Six months later.
Inside the Dark Inn, a place beyond the reach of ordinary people.
The ancient Vengeful Spirits once found everywhere had vanished without a trace.
In their place was the fresh smell of blood.
The scent left behind by countless corpses.
Hundreds upon thousands of bodies filled the ancient corridors.
Beyond that.
The air was thick with a strange, pungent odor.
It was the smell of gunfire, magic, metal... all mixed together.
Standing amid the many corpses were only two figures. One was Roland, holding his special revolver. The other was Ma Teng, wearing a wizard's hat.
"You truly disappoint and anger me..."
"Roland..."
"In the end, you still refused to heed my advice and find some safe world where you could settle down and live out your old age..."
It was not merely the content of his words.
Even Ma Teng's tone carried an obvious sense of disappointment.
As though he were an elder who had tried and failed to persuade a young man not to throw his life away.
Roland's brows furrowed tightly, disgust appearing on his face.
"...Ma Teng, our grievances will end today. Why keep up that useless mask of hypocrisy?"
Upon hearing that.
A hint of astonishment first appeared on Ma Teng's face.
Then, he revealed a strange smile, one that seemed at a loss for words before the situation.
"Fine. Think whatever you want..."
"I truly do hate you, and I very much want to kill you."
"But my warning last time was not entirely false..."
During a certain time period long ago.
Even he, despite having a heart of stone, had truly loved Roland's mother.
And it was only at the very instant his plan succeeded—when he had arranged for Roland to mistakenly kill her—that he suddenly realized this fact...
Originally.