After wandering around the festival, it grew dark, and the streetlights gradually turned on. Since it was a special occasion, colourful lanterns lit up in the buildings.

“Shall we head back now?”

“What are you talking about? The festival’s highlight is still to come.”

“What’s left?”

“Fireworks.”

“Have you seen fireworks before?”

Edwin seemed unusually excited, so I asked.

“A few times when I was very young. Before my father passed away, we used to have fireworks during the festival in our territory.”

“Why did you stop?”

“The noise was irritating, so I got rid of them.”

Ah, poor residents of the West.

“In that case, won’t the noise bother you today? Let’s just head back to the hotel.”

“No. This is your first time seeing fireworks, isn’t it? Since you don’t have memories of them.”

“I’m fine.”

It would be more troublesome if you got annoyed and caused a scene.

“I’ll be fine with you here. My madness has calmed down a lot.”

Seeing how stubborn he was, I couldn’t argue any further.

“Okay, but let me know if you feel uncomfortable.”

Edwin nodded with a satisfied smile.

When we returned to the beach, a large crowd had already gathered to watch the fireworks. We found a spot at the far right edge of the sandy shore and sat down.

Excited, I looked up at the sky, and soon enough, there was a loud bang, followed by bright yellow circles illuminating the dark night sky.

“Wow, so beautiful.”

The fireworks painted the sky like a work of art.

As red flowers lit up the sky, I suddenly heard something like cheers in the distance. At first, I thought it was just excitement from the fireworks and paid it no mind, but the sound grew louder.

Then, the cheering turned into screams.

“Ahhh!”

It wasn’t just one person. Screams were coming from different directions, and it was as if many people were panicking.

“Edwin?”

I looked at Edwin uneasily. His eyes sharpened as he pulled me closer.

Others seemed to sense something was wrong, too, and the area grew tense.

As the screams continued and the ground began to shake, people started rising from their spots, and we stood up as well, our attention fixed on the direction of the sound.

Moments later, panicked people began running toward us.

A feeling of dread washed over me, and I instinctively clung to Edwin.

By now, Edwin and the Wolf Knights had drawn their swords and were on high alert.

“Roaaar!”

A deafening growl drowned out the screams, followed by the sight of a massive shadow approaching, making my heart constrict.

“…!”

When the shadow revealed its true form, I froze in place.

‘What is that?’

A gigantic black monster, the size of a bull, prowled forward, its red eyes gleaming as it hunted for prey. Thick drool dripped from its mouth, and sharp, solid teeth were visible between its lips.

The mere thought of being crushed by those fangs sent shivers down my spine.

“Tsk.”

Edwin, sensing my fear, patted me comfortingly.

“Why has that beast appeared now?”

His irritated words finally clued me into the creature’s identity—it was a monster.

At the same time, I realised something was terribly wrong.

Monsters only appeared during the Blood Moon, but tonight wasn’t a Blood Moon.

So why were they here?

And not just one—there were multiple monsters coming from all directions.

With the monsters ahead and the sea behind, we were trapped.

The monsters seemed to realise this as well and began herding people toward the beach.

“How dare they ruin my bride’s first fireworks?”

Edwin’s voice was filled with fury, and his murderous aura was so intense it felt like my skin was being torn apart. His madness, which had been simmering, was now boiling over.

At his signal, the Wolf Knights surrounded me in a protective circle.

“I’ll protect you. Stay here,” Edwin whispered softly as he gently closed my eyes.

With my eyes closed, the screams of people and the growls of monsters echoed even louder in my ears, amplifying my fear.

I couldn’t stand the thought of Edwin losing control, but my body, paralysed by terror, refused to move.

After several deep breaths, I finally opened my eyes, only to immediately regret it.

The scene before me was nothing short of a nightmare. Monsters rampaged through the terrified crowd, creating a hellish landscape.

Edwin stood before me, fending off the beasts with swift strikes of his sword.

The Wolf Knights fought valiantly as well.

The monsters, sensing how formidable Edwin was, hesitated to attack recklessly.

Seeing how strong Edwin has reassured me, and the sight of his broad back standing between me and danger made me feel safer.

As my fear began to subside, I started to take in more of what was happening around us.

“…!”

In the midst of the chaos, I spotted a familiar face.

Surrounded by his knights, the terrified boy was undoubtedly Benjamin.