The Youkai King's Palace.
The servants of the Youkai Queen spoke carefully, eyeing each other.
"The Queen is waiting in the Western Hall."
"I will not go to the Western Hall."
"Ah, the Queen will be angry!"

The servants, looking alarmed, tried to stop him, but the prince paid them no mind.

"Was the reason for my mother’s visit to the palace to meet with the Queen?"

Ha Eun-eung shook her head.
Her goal was to recover the mirror of Myeonggyeongjisu and return to the In-gyo.
Even if the passage to the In-gyo was with the Youkai Queen, there was no need to meet her before retrieving the mirror.
How could she convey this message?
The palace was practically the prince’s home.
She couldn’t very well break the solid marble floor with her sword to write words.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ha Eun-eung’s gaze fell upon the prince’s scarred hand.

"Mother?"

Lifting his large, thick hand with one of hers, she etched words onto his palm with her other hand.

"!!"

The beautiful skin of Ha Eun-eung tingled as the slightly cooler, yet more comfortable body temperature from his hand sent a sensation up to her mind, making her focus all her senses as if her skull had just split open.
The sudden physical contact was overwhelming, yet the prince remained unaffected.

[贵物]

Her mother, without any ill intent, was simply conveying her thoughts by writing on his hand.

"You are looking for a precious item, I understand. The Youkai King’s remaining legacy is not in the Western Hall or the Eastern Hall, but in the Main Hall. Let’s head there."

Having expected the prince to head toward the Youkai General after the Queen’s disgrace, the elite troops of the general were startled by the prince’s confident, unfazed attitude.
The palace, divided between the two powers of Youkai Queen and Youkai General, showed no signs of weakness from the prince. The thought that the prince wasn’t just an ordinary person had crossed their minds, but they never imagined this degree of indifference.

"How pathetic. Go to your master immediately. Who do you think you are, telling the prince what to do?"

Maganom, with a sly smile, mocked them as if fanning the flames of a burning house.
Faced with this direct humiliation, the servants of the Queen and the elite troops of the general turned red and scattered toward the Western and Eastern Halls.
Now, the nuisance that had been trailing them, disrupting their path, was finally gone.

"This way."

Recalling the palace from his childhood, the prince strode confidently toward the Main Hall.
After being robbed by the Great Youkai, and now with the palace abandoned by its masters, the Main Hall, once shared by the Youkai Queen and General, had been desecrated.
When the prince placed his hand on the locked door to the meeting room, it opened automatically, as if the lock recognized its rightful owner, just like a dog finding its master.

"This was where the Youkai King dealt with state affairs. Beyond this, through a hidden door in the library, you can enter the treasure vault where the precious items are stored."

The Youkai Realm.
With the purpose of retrieving the Myeonggyeongjisu mirror and finding the exit to the In-gyo, the prince was close to completing his mission.
Suddenly, a heavy thumping and rattling noise filled the air.
Ha Eun-eung’s hand moved instinctively toward her sword.

'It seems like this might be the place for a boss battle.'

The two masters of the palace, the Youkai Queen and Youkai General, were approaching.

[Story Mode]

The audience chamber of the Youkai King.
In the palace, which had lost its master, an abandoned space.
Now, before the illegitimate prince, two massive figures appeared: a toad youkai dressed in brilliant, ornate robes and a bear youkai clad in armor.

[As expected from the spawn of a lowly woman, you have no sense of etiquette!]
[You should have crawled here on your knees to apologize, yet you dare sit and summon the Queen, who should be revered like your mother?]

[I don’t wish to defend the Queen, but on this day, I must agree.]
[Had you lived quietly, I wouldn’t have bothered, but after causing such a ruckus, there’s no way you’ll leave unscathed.]

The Youkai Queen and Youkai General.
The two powerhouses who had taken control of the palace after the loss of its master.

[Prince... ]
[Shut your mouth!!!!]

As soon as Maganom attempted to speak with wisdom, the Youkai Queen inhaled deeply, inflating her body to twice its size, then released an earth-shattering roar that shook the entire audience chamber.

[Ugh!]
[Wendigo, my ears are ringing.]

The immense volume of the Queen’s voice left Maganom in a panic, while Wendigo grabbed his ears in agony.

[Are you so foolish as to follow this lowly wretch?]
[Daring to interrupt a conversation between superiors.]
[Know your place, you filthy creatures!]

Overcome by the overwhelming intensity and volume, Maganom, sensing danger, quickly retreated, hiding behind a pillar in the chamber.

[Sitting on the throne does not make one king.]
[Do you think we left the throne vacant for so long because we didn’t know what it meant to sit upon it?]
[Once you sit there, you’ll become the target of all those who seek the throne. Are you truly prepared for that responsibility?]

The size of the Youkai General, who stood tall at 11 feet (3.6 meters), dwarfed even Wendigo’s 9-foot (3-meter) stature. He swelled with energy, pressing the prince and his guards, Wendigo and Boogeyman, with overwhelming force.

With the pressure mounting, the prince’s retreat was palpable, his caution betraying the formidable strength of his opponents.

Ugh...
Where’s the beautiful Queen...?
The Queen will make her move soon.
The Queen must have taken the throne by force. Haha.
This is getting intense, huh?
Haven’t seen Boogeyman open the wardrobe before a fight.
Wait, are they seriously fighting both of them?
The viewers, sensing the immense power from the two Youkai, could only expect overwhelming strength from such powerful figures. Facing off against both simultaneously seemed like a battle no one could survive, not even the Silent Swordmaster.

[Haha! You’re in a rush. But trying to intimidate us with force won’t work. The child you drove out, weak and frail, has now returned as an adult.]

The prince, sitting on the throne, was the only one not cowed by the two powerful figures. He boldly voiced his response, unshaken by their threats.

