Chapter 27: Condemned by the Eclipse

They complied, returning to their companions.

The moment they did, they exchanged tense glances.

“Moon… what are his chances?” Raiden asked, visibly anxious.

Moon exhaled, exhausted. She had argued with the elders for quite some time before Ethan and Raiden had even been brought in.

“Knowing them… our odds don’t look good. Especially where Sir Kevin Heart is concerned. He never compromises in cases like this.”

She bit her nails—a nervous habit she could never quite suppress.

“If the worst happens… we’ll have to do something to change the outcome.”

Everyone agreed with her.

Everyone except Alicia.

“…Guys,” she began hesitantly. “Wouldn’t it actually be better if he were removed from the Hunters?”

Her innocent words made all of them turn toward her. She shrank under their stares—but gathered the courage to continue.

“If he’s no longer a Hunter… he could live the rest of his life away from the battlefield. He wouldn’t have to risk his life anymore. He could live normally. Isn’t that far better than drowning in swamps of death and the Eternal Night?”

Her reasoning silenced them.

Because they knew she was right.

If Alicia were in Ethan’s position, she would have accepted removal immediately.

Even if it meant being confined to Ashvarn for the rest of her life—so long as she never had to fight again.

None of them had the right to refute her.

So Ethan spoke instead.

“Alicia… living safely in Ashvarn for the rest of my life might spare me from death. It might let me live long enough to grow old and gray.”

He forced a faint smile—one that betrayed the truth in his heart.

“But if I’m imprisoned here for the rest of my life… that’s no different from death to me. Because I would die on the inside long before I ever die on the outside.”

They stared at him, surprised by the intensity of his resolve.

Alicia lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes.

“I don’t understand…” she whispered. “We were forced to fight against our will. So why would you choose to walk into hell willingly?”

She clenched her fists, unable to hide the envy she felt toward his determination.

Ethan simply shook his head.

“I don’t belong here.”

His gaze drifted around the hall—its towering walls, the oppressive grandeur of it all.

Beyond that… beyond Ashvarn itself.

He had known from the very beginning.

He would not remain in this place for long.

This city was merely a starting point.

And the world beyond was waiting for him.

While Ethan and Alicia argued over the matter, the elders had already reached their decision.

“Ethan Heart. Step forward.”

The summons came, and Ethan had no choice but to obey.

As he took his first step, a strange heaviness settled into his legs—as though they had multiplied in weight severalfold.

The second step came lighter, quicker than the first, betraying the tension coiled within him.

Drawing in a steady breath, he composed himself and walked forward five more steps until he reached the center of the vast chamber.

Placing his hands behind his back, he lifted his head once more and met their gazes.

The verdict lay in Kevin Heart’s hands.

Without preamble, in a voice loud and clear enough to echo through the hall, he declared:

“Ethan Heart. After reviewing your current condition and taking into consideration all that was stated in your captain’s report, we have decided…”

His crimson eyes locked onto Ethan, cold and unyielding.

“You are hereby relieved of the title of Hunter, and your associated duties are terminated effective immediately. A replacement will be chosen soon, appropriate to the level of your squad.”

The decision struck like a thunderbolt.

Ethan’s expression darkened gradually.

Without realizing it, he clenched his mechanical fist with such force that a sharp cracking sound echoed from its joints. The elders immediately exerted pressure upon him, sensing the possibility of hostility.

Barely holding himself upright beneath that invisible weight, Ethan ground his teeth as his mind raced frantically for a solution.

’What now? If I’m removed… then my fate is to rot inside this cursed city…!’

He was on the verge of speaking—of challenging the damned decision.

But someone else moved before him.

“I implore you to reconsider your decision, Sir Kevin Heart!”

Ethan turned his head.

So did the elders.

It was Moon, stepping forward once more.

“Ethan Heart is indispensable to our squad! Without him, none of us would have returned from the last expedition!”

She intervened boldly, but her words failed to reach most of the elders .. especially Kevin Heart, who dismissed her plea.

“Moon Heart. Know your place. You are not in a position to question the decisions of the elders—regardless of your family’s standing.”

“My family has nothing to do with this!” Moon shot back, losing her composure at the mention of her lineage.

“I speak only as the Captain of the Third Squad—nothing more, nothing less. And I have every right to defend my squad members, especially when you attempt to dismiss a vital one before my eyes.”

Her resolve was unwavering. She stood before them without fear.

Her defiance did not go entirely unreceived.

The Forest Witch, Vanessa Heart, intervened—an elegant smile gracing her aged features.

“Let us hear what she has to say. It is they who walk the Long Night now .. not us.”

Her words aligned her with her pupil, a gesture that clearly displeased Kevin.

“What exactly is there to hear?” Kevin replied, presenting his argument without hesitation. “There exists no scenario in which I will allow him to remain among the Hunters.”

“You all know well that Advanced Rank is the minimum requirement to become a Hunter—that is equivalent to Level 30. Ethan Heart has not merely fallen below it .. he stands at Level 1. How am I to permit him to enter the Eternal Night?”

His reasoning was solid.

Ethan understood that clearly.

Level 30 marked the threshold where warriors transcended the bounds of humanity.

Knights awakened Aura Armor—a physical enhancement that pushed their bodies beyond mortal limits, granting explosive strength and movements impossible under normal circumstances.

Mages saw their mana surge dramatically, gaining access to mid-tier spells.

That was why Level 30 was the standard.

And Ethan… was Level 1.

Yet Moon did not falter.

“Allow me to remind you that Ethan Heart has already reached that level once before. Regaining it will not be difficult for him.”

She turned her head toward Ethan briefly before continuing.

“And even if he does not—he is more qualified than any of us to be a Hunter. Without him, none of us would have survived the last hunt.”

She stepped forward again, strengthening her case.

“With one arm. With a body riddled with wounds. He led us all and risked his life until the very end. Because of him, we defeated one of the most difficult bosses we have ever faced .. and our squad returned intact.”

“Every Hunter in the Third Squad may hold Advanced Rank but him .. yet I assure you, he is a better Hunter than all of us combined.”

Standing there, Ethan said nothing.

He simply watched her.

She was radiant—her voice steady, her words unshaken. Each sentence carried more weight than those of the elders who far surpassed her in strength.

She stood against all of them for a single squad member.

For a cursed, amnesiac man she could have abandoned.

And did not.

Ethan realized then what it meant—to have someone care for you to that extent.

To defend you without hesitation.

It was a feeling he had never known in his entire life.

Moon was not alone.

The rest of the squad stepped forward as well.

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