair.

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  Cabdan: "Well? You'd say that...?"

  The Leopard's gaze darkened.

  The Leopard: "... Tell me what happened. Now."

  A defiant smile etched itself on Cabdan's expression.

  Cabdan: "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I could explain it all, but where's the fun in that? I'm sure you can piece it together on your own!"

  The Leopard: "I don't have time for your games, Cabdan!"

  The Leopard pointed toward Cabdan's pinky, but the ring didn't come.

  Cabdan: "Looking for this...?"

  From his pocket, Cabdan produced the silver ring, now dull and magicless, and rolled it across the floor.

  Cabdan: "I had to use all of its power to get here in time... Without it, Barr wouldn't have made it."

  The Leopard picked up the ring, staring at it, dumbfounded.

  The Leopard: "You used it... for this? But then, what is that ri --"

  His eyes shifted to the black ring on Cabdan's finger.

  The Leopard: "No...!"

  His realization hit like a blow to the chest.

  Cabdan: "Oh yes...! I met your old friends from Nox a while ago, doctor. Took us a while to figure out the perfect time for the big reveal... But I think now is a good time as any!"

  Cabdan interrupted with a loud clap of his hands. The sound echoed through the library, and its doors swung open. A menagerie of maids and butlers poured in, their movements stiff, their eyes hollow and blackened like voids.

  The Leopard: "You've made a terrible mistake, Cabdan...!"

  Cabdan: "A mistake? No, doctor. This is the greatest decision of my life."

  Cabdan leaned back in his chair, a smug grin stretching across his face.

  Cabdan: "You see, our little partnership has served me well, but I've outgrown the need for your... constraints. It's time I forged new alliances -- now, the slums will be run on my terms."

  The Leopard began casting gray glyphs from the palms of his hands, his voice trembling with barely contained rage.

  The Leopard: "You think you've secured control? You've only brought chaos to your doorstep...!"

  Cabdan raised an eyebrow, unconcerned.

  Cabdan: "Now now, doctor... don't be so dramatic. And do calm down, there's no need for violence. After all, didn't you want to know who caused those injuries...? Let me give you a little help... It was a certain young girl who had every right to exact her revenge. "

  The Leopard: "Faya..."

  The Leopard froze, his glyphs flickering slightly.

  Cabdan: "Ah, I see I've got your attention! Yes, indeed. And, do you know where she is now...? I'll give you a tiny hint, too..."

  From his pocket, Cabdan pulled out a small empty flask and rolled it across the floor. The Leopard caught a whiff of the potent residue, his eyes narrowing.

  The Leopard: "Poison... You knew. You knew they could kill each other, and you let it happen anyway...!"

  Cabdan's grin widened, pure glee dancing in his eyes.

  Cabdan: "Oh, I didn't just 'let it happen,' Leopard. I orchestrated it! A little nudge here, a little whisper there. And wouldn't you know it? They delivered a show no one will ever forget!"

  The Leopard's voice was icy.

  The Leopard: "You're despicable."

  Cabdan: "Well, if you think that now wait until you realize who holds the only antidote to Faya's little predicament... No hints this time!"

  The Leopard's glyphs burned brighter, crackling with energy as his fury boiled over.

  The Leopard: "You monster!"

  Two bolts of gray energy erupted from his palms, streaking toward Cabdan. Before they could hit, one of the pale maids threw herself into their path. The energy hit her squarely, and her body convulsed, contorting unnaturally.

  The Leopard's breath hitched.

  The Leopard: "No... Not you...!"

  The maid's body twisted grotesquely, her bones snapping and her muscles warping until she no longer resembled herself. Instead, standing before him was a figure he knew all too well: Lunalus.

  Lunalus: "It's been far too long, hasn't it, Sadduccee?"

  The Leopard -- Sadduccee -- casts another bolt of energy toward him. Lunalus' body falls to the ground, dead.

  Lunalus: Take off that silly mask. Let me take a look at that face again...

  He turns to another maid. Lunalus had transferred himself to her, as her bones broke and muscles adjusted to bear his form.

  Lunalus: "Only one place you can run off to now."

  Sadduccee grimaced, raising a protective gray barrier in the form of a translucent cube around himself.

  Lunalus: "What are you waiting for...? Open it! Come on. Open a portal straight into Eclipse's headquarters. How else can you survive?"

  The Leopard: "You sure would like that, wouldn't you...?"

  Lunalus: "I *will* like that. It is not a matter of if... It is only a matter of when. Let me inside now, and I promise I'll make your colleagues' death quick and painless..."

