▪︎Petal of salvation "12th Lunaria "1:55pm (The Attack On Griown)
The woman glared at the lifeless form of Bloodroot.
"Disgusting. If only I had arrived sooner or if we had been better prepared, maybe more lives could have been saved."
She swung her sword, spraying blood across the ground, then approached them quietly. "Gardener Ma'am, I thought you were on a page in the western continent. I heard whispers of it on the isle."
Tsukiko's bewildered expression indicated the woman's unexpected presence surprised her, sparking curiosity among the others.
"Tsukiko, do you know her?" Hitomi asked, sensing a potential connection.
"I must apologize for not introducing myself sooner." The woman cleared her throat. "I'm Sofia Rodriguez. A pleasure to meet you."
Sofia seemed to expect her introduction would clarify her identity, but the group remained puzzled, though Svetlana appeared to have a vague idea.
"You must be a Gardener," Svetlana ventured.
"Indeed, though I am far from proud of that title in light of the current situation."
Svetlana found no response to that.
"Had I arrived earlier, perhaps this could have been avoided. Regardless, I have failed as this town's protector. I'm ready to atone in time, but for now, let's end this."
Sofia's gaze scanned the injured lilies. Svetlana rushed to Mei's side, who now laid unconscious in her lap while Sofia observed intently.
"You all fought bravely today. Your courage prevented a far worse outcome."
"But we didn't—"
"And for that, you have my gratitude," Sofia interrupted.
"I'm not sure how to respond to that," Tsukiko admitted.
"It doesn't matter. The point stands."
"I don't think he's the only one responsible," Tsukiko said, eyes drawn to Bloodroot's corpse. "There was a woman's voice too. There could be others, as I understand it."
Though she hoped for the best, the reality was unsettling. The thought of other powerful foes lurking nearby weighed heavily on her mind.
"I understand your concerns, but please rest assured: we will put an end to this." Sofia's confidence was palpable; she had just dispatched a formidable threat with effortless ease. Her victory reassured the others and provided them with a modicum of comfort—after all, she wasn't the only Gardener.
"Why, I must say, that was a splendid display of brute force. You've truly outdone yourselves!"
A voice that chilled the air reached their ears. How was this possible? The man should have been long dead.
"I see you've managed to escape the jaws of death, albeit barely," Sofia said, glaring at him intently. It was clear she was prepared to strike him down with the same ferocity she had just demonstrated.
"It was amusing to play dead for a while, but these wounds were fatal. If it weren't for this ancient Echo of Petals," he said, gesturing to a black seed embedded in his wrist, "I might be dead by now."
"An Echo? No wonder. Even so, that seed must be very old—perhaps dating back to The Great Conjuration."
"Correct. However, that matters little at this point, doesn't it?"
"Prepare to be subdued. If you resist, you will meet the same fate as before." Sofia gripped her longsword, adopting a fierce stance.
"As much as I would love to indulge you, I've fulfilled my part in this. The boy is within our grasp now, and I shall take my leave." Bloodroot snapped his fingers, and a cloud of red smoke enveloped the area. Sofia rushed toward him, but it was too late; he had vanished into thin air.
"Tch... Once again, I have failed," Sofia muttered, biting her lip in frustration.
"No way—he got away, didn't he?" Svetlana's voice trembled, her anxiety palpable as Todd placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Why is he still alive? How could he have survived all of this? Why—why is he allowed to live?" Svetlana's frantic screeches echoed painfully in the air, weighing heavily on Sofia.
"I'm sorry, I—"
"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I lashed out in my own weakness." Svetlana's initial rage dwindled into a defeated whisper.
"Ms. Smirnov, you should rest. I still have some stamina left, but my Kardia-magia output will be weaker." Todd said trying to convince her.
"No, we need to help the others. They could be in even worse danger!"
"I must advise against that. Ms. Smirnov, focus on regaining your strength. Help from the Isles has arrived, and you will be taken back for treatment—all of you—"
"AHHHH!"
