Deep within the Mini Reaper Garden.

The soft, endless Marshmallow Plains stretched on, and above it, the canopy sky hung over the Mini Reapers' paradise.

I was relaxing comfortably there, having placed a wireless TV, enjoying my time.

Lying on the large white monster's back, I bit into a jelly I was holding in my hand.

The sweet taste of jelly made from the monster’s own finger spread throughout my mouth.

I then tuned my ears to the sound coming from the wireless TV right in front of me.

[Professor, it's been quite some time since the San Francisco incident. Starting with the objects that filled the sky, numerous buildings including the Golden Gate Bridge were destroyed, causing massive damage. But recently, several suspicions have been raised in the US regarding the incident. What are they about?]

[Yes, that's right. Currently, in the US, a conspiracy theory has been spreading, suggesting that the San Francisco disaster was planned by James Corp. The fact that the Alexander Group, known to be James' rival, suffered irreparable damage due to this incident adds weight to these suspicions.]

The news anchor and panelists were discussing the recent San Francisco incident on the TV screen.

Even though it was an event in the United States, the broadcast was happening so quickly that I couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

It’s an event in the US, but it’s being aired so quickly...

Reflecting on how things used to be with Korean broadcasts, I realized just how much things had changed.

If this had been in the past, they wouldn’t have aired it at all or it would have taken a month before it was even mentioned.

After the Association Doll incident and the dismantling of the Association, overseas Object-related news, which had been thoroughly blocked until then, started flooding in all at once.

[Ah, I see. So, what exactly are the specifics of these suspicions?]

[It started mainly over the differing views between the two companies regarding the introduction of Mini Reapers. The Alexander Group had been cautious about introducing Mini Reapers, whereas James Corp was very proactive. And during the San Francisco incident, the sudden appearance of a giant black reaper has raised suspicions about this.]

Listening to the sound coming from the TV, I began to think about the post-Association Council.

Is the head of the Object Council, Golden Cheol, actually doing a good job?

From his appearance, he seemed like someone who would bring a level of chaos even worse than Omuryong, but...

Still, I was grateful for all these changes.

One of my few hobbies was watching the news.

Now that I had access to overseas news freely, the amount of news had increased by several dozen times!

Hehe.

[Recently, it has been revealed that all of the top executives at the Alexander Group have brutally died, which has been linked to the incident.]

[Yes, that’s right. However, the public opinion in the US is still very favorable toward the Mini Reapers, so it seems unlikely that a proper investigation into the incident will happen.]

[....]

[That’s all for the recent updates on the San Francisco incident. To our viewers, we’ll be back with the next story. Thank you.]

As the news came to an end with the anchor's closing statement, I stood up slowly, ready to go see Yerin.

Pat pat.

I stepped forward, my feet sinking slightly into the soft Marshmallow Plains.

The white monster and the monster reaper stood side by side, seeing me off.

Kyu!

The sound of the white monster's kyu! made a fun thought flash in my mind.

Like a playful child, I was struck with an exciting idea.

What would happen if I merged the white monster and the monster reaper?

In terms of color, the monster reaper was the same color as the monster, so I thought there might be a possibility of fusion.

As my curiosity exploded, I acted without hesitation.

Throwing a fusion halo over my head, I merged the white monster and the monster reaper in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, a large white orb appeared, and it began to crack open.

With mixed feelings of tension and anticipation, I held my breath and watched the result.

And when the orb completely broke, what emerged was...

A hybrid that looked nothing like what I had imagined.

What... is this?

I stepped back slowly, filled with astonishment and confusion.

Shocked by the unexpected result, I teleported away from the spot before the hybrid could open its eyes.

In the Mini Reaper Garden, at a corner of the Marshmallow Plains.

The Golden Mantle Reaper was looking down at its own fist.

Trying to recall the sensation of when it had fused with the strongest Golden Reaper, the First Sword, it worked hard to bring back that feeling.

Whoosh.

With a small golden flame, a handful of firewood entered the Golden Mantle Reaper’s fist.