  The Leopard: "Over my dead body."

  Lunalus approached the cube, his face mere inches away from its glowing surface.

  Lunalus: "You always have to spoil everything! There'll be plenty of time for dying. But first, tell me -- who's in charge now? Is it still the Owl?"

  Sadduccee didn't answer.

  Lunalus: "No? Too old, I imagine. So, who's taken up the mantle?"

  The Leopard: "You're not getting anything from me. Torture me all you want -- it won't work."

  Lunalus chuckled, shaking his head.

  Lunalus: "Torture you? No, no. We go way back, Sadduccee. I'd never hurt an old friend like that. Truth be told... I just want to have some fun."

  Cabdan watched the exchange with wide eyes, his earlier confidence now tempered by fear of Lunalus' erratic demeanour.

  Cabdan: "M-mister Lunalus, shouldn't we --"

  Lunalus turned sharply, his grin vanishing.

  Lunalus: "Shut your fat mouth, Cabdan."

  With a snap of his fingers, a pulse of dark energy shot through Cabdan's black ring, sending a jolt of electricity through his body. Cabdan collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.

  Lunalus: "You fools have finally done it, haven't you? After all these years, you've found a way to destroy the great realm of the dark goddess Tentoria herself. Mortmundus will fall, Sadduccee... but tell me, is that the world you truly want?"

  Sadduccee stood firm, glyphs forming at his palms.

  The Leopard: "Mortmundus is no more than a curse, brought about by the ire of the gods... It should have never been."

  Lunalus let out a mocking laugh, taking slow, deliberate steps toward him.

  Lunalus: "And...? You think tearing it down will bring your precious 'freedom'? No. You've merely unleashed a new era -- one of chaos, war, and death on an unprecedented scale. That's your legacy, Sadduccee. Is it everything you hoped for?"

  The Leopard removes his mask, revealing a heavy face underneath.

  Sadduccee: "What I hope for is a world in which the gods have no hold on our souls. People deserve to live free, unafraid of eternity in Tentoria's limbo."

  Lunalus' smile faltered, his tone softening briefly.

  Lunalus: "You've grown old..."

  Sadduccee: "We both have. Too old for this... We know how this will end. We both know neither of us will change."

  Lunalus: "Oh, I'm fully aware..."

  Lunalus sits down on a nearby armchair. He seems almost... sad.

  Lunalus: "Which is why I want to cherish our final moments together as much as I can. Tell me, Sadducee... Were all your battles worth fighting, in the end?"

  Sadduccee looks at him... For a brief moment, he didn't seem like the heartless monster he once knew.

  Sadduccee: "Old age is really catching up to you, isn't it...?"

  Lunalus' gaze seemed empty, as he looked down at the ground.

  Lunalus: "Answer the question, Sadduccee."

  Sadducee ponders before replying.

  Sadduccee: "I could. But honestly..."

  Glyphs emerge from Sadduccee's palms.

  Sadduccee: "... I'd prefer to die without giving you the pleasure of knowing."

  Sadduccee's glyphs erupted in a burst of gray energy, streaking toward every maid and butler in the room. Their bodies froze mid-motion, trapped in stasis. The magic's crackling hum filled the air, and for a moment, the library was eerily still.

  Lunalus tilted his head, impressed.

  Lunalus: "Hmm. No more vessels for me possess? Clever."

  Sadduccee's gaze snapped to Cabdan, who was struggling to stand.

  Sadduccee: "I may not be able to kill you, Lunalus..."

  His glyphs flared with renewed intensity as he aimed a concentrated bolt of energy at Cabdan.

  Sadduccee: "... But I can cripple your operations."

  The bolt shot forward with devastating force, slamming into Cabdan's chest. The explosion sent him crashing into a bookshelf, the impact shattering wood and sending a cloud of dust into the air.

  Sadduccee's lips curled into a faint smile -- until a glowing streak of black energy shot out of the cloud, striking his protective cube. The barrier shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving him exposed.

  When the dust settled, Cabdan stood, battered but alive. His black ring pulsed with energy, faint trails of smoke rising from it.

  Sadduccee: "The ring...!"

  Cabdan straightened, dusting himself off with a laugh.

  Cabdan: "Marvelous! Truly marvelous!"

  Lunalus clapped slowly, his dark smile returning.

  Lunalus: "He did tell you it was an upgrade over the old one, you know..."

  Sadduccee braced himself as Lunalus summoned a glyph of black magic, forming a spear of dark energy in his hand.

  Lunalus: "Now... let's skip to the part where one of us dies!"