"Revenge is a plain and common pursuit; a blind obsession. This oft fulfilled, yet full oft, 'tis ruin in the end," a girl mumbled, reading one of her novel's sentences aloud in her Machiya.

  Her appearance was that of a young girl, about the same age as Margias students, with long, sidetail ash-grey hair. However, half of her was unusual: a huge gear levitated above her head, and small mechanical wings protruded from each side of her back.

  "Yet, Uncle, for other souls, the clock doth stand too still, doth it not?"

  A sound of someone's footsteps arrived on her territory. The girl showed a grateful smile. It was Grey, trying to catch his breath after climbing his way to the peak of the mountain.

  "Is it... needed for you to build a house this high? You know that this... old man isn't as active as he was before, don't you?" he said, still holding onto his knees as he slowly sank to the ground.

  "Of course. But wherefore lies the sport, if I, the Homun Saint, could not show my skill and grace through the mastery of mine own domain?" she said, confident in her ability.

  "That's just..." Grey sighed in defeat. "Never mind, I have something that I want to ask you about."

  "If there be aught you would have me achieve, I pray it be a cause worthy of my presence, Uncle. Not so trivial a plea as that half-Sealer's fool who sought my counsel on a whim."

  "It's about someone. An another niece of mine, just like you."

  "Like myself, sayest thou? Doth this other niece bear kinship to my blood, or perchance to my own mother?" The girl asked, curious despite a slight annoyance at Grey's request.

  "More related to your mother than you, in fact," Grey slowly stood up, finally replenishing his energy fully.

  "Hark! A compelling tale, coming from thy tongue. If thy words are true, that this 'niece' is more related unto my mother, her very progeny, then t'would profit me much to look upon this matter." She said, showing her smile once again as she stood up and walked toward Grey.

  "Is that so?"

  As she closed in on Grey, she offered her hand, a gesture of invitation to her house. "Come, I say! Thou shalt recount thy niece's worthy tale! Only upon that score shall I cast my choice!"

  Listening to her statement made Grey snort in amusement. "Even after hibernating and recovering for decades, you still haven't changed, Erika." he said, accepting the offer.

  Carol, still inside Ordeus's mansion, walked along the long corridor while deep in thought. As soon as she turned left, she accidentally bumped into someone, causing both of them to sink to the ground with a slight impact.

  "D-damn," Carol muttered, brushing a small, unnoticeable red bruise on her forehead. "Whoever you are, sorry if I bumped against you. I have business I need to finish..."

  She paused for a moment, seeing a familiar figure despite her blurred vision from the impact. In disbelief, she shook her head, pulling her sight back into focus. However, the figure had vanished right as Carol regained her senses.

  Confused, she looked around a few times, then let out a deep sigh. "Even to the point of hallucinating, huh?" Carol stood up, brushing her clothes to clear any dust. "I think I need some rest after this. That man's words really struck me badly to the core." She continued walking, holding her head, believing she was simply tired.

  "Almost getting caught by her," the figure whispered, reappearing yet again from a pool of Dark Ender magic after Carol walked away. It was Mira, wearing a maid's uniform specialized for Ordeus's mansion as her undercover disguise. "But to think she was already so close. Might as well follow her."

  "Where are you going?"

  Before Mira could move, a man's voice, intimidating yet devoid of malicious intent, spoke directly behind her. Greatly nervous, as she hadn't detected his presence, she instantly turned and attacked with her knife. However, the man easily caught her arm, gripping it tightly with pain flashing across her face.

  "Can't let you try drawing blood in my mansion. My butlers and maids are already working hard for today, you know?" the man said, calmly reminding her.

  "You... Are you Ordeus, the Dark Holder?" Mira replied, examining his face.

  "Indeed. I bet that Mary is the one who sent you to watch over Carol, isn't it?"

  "How did you..?" She widened her eyes in disbelief.

  With a harsh movement, Ordeus used his arm strength to throw her toward the end of the corridor, where Mira teleported using her Dark Ender just in time. Undeterred, she appeared again, now above Ordeus, attacking him with knives in both hands. He calmly dodged them, while Mira quickly pulled her leg back to kick him in the face. Despite his defense, a small amount of blood dripped out as her Dark Ender-covered foot pierced his skin slightly. Frustrated, she backed down, accelerating her speed to confuse Ordeus, blurring her figure by moving rapidly around him.

  Ordeus merely closed his eyes, acting as if Mira's skill was nothing. When her figure solidified in front of him, Ordeus opened his eyes, showing a menacing gaze that clearly signaled he viewed her as a mere nuisance. Fury consumed her heart, now understanding the meaning behind his gaze, Mira immediately swung her knife toward his neck.

  Ordeus dodged it once again, grabbing her maid's collar to push her against the wall. Mercifully, the force was controlled enough not to create a cracked wall that others would notice, but Mira still coughed out a small portion of fluid Dark Ender.

  "If you can, there's an exit door over there for you to go. This place is not for the Zarikh like you to come," Ordeus said, pointing toward the right corridor with a small, menacing smile.

  "You think your threat is enough to make me tremble?" Mira responded with a nervous smile, trying her best to showcase her strength through words. "Don't make me laugh. I've already faced much worse than this."

