At night, the nearby oasis reflected the moonlight, and once the three Morians passed by its waters, Morio peeked inside and saw his own, worried expression. Nevertheless, he was keener on focusing on the crescent presence instead.

The moon was always there, after all. Sometimes you could barely see it, at other times it was full or taking shape just like tonight.

Unlike there, however, it didn't bring him any peace. It didn't form an answer or beg a question that'd help him make the correct choice in all of this.

Scanning the palms and all the greenery leading up to the first purpur bushes and flowers eventually changing into the big beige towers of Windsdale only made his heart skip another beat. If they went back, Hakate would surely strike, but if they didn't, he'd break his promise.

Only thirteen minutes passed since then, and with a heavy breath, his yundul kept up the pace with everyone else.

Moving out of the general oasis area, the Florentine extended around the horizon, but it seemed that, with a hunch and angered decisions, Ingo immediately chose a route opposing those mountains. Instead, high, rocky terrain with reds, oranges and golds formed into these massive formations of spikes randomly breaking the rather even terrain consisting of smaller trees or cacti.

The flowers and plants in question were quite strange as well, bearing a somewhat blue colour when the moonlight hit, even though Genni recalled their dark green hue the other day. Quickly enough, she felt the lack of Jyuzou's help or Koyote's explanations about everything around these areas of Harabara. Even if the two were Harans, there was still much to learn, then again, thinking about even being here made her heart skip a beat, for no apparent reason.

Morio wasn't necessarily as interested in the surrounding terrain as Ingo was, who suddenly stopped, eyeing one of the smaller bushes next to his yundul. He breathed in, before stepping off and walking around the area, looking around.

He focused his gaze at the north-east, where some of the sun still left its traces. The further his eye reached, the less colourful the greens were, and the blues eventually lit up with a white light flailing out of the bush and hanging in the air.

He turned to one of those shines, as it made a small buzzing sound and stared back at the Morian. It landed on one of his fingers, before flying back into the same patch. Ingo put his hands into his pockets, looking down at the ground.

Genni and Morio stepped off as well, with the latter turning towards Windsdale once more. The lights from the hill they stood on gave everything a yellowish, sickly tint. Even the parks and massive palm trees accompanied by dense patches of smaller ones lost their shine, and as the street shifted towards the port, the bigger square-like buildings, as well as the towers assumed the same shade.

It seemed as if everything told him to never come back.

Genni looked at Ingo. Ever since they left Windsdale, he hadn't uttered a single word, spare the strange looks he gave the Morians.

Morio turned his attention to the other two, eventually taking a step forward.

"Wh-where to, now?" he asked, with a shaky voice, fixing his weapon and the other, empty sheath.

Ingo clenched one of his fists and stormed up to Morio.

He slapped Morio's face, and then punched him in the stomach, as hard as he possibly could.

"INGO!" Genni screamed out.

"What the fuck was that, huh?!" he asked, while Morio scoured to the ground, squirming in pain. "Why did you do that?!"

Morio put his hand on his stomach. "Did... what...?" he breathed those words out.

"Everything since we stepped foot into Windsdale, damn it!" he signalled with his hand. "You were the sole reason why we were chased out like some cowards, and not the Demonears we trained to be!"

Morio's angered eyes focused on Ingo's face. The other seemed completely blinded with rage, and words couldn't even express how he felt. Instead, he took another swing, but that one was stopped by Genni. She grabbed his arm mid-strike and pulled it, pushing the Morian away.

Ingo took heavy steps back, scoffing at the ground and spitting out some of his gathered saliva, mixed with blood.

"What on Errarrion are you talking about, Ingo?!" Genni asked, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Morio isn't to blame, no one is but that wretched man!"

"You're going to let him say all those things about us then, huh?" he asked, looking up. "I won't take that level of disrespect any longer. The next time I see him, I'll do what he promised us."

"You're not killing anybody, Ingo!"

"Who cares, Genni?!" he yelled, pushing her away. "He'd slaughter us on a whim like everything else in this world! You have to fight for yourself!" he walked to the side, as Morio stood up. "...and I'm not letting you take pity on me!"

"What?" Morio looked confused, pressuring his nose.

"Don't try and play hero like you did back then," Ingo said through his teeth. "It pisses me the hell off, atop everything else you're already doing!"

"Fuck you!" Morio pushed him away as well, but Ingo managed to retaliate, hitting Morio's face again.

Fortunately, Genni stepped in. She swiftly delivered a punch to his face as well, sending Ingo to the ground.

The girl breathed in and out, heavily, her shaky hands slowly lowering themselves. Instead of walking away, she stuck them both out to help Ingo stand.

He didn't take the opportunity, instead kicking his feet towards the side with the sand landing in one of the bushes. The white light inside of it disappeared instantly, and his eyes widened.

"Why are you like this...?" she uttered, out of energy.

"Like what?"

"Angry!" she fixed her glasses with her wrists. "Can you tell me what hurts you so I can help... or something?" she shook her head, signalling with her hand.

Ingo's expression didn't change. His lips were pursed, and anger was still present, even if he wasn't acting upon it. Morio stood still, eyeing as Ingo walked back towards his yundul.

One last glance at the blue bushes, he stepped onto his animal again.

"Ingo!" Genni raised her raspy voice. "Tell me!"

"You're the same as me," Ingo uttered. "You're just pretending that you don't care."

