The sun stood high above the industrial district, merciless and sharp.
Its light washed over concrete buildings and rusted steel, exposing every crack, every fracture left behind by the earlier battle. Dust lingered in the air, drifting slowly as if even the wind hesitated to move freely.
A long, deep scar split the asphalt ahead
a perfectly straight trail carved by something massive.
It wasn't the mark of a retreat.
It was a path.
Kryne walked at the front, his hat tilted low to shield his eyes from the glare. A cigarette hung loosely from his lips, smoke dissolving instantly in the dry heat. His posture looked lazy as ever but his gaze was awake, precise, calculating.
Behind him, Celestine moved with quiet composure despite her fatigue. A faint, knowing smile rested on her lips the kind that could mean control… or something far more dangerous. Her long black hair flowed behind her, the subtle dark-violet gradient catching the sunlight with every step.
Brane followed last.
Each step he took felt grounded, deliberate. His broad frame cast a heavy shadow on the cracked pavement. Blood stained the fabric near his wound, yet his breathing remained steady. He did not complain. He never did.
Ahead of them, the massive insect was running at full speed.
Its heavy legs struck the ground, shaking the cracked pavement beneath it.
On its back stood Number Four and Number Two.
Number Four remained steady, balanced as the creature moved.
Number Two stood beside him, silent and focused.
The insect opened its mouth slightly as it ran.
Inside, Toxivar was sitting, resting calmly within its jaws.
Number Two, Crystel, looked at Zeric.
"You look exhausted. Your body is in terrible condition."
Zeric glanced at him. It was clear he didn't want to admit it but he had to.
He struck his hand against the insect's back in frustration.
"That huge bastard was incredibly strong."
He then looked at Crystel and noticed he wasn't wearing his shirt either. Signs of fatigue were visible on him as well.
"I didn't expect them to wear you down like this too."
Crystel turned his gaze to the side, calmly looking at the houses they were passing.
"I was holding back to analyze their abilities."
Zeric looked at him for a moment.
"That's obvious…"
Zeric looked back.
He noticed Kryne catching up quickly, leading the pursuit, while Celestine and Brane followed behind him.
"Damn… that bastard is fast."
Number Two stepped forward, moving toward the edge of the giant insect's back.
"Don't worry. I'll stall them."
He glanced ahead.
"Just focus on the path. We need to arrive as fast as possible."
Crystel formed multiple small balls of salt and threw them all around.
Kryne exhaled smoke from his mouth and nose, concealing his presence.
Meanwhile, he moved quickly, dodging the burning salt.
But when the smoke cleared, he had vanished.
Crystel let out an annoyed sigh,
"Hmph! I lost his trail."
Meanwhile, Celestine and Brane, running a little behind, exchanged words.
Brane spoke with worry and frustration,
"Kazhaya… he hasn't caught up with us…"
Celestine replied in a calm, knowing tone,
"I knew he wouldn't come."
Suddenly, Celestine's phone rang. She grabbed it while running, speaking into it, her hand moving as a sharp twinge of pain hit her shoulder from the injury Crystel had caused.
"It's Ravena," she thought.
Ravena's voice came through the line, slightly anxious. She sat in a chair inside the Guild Agency office, her long black hair flowing, and her black eyes marked by a tiny red dot in each.
Celestine, the orders have changed. You must capture all of the Numbers!"
Celestine replied, slightly tense, "We're already working on it… but why are you insisting on this? Did something happen?"
Ravena cut in, her voice anxious: "The Seal Device was stolen from the wealthy district, and all suspicions point to someone working with the Numbers. We don't know how they managed it, but we'll find out once we catch them."
She continued with a firmer tone, "Number Three has already been captured by the Guild members and the Fenrir twins."
Instead of being shocked by the news of the Seal Device theft, Celestine smiled with a satisfied expression.
"Interesting… but do you know where they might be heading?"
Ravena replied, "I think they'll head toward the exit gate in the poor district. Their priority is getting out, if they were the ones who stole the Seal Device."
Celestine asked thoughtfully, "But… why do they want the Seal Device…?"
Ravena replied, "We still don't know, but perhaps they want to remove the seal from some kind of legendary beast or something like that."
Celestine responded, "Alright… I'll call you later and keep you updated on what's happening."
Ravena said calmly, "Take care of yourself, Celestine, and keep a close eye on Kryne."
Celestine smiled, "Goodbye," and hung up.
Ravena sat in her office, placing the phone on the table, exhausted. Her head throbbed painfully.
"Ah… when will this day ever end!"
Brane glanced at Celestine as they ran through the alleys of the poor district.
"What happened?" he asked.
Celestine looked at him, slipping the phone into her pocket.
"Someone stole the sealing device," she replied.
Brane was taken aback.
"That wasn't expected!"
Celestine nodded calmly.
"Yes… that's why it was stolen."
The situation continued like this. Number Four, Number Two, and Toxivar, the Fifth, headed toward the gate where Number One, Aporrhesis, awaited. Kryne followed them stealthily, keeping a careful distance. Behind them, Celestine and Brane pursued from the rear, moving swiftly through the alleys.
Meanwhile, Milo remained in the abandoned district, injured and still deeply saddened by his defeat. His clothes were torn and dirt-stained, and his hair fell messily over his forehead, partially hiding the bruises on his face. His posture was slumped, and his shoulders sagged under the weight of exhaustion and disappointment. Despite his fatigue, his eyes still held a faint flicker of determination, dimmed but not entirely extinguished.
In another corner, beside Novara's gate which had been immediately sealed, Number One, Aporrhesis, stood. The guards around him froze, startled upon seeing his face.
