Chapter 52: Sunshine and Threads.

Luna finds herself thrown into an unknown part of the forest. However, the chains that had tried to grapple Sunny were successfully broken free from, and she quickly located Luna using a talisman attached to one of her weapons, allowing her to track her.

The man who had chained Sunny realizes that she did not head to her trial. He quickly attempts to restrain her again, but she unsheathes her sword, slicing through the chains before they can grab her. The chain user immediately sprints into the forest after Sunny.

Meanwhile, the figure Luna was supposed to face off against grows intimidated at the thought of potentially fighting two opponents. Seizing the opportunity, Luna swiftly unravels her arm and hurls it toward the figure, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him to the ground. The figure gasps for air as he desperately attempts to pull out a pistol, but Luna acts first, throwing him against a tree with enough force to break through it. She then yanks him back toward her, slamming him onto the ground at her feet.

Sunny walks over and rips off the figure's hood, revealing a zombie—a man with rotting flesh. Without hesitation, Sunny swiftly decapitates the creature, its severed head letting out a final groan before turning to dust.

The two women look around until they spot a man with a lantern, chains dangling from his cloak.

"You two cheated!" he shouts.

Luna raises an eyebrow, and Sunny mirrors her confusion. "What the hell do you mean we cheated?" Sunny asks, her expression puzzled.

"You will be punished by the forest! At the building where your friends are, the forest god will judge you all for your deception!" the man exclaims, slamming his chains down.

Sunny unsheathes her sword, igniting it in flames. "Let me and my team go, and I will spare your life!"

The man raises a finger, pointing at Sunny. "I serve my god, and I do n—"

His words are cut short as Sunny swings her sword, slicing through his cloak. The tattered fabric drifts to the ground, revealing an old man with a long beard, balding gray hair, and piercing blue eyes.

The man, shocked by how quickly Sunny had swung her sword, glances around, searching for the white-haired woman. Suddenly, Luna reappears behind him, wrapping her threads around his body. Before he can react, she slams her hand down on the ground, molding the earth around his arms and legs, trapping him in place.

He struggles, trying to break free, but Luna swiftly drops an elbow onto his stomach. The force knocks the air out of him, leaving him gasping and winded. As he looks up, he sees Luna standing over him, preparing to drop another elbow.

"Alright, are you gonna let us go?" Sunny asks, pointing her sword at him.

He glares at her. "Listen here, wench! I will not anger my god!" he shouts defiantly.

Luna sighs and climbs onto a nearby tree, positioning herself even higher for another devastating elbow drop. The man looks up in disbelief, wondering if she will actually jump. As she suddenly leaps, panic sets in.

"Just go into the building, answer my god's questions, and do what he says! Then he will let you go!" he shouts in desperation.

Just before she lands on him, Luna unravels her legs, firing them at the tree to stop herself mid-air, avoiding the impact at the last second.

Luna leaps down, landing beside Sunny. The two exchange glances, both wondering what to do with the man. After a brief moment of thought, Luna touches the ground, causing the earth to rise and lift the man upward. She then binds him tightly with her threads.

The man yells and struggles as Luna and Sunny force him to lead them to the building he spoke of. Eventually, they arrive and spot their group—Tera, JJ, and Jamal—waiting there, looking confused as they see Luna and Sunny dragging a bound man.

Sunny throws the man to the ground before delivering a sharp kick to his side. "Go open the door! Now!" she orders.

The man scrambles to his feet while the group watches in bewilderment. Luna undoes the threads restraining him, allowing him to move freely. Hesitating, he shuffles toward the door, pressing his hand against it. A bright glow emanates from the door as it sinks into the ground, revealing an empty room.

The man steps inside, looking around in confusion. Before anyone can react, a shadowy figure suddenly emerges, grabbing him. The group instinctively tenses, but before they can do anything, the thick fog that had blanketed the forest begins to lift, revealing a clear path out.

Now free, they cautiously walk through the forest, exiting at last. Yet, confusion lingers among them—why did they have to go through all of that?

Breaking the silence, Luna suddenly speaks up, her voice sharper than usual.

"What the hell was that all about?!" she shouts—a rare moment of her raising her voice, her annoyance evident. It feels as if their time had been completely wasted.

The group enters the RV, expecting to find it in disarray, but instead, everything appears perfectly fine. Priscilla sits comfortably, filing her nails, looking more bored than anything.

"Oh, hello! You're all back!" she greets them casually.

The group glances around, surprised that nothing seems out of place. They had half-expected the RV to be ransacked by monsters or worse. Then, the realization dawns on them.

"Oh yeah… the daughter of Dracula is in the RV," someone mutters.

Priscilla smirks. "Don't worry, you were only gone for two and a half hours!"

Sunny raises an eyebrow. "Huh, two and a half hours? I thought it would've been longer. But I guess everyone can hold their own in a fight, so that's pretty good."

Jamal and JJ head to the back, both eager to lie down and rest, while Tera, still full of energy, bounces on her feet. Luna sinks into the couch, exhausted, while Sunny moves to start cooking—only to pause when she notices something.

Priscilla had already made food for everyone. Tacos, of all things, were waiting on the table, freshly prepared for their return.

The group takes a well-deserved break, resting up from their fights.