Episode 28
Scene 1 – Jungle | Night | Near the Shield
A still night cloaks the jungle in silence. Moonlight barely cuts through the dense foliage. A shadow approaches Renji's barrier. The Guild Hunters, hidden nearby, watch the figure silently.
Grake, hidden in the distance, narrows his eyes.
Grake (thinking)
"That's… Renji? What is he doing here?
I sent the signal to Crimson Reign…
Don't tell me… Renji somehow found out?
No… that can't be possible…"
Renji walks up to the shield calmly and places his hand on it. The barrier shatters soundlessly.
He steps forward.
Instantly, the Guild Hunters leap from the shadows, surrounding him.
Grake (thinking)
"Perfect. Guild Hunters, you handle Renji.
I'll be on my way…"
Grake vanishes into the jungle, evading detection.
Mr. Ryden (smirking)
"You're not getting away this time…
And your partner Grake—definitely not."
He laughs coldly. Renji stands still, offering a mysterious smile.
Renji
"So I'm alone now… huh?
No problem."
He closes his eyes—then suddenly snaps them open and charges straight at Mr. Ryden.
Ame (shouting)
"Mr. Ryden, watch out!"
But Renji vanishes mid-charge.
Mr. Ryden stops, baffled.
Mr. Ryden (thinking)
"He was coming for me…
But he vanished…
Why didn't he strike?"
Kaito
"It's okay. Nothing happened.
Besides, the shield's broken now.
We'll be able to track him. Right, Ame?"
Ame (serious)
"No… I can feel something.
There's an aura—protecting both Renji and Grake."
Rika
"No… something's off.
If the shield broke, Grake should've come.
And that red flare… that was definitely his signal.
So why didn't he show up?"
Takeshi
"That means… he was watching us.
And the moment we focused on Renji—
He slipped away silently."
Mr. Ryden (angrily)
"Run all you want, Grake.
I will find you."
Scene 2 – Jungle Edge | Night | Grake Escaping
Grake races through the jungle, breath heavy but steps quiet.
Grake (thinking)
"Renji's coming after me…
He can't take these documents and this book.
They belong to the Crimson Reign,
Not to the Silent Shadow Troupe…"
He halts briefly, kneels, and places his hand on the ground. A red glow pulses from his palm and sinks into the earth.
Grake has masked his aura trail.
He quickly shifts direction—heading north, toward Luxaven City.
Scene 3 – Jungle Trail | Night | Renji Running
Renji runs through the dark terrain, frustration visible on his face.
Renji (thinking)
"No, Grake…
You shouldn't have done this.
You clearly don't understand Silent Shadow Troupe yet.
No matter what Crimson Reign does—
They'll never surpass us."
He pauses briefly.
Renji (thinking)
"I knew it the moment you fired that signal…
You betrayed me.
If the hunters hadn't arrived,
I wouldn't have let you walk away."
He tries to track Grake but loses the trail.
Renji (angrily)
"Grake… you won't get away with this."
He heads toward the distant lights of Lyscaria City.
Scene 4 – Jungle Clearing | Guild Hunters Regrouping
The Guild Hunters regroup in the heart of the jungle. The mood is tense.
Ame
"So now what? Do we go to Luxaven City or Lyscaria?"
Kaito
"Lyscaria. Renji is heading that way."
Shura Naki (calmly interrupts)
"No.
I can track the aura of that book—
It's with Grake.
And it's moving toward Luxaven City."
Takeshi (thinking)
"That book's aura… something's strange about it."
Mr. Ryden
"Then it's decided.
Grake goes first."
All Guild Hunters begin moving—swift and silent—toward Luxaven City.
Scene fades out into the night.
To be continued…