The governor steps down

After the blood moon hung in the sky for three full months, it finally faded. Another month of repairs and cleanup followed before the defense zones' front lines gradually eased out of their heightened state of alert.

Only then did the Weeping Saint Cathedral reconvene the principal leaders of the Tear Knight Defense Line to review this blood moon season and prepare for the next.

Beneath the soaring dome, sacred flame patterns climbed the stone pillars and converged into the white-gold sacred flame burning overhead.

Yasol sat directly beneath the sacred flame, wearing the Purple-Gold Sacred Flame Robes and the Mask of Mercy. Though still gaunt, he looked considerably better than he had the year before.

Once the last attendee arrived, Yasol dispensed with pleasantries and simply raised a hand, signaling the Military Affairs Clerk to report the results of this blood moon season.

Several thick volumes of battle reports lay stacked on the long table. The Military Affairs Clerk opened the summary volume on top and began, "This blood moon season lasted nearly four months, from the early arrival of the pre-tide to the fading of the blood moon's influence—over thirty days longer than in previous years. The nesting convergence also subjected the defense line to larger, more concentrated beast tides, placing the Gan'er Defense Zone under greater pressure than in past years."

The clerk's voice echoed through the vast Weeping Saint Cathedral. Everyone below sat in silence.

They had all lived through it. They had experienced the scale of this blood moon season's attacks firsthand, and the surging beast tides remained vivid in their memories.

Then the clerk shifted his tone. "However, our final assessment confirms that the vast majority of the principal sacred flame nodes in the Twelve Defense Zones held. Although the beasts breached some outlying