Petra bit her lip. She didn't want to use her powers on Chris, especially since he was so vulnerable at the mont. He wasn't even moving—only his lips twitched from ti to ti.
The other Espers gritted their teeth. They had failed their mission, and of course, Carrisa was going to punish them. The fact that she had waited three whole weeks before doing so was already an act of generosity.
They said nothing, but all of them tensed up.
"Ahh… what a nuisance…"
Alicarde, clad in his Reaper's vestnts, exhaled in a sinister tone.
The Espers paled instantly.
The Reaper was known to be a madman. He wouldn't hesitate to kill them all if he felt like it. Cold sweat ran down their backs as they braced themselves for a disastrous outco.
But to their surprise, Alicarde turned to Carrisa instead.
"You will do no such thing."
The Espers exchanged startled glances. He was… taking their side?
Carrisa sighed.
"You… very well, then. As you wish. However, this places us at a disadvantage, given our limited ti and lack of information."
She turned her gaze to Petra.
"That said, I had no intention of harming Chris. You are my subordinates, after all. I was fairly certain he would survive the ordeal."
Argint smiled slightly but said nothing. It wasn't every day that Alicarde told Carrisa off. Most of the ti, he simply let her do as she pleased and went along for the ride.
He had changed sowhat after killing Zagarath.
Sotis, she would catch him staring at the strange inscriptions that had appeared on his sword after that battle, as if trying to decipher their aning.
He had changed.
It was as if all his fears had vanished. The weight of his trauma had lifted. He was… gentler. Or at least, he was trying to be.
At tis, Argint half-expected him to burst into one of his violent fits—but he never did.
For the past few weeks, all he had done was execute the remaining enemies. Even then, he never left the mansion. The Nightshades hunted them down for him, delivering them to his doorstep.
He was truly acting like a lord now—placing the well-being of his people above all else.
"We leave Chris to rest for now," he declared.
Petra lowered her head, bowing slightly.
"Th…thank you…"
Alicarde walked up to Chris, who lay motionless in bed, not a single injury visible on his body. The only movent ca from his lips, silently forming words that no one could hear.
He didn't see Dr. Victor Stein, which was a relief. The deranged scientist seed to have an unhealthy fixation on him, and Alicarde had no desire to deal with whatever twisted fascination the doctor harbored.
Leaning in, he tried to make out what Chris was saying, but the words were too faint. He frowned and turned to Ana.
"Hey, what is he trying to say? I can't hear him."
Ana's expression remained impassive.
"It seems he has been this way for so ti. No sound is audible."
"I know that. I an, read his lips or sothing. Use your [Calculus] ability—anything is fine."
Ana nodded and approached Chris, but before she could get too close, Christina grabbed her hand.
"What are you doing? Didn't you say you weren't going to use any Esper abilities on him?"
Argint sighed.
"It's fine. [Calculus] is more of an analytical ability—it won't interfere with his mind."
Christina hesitated before glancing at her brother. Caden gently pulled her away.
Ana stepped forward, her eyes glowing green as floating numbers materialized around her.
Elizalina moved closer to Alicarde, watching the scene unfold.
"What do you believe he is attempting to convey?"
Alicarde glanced at her.
"The location of the Nexus. It has to be."
She smiled, leaning in to whisper into his ear with no regard for the others present.
"Or perhaps it is rely the incoherent ramblings of a man on the brink of death."
His gaze darkened, unreadable.
"We'll find out soon enough, won't we?"
Ana's eyes flickered before settling.
"Atlantis… He is saying 'Atlantis.'"
The Espers lowered their heads. John wiped at the corner of his eye.
"He's recalling an old story I once told them… about a mythical land lost to the world."
Alicarde exhaled, disappointed.
"I see. So, just the incoherent mutterings of—nothing more than nonsense."
However, Carrisa, Elizalina, and Ana shared a different expression—contemplative.
Argint noticed it as well, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Carrisa smiled.
"How fortuitous… Atlantis. So that is where he sent it."
Alicarde frowned. He had almost dismissed it as delirium until he recalled sothing—Malefica had once ntioned that Atlantis was real…. Naturally the espers wouldn't know that. Confusion etched on their faces.
Elizalina brushed a lock of silver hair behind her ear.
"If it is rely sothing he was taught in his youth as a story, there is a possibility you are mistaken, and that is not where he sent it."
Carrisa nodded.
"A reasonable argunt. However, he utilized the Nexus in conjunction with his power, the ambient energy, and the divine providence of a true god watching over this event. These circumstances could have allowed him to send the Nexus to a location he has never personally seen."
Ana agreed.
"The Nexus are ancient, and the knowledge of their creation originates from a higher plane of existence. It would not be surprising if they contained records of coordinates unknown to us. In fact, I am fairly certain that is the case."
The Espers exchanged confused glances, and Alicarde felt much the sa. He knew Atlantis was real, but that didn't make things any easier.
Argint voiced the obvious concern.
"If that's the case, then how the hell are we supposed to find a place that's been considered lost for centuries?"
Alicarde sighed, rubbing his temples. Immortality was already proving to be a trial, and now he had to go on a hunt for a civilization lost to ti.
'Ahhh… give a break.'
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