A groan broke through the air as Tsukiko and Hitomi lay on the bloodstained floor, writhing in pain. Tsukiko felt her muscles cramping violently; the agony was unbearable. Hitomi's body bore bruises, and she cried out, her voice breaking.
"It hurts! It hurts so badly!"
"They must have resorted to using their Apexes as a last-ditch effort," Sofia said, her voice steady despite the chaos. "They should have known the fallout would be devastating, especially since they have yet to train their resistance beforehand."
Sofia felt a tug at her right side, it was the hand of a girl sitting on the floor, with her friend in her lap, looking completely hopeless.
"Are we ever going to get stronger".
†
▪︎Petal of salvation "12th Lunaria "2:10pm (The Attack On Griown)
"I'm warning you, dipshit," the man snapped. "Call off those things; they're ruining my aim!"
Sir Briar ignored the man's provocation and focused on the chaos unfolding in Griown. Kardia beasts had invaded the town, and Ryo knew he had to act quickly—he needed a plan if he was going to survive this. The thought brought an awkward smile to his lips.
"I've been doing a lot of surviving since I got to this world," he mused. "Never would I have believed I'd desperately want to save this life—at least not to this extent."
As he surveyed the scene, Ryo realized they were hopelessly outnumbered. Kardia beasts swarmed the area, and while he had grown significantly stronger since his encounter with the Dark Prum, taking down a few of these creatures was simply not enough. The sheer volume of the beasts could easily level the city. Worse still, many of them were far more powerful and intelligent than anything he had faced before. He had read about some of these monsters in the library on the Isle, but knowledge offered little solace now. Surviving this catastrophe was easier said than done; these creatures shouldn't have been anywhere near this haven in the sky, yet here they were, poised to trample everything and everyone.
Ryo needed to devise a plan—and fast. They were woefully unequipped; their dark magic was barely sufficient to subdue this many foes, and using His Apex was out of the question—the backlash was far too severe. To make matters worse, his threat perception was going haywire. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. Agonizing tension mounted.
"Hey, Ryo," Tadashi said, his voice laced with desperation. "The odds of us surviving this are slim. We have to run or find somewhere to hide before they completely surround us. They haven't started attacking yet, which means we have some time to—"
"Did you hit your head?" Ryo interrupted, cutting him off. "Look at them! Do you genuinely think that person is going to let us leave here alive?"
He quickly dismissed Tadashi's suggestion. It was glaringly obvious that Sir Briar wanted them dead, and even if they tried to hide, the beasts would sniff them out effortlessly. Of course, Ryo didn't expect Tadashi to grasp that; this was his first encounter with Kardia beasts, and they were supposed to begin training on handling such threats next week.
"Fujita, this could be traumatizing for you," Ryo pressed firmly, "but we have to fight—at least for as long as we can."
"Traumatizing?" Tadashi scoffed. "Unless a miracle shows up, we're probably dead already, but traumatized? Really?"
"The monsters here revel in playing mind games. For them, it's a form of entertainment—some do it to soften their prey, others for the sheer thrill of dominating our species, and a few because their evolution and survival depend on it."
Ryo would have been more pleased with the knowledge he had gained during his time on the isle, had their circumstances been different.
"That aside, they aren't attacking—at least, not yet."
A cold chill ran down Ryo's spine as the realization settled in. He could not discern the expression on the man's face due to his unique appearance, but one thing was clear: nothing about this situation felt right.
"You're not taking anyone else! Do you hear me?!"
It was Akari, her voice ringing with rage as she lashed out at the beasts. Whether it was her fierce screams or her reckless charge, the monsters responded by launching their assault on the city—and on them.
"What are you doing, Akari? Are you trying to get us killed by provoking them like that?"