His hair was a warm copper-blond, leaning slightly toward light orange under the sunlight. Medium in length, short overall, with a slightly longer front section, its strands falling naturally, while the sides were shorter but blended seamlessly with the top.
A distinct scar ran across his face, cutting over his lips as if slicing from cheek to cheek, starting from the left side of his face and passing over the middle of his mouth. His face looked innocent and serious at the same time, but that wasn't the most terrifying part of his appearance.
The horrifying detail was his closed eyes and the strange purple lines across his face, glowing menacingly and preventing him from opening his eyes.
The moment the guard noticed these markings, Number One swiftly raised his spear, pressing it against the guard's neck.
"Raise your hands high, now!" His voice was calm, firm, carrying authority that needed no further threat.
The guard quickly held up his phone and said, his voice tense:
"Breaking news… there's a sealed individual here! I think this is why the Seal Device was stolen!"
Number One, Aporrhesis, smiled gently and warmly, his voice calm:
"Alright… alright, calm down. There must be a misunderstanding."
But the guard didn't hide his anger. He pressed the spear directly against the skin under Number One's chin, ordering without hesitation:
"Not a word… raise your hands now!"
The other guards stood around him, surrounding him from every side.
The guard holding the spear spoke sharply and harshly:
"You must be the one they call Number One! I've been following all the news today, searching for every trace of you all day, damn it!"
As one of the guards tried to grab Number One's hands to bind him, something unexpected happened.
A hidden force suddenly struck the guards, pushing them slightly back.
The guard didn't hesitate, raising his spear to stab Number One directly in the neck, but a sword struck the spear and pushed it away.
Number One felt a presence he knew very well.
His voice trembled slightly as he recognized it:
"Is that you… Theron!"
The guards were stunned by the mysterious force that attacked them.
"What… what is that?!" one of them exclaimed.
Suddenly, Theron stood before Number One, glanced at the guards, then removed the cloak that had hidden his appearance and placed it on the ground.
Theron's figure now stood clear and imposing in front of all the guards.
The guard holding the spear, who had blocked Theron's sword, shouted in shock and anger:
"Who the hell are you?!"
Theron stood firmly, shielding Number One (Aporrhesis) behind him.
He glanced back at his friend and smiled:
"I've arrived, my friend… Aporrhesis."
Number One smiled, feeling a wave of reassurance:
"Thank you… thank you so much, Theron."
He tried to sense the surrounding energy, but Luneth's presence was absent.
"Where is Luneth?" he asked.
Theron replied confidently:
"Don't worry… she's waiting for me somewhere."
With a swift motion, Theron opened his coat, holding the Seal Device firmly in his hand.
A guard shouted:
"Hey, boy… you don't know what you're doing! Stop!"
The other guards readied themselves, prepared to attack Number One and Theron together.
Number One looked at Theron, puzzled:
"Ah… how do I activate it?"
He gently grasped Theron's hand, guiding the device to his chest:
"Just place it here… on my heart."
At that moment, the armored insect carrying the remaining Numbers neared the gate,
followed by Kryne, and then Celestine and Brane.
From a distance, Luneth watched intently. Her short dark blue hair, styled in a Bob, framed her jawline perfectly and revealed her neck clearly, giving her features a sharp edge that matched her cold gaze. Her deep blue eyes shone with focus as she observed every move.
Everyone watched the scene, anxiety evident on their faces.
A guard shouted:
"Stop!"
At that moment, Number One touched the device.
A powerful surge of lightning erupted, shaking the senses of everyone nearby.
The device began drawing the purple energy from Number One's body.
The guards who had approached were pushed back by the spreading sparks of the mysterious energy.
Yet Number One held tightly to Theron's hand, preventing himself from being thrown away.
He seemed to feel some pain as the purple energy was drawn out,
but in a blink of an eye, a thin wisp of smoke dissipated.
Theron looked at Number One, astonished and amazed.
As the smoke cleared, the guards saw the faint aura of energy beginning to glow around him.
Number One smiled with relief:
"Finally… I am free once more."
He slowly opened his eyes and looked directly at Theron.
A warm, friendly smile crossed his face.
His eyes were a beautiful, vivid green, full of life.
"Thank you, Theron… thanks to you, I've regained my energy and my sight."
After pushing Theron away from danger, Number One placed a calm hand on his stomach:
"You need to move away… I don't want to cause you any more trouble."
Theron tried to protest, but before he could reply, a strange energy and an unfamiliar force suddenly lifted him into the air.
He was thrown backward at an incredible speed, landing on the ground beside Luneth.
Luneth quickly grabbed him:
"Theron… you're okay, right?"
He didn't look at her. His eyes were locked entirely on Number One, now standing at a distance.
"Is… this his power?" he whispered, astonished.
Alone and now composed, Number One stood, radiating calm and poise, as if all the natural power around him did not disturb his serene demeanor.
Suddenly, a guard attacked him from behind with a spear.
Without any effort, Number One stopped the spear with his bare hand, with absolute ease and remarkable composure.
Number One looked at the guards with his open green eyes, full of life and power, causing them to tremble under his gaze.
He smiled gently, yet his voice was calm and terrifying at the same time:
"I'll play with you a little while my friends arrive…"
His presence was imposing: copper-blonde hair under the sunlight, strands falling naturally over his forehead, with the shorter sides blending seamlessly, balancing innocence with menace.
The scar over his upper lip, stretching across the left side of his face, added an air of mystery and danger.
His open green eyes reflected his full energy and vitality. Every movement, even standing confidently, radiated strength and authority, combined with calmness and unshakable confidence.
End of the chapter...