And, swinging its fist powerfully, it cut through the air, but contrary to its expectations, the punch merely sliced through the air rapidly.

Space...

There was still the sensation of space cutting through the Golden Mantle Reaper's fists, but no matter how many times it repeated, there was little progress.

Of course, if it filled its fists with firewood like it used to, it could probably tear through space, but that wasn’t what it wanted.

Maah...

Suddenly, a voice sounded, and the Golden Mantle Reaper turned its head.

Beside it stood the Bleached Reaper.

The Bleached Reaper was looking up at the Golden Mantle Reaper with a worried expression.

A warm smile spread across the Golden Mantle Reaper's face.

It’s okay.

The Golden Mantle Reaper bent down and gently patted the Bleached Reaper's head.

Even when things seem hopeless, if you have a signpost, you can always move forward.

The Bleached Reaper’s eyes brightened slightly in response to the will conveyed by the Golden Mantle Reaper.

The Golden Mantle Reaper then took its stance again and began repeatedly swinging its fist, filled with firewood.

Once, twice, three times...

Endlessly, until it reached the desired level, forever.

Moreover, the Golden Mantle Reaper was not alone.

Maah!

Maah!

Beside it, the Bleached Reaper also stretched out its small fist and tried to mimic the Golden Mantle Reaper's actions.

...

As they continued their training, a loud and lively voice suddenly came from afar.

Festival!

It’s a festival!

A war festival!

It was the energetic will of the always cheerful Golden Reapers.

?

Maah?

But this disturbance seemed a bit unfamiliar.

Golden Reapers often held festivals like swordsmanship tournaments, coliseums, or games of tag.

But a "war festival?" That was a name I had never heard of.

Maah!

When the Bleached Reaper expressed curiosity, the Golden Mantle Reaper stopped its training.

And, with the Bleached Reaper on its back, it slowly began to walk toward the location where the "war festival" was taking place.

I was holding Yerin and eating some snacks when I suddenly felt it was time for the hybrid to disappear, so I returned to the Mini Reaper Garden.

When I landed on the soft floor of the Marshmallow Plains, an unexpected sight greeted me.

Festival!

A war festival!

Charge!

The Golden Reapers, looking as excited as when the Coliseum was first built.

What was going on?

With curiosity, I quickly followed the excited Golden Reapers racing across the Marshmallow Plains.

And there, I encountered the hybrid again, a sight I never wanted to see again.

Even seeing it again, the sight was shocking.

A gigantic size of at least 3 meters.

Two massive bows made of white jelly.

White jelly foam from the fiery monsters flying around it.

The "war festival" referred to this hybrid and the Golden Reapers happily battling each other.

Why is it still not gone???

It had been far longer than the fusion maintenance time of the First Sword in San Francisco!

Watching the hybrid fight, I realized it was at least ten times stronger than I had anticipated, and its duration was far longer.

Unable to bear seeing the horrifying hybrid, I covered my eyes with both hands.

But even with my eyes covered, the terrifying sight didn’t go away.

Hing hing.

The war festival was in full swing at Seoul Forest.

In the forest, where trees were dense and a blurry black planet could be seen in the sky, numerous Golden and Black Reapers were keeping watch.

It had improved greatly compared to before, but the area near Seoul Forest still experienced spatial disruptions frequently.

The Mini Reapers guarding the area had the main task of warning humans when they approached, saying "It’s dangerous here!"

Pat pat.

A black reaper was confidently shaking its limbs as it walked around Seoul Forest.

It was a deep forest, so the sun had set quickly, and in the dark shadows, a faint will could be heard.

For mom!

It was a will I had never heard before.

? Who?

It sounded as if it was coming from far away.

Clearly a Mini Reaper, but I had never heard this whisper.

The Black Reaper tilted its head and began walking toward where the will was spreading.

For mom!

Mommaaaa!

The closer it got, the more intense the desperate will became.

The Black Reaper continued walking into the deep darkness of Seoul Forest.