Alvared, the Governor-King of Valkut exploded with fury. He shouted as if expressing his rage to the heavens.

Judith, the unseeing Cardinal of the Estellian Church, defended herself from the onslaught of rocks that her older brother of the blood created, hair and robe swaying from the wind.

Alvared was usually composed and aloof but now he was consumed by his emotions to such a degree that Judith found it very odd.

Could it be related to the fiery explosion earlier?

Judith’s guess was on the mark.

“Move!” Alvared tried to force his way but knights of wind barred his path.

“You want to let my birthright, the Twilight Fire be squandered out!?” Alvared squashed his opposition by creating a meteor.

Judith made a face of surprise, at the fact that the sealed power of the Coriz royal family had been unearthed, and one other matter.

“You really did kill uncle Barakal… How many family members will you sacrifice in your pursuit of power, Alva!”

Judith compressed the air around her into a spherical ball which rested in her hand, turning a thirty-meter radius into a vacuum for a moment. The compressed air roared as it made its way toward Alvared’s chest.

In his hurry, Alvared wanted to go where Viers was but had shown an opening to his opponent. He grunted as the sphere of air hit him in the chest and turned into a giant tiger. The wind tiger carried him in its jaws, leaped into the air and charged down. The floor of the throne room, sturdy as it was, couldn't withstand the wind force and broke, sending the Governor-King a couple of floors below.

“Guh…”

Alvared grunted in the rubble. His plans for the Twilight Fire went awry to an absurd degree. The power of the royal family was an energy source beyond precious. The Magitek Wonder needed his hand guiding it so he could not leave. Time and again he failed to breach the vault where the Twilight Fire was kept even though he had tried everything. His uncle made sure only the worthy successor would be able to get it as a final act of spite towards him.

Alvared thought it wouldn't be too late to recover the Twilight Fire from the Level 3 whelp his uncle deemed worthy after the grand plan came to an end.

The heir wouldn't be able to utilize it anyway.

Or so he thought.

Hells and Damnations!

From the tower, red energy flowed into Alvared, bolstering his strength. Sensing that, Judith resolved herself, for the battle would soon rise in intensity.

***

Alvared’s assumption was not entirely wrong. Max, Viers, or even a Level 4 fire Pathseeker wouldn't be able to tap the Twilight Fire in a matter of days.

But Faiya is different.

He is a fire elemental born from the fiery remnants of a phoenix. He is fire.

The theory came from Viers and Clarissa but the executor was Faiya, to convert a portion of Twilight Fire into a Level 5-incinerating strike.

However, at the end of the day, Faiya was still a Rank 3 elemental, a baby one to boot. The only way he could pull it off was by inflicting a permanent loss to the Twilight Fire, a more skillful practitioner didn't need to.

Naturally, it was very wasteful. Viers analogized it to burning a luxurious house to keep himself warm for a few hours.

Three shots. Three shots and Twilight Fire that could bring Faiya remarkable growth would be completely gone.

When Viers gazed upon the stranger for the first time, he promptly used one of three golden bullets without hesitation. The man had been observing him without him realizing it, no doubt he was a very powerful person. A very dangerous person.

While Faiya was gloriously burning a third of Twilight, Viers’ heart bled for using it in such a manner so soon after he’d gotten it.

When he saw the stranger was not injured in the slightest afterward, the thought of loss and benefit was completely gone from his head and replaced by an existential crisis.

“That fire thing… is quite remarkable.”

The stranger looked like a man in his fifties with the intensity of a war veteran but who knew if that was his real appearance. He was eyeing Faiya with interest. The fire elemental shivered from fear and half cried, flying towards Viers to seek refuge.

“Haupp!”

Viers put Faiya into his mouth and swallowed the living fire.

The stranger didn't expect that at all, even cocking his head slightly. In less than a second, he understood Viers’ reasoning and applauded him in his mind.

Viers couldn't store Faiya back into the badge in front of the stranger. He didn't have the strength to protect Faiya from being taken. This was because the stranger had shown interest in Faiya. Not to mention there were Dia and Futon in other badges. At least by putting Faiya inside his stomach the stranger wouldn't be able to get his familiar without opening his belly first. Viers mouth and throat were slightly burned but Faiya was quick at adjusting his flame so it no longer burned.

“I-”

Viers kicked the ground and ran as fast as he could, unheeding of the stranger who tried to speak. Raging River Steps, Hyper Arte version. Viers didn't hesitate to sacrifice his lifespan to raise his movement speed. With Aletro’s shroud protecting him from divination or mind reading, if Viers could shake him off, he could throw him off his trail by swapping with Arsène.

That was the plan in Viers’ mind but it very much relied on him being able to run from the Level 5 first. Easier said than done. Viers knew it might be a fool’s errand but he had to try. What else could he do but try?

Dialogue might be the smarter choice but Viers had burned the bridge by striking first with Faiya.

Viers ran and ran. Through rocky hills and winding paths. Around the Tower, the war of dragons and fae was still ongoing. He wasn't dead from some attack he didn't know so he continued to run. Five minutes, ten, fifteen, until he reached what used to be a temple. The architecture slightly resembled Greek temples but it was now in utter ruin from time and elements.

Leaning on a pillar, the stranger was waiting for him. Unlike him who was out of breath, he was composed.

Viers began by accepting escape was not an option, at least on his own so he relaxed his shoulders and inhaled a deep long breath.

