The lingering residue of sword arcs and raw killing intent still danced on the air like phantom blades, sharp enough to prickle skin. She squinted slightly.
"A bit wasteful, but... well, that’s not my problem."
Then, her voice rose playfully, almost mockingly.
"Haa... seems like I have to go. I’ve lingered too long."
The masked man’s frown deepened. Without wasting ti, he lunged forward, blade glinting with elental energy. But Martina barely moved her upper body—she let his blade graze past her side, as if dancing with it, her body gliding effortlessly like silk in the wind.
She whispered, "Too slow."
Then, she kicked the ground creating a crater underneath.
BOOM!
She shot upward, a blur of white and blue, soaring past scaffolding and twisted pillars. The masked man cursed and chased after her, his cloak flaring behind him as he leapt across ruined cranes and broken ledges.
Their chase cut through the collapsing architecture of the port—Martina bounding from girder to rooftop, always one step ahead, always just out of reach. The masked man hurled a flurry of crescent strikes at her back, but she twisted, rolled in midair, and let the explosions scatter smoke.
Then, she muttered sothing obscure.
A glint of light flashed in her hand, and she whipped a needle-like spell downward. It hit a rusted pipe beneath her and exploded into a bright fog of mana mist, veiling her body completely.
The masked man slashed through the smoke with a grunt, scanning the mist frantically—but Martina was gone.
Vanished.
"DAMN YOU!" he snarled, his voice muffled under his mask. His blade trembled in his hand as he scanned the horizon. "She escaped again!"
He slamd his fist into a broken crate, splintering it in frustration.
...
Back at the heart of the explosion, the wind still howled through the ruins.
Adele stood still. Alone.
Her cloak had been torn slightly by the shockwave. Dust clung to her hair, and the cut across her arm still trickled faint blood—but her eyes...
They were wide. Frozen.
"...Did I just get... defeated?" she muttered, her voice faint.
A pause.
Her brows twitched—first disbelief, then dawning clarity.
"No. That wasn’t a strike ant to kill. That wasn’t the end. It was to blind my senses, throw off..."
Her teeth clenched.
BOOOOM!
She stomped the ground in fury, causing the stone beneath her to fracture outward. The tremor reverberated across the port, sending loose crates tumbling.
"DAMMMMMMMMMM!!"
Her scream split the air.
Adele’s hands trembled—not with fear, but pure rage. She closed her eyes and extended her mana sense, threads of energy spreading like sonar across the battlefield.
Nothing.
No trace of guys who fought with her and also there was no residue from Martina.
Their mana vanished as if it was cleaned.
Empty.
She scanned again more aggressively this ti but still nothing.
They were all gone.
Her fists clenched so tightly blood welled in her palms.
Then she saw it. The place where Martina had been.
Also empty.
"...Useless," Adele hissed. Her voice cracked, but her aura only grew more unstable, more terrifying. "Everyone... every single one of you are useless pieces of shit!"
Her voice rose into a furious scream.
"I CAN’T BELIEVE HIS HIGHNESS DEPENDS ON GARBAGE LIKE YOU!"
"GARBAGE! GARBAGE! GARBAGE!!"
"IF YOU WERE MY N...I WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU.."
Her voice echoed through the shattered port like a banshee’s wail carried by the wind. The sheer weight of her killing intent smothered the surroundings—birds took flight in fear, even the air seed to shrink from her presence.
And in that silence, in that hellish atmosphere, she stood..A monster denied her victory.
But the ga was far from over.
Bernard stood far off from a rooftop, watching the aftermath of the explosion. His face twisted with fury. He clenched his fists, his boots grinding against the tiles.
"Damn it all..." he muttered through gritted teeth. Then he slamd his foot down on the roof edge, cracking the stone.
He spun around, glaring at the guards behind him."Move! Block all the gates of the city. I want no one out! Go around the city now!"
The guards jumped in surprise but imdiately scattered with nods, running toward different exits.
anwhile, Kael and the others were already on the move. They slipped into the smoke-filled alleyways, darting past broken crates, barrels, and shattered boards. The ground trembled slightly from Adele’s outburst in the distance, but none of them looked back.
The group moved fast, weaving through narrow lanes, ducking under hanging clotheslines and stepping over puddles left by earlier rain. Lanterns flickered above, casting shadows that danced with every movent.
But soon, trouble arrived.
From the opposite street, a patrol team erged. Their armor clanked, and torches lit up their sharp expressions.
Guards were running around crazily one after another.They were checking everyone whom they spotted.
Few who even tried to complain we’re straight up beaten.
"What the hell?" Sol cursed, halting in his steps.
"How can so many guards show up so fast? Did they already get the news?" He looked around, trying to find a way out.
Linda stopped behind him, her eyes wide.
"What should we do now?"
Adonis didn’t hesitate."Let’s separate. We can’t risk staying together."
Finish nodded in agreent."Yeah. If we get seen together, it’s over. We’ll et at Gulliver Inn. Don’t be late."
Herion and Freya gave a quick thumbs-up and darted off into separate alleyways.
Kael reached into his cloak and pulled out the mask and robe, tossing them aside into a broken cart. Underneath, his face looked calm but tired. He bent down, grabbed a handful of soil and ash from the ground, and sared it across his tunic and sleeves. His white shirt was soon dull brown, and he ssed up his hair with quick fingers.
"Do the sa," he said to those nearby. A few nodded and copied him, dirtying their clothes, throwing away obvious gear, and changing pace they left quickly.
Kael then shifted his bag into his spatial ring, reducing his burden. Adjusting his collar and rubbing dirt under his eyes, he let out a breath and walked slowly into the main street—blending in.
He walked casually, like a worn-out traveler. The buildings on both sides were dim, shops closed, the sll of fish and damp wood hanging in the air. Old posters peeled off lamp posts. A cat scurried by.
But suddenly—
"Hey, you!"
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