"Lynette, go back and report Grett's situation to Father," Lyney ordered.
Lynette stared resolutely at Lyney, then shook her head. "No. You can report it yourself, Brother."
"Are you defying your older brother's orders?!" Lyney demanded.
Lyney was frantic. The situation had spiraled far beyond his expectations, and the dangers ahead were unimaginable.
This was different from before. In the past, he had confidently allowed Lynette to undertake dangerous missions alone because he had meticulously planned every detail, eliminating any potential risks she might face.
But this time, Lyney was genuinely terrified. He couldn't possibly predict what that madman Lofan would do next. The mere thought of Lynette dying before his eyes felt like the end of the world.
"No matter what you say, Brother, I won't leave," Lynette declared, her stubborn little face set in determination.
Lyney found himself in an impossible dilemma.
Abandoning the mission was never an option.
Though their current "Father" prioritized their survival, his own life seemed insignificant compared to the tens of thousands of innocent lives at stake.
Even if there was only a sliver of hope, Lyney would do everything possible to save them. But his only concern was his sister.
"I trust you, Brother," Lynette said, her eyes filled with unwavering faith.
Lynette gripped Lyney's shoulders, forcing him to meet her gaze.
"We'll win, just like always, right?"
"When Lyney and Lynette are together, they're unstoppable."
Lyney's heart skipped a beat. With a wry smile, he said, "I never thought I'd be the one getting comforted by my younger sister."
"You're right, Lynette. We will win. We absolutely will!"
Confidence surged back into Lyney's face, and the siblings hurried to catch up with Navia.
Shortly after, Charlotte joined them.
Seeing her, Lyney tried to dissuade her. "Miss Charlotte, you don't have to get involved. Someone needs to expose what happened today."
"If it's about Lofan, leave that to me."
Charlotte feigned indignation. "Do I look like someone who's afraid of death?"
Lyney chuckled helplessly. "Miss Charlotte, you know that's not what I meant."
"Then say no more. If none of you are backing down, there's no way I'm abandoning you now."
"So many lives are at stake. Even if staying here only slightly improves our chances, I won't abandon them."
"Besides, Miss Navia is my friend. I wouldn't leave her to face danger alone."
Hearing Charlotte's words from behind, a warm current flowed through Navia's heart, slowly nurturing the wounds within.
Perhaps this world isn't entirely without hope after all?
She still had companions, friends, and so many people who believed in and supported her!
Her father, Callas, had once rescued countless despairing souls. Now it was her turn—her turn to save everyone!
Logically, Navia should have been the one urging the other three to withdraw from Lofan's game. But when she met their unwavering gazes, the words she had prepared dissolved, and all she could muster was:
"Thank you."
-
Lofan returned to the center of the encampment without pausing, heading straight for his tent.
The moment those who had witnessed his earlier actions saw him, their eyes blazed with uncontrollable fury.
"It's you!"
"Avenge our fallen brothers!"
Some of the unpoisoned wounded erupted in desperate roars, charging at Lofan with their weapons. They knew they stood no chance against him, but even inflicting a single wound would make their deaths worthwhile.
If they didn't stand up now, who else would?
"Wait!" Navia, who had been following behind, cried out upon seeing the scene. "Don't attack him! Let him pass!"
"Miss Navia?"
When everyone saw Navia, their faces were etched with confusion, but they stopped what they were doing.
"Congratulations," Lofan said flatly. "You've managed to cling to life—for now." He then turned and strode into his tent.
"That's Monsieur Grett's tent!"
"You bastard! What do you think you're doing?!"
"Get out of Monsieur Grett's tent!"
Lofan's actions sparked outrage. Even those weakened by the poison roared in fury, their faces flushed with indignation. None of them noticed the Pyro Vision hanging from his waist.
"Everyone, please calm down," Navia said quickly, trying to soothe the crowd. During their journey, she had gradually regained her composure. The burning hatred and anger toward Lofan hadn't disappeared; they were simply buried deep within her heart, kept from clouding her judgment.
She was no longer the little girl who hid behind her father's skirts, clinging to him for comfort.
What doesn't break her only makes her stronger.
"Miss Navia, what exactly is happening? Where is Monsieur Grett?"
Faced with the hopeful gazes of the crowd, Navia found herself at a loss for words.
I can't bring myself to say that the person who just walked past was Grett, she thought. At least, not yet.
"Let's discuss this later," she finally said, avoiding the question. "I need to deal with that guy first."
In this desperate final hour, she couldn't bear to see the anger and despair that would surely spread across their faces.
"Everyone, please rest assured," Lyney stepped forward with a reassuring smile. "Monsieur Grett is perfectly fine."
Dealing with situations like this was his forte, and he wasn't even lying. Grett was indeed unharmed, and even eager to play a game with them.
Next, Lynette and Charlotte exchanged nods to bolster each other's spirits before nearly simultaneously slipping into Lofan's tent.
Inside, Lofan was already seated at a table in the center of the tent. On the table lay unfamiliar objects that none of them had ever seen before, but they could vaguely discern a chessboard and pieces.
"No one wants to back out?" Lofan asked.
"What a touching display of friendship," Lofan remarked with a deliberately flippant tone, as if mocking them. But by now, the four were immune to his psychological games.
After all, could things possibly get any worse?
"Enough with the nonsense. Let's just start the game already," Navia snapped.
"Tsk, tsk, so impatient," Lofan retorted, his youthful voice still dripping with mockery as he baited her.
"Alright, alright. Since everyone's in such a hurry, I'll explain the game we're playing."
"We'll be playing chess."