The sound of footsteps echoed steadily through the tall trees of the forest. The wind blew softly, carrying with it the scent of damp leaves, moss, and dried blood—a constant reminder that this place was not just an ordinary forest, but a testing ground, where every living creature seemed forged to kill or be killed.
Vergil walked unhurriedly, the Yamato sheathed at his waist, as if no danger around him was worthy of even quickening his pace. Above him, the scene seemed almost cartoonish: Zuri lay on his neck like a lazy child, arms loosely at her sides, observing everything with bright eyes. Titania, smaller, sat on his right shoulder, dangling her delicate feet in the air, like a mischievous fairy who had found a comfortable resting place.
