Deep within the forest, beyond the city of Ascorfield.
An explosion shook the trees, sending the birds perched among the branches into a frantic flight.
A diamond-shaped dimensional rift opened—then dropped the three of us out of it.
"Guagh!"
We slammed into the ground, piling on top of one another.
"Aaw—! Th-That hurts!" Naira groaned.
"That was way too close, Azca," Dania said between heavy breaths. "I can't believe we made it out thanks to Gate Storage."
What Dania said was true.
When she blocked that firestorm, I opened Gate Storage and we jumped in before the flames could pierce through her ice shell. In an instant, we were transferred to this forest—without Barner noticing.
"That skill is seriously useful," Naira said. "Even in a situation like that. We managed to travel that far in one go."
"Well… it's not exactly teleportation," I replied.
"Huh?" They both reacted at once.
"The dimensional gate is linked to my three shields. I simply moved one of them far away, then entered through the shield at the original location. After that, I opened the gate from the shield that had already been relocated."
Naira blinked in disbelief. "W-Why does that sound like Doraemon's door?"
"And when did you send one of your shields into the forest?" Dania asked.
"When Barner attacked me before you two arrived. From a distance, I caught sight of Percy looking terrified. Luckily, one of my shields was knocked close to him. Through a hidden message, I told him to carry it as far away as possible. After that, I attacked Barner using a hologram replica of the shield to bait him. So when you two showed up, all I had to do was get us out."
"I-I see…"
"So from the very beginning… you were planning to run?" Naira asked.
"Of course I was. Carina warned me earlier."
The two of them fell silent, as if they had run out of words.
"…By the way, where's Percy?" Dania asked.
"Eh? Yeah. I don't see him."
"U-Under… y-you… g-guys…"
"Eh?!" The three of us jolted, staring at Percy as he groaned weakly.
He was pinned beneath the shield supporting our bodies.
—
※ ※ ※ - ※ ※ ※
—
[POV-3]
Atala—the neighboring city of Ascorfield.
A group of giant bat-like monsters swarmed above the streets. Each was the size of a human, their glowing red eyes adding to their terrifying presence. Though unnatural in form, they sliced through the air with agile precision.
From below, troops clad in white uniforms continued firing relentlessly. One by one, the bats fell from the sky—yet many soldiers fell as well. Some were seized, lifted into the air, and torn apart. Those who tried to rescue them only became the next victims.
The front lines were slowly eroded, like leaves devoured by caterpillars. They fought desperately to keep the swarm from reaching the civilian districts.
Not far behind the formation—atop a building—a young man stood facing the monsters. His black hair and white cloak fluttered in the wind. His eyes were closed, his expression calm—as if the chaos before him meant nothing.
Slowly, his right foot stepped forward. His body lowered into a stance. His right hand moved to the left side of his waist, as though grasping the hilt of an invisible sword.
He drew in a long breath, then exhaled slowly. The back of his neck began to glow. A massive projected blade formed in his right hand.
A few seconds later, his eyes snapped open.
"
With a single horizontal swing, he slashed through empty air.
Strangely—the distant swarm of bats split apart. Their bodies were cleanly severed, blood bursting forth like crimson rain. The white uniforms of the soldiers below were stained red.
One by one, the monsters fell.
Until none remained.
Soon after, a female knight approached. Her long blonde hair flowed in the wind.
"You really wiped them all out, didn't you, Ryo?"
Ryo dispelled the projection of his sword and turned. Carina was already standing there.
"What about the western side? All clear?"
"All taken care of!" she replied with a faint smile.
Carina looked toward the Asteria troops who were inspecting the monster corpses, making sure none were still alive.
"But… where did they come from? There were far too many."
"No idea. They came from all directions. But…"
"What is it, Ryo?"
"I just find it strange. Why did they appear at the same time as the rebel forces?"
Carina nodded slowly. "I feel the same. Even the rebels have now vanished without a trace."
"And what about the remaining civilians?"
"They're safe at the shelters. As for Ascorfield, they've hidden in the nearest forest. Barner has already dealt with the monsters there," Carina said lightly.
"That Vice Commander? Honestly, I don't like his methods. He's too barbaric. There were still civilians who hadn't been evacuated."
"Let's leave it at that. What matters is that the remaining civilians were saved."
"…Yeah."
Even so, Ryo couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Like pieces of a puzzle that had yet to fall into place.
Carina descended from the building and approached the troops. She ensured no monsters remained, then took several soldiers with her to inspect the surrounding area before heading back.
"…This place is completely wrecked," she murmured.
She walked from one building to another, occasionally picking up scattered books.
Every book she found was an elementary school textbook. It seemed she was standing amid the ruins of a school.
Carina picked up another—then another. Until her eyes fell on a book still wedged between collapsed shelves.
"This…?"
She lifted it and blew off the dust.
A picture book titled "FOREVER FRIENDS." On its cover were three little girls holding hands in the middle of a field of colorful flowers.
Carina fell silent.
Old memories slowly surfaced—laughing together, running through flower fields, chasing one another… alongside Princess Jasmine and Princess Avra.
Memories of a past that might never return.
Then—
"Lady Carina!"
One of the soldiers shouted from a distance. Several troops were gathered around something, their faces tense.
Carina immediately ran toward them.
"What's wrong?"
"W-We found a child trapped under the rubble."
"A child?"
Carina pushed through the crowd. A little girl lay unconscious, half her body pinned beneath concrete debris.
Without hesitation, Carina lifted the rubble and checked her condition.
"No fatal injuries. Her pulse is still steady… Could she be Genesta?" she murmured. Then she called out firmly, "Take this child to the Medical Unit immediately!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The medical team carefully carried the girl away. Several soldiers escorted them.
Carina remained where she stood, watching them leave with a worried expression.
"I hope she'll be alright…"
※ ※ ※ (Chapter —11) ※ ※ ※