Akari ignored him, her fury blinding her to reason. Despite the limitations of her outfit in combat, she held her own, if only for a short time. With incredible strength, she seized an Orclaw by the hide, throwing it off balance before delivering the fatal blow. It was a display of power that left Ryo in shock. She maneuvered with an agility that belied the creature's size, stomping down on its neck as if it were merely a nuisance. The Orclaw was at least twice the size of an average human, equipped with deadly claws capable of shredding flesh in an instant. Yet, she brought it down with nothing but raw strength. Somewhere deep inside Ryo, he began to question his own masculinity.
Is this really Akari? This is insane.
He struggled more than ever to comprehend this new persona. Watching her fight, he couldn't help but think that her fury was fueling this transformation. Perhaps it was her response to the traumatic experiences they had all endured—not only from the Kardia beasts, but also from their own misfortunes that had rightfully channeled her hatred.
"Okay, I guess we're fighting. I just wonder how long we'll survive," Ryo said, suppressing his doubts.
"Are you insane? We can't take these things on unarmed! Maybe your former companion can hold her own for a while, but even now she could be overwhelmed and killed in an instant. And you want us to join in without even a fraction of the strength we need?"
"Listen, there's nothing we can do here. Whether we fight or not, we're dead. Our only option is to hold out as long as we can."
"Ryo, what about the civilians? How are we supposed to protect them?" Koki interjected, halting their conversation.
"I don't know. We're all as good as dead. What do you think asking me will achieve?"
"..."
Ryo was deeply conflicted about joining Akari. On the surface, she seemed fine, but he could tell she was still healing and trying to toughen herself up. This must have been sapping her stamina. They had only one way to survive this ordeal, and he was surprised that the thought had completely slipped his mind.
The rude man! That was it! He seemed strong enough to help them out of this situation.
It was a flimsy hope, but it was all they had. Ryo explained his idea to Koki and Tadashi, who nodded in understanding, though their expressions hinted at skepticism.
"Good thinking, Ryo," Koki remarked with a wry smile. "But honestly, knowing you, I didn't think you'd come up with something like this."
"What's that supposed to mean? This is hard enough as it is, so don't make it worse," Ryo shot back, feeling a mix of irritation and determination.
"But, umm… guys, how are we going to reach out to him? How do we even refer to someone we've never met?" Tadashi pointed out a crucial flaw in their plan.
Ryo shrugged. "I don't know. We could just yell out until he notices us. It could work!"
"Ryo, you're a genius! There's definitely some brilliance hiding in there!" Koki exclaimed, his green eyes sparkling. He placed his hands on Ryo's shoulders in a burst of excitement, which only made Ryo feel uneasy.
"Could you please take your hands off me?"
"Right… Sorry about that. I just got carried away, and my jittery hands got the best of me," Koki replied sheepishly.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But we need to call him now; Akari can't hold out much longer."
Around them, hundreds of beasts lurked, although luckily not all were active. It seemed to be just crawlers and lesser beasts on the move. When Ryo glanced at the others, their cold gazes felt like they could bore a hole through his soul. It was absolutely terrifying.
Kardia beasts swarmed them, ranging from Dragoraptors to Emberwings. Just one or two would have posed a serious threat, but there were multiples of each here. The Emberwings, in particular, represented the highest level of specters. Among the swarm, Ryo spotted two creatures that were nightmare-level threats:
Is that a Pendulum King?, he gasped, feeling his knees buckle at the sight.
The Pendulum King was a mid-level nightmare—its carapace was covered in flesh-like spikes, and a pendulum swung ominously from its head. It looked less like a beast and more like a horrifying contraption crafted by a malevolent force. Beyond its intimidating appearance, this creature possessed the terrifying ability to blur the lines between reality and illusion, ensnaring its prey. To make matters worse, it could manipulate time in its vicinity—far more daunting than the dark prum in that regard.
And as if that weren't dire enough, there were two of them. If they began to move, Ryo knew he'd resign himself to his fate immediately. The thought of fighting such a powerful being felt utterly hopeless..
"Hey! Old man! OVER HERE!!"
Tadashi's voice jolted Ryo from his deep thoughts. Had he really spaced out that much?
