Gha! Gha! Gha!

Liliane coughed as she tried to find Ardur in the smoke.

"F-Father! Where are you?!"

Thump!

Suddenly, she bumped into something big and solid as a mountain. Looking up, she saw Ozdor covering two guards with his back — they were the only ones who had survived the explosion.

"Oh, little Liliane, are you here?" Ozdor croaked, blood flowing from his back, but there was no sign of pain or weakness in his eyes.

Gradually, the dust cloud cleared as everyone could see the aftermath of the explosions.

Three hundred guards who had survived the attack of the Arakta Worms and hail of crimson grenades... now their bodies were scattered across the ground, arms and legs torn off, and everything covered in blood. There was no need to check their heartbeats to know that every one of them was dead.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The blue barrier covering Ardur and the others trembled before shattering into pieces. Ozdor was the only one who ran outside in an attempt to protect at least someone.

"Gha!" The woman, one of the servants, spat out a mouthful of blood as the tattoo on her neck flickered on and off. She had used all her strength on this barrier.

Ardur glanced at the tall man and the pale man, then turned to Ozdor and Liliane.

"Are you all right?"

Ozdor looked around at the hundreds of corpses.

"Yeah... If you can say that in this situation. Brother, they tricked us. It was an ambush, an excellent one."

In response, Ardur frowned and patted the woman on the shoulder.

"You did well. Can you continue fighting?"

The woman bit her lip and nodded heavily.

"Yes, but I need time to recover. That explosion... I've never seen anything more powerful."

Nothing remained of the prison. Several hundred crimson grenades had been placed in such a way as to hit every part of it.

The only thing that survived was the entrance to the mines. The rest was reduced to piles of rubble.

It seemed like the sacrifice was unnecessary, but rebuilding the prison was much easier than fighting and killing hundreds of guards in direct combat.

"Little bastard..." Ardur gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists tightly.

Darkness billowed from his body in a terrifying stream, causing the two surviving guards to tremble. They saw before them a monster capable of plunging even the bright sun into darkness.

"Father..." Liliane's voice trembled. "If they're not here, if they sacrificed the prison, where did they go?"

Ardur's gaze went far ahead, beyond the line of hills separating the eastern river from the view of the town in the region.

"They're going to attack Fran and Elvira. They realized we would leave someone in Varthon so as not to lose control. Shit! We have to get back as quickly as possible!"

"But isn't that suicide?" Liliane suggested. "They tricked us, but why would the townspeople suddenly agree to obey? They'll fight against the prisoners! I'm sure of it!"

"Tsk, that would be fine, but most likely that bastard, Kreyn, has something up his sleeve this time too."

Ozdor stepped forward as he looked at the river in the distance.

"Brother, what shall we do? The bridge is destroyed, and going back the same way will take too long."

In response, Ardur turned toward the mines.

"Well... In any other situation, it would be suicide, but since I'm with you, I know a shortcut. We should be there very soon."

Ozdor grinned.

"Come on, brother, we have to show these rats who's boss!"

...

Varthon was a large town, much larger than Boneveil Village, but tonight was one of the few nights when people did not sleep.

The lights in the lampposts burned brightly, illuminating the streets, while people whispered in an attempt to understand what was happening.

Rumors spread quickly, but no one knew for sure, and Fran and Elvira, standing in front of the fountain in the square, did not answer their questions directly.

"Mr. Fran, has something bad happened in the prison?" The old man stepped forward, looking the young man straight in the eye.

Fran frowned.

"Didn't I already answer that question? This is not a problem that concerns you. My father, Ardur von Wurhen, has personally decided to take care of it, so everything will be resolved soon!"

Elvira nodded, glancing at the residents.

"In fact, you should go home. If something bad happens, my brother and I will protect you, as we always have!"

Despite their passionate speeches, the people did not trust their words. Well, there was no need for that.

According to Fran and Elvira's calculations, right now, his father should be destroying Kreyn and the prisoners.

'It will all be over by morning,' Fran thought. 'Their strength is not infinite, soon, they will get tired and go to sleep. Agh, Father was too soft on them. They should be grateful that our family protects this town in the first place!'

Perhaps Fran's plan would have worked, but neither he nor the townspeople knew what awaited them.

Tremble! Tremble! Tremble!

The earth shook as if a powerful earthquake had begun. Panic flared in their eyes like flames, but that was only the beginning.

More than a dozen Arakta Worms burst out of the ground, surrounding the town on all sides. The monsters loomed over the town, causing Fran and Elvira's eyes to widen and their faces to pale.

Silence.

A quiet horror hung in the air, like before an execution.

In the end, a particularly large Arakta Worm appeared in the middle of the square—the Elder, casting his gaze on Varthon.

Vaarh's many eyes, terrifying aura, and power were the last straw.

"AAAAAGGGGHHH!!!"

A cry of terror and despair erupted from the residents as Fran and Elvira immediately summoned their Catalysts. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't protect the residents. Now, they had to pray to stay alive themselves.

This was not just an act of intimidation, for as soon as Vaarh smirked, the Arakta Worms sprang into action.

GGGGGRRRRRRRHHHHHHOOOOOO!!!

With a deafening roar, the giant worms descended upon the town, destroying everything in their path. Their hundreds of moving teeth turned houses into splinters and dust, and residents into bloody shreds, sparing no one.

At the same time, many shadows were hiding in the forest grove near Varthon.

One of them grinned widely.

"Good, now all that's left is to choose the right moment."

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