Genni breathed in through her nose, oddly surprised. Morio glimpsed at her for a second, confused, but she didn't utter another word. The girl huffed out, fixing her backpack's strap and eventually walked forward, with the first few steps slower than the other.

Morio gulped, his expression easing out. The yundul came up to him, its head lightly landing on one of his shoulders.

"Gambino, Morio," Ingo answered. "That's where we're headed."

Morio stuttered, trying to rationalize through his anger. "How long will that take us?" he asked.

"If we don't stop, we have a chance to reach it in two days" Ingo answered. "...and I don't expect our journey to take a different route. No villages, no pity stops near great sights. Just answers damn it, and a way to fight back against that damn thing."

"We're gonna need money," Genni said.

"You caught onto my idea rather quickly." he snickered. "We win, and we get rid of the problem in one way or another."

The yunduls moved forwards and down the hill. The blue bushes eventually turned back into the same dark green when the Morians left.

***

Money.

Money was everything in Gambino. The sole reason why someone would come to the city as a tourist in the first place was to find a way to make it big with the amount of Silver they had or invent a new strategy, way of thinking to create another, seemingly endless source of income.

Gambino was the one place in Mainland Errarion where town rules didn't apply. There was no general list of how one should behave on the streets and the concept of a difference between day and nighttime was non-existent.

You lived how you wanted to live if it didn't concern the main pyramid in the middle. The only thing that separated you from the others was a strange hierarchy between those richer and poorer. You could get everything you wanted if you just asked the poor to do it for you, provided you paid them. This did sound like a normal job at first, but you'd have to remind yourself that you're not doing this for the general good but for someone's whim.

Ivehno would be the one exception to this rule if it wasn't for the person operating that entire prison area having a keen interest in studying animals. Then again, some richer man decided that money-related crimes and whatnot shall be punished, and half of that functioned as a normal jail.

The buildings around the massive, golden pyramid in the middle separated the richest from the rich, as the poor couldn't even live in Gambino. The districts around were a mishmash of various architectural styles by the people who decided that if there weren't any rules, they could add village upon village until it circled the pyramid.

That didn't concern the people who stood as the heads of Gambino, however. Dubbed, the Golden Rulers were those who had gathered abysmal sums of money and therefore created themselves a space where riches and all that never concerned them.

The Golden Rulers, and most people in Gambino, couldn't compare wealth to towns where money wasn't as important. If you have ten thousand silver in Magna, you're practically set for your life, but a good three million wouldn't be enough to live on the very edges of the districts.

"The richest Golden Ruler?" a man asked, with the other nodding, eyes sparkling like the silver he carried in his other hand. "Everyone knows. Seventeen years in the lead, Mustafa Dungel'sai. Netting at about thirty billion silver."

"T-Thirty billion?" another continued. "Where does he store for all of that?"

"Tops of the pyramid they say. It's guarded by people he pays millions for."

He gulped. "I'd love to sit on that throne one day!"

The two started walking along the lit street, passing by orange balconies with flowers, and moving under an arch two people sat on.

Leopold swung his legs back and forth, blinking. "I'd never know what I'd do with that money."

Isak stared forward, bored out of his mind.

"Thirty billion Silver." Leopold turned to Isak. "It wouldn't be useful anywhere else."

"It wouldn't be useful ever." Isak snickered. "Did your mind forget that we're demons, Leopold? We take what we want and whenever."

Leopold didn't do anything for some time, while the other eyed him.

"But of course." Isak turned, rolling his eyes. "Shi Hon would probably say otherwise and that you'd agree, like the blessed puppy you are."

"It was just a question." Leopold shrugged.

"A stupid question." Isak continued, moving his legs around. He put his chin on his open palm, before suddenly thrashing around.

There was some form of strange rune embedded into his skin. It looked like Old Manjuno but Isak wouldn't know.

"It still hurts!" he uttered. "Why couldn't you be the one to do it, eh?!"

Leopold stared at him.

"You..." he pointed, grinding his teeth. "Whatever." he shook his head. "It's either going to be silence or some cryptic way of denying my words." he pressured his palm with his other fingers. "It hurts, damn it,"

"I have an answer." Leopold looked ahead, with the pyramid's top emitting a soft, golden glow.

"Bless me." Isak snickered.

"I'm not a demon." Leopold continued, as casually as ever. However, Isak was taken aback. His earlier snarky attitude and odd remarks turned into complete shock. Leopold didn't seem to care as much as he did.

"Huh?" Isak blinked a couple of times. "Then what are you, a Beastman?"

"A Beastman. That's funny. Why would a Beastman need to steal horns, Isak?" Leopold asked, putting his hands together. "I don't think you remember."

Isak seemed too confused to process his words, thoughts battling themselves.

"You were the one who held Lisa Pluton captive when Lisbeth wanted to have a reason for Bancho to come. Do you recall?" he asked.

"That old hag?" he leaned back. "What does she have to do with anything? She's probably dead anyways."

"She had a lot of goats near her house. When I killed them, I took their horns."

"To what, pretend to be a demon?" Isak continued.

"No, I didn't want to pretend. Shi Hon wanted me to wear them." he sighed. "They said they'd separate me from the other people who bore masks and black robes. You know Wakon?"

"Wakon?"

"Me neither. It was just a name I heard. They're all humans, just like me."

"Hu-" Isak stopped, breathing in. "Human?" he asked, and Leopold promptly nodded, unbothered.

"Mhm."

"I'm sorry, human?" Isak raised his voice. "What part of this heartless monster that you are makes you human?!"