"Hey, kid, quiet down! Can't you see I'm busy here? I can barely land a hit on this guy!" The man brushed Tadashi off, his focus locked on Sir Briar. The imposing figure stood immobile, countering the man's attacks who used firearms infused with Kardia-magia while nearby beasts hurled themselves at him. How he controlled those creatures remained a mystery.
"This isn't working. I need to change my approach to get his attention," the man muttered, determination flashing in his eyes.
With that, he crafted a rocket launcher, launching it towards Sir Briar. The explosion that followed was far greater than that of an ordinary rocket, likely due to the Kardia-magia infusion.
"Not a scratch, huh? Can't say the same for the Kardia-beasts, though," he remarked to himself. "I don't want to unleash an Apex here—at least not in town. That would cause too much trouble."
Yet the moment the smoke cleared from the explosion, Sir Briar moved his hands. Perhaps the man's relentless assault had finally frustrated him; suddenly, all the Kardia beasts began to stir. Akari, sensing the shift, took a step back and invoked her "Purification."
The light that erupted was far brighter than before. Back in the village of the Aridians, this brilliance had given them hope for victory, but it had grown since then. Ryo understood why.
"Look, Koki! She's doing it!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with admiration.
"She's already mastered it! I've been trying for months, and I can barely hold it for 15 seconds," Koki replied, a mix of frustration and awe in his voice.
He was referring to the way they had learned to channel their Kardia-magia, which flowed through their bodies as Lyra had taught them. This mastery enhanced both the potency of their abilities and their overall performance in battle. Ryo could maintain this state for a few minutes, but applying it effectively in combat remained a struggle. Yet the girl before them seemed to have it all figured out.
"Is there something I should know? You're all gawking, and we're about to be trampled!" Tadashi shouted, frustration evident in his voice. He was right—this was no time for secret conversations.
As Akari began to tire, she stepped back again. Her purification magic had eliminated a few lesser beasts, the ones that had reacted to the light. Not every Kardia beast was affected, but the sudden brilliance had certainly confused them all.
"Are you guys just going to stand there all day?" Akari exclaimed, her anger boiling over. "There I was, holding down the fort while you cowardly men stood behind me, chit-chatting. Are you serious?" She grabbed Ryo by the collar of his shirt.
"Sorry, the situation overwhelmed us," Ryo replied, his voice strained. "But I guess it's over now." He knew their only hope lay with the man fighting Sir Briar, who was currently wasting bullets and energy on the source of the chaos. That man had dismissed their pleas for help, and now the beasts were closing in on them. Despair settled like a weight on Ryo's chest. Akari's body ached, and she sank to her knees, releasing Ryo as she did.
Just when they felt they were about to give up, four guns were thrown in front of them. Ryo's gaze shifted to the man battling Sir Briar; he winked, but Ryo could barely make it out from his distance. The weapons were submachine guns, similar to the one he used, yet they seemed more powerful. Infused with Kardia magia, they must have been replete with magical energy. *That man must have a lot of kardiamagia to spare,* he thought.
"These look really cool!" Koki exclaimed, enthusiasm bubbling over.
"But I've never shot a gun before. This won't be easy. I would've preferred a sword. If only we could handle these," Ryo murmured, scrutinizing the firearm before picking one up to face the oncoming beasts.
"I have a bit of practice with a pistol back in Japan. Not sure if I can handle an SMG smoothly, though," Tadashi chimed in, trying to reassure the group.
"Akari, can you—" Ryo started, glancing at her weary state, unsure if she'd be any help.
"Just give me one! I'll fight!" There was a fierce determination in her voice as she struggled to her feet, mustering the last of her Kardia magia to heal herself.
"She's more fierce than I thought. This might turn around for us—at least I hope so," Ryo thought, feeling a flicker of hope ignite within him. They aimed their weapons at the snarling beasts that were now charging toward them. With their sights locked on the feral mass, they squeezed the triggers. The recoil was difficult to control, but they persevered. Their aim might not have been impeccable, but as the beasts surged together, it was hard for every shot not to find its mark.