  "Is that so?" Ordeus released his grip, turning toward the left corridor. "I guess I should give you credit for that. Not everyone is brave enough to face a Holder like me directly." He walked away, leaving Mira.

  "You're just going to let me go like that? I thought that you would—"

  He cut her sentence, clarifying his intent. "It's not like I want to let you go. I want you to get close to Carol and her friends, watching and protecting them in case this war turns bad enough. That's what you want, right, Mary?"

  Suddenly, the transmitter device on Mira's neck lit up, transmitting a voice from Mary: "Uncanny as ever, huh, Ordeus? That's what I don't like about you."

  "Miss Mary?" Mira whispered.

  "Don't worry about him. As much as I don't like to owe him, we don't have any choice but to follow him for now."

  "If you say so, Miss," Mira replied. The transmitter device closed as soon as Mary received her answer. With that, she walked alongside Ordeus awkwardly, moving toward the dining hall, where he intended to check on his guests' condition.

  Carol finally arrived at the huge, fancy dining hall, which boasted expensive decorations, including a giant lamp on the ceiling and several white, majestic tabletops. She saw her group gathered on the corner, gossiping and eating.

  As she walked toward them, she was abruptly blocked by Arvain, whose sudden appearance caused her expression to harden with annoyance.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "What is it right now, playboy?" Carol said, closing her eyes, unwilling to look directly at his face. "Can't you see that I don't have time to interact with you?"

  In response, Arvain pulled out his wand and point it directly at Carol. "Caroline Erlikh! I challenge you to a duel!" he declared, his voice echoing loudly across the hall, drawing the attention of many eyes toward the confrontation.

  Carol slapped her face with her hand, embarrassed while shaking her head few times. "Why, all of a sudden?" she said, trying to suppress her anger. "This is a public space, you know. To declare a duel out of nowhere is too brainless, even for me. Don't you have any shame?"

  "Shame, you say?" He gripped his wand tightly, unable to hold back his frustration, and swung it away. "You know who else is shameful? It's you."

  "Huh?" Carol raised one eyebrow in confusion.

  "You see, it's because you intervened in my moment back when we were ambushed. Although I appreciate that you saved me and gave me a reality check, it still hurt my feelings to the point that embarrassment is not enough to cover this aching pain in my chest," Arvain explained. "Not only that, I realized you don't even know who I truly am. So let me tell you how great and powerful I, Arvain, always am compared to other successors!"

  Carol's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. Unable to handle his long, arrogant monologue, she let out a sigh and quietly moved past him, knowing he was still lost in his self-aggrandizement.

  "What happened there?" Rein asked Carol, noticing her presence closer to the group.

  "Nothing interesting. Just that guy Arvain doing his usual stuff," Carol responded, unwilling to bother explaining the situation.

  "Anyway, what did you and Sir Ordeus talk about in the office?" Aria asked, curious about the topic she discussed with Ordeus back in the office.

  "I don't think you want to know. It was too private for me that even you might be shocked at this point," Carol responded with her casual shrug. "But I can only say that Sir Ordeus has a relationship with my uncle in the past."

  "I see," a voice of a young girl answered instead of Aria. Noticing someone had barged into their conversation, the group turned to the source behind them. It was Lily, accompanied by Orin's previous maid.

  "Lily? Why are you here?" Rein asked, his expression hardening in shock and disappointment at his younger sister's unexpected presence.

  "Helping you guys! You can't just leave your sister behind with paperwork all day," Lily explained. "In fact, I just left the work to other, more experienced butlers and maids to handle it for me."

  "Even Mira?"

  "Mira?" Lily fell into a deep thought upon hearing the maid's name, confused as it had been a long time since she last heard it. After a short moment of thinking, she realized what Rein meant, finally recalling Mira's figure. "Ah, that maid. It's been a long time since I saw her that I almost forgot about her whole existence, hehe." she said, gently brushing the back of her head.

  Because of that, Rein only responded with a sigh. "Just say that you're bored already, Lily. I know you would rather work in action than face all those paperwork by yourself."

  "Y-you got me there," Lily replied with a giggle, accepting the truth from Rein's mouth.

  "Speaking of maids," Rein turned his head toward Orin's maid. "How's your life doing now? Does that arm of yours still hurt?" he asked, feeling sympathy after knowing the cause of her injury through her explanation.

  She answered by shaking her head a few times, reassuring Rein that she was more than okay. "I'm fine, for now. Although the work is much harder compared to when I had two arms, I think I can manage. Don't need to worry about me, Sir Rein."

  "I hope so."

  Then, a loud set of footsteps could be heard from the entrance of the dining hall, causing everyone, including Arvain, to fall into silence. At that moment, Ordeus showed himself, stopping just after entering the hall.

  "Is that... Mira?" Rein mumbled to himself, shocked as he saw the figure of Mira in a different maid outfit standing beside Ordeus.

  "Everyone. From promising young students to my trusty nobles. I'm truly glad that we managed to meet at last," Ordeus announced, his voice carrying clearly across the large hall. "As you might notice or hear about the recent news, the Tempest Holder has declared a war against us, despite already having a bad reputation in terms of their economy."

