My body was in free fall. The air pressed against every part of me. I had no residue of energy left inside my body anymore. It seemed I would hit the ground hard. I closed my eyes.

Just as I braced myself for the impact, I suddenly felt someone catch me. I slowly opened my eyes.

"Wil...liam..."

"It’s alright, Alan. You’re safe."

"Bob... and the princess... how are they?" I asked, concerned about their safety.

"They are being attended by medics. They will be fine."

’He’s still worried about others, even though he’s the most seriously injured,’ William thought as he saw the blood and wounds covering my body. The Shardstorm Mage ice was already gone, therefore my wounds were fully exposed again.

"Th-thank... god..." I forced a weak smile, and those were my last words before I blacked out.

---

"Alan! Are you alright?" Evelyn arrived with a worried expression. They had finally managed to enter the mansion, but by the time they reached the grand hall, the battle was already over.

"Alan. Hey!" she called out.

"Medic! Medic! Over here!" William shouted as soldiers bearing the crescent mark rushed into the hall, escorted by other soldiers. The medics immediately laid Alan on the ground and began treatment. William and Maya stepped back to give them space.

"Here too!" Linus shouted as he stayed beside Bob, who was also in bad condition.

Soon, more soldiers entered the hall from outside. The medics immediately began attending to the injured. Maya also entered the hall.

"Maya! How was the battle outside?" Evelyn approached Maya as she arrived.

"The monsters vanished suddenly, right after that golden light appeared. How about those three?" Maya looked around, searching for her guild members.

Evelyn remained silent as she turned her head toward the busy medics attending to the injured.

"Are they injured, Eve?"

"Yes. But I don’t know how bad their condition is. From what I saw, they are -" Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden commotion broke out among the medics.

Maya’s heart sank as she saw Alan and Bob being carried on stretchers. Linus was also helping carry one of them.

"Please make way!" the medics shouted.

"Where are you taking them, Linus?" Maya stopped him.

"Both of them are in critical condition, especially Alan." He pointed at Alan. "He lost too much blood, worsened by his Mana Deficiency. They need to bring him to Rose City as soon as possible," Linus answered, his face filled with urgency.

Maya and Evelyn were stunned by Linus’s words. The two quickly helped the medics clear a path toward the carriages that had just arrived from the base camp.

"William! We’ll head to the city first with both of them! See you there! Don’t forget to bring Michael too!" Evelyn shouted.

William nodded, and the group departed.

He then turned to the other side and saw Reymond pushing the medics away.

"Prince Reymond! You need to stay still. We still need to assess your injuries," one of them said.

"Please, Prince. Let them check you first," Reymond’s knight, Sir Dave, urged.

"I am fine! I can still move. How is the princess?" Reymond walked toward the other group of medics attending Reika.

"She has wounds on her body. Fortunately, they are not severe. She is likely unconscious due to Mana Deficiency," the medic explained. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Reymond felt relieved.

"Githa and Llyod, please watch over her," Reymond ordered.

Sir Llyod nodded, while Githa restrained herself from crying as she placed Reika’s head gently on her lap.

Reymond then walked toward William after failing to find Alan and Bob.

"Where did those two go?"

"They were taken to Rose City immediately. They suffered grave injuries. Hopefully, they’ll make it," William said, his face filled with worry as he stared at the ground.

Reymond was silent for a moment. Then he walked past William and patted his shoulder.

"They will make it. I’m sure of it. They have strong bodies, and stronger hearts. Besides, I still need to repay the debt they owe my family."

He said those words before walking toward the exit.

William watched Reymond’s back as he left.

’ I really hope so,’ he thought.

He then walked toward the center of the hall, where soldiers were encircling the two Kaoslith.

However, the moment William laid eyes on the Kaoslith, cracks suddenly spread across them, then they shattered. Everyone nearby stepped back and covered their faces. The crystals vomited out the corpses sealed within, losing their glittering light and turning into something no different from ordinary rock.

William crouched down and picked up one of the rocks. It crumbled into dust the moment he held it.

"Is this all we got? After all the loss?" One of the soldiers dropped to his knees in despair. They had hoped to at least retrieve Kaoslith samples for study, but it was all in vain.

"What are they actually planning?" William asked himself.

But the answer would never be known.

---

Outside the mansion, near the craters, Reid was leading the soldiers. Mirinda and Beltimore followed behind.

The crater was massive, nearly fifty meters wide and five meters deep. Dust and smoke filled the area. Destruction was everywhere, with burning trees and scorched grass surrounding the site.

"Prince Reid! We found someone at the center of the crater!" one of the soldiers who had descended shouted from below.

Reid dismounted from his horse and jumped down into the crater with his knight, Saul. Mirinda followed shortly after. She then looked up and noticed Beltimore hesitating.

"Are you alright, Beltimore?" Mirinda asked.

"Yes... I am fine," Beltimore replied before jumping down as well. Still, an uneasy feeling lingered within him.

As they moved through the smoke, they saw soldiers gathered in one spot. The soldiers parted, revealing a man lying on the ground. His attire was tattered, his body covered in cuts and bruises. Smoke slowly rose from him. Nearby lay a cracked mask.

"It must be that masked man, Azul," Saul said as he examined the clothing.

"Check him and see if he’s still alive," Reid ordered.

"Guildmaster Mirinda, we should leave this place," Beltimore urged, gently pushing her away.

’ If this man is really who I think he is, Mirinda is the last person who should know. ’ he thought.

But he was too late.

The soldier checking the body turned him over, revealing his face.

The sight froze both Mirinda and Beltimore in shock.

Because the face of the man was...

"Russ!" Mirinda shouted.