The cylindrical device vibrated. Like a flood collapsing a dam, a crack manifested and shattered, creating a tide of blinding light. It crawled out, peeked at the world, and smiled.

The heat burnt Tardium's eyes, forcing him to close them. The light pierced his eyelids and stabbed his body. It seared every part of his body, filling him with pain.

The sphere of light melted everything it touched. It devoured Tardium, disintegrated Constrien, and crawled to the surrounding. The wave of heat agitated the air and created a strong wind that painted the world read.

Princess grabbed Angelica and retreated into the fog. The spiderlings around them rushed forward and used their bodies to slow the all-devouring light.

"Is this the end?" Cyania said, her eyes burning from the light.

Gone were the fogs, replaced by the infinite whiteness. It crept towards Cyania, but an eclipse consumed her vision. Canaris stood in front of her. His grey fur fluttered, filling her with a sense of grief.

Why did he try to protect her? Get away from it.

Her lips moved, but no words came out. The sphere of annihilation expanded too fast. There was no stopping.

"Danger exceeded the limit. Proceeding to eliminate the threat," a mechanical voice resounded.

The vessel trembled. The thunderous explosion ceased its noise, returning the world to tranquillity.

"Why has everything stopped?" Cyania said as she looked around.

The burning ball of heat halted its expansion. It battled against an invisible force.

Cyania watched the explosion contracting, the surrounding atmosphere turning cold, the damaged structure repairing itself. No, it wasn't shrinking. It was reversing.

She turned to the gaping hole only to find that it was shrinking. The scrapes reconnected with the metallic gate at a visible rate.

"The God of Light, please have mercy," she prayed and knelt against the floor, her expression awestruck.

"Four individuals detected. Checking the permission level," the voice echoed. "Three unauthorized intruders detected. Threat level: insignificant. Entering Self-perseverance state."

The voice faded into silence. The glowing light dispersed as the ball of light shrank into a tiny dot and merged into the cylindrical device. It disintegrated into dust particle after it landed against the floor.

Cyania raised her head. From arranging the words of that voice, she led herself to an absurd conclusion.

That was not a deity, but a protective system of the vessel.

With that speculation in mind, she surveyed the room. Aside from Canaris and her, only the lifeless bodies of the spiderlings and her teammates remained. The destruction of the vessel vanished without any trance.

"Are you all right?" Cyania touched Canaris's back, leaning onto the towering figure who bought her peace.

"I'm fine," Canaris said, his body returning to the original form.

Into her embrace, he laid down. With a smile on his face, he entered the dreamland. A smile lingered on his face.

"Sleep well," Cyania said, her hand moving across his hair. "I'll deal with the rest."

She looked at the corridor before her. Princess and Angelica stood and met her gaze.

"An Elf should stay in the forest, why did you come here?" Princess said.

"Let's not waste our breath with provocation," Cyania said. She laid Canaris on the floor and motioned her hands, channelling a spell.

"Do you wish to die that badly, even if I can spare you?"

"What are you hinting at?"

"Serve me, and I'll let him live."

Princess snapped her fingers. Angelica pointed the pistol at Canaris. Though her aim was shaky, she could kill a defenceless stationary living being.

"Are you threatening me?"

"It's your choice. I have no say over your free will."

Cyania looked at Canaris and sighed. She dispersed her spell and bent to her knee. Akin to worshipping the Gods, her manner was respectful, concealed within it her frustration and resentment.

"I shall follow your command as long as you keep your promise."

Angelica pulled the trigger. Cyania perked up and dodged, but the bullet managed to pierce her right leg. She screamed and gawked at Princess.

"Don't worry. I won't kill him." Princess took the gun from Angelica and aimed at Cyania.

"You dare—" Despite her injured leg, Cyania stood up and roared. Her voice penetrated the wall and diffused out of the vessel. The Fons manifested around her, forming countless petals and ice shards without any prior casting.

Princess pulled the trigger. The bullet flew to Cyania, its trajectory lining up flawlessly.

Cyania controlled the ice shards, her eyes bloodshot. She commanded them to assault Princess.

"If you resist, he will die," Princess said and shifted her aim to Canaris.

Cyania froze. The bullet shredded through the air and approached her brows.

"My dear, your fate doesn't end here." A hand caught the bullet and crushed it into dust.

Like nature itself, she entered the scene and brought with her calmness. Her hands stretched out and received Cyania, holding her like a mother embracing her child.

"Arachna, you did well helping her." Her crystal-like pupils met the azure abysses. "Because of that, I'll grant you a painless death."

She raised her hand pointed at Princess, but a sudden chill enveloped her.

"Powerful lifeform detected. Scanning: a Spirit," the mechanical voice echoed. "Proceeding to neutralize the anomaly."

"Still have the last bit of energy?" the Spirit said. The hostility in her faded away. "I'll spare you. Don't let me see you again."

In an instant, a powerful pressure descended onto the world, forcing everyone to kneel before it. The Spirit shifted her gaze from Princess to the ceiling.

Princess knelt against the floor, her face contorting in pain. Despite her unwavering effort, she couldn't stand up against the power of the Spirit, a minion of the Gods.

In the end, a royalty was merely mortal—a speck of dust compared to Divinity.

"Please, take him too," Cyania said, her eyelids drooping.

The Spirit shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

The pressure intensified. Time was running out—it was getting unbearable even for her.

"Let's not meet again, Arachna." The Spirit took a step forward and vanished. Her arrival and her departure were the same, unnoticeable and untraceable.

"Returning to self-perseverance mode." the mechanical voice resounded, but its quality became more distorted.

Time passed in silence. Princess rose from the floor, her legs trembling.

She had no idea how to escape that gaze. This time, she lost, and she lost hard. Her defeat was unavoidable.