Akira, an aerial fortress in human form, unleashed his vast magic power, spreading it like an invisible net across the entire Sixth District, even spilling into the neighboring Fifth and Seventh.
His magic swept through alleys and ruins, searching for life. With seamless precision, he used his arsenal of spells to rescue the trapped, strike down hidden enemies, and guide the desperate toward safe routes.
"Aaaaahhhh!!"
A panicked man stumbled into view, running like a headless chicken.
"You can't go there! Come here!" Ryuu's voice cut through the noise, sharp and commanding.
But her call fell on deaf ears. The man barreled forward toward danger, and in the next instant—
A shadow lunged from a nearby corner. A blade flashed, aiming straight for the man's chest. Before steel could taste flesh, the nearby wall burst apart, debris scattering. In the dust remained only a crimson magic circle.
Whoosh!
A blood-red spear shot out, skewering the attacker mid-lunge. The evilus soldier fell like a puppet with its strings cut, lifeless before he even hit the ground.
Ryuu's eyes flickered toward Akira for the briefest moment, but now wasn't the time to question his methods. She darted to the man's side, hauling him up by the collar before shoving him toward the direction marked by another crimson arrow of blood.
All around them, every evilus member who appeared suddenly found themselves slaughtered, cut down by the very blood that Akira commanded.
"Help! Adventurer!"
"Here! Hurry! We just have to get to the center of the city!" Lyra's voice rang out, sharp yet urgent, as she waved toward a sobbing woman who was calling for aid.
The woman, her face streaked with tears and grime, ran toward Lyra with desperate steps. But before she could reach safety, an evilus soldier emerged from a corner, clutching a self-destruct device.
Lyra didn't even think, her body moved on instinct. She stepped in front of the woman and whipped out a magic sphere Akira had entrusted to her.
In an instant, ice erupted upward, forming a thick, gleaming wall that absorbed the blast in full. The explosion shook the air, but no one was harmed.
"Phew… thank goodness I had this." Lyra muttered under her breath, relief flooding her features as she wiped sweat from her brow.
With the danger passed, they regrouped at the original rally point. Yet the chaos refused to die down.
The city blazed. Sparks rode the wind like fireflies, while the relentless clash of swords and spears rang out across Orario's streets.
Against the suicidal tactics of Evilus soldiers, who sought only to drag others into death with them, adventurers had no choice but to meet steel with steel.
"There's too many of them! They keep popping up everywhere!"
"The command system's in shambles! Do we prioritize civilians, or focus on killing the enemy?!"
"How the hell should I know?! Just tell me what the orders are already!"
Archers who had fought tooth and nail to halt an advance now found themselves forced into retreat. A half-elf swordswoman shouted, her voice hoarse from casting magic, while a werewolf vanguard cursed aloud in frustration.
The makeshift alliances between adventurers were collapsing. Most had been left to fend for themselves, spiraling into a desperate, chaotic mess.
No matter how many enemies they felled, it felt meaningless. For every soldier cut down, two more emerged from the shadows. And amidst it all, civilians fled in every direction, worsening the chaos.
Fight? Defend? Evacuate? The choices clashed, and no orders came.
Different familias were scattered, each fighting alone, unable to form a unified front. The so-called "teams" were just ragged collections of individuals shouting orders at each other, curses replacing cooperation.
"Calm down! Your hesitation will cost the lives of the very people you're here to protect!"
The moment that clear, commanding voice rang out, it sliced through the chaos like sunlight breaking through smoke. Even the roar of fire seemed to dull in its presence.
"You… you're…" one adventurer stammered, eyes widening.
"Astraea familia…"
Astraea stepped forward, her long brown hair swaying like silk threads in the smoky wind, appearing before the adventurers as if she had descended from the heavens themselves.
Her beauty was untainted, radiant and flawless, so pure that for a moment, the battlefield seemed to dim around her. Adventurers of all races, genders, and backgrounds found themselves spellbound, unable to look away.
With eyes the deep blue of a starlit ocean, Astraea turned to the confused, scattered adventurers and issued the orders they so desperately needed. Her voice, though gentle, carried the weight of divine authority.
"Lead all civilians to take refuge in the city center. Those capable of grasping the whole situation will certainly gather there."
Her slender finger pointed unerringly toward the heart of Orario—the Central Square.
Even the numerous archers still engaged in combat paused, their attention drawn toward her every movement. Those fighting nearby also slowed, as though compelled by the gravity of the goddess' presence.
Astraea's words flowed like a steady stream, clear and unwavering, so that every fighter in the surrounding streets could hear the will of the gods.
"Be the shield of the people. In my name, I grant you the protection of the stars. Do your utmost to endure."
"Understood!" The adventurers answered in unison.
In that instant, light returned to their eyes. Hope, fragile yet shining, flared once more.
Encouraged by Astraea, high-level adventurers immediately began shouting instructions, their voices rallying the scattered defenders. Some held the front line, while others broke away to guide civilians toward the square.
Seeing the adventurers who had been on the verge of breaking now moving with renewed purpose, Astraea allowed herself a faint, relieved smile.
"Astraea-sama, are you sure this is safe? Running out here like this…"
A small figure tugged at her skirt—Lili, clutching a tiny crossbow in trembling arms. Her wide eyes were full of worry, unable to comprehend why a goddess would expose herself in such danger, even in the midst of Orario's crisis.
Astraea gently patted Lili's head, smiling with quiet confidence. "Don't worry, Lili. Hasn't Akira already given you plenty of magic items?"
Before departing with Alise and the others to eradicate an Evilus stronghold, Akira had laid down layers of protection for his goddess, barriers invisible to most eyes.
Astraea tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling to the shadow beneath her feet. The darkness writhed. Cruel, blood-red eyes opened within it, staring up at her. For a brief moment, the gaze lingered, then the eyes closed, and the shadow stilled.
Astraea's smile deepened. This was enough to assure her, Akira would never allow harm to touch her.
"But still…"
Lili glanced around nervously, as if expecting a suicide bomber to come barreling from the flames at any moment.
"Astraea, perhaps you should listen to this child."
A teasing voice sounded from the side, accompanied by a figure stepping into view. Hermes appeared, one hand gripping his hat to keep it from flying away in the hot, ash-laden wind.
"Coming out here to encourage the children directly, aren't you pushing yourself too far?"
"Haha, Hermes, I thought you'd be up high somewhere, watching the chaos from a safe vantage." Astraea replied with an amused smile, unfazed by his sudden appearance.
"So, why are you here?"
Hermes shrugged, glancing around the burning streets with mock nonchalance. "Well. I thought I'd try imitating Ganesha for once."
(End of Chapter)
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