“What do you want?”

“Oh, now you want to talk? You got some nerve. I’ll give you that.”

Viers forced his expression to look as normal as possible.

“Who-”

The stranger snapped his finger and Viers spat blood from his mouth. All of his life-saving treasures he equipped on his person, all six of them broke and the bits fell to the ground. Any one of them was capable of taking a few hits from Lykin or Mita but it was no use against the stranger. Viers himself fell to his knees, eyes widened and unable to stand.

“I’m here on a mission, young one, not to satisfy your curiosity. Apologies for being a little rough but you’ve proven yourself to be a resourceful person. Consider it as a sign of respect. No other Level 3 would take this much vigilance from me.”

Viers barely heard what the stranger said. His brain was using all of its cells to analyze what happened to him.

He couldn't perceive the attack but he knew what attribute it was from the familiar sensation. It was a soul attack and that meant the opponent was a stronger soul Pathseeker.

“You realized it. Good. It’s called Soul Tower Destruction Arte. The stronger the soul, the more affected by it they will be. It’s much more potent than I predicted. Your soul foundation is quite remarkable as well. Impressive.”

Viers wasn't happy hearing his praise.

Sixty to seventy percent of his Victa just got decimated and his soul was mutilated. With his soul so injured, using his soul abilities would be an extremely daunting task. The excruciating pain was the least of his worries.

When he got his butt kicked by Freya, or when Anne bathed him with heavenly fire, those were still lighter than this.

***

“Oh no. Oh no no… This is really bad. We-we must do something!” In the White Flowers meadow, Paina worriedly shook Clarissa’s shoulders. “You and Viers have devised a method to fight Level 5, right? Do it! If not now then when?”

“It’s incomplete,” Clarissa regretfully said. “And we need an opening to employ it but this enemy doesn't show openings. Even if I tried, he would kill it before it took form.”

“Calm down, Paina,” Farley said.

“But-!”

“Panic does nothing.” Farley parted a lock of hair from Gwen’s forehead who was sleeping. Her sister was currently in hibernation for the Valkut ‘arc’ as Viers called it. Farley’s other hand was tightly gripping her spear. “Rather than that, be ready to fight. If a split-second chance to turn this around appears, we mustn’t miss it. We can’t!”

“...You’re right,” Paina paused and found her cool. “Don't die, Viers.”

“You can always trust Viers to take care of his own life,” Clarissa said. “The Level 5 hasn't killed him so he must have wanted Viers alive. So- Ahhh!”

Outside, things took a turn for the worse.

***

The sound of a sheep being eviscerated alive came out from Viers’ mouth.

Without physical contact, his four limbs were crippled. The manner of the crippling was not normal. Like someone just wringing a wet cloth but it was his flesh and bones. The deformed limbs were oozing blood everywhere, shattered remains of bones pierced the skin, nerves and muscles were exposed to the air.

“I would rather prefer you to not run away again. Behave, or I’ll take more drastic measures.”

In his delirium caused by extreme pain, Viers glimpsed a chance. A long shot but the stranger was not the stereotypical villain. He was vigilant and thorough even against a weaker opponent in his grasp.

Kind of like himself, which did not bode well for Viers.

Sensing the stranger walking closer to him, using the last of his strength, an arrow shot out from an inventory item. Trailing blue and blinding fast but the Doyun Arrow failed to pierce the stranger in between the eyebrows, stopping in the air a few inches before his skin.

Viers didn't see it but the stranger’s pupils dilated slightly from surprise.

He was busy wielding his second blade.

A slit of blood opened on the stranger’s arm. A dagger was flying, the Dagger of Maud. Aletro’s present to Viers delivered by Max. Seven cuts and it was certain death. The ominous dagger slashed through the stranger’s enchanted robe like a hot knife through butter.

His limbs were no more but Viers had previous experience of moving things with his soul. Using it while his soul was wounded was much more difficult and dangerous but Viers had to force it. The dagger flipped and made its way to perform a second slice.

“Hmph.”

A light snort and all the strength in Viers’ body was sapped out. Except for breathing and moving his eyeballs, he couldn't do anything else. He needed seven cuts but only managed one. The dagger and the arrow made a clunking sound as they hit the dilapidated stone floor.

…Fuck.

Viers would speak of it if he could open his mouth.

The stranger looked upon the light wound on his left arm, slightly above the wrist.

“You are an outstanding Pathseeker.”

After giving the praise, the stranger made Viers’ eyes that still radiated the will to struggle explode.

Blood gushed down his face like two bloody waterfalls.

“Forgive me. I underestimated you.”

***

Boram, who was talking cordially with a girl his age, was surprised as his bag suddenly emitted smoke. He took out the contents and what he saw made him feel despair.

In the secret laboratory of the Blood Church in Regidana, Izabella dropped the potion she was carrying, spilling its blue contents onto the floor.

No… He can't be…

While walking on the road, Sakuya heard the crows caw. She thought nothing of it but a few steps later, her chest felt hot. More accurately, the thing she kept in her chest pocket.

“T-Tanael-sama! No!”

The white card that Viers gave to the three of them was burning.

***

Viers was at the mercy of a man stronger than him. Beaten down to the soul, left in the wreck of a body.

It was nothing new, he had done similar things to many others before.

Now he experienced how it was to be the one on the receiving end.

One could say it was something he deserved.