  He paused, letting the statement sink in. "My secretary has confirmed their reason was simply fear. Fear of what we, an evolved country, have achieved with our own hands. I would say that their act is just a mistake. A mistake because this war declaration is wrong on many levels!"

  His speech caused everyone's expressions to harden. They felt moved by his rhetoric yet simultaneously annoyed by the injustice of the war.

  "Therefore, I ask all of you: Will you follow me on this path, that we shall show them our strength?" Ordeus clenched one hand and lifted it up, a gesture meant to raise their spirit. "Will you follow me on this path, that we shall teach them a lesson of regret?"

  "We do!" one of the nobles exclaimed as an answer. One after another, the guests responded with the same words, until everyone inside the dining hall shouted in unison.

  Mira watched in astonishment, realizing how Ordeus's speech managed to unite them all, rallying an entire city to stand their ground with him. A literal showcase of what a capable leader he was.

  "Good. Now, enjoy this day to the fullest, everyone. As tomorrow is the day we show our true power!" Ordeus shouted with the full force of his spirit, where everyone responded with the same shouts.

  (It's time) Carol thought, clenching her hands in pure excitement. "Wait for me, Karl, the Gaia Holder. Your head shall be mine to claim." she mumbled with a wide grin, an almost unnoticeable hollow red shine flickering in her eyes.

  Now inside Crake's mansion, Yuno, Hana, Erick, and Dulcinia walked quickly, yet silently, as the security was tighter than before. Despite the fancy interior like expensive wallpaper, decorations, and portraits of previous Tempest Holders, its beauty was not enough to hide the rotten core of Neurn's society. Through a window, they saw guards and nobles abusing commoners, brutally treating children like disposable tools. Hana couldn't handle the horror and forced herself to look away. Yuno only closed his eyes, understanding Hana's pain.

  "Hm? Is that, our lecturer?" Erick whispered, stopping to peek through the half-opened door of an office, revealing Hindrey grabbing something from a table, looking wary.

  "Where?" Dulcinia responded in a small tone, peeking alongside Erick.

  "After everything, you still continue to follow your dream," Hindrey snorted, tightly gripping the previous Gaia Emblem in his hands. "To think I have to join your forces again after learning the existence of the Leviathan's child. It really irritates me."

  A voice of Karl decades ago, flashed across his mind: (If you find out that the Leviathan's child still alive, I'll welcome you anytime to join me again, Hindrey. Of course, this time, I promise I will give you a taste more grand than your revenge, even more so than money.) Hindrey clicked his tongue in frustration, realizing he had no choice left. It was already too late to back away from his crimes.

  "What are you guys doing?" Yuno said from behind, having noticed Hindrey but deciding to ignore his presence for the greater mission.

  "Uhm, we just—"

  Yuno casually cut Dulcinia short, clarifying their true intention. "We don't have time for this. Remember what we came here for."

  Both Dulcinia and Erick showed desperate sympathy toward their lecturer, knowing that in this moment, they might never reunite as partners. However, their minds were already set: If Revir could move on, why couldn't they? They turned their heads toward Yuno and nodded without hesitation. With a responsive smile, Yuno walked away first, with the two following close behind.

  After a long walk, they arrived at the basement. All four were shocked in horror by what they witnessed while peeking through the wall. There was a small, crystallized red device radiating a strong amount of Dark Ender, an engine powering a larger experiment: a literal creation of many old wands fused by Dark Ender magic, waiting to be used as weapons for Neurn's warriors.

  "What in the world did I see...?" Hana said, covering her mouth with her hand, finding the sight too shocking to handle.

  "This experiment... heh," Yuno said with a nervous smile, trying to hide his fear. "To think they would go to this length, using wands from many old, deceased Margias for the sake of war. Crake never fails to surprise me."

  "Isn't it that amazing?" A mysterious man behind them said, causing Yuno to widen his eyes in surprise as he turned around. With a wide, menacing grin, the man stomped the ground loudly, generating a strong Earthquake using his Dark Ender magic.

  The four were knocked against the wall, shattering it as they landed outside the mansion, blood dripping from their faces. The man walked outside through the hole in the wall, pure kill intent lingering as a dark sword appeared in his hand.

  A strong wind kicked in, naturally pulling down his hood, revealing the figure of Dein. Desperate, as death closed by, Yuno quickly mumbled a teleportation spell, clenching his hands in frustration. Thanks to his rapid action, Erick, Dulcinia, Hana, and himself managed to teleport just in time.

  Noticing their sudden retreat, Dein snorted in disappointment. "Coward."

  Teleported at the entrance gate of Verlyn, Yuno tried his best to control his breath after using such a powerful spell, despite his wounded body.

  "That... really was a mistake... to infiltrate without knowing that thing's presence," he said, coughing up blood.

  As the other lecturers noticed their heavily wounded figures through the window, they frantically rushed to their location.

  (Apostles... I should've already known that they were the ones behind this war,) Yuno sighed. (I just hope I made it in time to tell this to Grey... Though, we're already too late at this point... Their plan... has already moved to final stages.) He closed his eyes to suppress the pain.