⟨⟩ ⟨⟩ ⟨⟩
A sturdy fortress was already visible in the distance. It was surrounded by a tall wall made of stone blocks and sturdy bricks, carefully arranged to form a thick barrier capable to withstanding attacks from weapon outside the city.
Although it looked old, the structure had stood firm ever since it was first built, its wooden framework having endured for many years as well.
The fortress could be seen faintly through the trees. Flynn ran with all his might to reach it, followed by two Seraphim behind him. Lilith ran through the dense forest, with Iris keeping pace at her side without falling a single step behind. One more person trailed behind them, carrying the unconscious body of brown-haired man on his back. That person is Nathan.
Their eyes remained fixed ahead. However, they were still alert to their surrounding, allowing them to navigate every turn and leap over every tree root with ease. Eventually, they reached the edge of the forest and emerged into a lush grassland with a narrow path running through it.
The path lay to the east and led directly toward Storm Queen City.
They were getting closer to the city. Flynn, who was leading the group, was surprised to find that there were no guards at the gate. On ordinary days, two Knightley Queen knight would always stand guard on either side of the entrance. But now, there was no one.
Flynn came to single conclusion. (No guards... There must be something! I must hurry!)
He increased his running speed. Even so, the two Seraphim were still able to keep up with him. Except for Nathan who is just an ordinary man. With the body he was carrying on his back, it added quite a significant load.
Despite this, he tried to run as fast as he could.
They passed through the entrance gate, and finally arrived at their main destination: Storm Queen City.
However, they did not stop. The four of them continued running along the streets, which had narrow changed beneath their feet. The road were they traversing was paved with rounded stone laid over a layer of sand and lime.
They then climbed several broad steps, each one extending like a terrace and forming a tiered pathway that gradually ascended toward a flat road, which was also paved with rounded stones.
On either side stood several buildings with various purposes. Some were residential houses, while others were restaurants, shops, and more.
However, none of that mattered to them at the moment. Their primary objective was to reach the city hall, as something terrible might have already happened—or could still be happening.
Eventually, they climbed another series of broad steps that led them directly to their destination.
The first thing Flynn saw was two people standing in the middle of the city hall grounds. In other words, a battle was about to take place in front of the main Knightley Queen building.
The two stood facing each other, but neither had made a move yet.
Flynn's eyes widened in astonishment when he recognized one of the first division captains.
"Captain Verarin?!"
His gaze then shifted toward the figure facing the man: a mysterious black-and-red-haired individual carrying a spear that appeared to have been broken into two pieces.
"Who is that...?"
They stopped in their tracks and stared at the vast city hall grounds, which had become an arena for the impending battle.
Iris was the first to react. She had no idea what was happening.
"What is going on...?"
"A battle, I suppose?" Lilith replied.
Meanwhile, Nathan arrived behind them after finally climbing the stairs. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. On top of that, carrying Infori's body on his back had left him utterly exhausted.
However, his attention was not focused on the two people facing each other. Instead, he looked toward the main building standing to the west of his position. It was the Knightley Queen headquarters. Yet, the building appeared to be far from intact. Several sections had been left with gaping holes, as though they had been struck by something immensely powerful.
"...?!"
His gaze then shifted back toward the battle.
Flynn tried to speak to Verarin as he approached him, but he stopped when Verarin warned him that the black-and-red-haired man was dangerous. Verarin then instructed Flynn to enter the Knightley Queen headquarters immediately and stop someone who was working alongside the mysterious man.
"Captain Verarin...!"
"Don't act recklessly. This man is dangerous. I'll handle him. You must stop the person who's trying to take the Staff of Miracle."
Lilith and Iris widened their eyes upon hearing the name Staff of Miracle. It was one of the legendary artifacts they had been searching for all this time to continue fulfilling their duties as Seraphim.
"The Staff of Miracle?!" they exclaimed in unison.
On the other hand, Flynn accepted Verarin's request and prepared to move forward.
