Garion let out a long breath and finally relaxed his shoulders.

"…Alright," he muttered. "That's done."

The road was empty now.

He stood there for a moment, letting the feeling sink in.

Then his gaze dropped.

His right arm was gone.

The empty space where it should have been still felt strange.

Garion flexed his left hand slowly.

"…Yeah," he said quietly. "That still feels bad."

Atlas' voice echoed in his head.

[What? Feeling sad because you only have one hand now?]

Garion nodded without hesitation.

"Of course," he replied. "I don't exactly enjoy missing a hand."

There was a brief pause.

[Then why did you hold back earlier?]

[You let them cut it off.]

Garion snorted.

"I was playing around," he said. "I never thought I'd lose."

He glanced at the ground where the fight had happened.

"I wanted to see how far they'd go," he continued.

"And I wanted to see what they could really do."

He clicked his tongue.

"But I didn't expect that Seal Demon to be able to lock things down that hard," Garion admitted.

"And I definitely didn't expect the Ash Demon to actually cut my arm."

Atlas replied calmly.

[Of course that happened.]

[This world is full of strange things.]

Garion shrugged slightly.

"Still," he said, "even if that Seal Demon locked almost everything…"

Atlas continued.

[With your current power...]

[The power formed from your body, your cultivation path, and the results of all your disciples' training fused into you...]

[You could have broken that seal at any time.]

Garion smiled faintly.

"Didn't I say it already?" he replied. "I was playing."

Atlas sighed.

[Alright. Alright.]

Garion rolled his neck and looked again at where his arm should have been.

"…So," he said. "What about this?"

Atlas answered immediately.

[Don't worry too much.]

[Your cultivation path is body-focused.]

[Heavily so.]

Garion raised an eyebrow.

[Your hand will grow back.]

Garion blinked once.

"…Really?"

[Yes.]

[It will take time, but regeneration is inevitable for your physique.]

Garion let out a small breath of relief.

"I see," he said. "Good."

He straightened his posture and looked ahead.

"So," Garion continued, "let's move on."

Atlas' tone shifted slightly.

[You want to meet the demon suitable for the God Gym.]

Garion nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "After all that mess, I'd like to see someone worth keeping."

A glowing arrow appeared above his head, pointing back toward the Grimveil City.

[This way.]

Garion looked at it and smiled.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go."

With only one arm and an easy stride, Garion followed the arrow forward.

He was already thinking about who his first true demon gym member would be.

---

On Demon Gate Island, the air shifted.

A single figure stepped onto the cracked ground where the demonic mana once gathered thick and heavy.

His robes were clean, untouched by the corruption that still lingered faintly in the land.

The moment his feet touched the island, a quiet but firm pressure spread outward.

This was the person sent by Solmira.

His name was Sorien.

His mission was simple on paper.

Find out why the Demon Gate vanished.

But even before he reached the center of the island, Sorien already felt it.

Something was wrong.

"Too clean," he muttered under his breath.

He raised his head and released his aura fully.

A pure, holy presence spread across the island, pushing aside the remaining demonic traces.

The land reacted instantly, as if recognizing authority it could not reject.

The sky darkened slightly.

The air grew still.

Then...

They appeared.

Four massive figures emerged one after another, not through portals or explosions, but as if they had always been there.

The Four Legendary Beasts.

Eldrin, the Azure Dragon, descended first. His massive form moved slowly, calmly, his eyes gentle and clear.

Silvar, the White Tiger, appeared next, standing tall and silent, his gaze sharp and cold.

Bastor and Varyn followed without a word, the Black Tortoise and Serpent settling into place like living pillars of the world.

Cindor, the Vermilion Bird, hovered last, wings folded, eyes burning quietly.

Sorien stopped walking.

He did not draw a weapon.

He bowed.

"I greet the guardians of Demon Gate Island," he said respectfully.

Eldrin lowered his head slightly.

His voice was calm. Gentle.

"Please," Eldrin said, "may I ask where you are from?"

Sorien straightened.

"I am Sorien," he replied. "Of the Solmira Clan."

Eldrin's eyes softened just a little.

"I see," he said. "A representative of Solmira."

Silvar said nothing.

Bastor and Varyn remained unmoving.

Cindor watched.

"What do you seek here, Sir Sorien?" Eldrin asked.

Sorien took a slow breath and looked around the island.

"…Isn't there supposed to be a Demon Gate on this island?" he asked.

Eldrin nodded.

"There was," he said.

Sorien's brow furrowed. "Was?"

"It has been destroyed," Eldrin replied.

Sorien froze.

"…Destroyed?" he repeated.

That word did not belong in his expectations.

"How," Sorien asked slowly, "could a Demon Gate be destroyed?"

He looked at the four beasts in turn.

"I remember clearly," he continued, "that all four of you sealed it together."

Eldrin nodded again.

"Yes," he said. "We did."

Sorien's expression tightened.

"Then why is it gone?" he asked.

Eldrin's gaze turned distant for a moment.

"It was destroyed," he said, "but not by us."

Sorien's eyes widened slightly.

"…Then who did it?"

Silence followed.

The wind moved lightly across the island.

Finally, Eldrin spoke.

"Garion," he said. "The leader of the God Gym."

Sorien blinked.

"…Garion?"

The name meant nothing to him.

"I've never heard of him," Sorien said honestly.

Eldrin nodded slowly.

"That is to be expected," Eldrin replied. "He does not belong to a Grand Clan like yours."

Sorien's expression tightened.

"Not from a Grand Clan," he repeated. "And yet he managed to destroy a Demon Gate."

He let out a quiet breath, clearly troubled by the thought.

"That shouldn't be possible," Sorien said. "Not with what we understand."

He looked up at Eldrin.

"May I meet this person?"

Eldrin was silent for a moment.

His gaze shifted toward the forest, where the land still carried faint traces of upheaval.

"It will be difficult," Eldrin said gently.

Sorien frowned. "Difficult?"

Eldrin nodded.

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