---
The faint glow of the tear flickered one last time as Dabi and Loira began their trek back home.
The battlefield behind them bore the scars of the night's encounter the scorched earth, scattered remnants of the cultists' tools, and the lingering, acrid stench of otherworldly energies.
Loira walked in silence, her hands resting lightly on her staff, her otherworldly aura faintly pulsing as she stayed alert.
"That flicker wasn't natural," she finally said, breaking the quiet. Her voice was calm, yet the undertone of concern was unmistakable.
Dabi wiped his blade on his cloak before sheathing it. "I felt it too. Whatever they started here, it's not over."
As the group moved cautiously through the darkened streets, Dabi summon his spirit pets, Fen trotted ahead, his sharp senses scanning for danger.
Whity and Nyx walked closer to Dabi, their movements tense and ready.
