★ Arcus figures out why Eleonor becomes the last boss: she loses someone precious her childhood friend Arcus (him). But the original route/guidebook never says how Arcus dies. So Arcus goes all-in on training to become strong enough not to die, so Eleonor never falls. When Eleonor asks why he trains so hard, a Unshiness knight sparring with Arcus assumes it’s for the upcoming youth trial: 10-year-olds must enter the forest, fight monsters, and reach a set point.
★ Arcus & Eleonor both take the trial. Arcus is nervous this could be the death flag, but the forest only has weak monsters, and since Eleonor’s participating, Unshiness knights secretly watch and protect them.
★ After reaching the checkpoint, they rest. Some commoner kids also joined. Seeing Eleonor, they mock her as a “crow girl” because of her dark looks and bad rumors. Arcus wants to teach them a lesson, but he holds back. Eleonor’s used to the trash talk; she won’t feel sad as long as Arcus is with her.
★ Then they hear cries for help. The bully leader begs for aid one of his friends is acting weird and vanished into the forest. Arcus tells Eleonor to wait while he searches. He tries calling the hidden knights, but no response.
★ After a few minutes, he finds a boy sitting alone. When Arcus approaches, the boy suddenly moves strangely. Arcus senses danger, dodges, and a tree behind him gets sliced. He realizes this “boy” is not human. Arcus attacks, but the wounds heal instantly.
★ Seeing Arcus isn’t easy prey, the thing rushes toward Eleonor and the kids. Arcus chases so it won’t endanger her.
★ Back at the waiting spot, a kid with Eleonor suddenly says he doesn’t remember the missing friend though earlier he swore that kid was his best friend. Eleonor feels something’s off and starts worrying about Arcus. The “missing” boy walks out of the forest, but Arcus doesn’t return. The other kid instantly remembers again and runs to him.
★ From afar, Arcus shouts to get away. Thanks to his warning, they avoid the attack from the mysterious boy. The Unshiness knights show up but instead of helping Arcus, they surround Eleonor and the kids. They’re under the monster’s hypnosis.
★ Seeing Arcus badly hurt, Eleonor unleashes her full power. Darkness floods the area; Arcus, the monster, and everyone nearby get hit but they all survive, including the monster.
★ Finally, Arcus uses his unique skill: he can copy another person’s unique skill, but the downside is he becomes weak to that very skill. He copies Eleonor’s power and defeats the monster.