"All right!"
However, the black-and-red-haired man—Fay—had no intention of letting them enter the building. This was their plan, and he had no desire to let it be ruined so easily.
Therefore, he took action.
Fay forcefully pushed off the ground with his feet, propelling himself toward Flynn at tremendous speed. Without giving him any time to react, the man shot forward like a blue bolt of lightning. He pierced through the surrounding air, covering a distance of dozens of meters in just two seconds.
"I won't let you..."
From Flynn's perspective, a dark figure suddenly appeared right in front of him. The figure aimed the pointed end of his broken spear at Flynn, launching a thrust directly toward him. The sharp tip raced toward Flynn's eye at an incredible speed.
Instinctively, within a fraction of a second, Flynn opened his palm and summoned his claymore. He raised the massive sword to protect his eye, causing the spear's thrust to strike the blade instead.
"...?!"
However, the sudden impact forced Flynn to stagger backward. Fay, meanwhile, was thrown back after his deadly attack was deflected.
"Tch...!"
But before Fay could move again, he had to evade another attack directed at him. The strike came from Verarin's sword, which reached his position in the blink of an eye. Fay quickly dodged to his right, causing the attack to miss.
After seeing the man evade his strike, Verarin immediately urged Flynn to enter the building.
"Hurry! I won't be able to hold him off much longer!"
"Understood!" Flynn nodded before turning toward Lilith, Iris, and Nathan. "You three stay here and help Captain Verarin. I'll go inside and help the others."
"I'll come with you!" Lilith interrupted.
She didn't want to let Flynn go alone, especially if that meant allowing the Staff of Miracle to fall into the wrong hands.
"All right. Let's go!"
Without wasting any time, Flynn and Lilith immediately ran toward the main Knightley Queen building. The structure had already sustained damage from the earlier attack. Parts of its walls were cracked, while rubble was scattered along the entrance.
They paid no attention to their surroundings and continued running, pushing through the dust still lingering in the air as they headed deeper into the building. They had to assess the situation inside before it was too late.
On the other side, Nathan, exhausted from carrying Infori's weight, lowered him and let him lean against the wall of the Knightley Queen building. However, his gaze remained fixed on the severely damaged structure.
(I never imagined I'd end up in this strange, unfamiliar world and witness a building being reduced to rubble with my own eyes.)
He then turned to look behind him, where a man carrying two weapons was facing off against the black-and-red-haired man wielding a broken spear.
(Could they be responsible for this?)
His gaze returned to Infori, and he stared at him for a long moment. Yet, his thoughts began to wander.
(I don't know how I'm supposed to return to Eos. I've been here for several days now, but I still have no idea how to get home.)
Nathan then stood up and headed back toward the battlefield. He approached Iris and asked what they should do next. "What should we do, Lady Seraphim?"
"Honestly, I don't know what I'm supposed to do either," she replied.
But before Nathan could say anything else, Fay suddenly interrupted their brief conversation. "A Seraphim? Not bad. It seems you're carrying out your sacred duty, aren't you?"
Iris did not answer immediately. She was suspicious of the man. However, she seemed to have caught the attention of the mysterious figure standing dozens of meters away.
While she remained silent, Fay continued speaking.
"Playing around with you and your companion sounds like fun. Brats like you should be staying at home, playing with dolls."
His words struck her heart like an arrow. The man was belittling not only her but also her close friend, Lilith. Iris, her anger ignited, immediately responded with a firm voice.
"Don't be ridiculous! We're not your playthings!"
Iris swept her white cloak aside and drew a dagger from the sheath at the back of her waist. She gripped it tightly before throwing it in a single motion. The dagger shot forward with terrifying speed and precision, its accuracy perhaps reaching one hundred percent.
It cut through the air, heading straight toward Fay. However, the man appeared completely at ease, as though nothing were about to happen to him.
His lips suddenly curled into a grin.
"Haha..."