Rellion was impassible, wearing a long black coat that floated in the water as he moved. He didn't even bother to answer his people. Passing near Coryr's cell, his movement slowed an instant, he launched his devilish eyes into the depths of the cells as if he had felt something.
Although Kaior could see it wasn't Rellion's real body, he could definitely not mistake that smile. That smile they used to jokingly call the villainous smile. Holding his breath, Kaior leaned even closer to the wall. If he could fuse with the wall, Kaior would have already done it by now.
Next to Rellion. A tall and slim figure stood. His body was so clean he appeared like a top model. His eyes were mesmerizing one could easily get drawn in between. But around them, Kaior could definitely remark the familiar aura he had seen in Coryr's own. Death.
The turned to Rellion and asked, "Rellion? We don't have much time. The soul transfer is one of Selis' most treasured items. She wouldn't let us use it more than six hours. And even if we wanted to, with these weak bodies we had to borrow, the effect of this card will be even shorter."
At this point, Kaior almost let his breath slip through, causing Rellion and the other to glance at the cell one more time.
"Did you get something?"
Kaior almost felt like fusing with the wall—almost parallel to the walls, he stood like one.
"We don't have time for this. Are you listening to what I'm saying, Rellion? I hate this foolish air of arrogance you keep to impress others," Darwind said, his mesmerizing eyes arching in a deep frown.
"Of course I'm not deaf, Darwind," Rellion said. "Kaior might be wounded, but he is still an obstacle. I know him more than all of you. Wounded, he is even scarier than in full form. If the incompetent Harid could defeat that girl, we wouldn't have to search for Kaior. He is her weak spot. Once we get him, she will definitely go down without resistance."
Listening in the corner, Kaior's eyes widened in shock. Everything was clicking in his mind like the engranage of a clock. This explained why the mind controller didn't use his ability to cause more harm but to target the weak individuals. Danzan had been right all along.
This was the missing part of the puzzle, Kaior thought. There was no way for the enemies to get to the submarine after it departed from the Card Mage headquarters—at least in theory. But what Rellion and his team did left him utterly motionless.
They didn't attack the submarine directly, nor were they on it before its departure. No, they transferred their consciousness into the weak bodies. Kaior guessed it was because stronger bodies would have been harder to control than these ones.
"Find the target cell. On my part, I will keep looking for Kaior," Rellion said.
However, the more Kaior listened, the more he felt worried. She indeed respected her promise. She is protecting Camilla and the others. Kaior felt a wave of pride and joy rise in his heart, but at the same time, he was worried. This explained why Nyx was probably bleeding. She was facing Harid—their last encounter had left a deep impression on Kaior in that cemetery. What other horrors did he have in stock?
"Harid is a fanatic fool. I don't even get why Selis still keeps him. Without the Surgeon to fuel his craziness, he is quite useless—and very ugly at that," Darwind said, arranging his hair slightly to the side.
"Ah, this pocket hourglass. I definitely want it for my collection. Once we kill her, I'm the first to select her cards," the other added, as if Nyx's cards were already in his fingers.
Kaior stayed hidden in his corner long after Rellion and his group had gone, his breathing still stuck in his throat, fearing they could get him if he released it. Only after waiting three more minutes did Kaior allow himself to breathe.
"Rellion, Selis... Harid—who the hell are they looking for in here?" Kairo's mind reeled with what he had just learned. At first, he didn't understand why Selis was a grade five criminal. That day on the train, she had teased him with her strength but hadn't shown much of it—at least not enough to impress Kairo. Now, Kairo could get a faint grasp.
Part of what gave her that status was her influence—which was massive! Kairo knew how stubborn and prideful Rellion was. The fact that he was willingly following after her said a lot about how much he respected her.
Despite all the thoughts in his head, Kairo didn't freeze on the spot. Walking out of the cell, he glanced left and right just to be certain one more time before moving out.
"Should I follow them?" Kairo asked himself. Even if he couldn't fight, he could still tail them to understand who they were looking for here. Kairo was certain it must be a prisoner—but which prisoner exactly?
Kairo began moving, following the direction of the control center. No matter what, the enemy didn't know he was aware they were after him. Thus, they might not expect him to go to that exact place. The risks were immense—facing Harid there or getting caught in another fight midway with who knew who. But Kairo had no choice.
Although Nyx's pocket hourglass protected her from physical injuries, it didn't mean she didn't feel the pain.
Rellion and his group were trying to open all the cells—that's why they wanted to get into the control rooms. Kairo's plan was now to stop them, no matter the cost.
"Their presence here is the reason why things escalated so fast. Rellion... why must you do this?" Kairo's heart was heavy as he ran. This was his best friend in the past. But now, Rellion had changed so much that he talked about getting rid of Kairo as if he was nothing more than a stone in his way.
Hardening his resolve, Kairo kept running toward the control center. It wasn't easy to find the direction, since the closer he got, the louder the impacts of the fight grew.
"Wait a little longer, Nyx. I am on my way," he said.
---
In the control rooms,
Nyx stood in front of Harid. A defiant expression on her face, she appeared ready to give her life if she needed. From her shoulder, a burn mark could be seen, with blood flowing down through her chest. With one glance one could clearly see she had been through a lot.
Around them, the pocket hourglass had covered the entire hall with its golden radiance, sealing the man in an aura that was indestructible. Behind Nyx was a group of officers—those in charge of piloting the submarine—and Camilla. Most of them were engineers and not trained Card Mage officers. Nyx was their last stand in front of Harid's fury.
The atmosphere around them was chilling. Nyx's breathing was so cold that each time her chest rose and fell, a white smoke would form in front of her lips.
This was because Harid was now at the center of what felt like an arctic domain. Next to him were warriors, two meters tall, armored like ancient temple knights. Their crystalline structure made their eyes reflect the fear and dread in the engineers' eyes. This was the card Ice Tomb—and Harid was enjoying his vengeance.
Smiling, he said,
"This time around, your prince is not here. You will all pay for what you did to the Surgeon."
"Nyx, just let them open the cells. You can't keep up like this. Don't risk your life for us," Camilla said. Her face seemed to have aged even more from all the stress she was going through. Unable to see Nyx suffer, she kept pleading.
"No. I made a promise to Kairo, and I will keep it. I know I'm not the best officer on board. But trust me to protect you all," Nyx said. For her mirelle decision had not been flawed. Might be she was indeed not the best for this mission. But that didn't prevent her from giving her Best.
"Don't make promises you won't be able to keep, Nyx. Otherwise, they'll all turn into vengeful souls and haunt you to death after I turn them into beautiful ice sculptures.
Go, my Knights. Destroy everything in your way."
The knights hummed to life one after another, stepping toward their target.