[Do you hear it? The cries of the people surrounding the palace.]
[The anger of those deceived by power.]
[Even if you kill me with your strength, the people’s fury will burn the palace and you with it.]
[Do you understand?]
[The people are already on my side, and your time has come to an end.]

The two Youkai were taken aback, their eyes reflecting hesitation and confusion.
The miserable, despairing half-youkai, who had barely escaped with his life, was no more.
Sitting confidently on the throne, the prince towered above them, embodying the royal bloodline of the Youkai King.

[So, it was you. You, who pulled the last spark from the muddy street to ignite the flame.]

The Youkai Queen’s hatred was directed at Ha Eun-eung, standing beside the prince, at the same height as him.

In contrast to the Queen’s explosive anger, Ha Eun-eung’s face showed no signs of distress, confusion, or tension.
Her earlier steps had reflected the confidence and unyielding spirit that had always been a part of her.

[Indeed, strength alone is not the answer.]
[Had you been nothing but a rat, I would have crushed you, but I acknowledge that you have earned the right to be cocky.]

In the midst of this tense standoff, the Youkai Queen made a bombshell announcement.

[Fine. I will give up the palace.]
[If needed, I’ll allow a few to use the passage to the In-gyo.]
[However, you must kill the Youkai General.]

The Queen’s animosity turned toward the Youkai General, not the prince.

[This filthy bitch, how dare you betray me!]
[You think you’ll just take what’s mine?]
[Follow me, Prince! We can easily seize the passage to the In-gyo. Imagine a future where we control both the Youkai Realm and the In-gyo. Doesn’t that excite you?]

After we dispose of the Youkai Queen, the Great Youkai will follow. Kill all the rulers of both realms and inherit your father’s throne! You’ll be the second Youkai King!”

The Youkai General did not retreat without a fight either.
Suddenly, a new choice appeared before the prince.

[Interaction Choices]
[1. Align with the Youkai Queen (Youkai General subjugation route)]
[2. Align with the Youkai General (Youkai Queen subjugation route)]

The boldness displayed by the prince and the unprecedented strength of Ha Eun-eung had caused a division between the two powerful Youkai!
For the boss battle that seemed hopeless, a glimmer of hope had suddenly appeared.

[What will you do, Mother?]

The prince, displaying blind trust in Ha Eun-eung, never wavering in his allegiance to her, now faced another choice.
As the timer ticked down, Ha Eun-eung’s sharp eyes caught sight of Maganom, who was whispering something behind the pillar.

[Anbu]
[Toxicity Technique]

A technique distinct from martial arts but using keen eyesight and intelligence to interpret the meaning of lip movements.

They will pretend to ally with us, but once their subordinates arrive, they will betray us.
Now is the chance while they are complacent. We can either find the treasure in the vault or escape through the passage to the In-gyo.
If you think both are too risky, we can escape outside the palace. Time is running out, my lady. Hurry up.
Maganom’s proposal was clearly read by Ha Eun-eung.
He was subtly suggesting a third path, one outside the choices forced upon them by the two powerful Youkai.
New options appeared, expanding the possibilities beyond the original choices.

[Interaction Choices]
[1. Align with the Youkai Queen (Youkai General subjugation route)]
[2. Align with the Youkai General (Youkai Queen subjugation route)]
[3. Take advantage of the chaos and find the mirror of Myeonggyeongjisu.]
[4. Take advantage of the chaos and find the passage to the In-gyo.]
[5. Escape outside the palace.]

The Youkai Queen and Youkai General were too focused on each other to pay attention to the prince’s next move.

[After you follow the Youkai General and kill all your enemies, do you really think you’ll be safe?]
[Can you really defeat the treacherous Youkai Queen and survive the battle?]

The interaction choices blinked relentlessly, urging the prince to make his decision.

[Both of your words make sense.]
[What should I do? It’s a real dilemma.]

Watching from his throne, the prince realized that, although he didn’t know all the details, Maganom had communicated something to Ha Eun-eung.
Pretending to be uncertain, the prince bought time for her to make a decision, giving her the opportunity to choose the best course of action.

‘This is certainly a great opportunity. If we can avoid the boss battle, recover the treasure, and even escape the field, there would be no better outcome.’

Ha Eun-eung’s purpose for coming to the Youkai Realm was to recover the Myeonggyeongjisu mirror and find the exit leading to the In-gyo.
If she could achieve all of her objectives amid the chaos, there would be no need to fight the powerful field bosses and engage in the hard-fought process of determining who would win.

[Time is running out, and the choices are changing.]

[Interaction Choices]
[1. Escape through the passage to the In-gyo.]
[2. Escape outside the palace.]
[3. (Stay and fight.)]

Despite knowing the easy path, Ha Eun-eung did not choose it.

[Interaction Choices]
[1. Escape through the passage to the In-gyo.]
[2. Escape outside the palace.]
[3. (Stay and fight.)]

After three days of traversing life-and-death situations with the Fighter Team, their bond had solidified.

[Interaction Choices]
[1. Escape through the passage to the In-gyo.]
[2. Escape outside the palace.]
[3. (Stay and fight alongside the Fighter Team.)]

She would never run away from her comrades.

‘It doesn’t exist in my dictionary.’

[▶ Join the Fighter Team in the subjugation battle.]

As Ha Eun-eung drew her sword, Maganom, Wendigo, and Boogeyman all turned their attention to the battle ahead, trying to avert their eyes from their fear as they prepared for combat.
The Youkai Queen and Youkai General, sensing the confrontation, asked:

[It’s time to make your decision.]
[Whose side will you fight on?]

A standoff in the audience chamber.
A boss fight in the palace.
The prince and the Fighter Team’s target is...