The night had fallen.
Tony and Aconé were the last to arrive.
"You took your time!" Dina shouted.
"You're making too much noise, Dina. I'd have preferred staying at the school. At least there, training happens in silence," Darlius replied.
"Talking like that, I hope you've broken through, Darlius!" Dina shot back.
"No, I haven't broken through yet, but I'm at rank eight. I just lack combat experience," Darlius stated.
"Yeah, right! I bet even Tony could beat you," Dina said.
"SHUT UP, PLEASE!" Tony yelled.
The whole group turned to him, wondering what he had to say.
"Simone, I think we'll have to leave tomorrow," Tony announced.
"And why's that?" Dina asked.
But Simone signaled her to be quiet.
"Go on, Tony," she said.
"It's possible that tomorrow, or the day after, this city will be destroyed. There's a man… I think he's responsible. He knows all of us. He knows where we come from, and yet he hasn't turned us in. I'm telling you, something's going to happen here."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that very moment, at the port, several barrels on multiple ships exploded, taking the vessels with them.
The passersby saw black and red smoke rising into the sky, enveloping the city. Screams echoed.
"Aaaaah!" several people cried out.
"What's happening?" others asked before rushing to see for themselves.
The sight froze their blood: massive amounts of blood poured from the ships, only to evaporate like steam, making the smoke even redder.
In a small alley not far from the port, two men watched the scene.
"You're absolutely insane. You planned to make me your ally from the start, didn't you?" Dono said.
Rieze, smiling, replied, "What makes you say that?"
"How else would you have turned all that blood into vapor and mixed it with the smoke without me?" Dono countered.
"True, my flames wouldn't have done it. But I knew you wouldn't refuse, so why bother?" Rieze responded.
"And now?" Dono asked.
"Now, thanks to dear Tony, who set the shop ablaze without realizing he was carrying the poison, the poison in the shop's smoke, which has already spread throughout the city, will affect all the non-cultivators," Rieze explained.
"And that black and red smoke?" Dono asked.
"You'll see what it attracts," Rieze said as he walked away.
At the same moment, at the bar, the group saw several people collapsing after the explosions.
"Okay, this is bad. We're leaving right now!" Dina said.
"For once, I agree with her," Darlius added.
"Simone, tell me where the boat you found is," Tony asked.
"All the way to the left of the port, but not inside—really at the far end," Simone answered.
"Okay, we'll meet there tomorrow," Tony said before running off.
"Is he going to be okay?" Asti asked, worried.
"I don't know. Wait, I'll go find him," Aconé replied.
Approaching Lucien, who had become almost invisible on the hill, Aconé asked, "Lucien, what's wrong with you? You haven't reacted to anything for a while, like you're somewhere else."
"It's true, I am somewhere else," Lucien replied.
"What are you talking about?" Aconé pressed.
"Everyone, listen to me, please," Lucien said, drawing the group's attention. "I have to leave you. I won't be coming with you."
"What?" The question was written on everyone's faces.
Simone grabbed him by the collar and shouted, "What are you talking about? You're coming with us, whether you want to or not!"
"Sorry, but no. I have nothing left to do here… and this isn't where I'll find my answers," Lucien said.
"Answers to what? You've been alive for over a hundred years, and now you want to find… what, answers?" Simone yelled.
"I'm sorry, but these reflections I keep seeing—they're haunting me. And that voice, it's driving me crazy. I have to find out what it is," Lucien explained, his face serious, no longer distracted as it had been for the past week.
Simone let go of him and said, "Do what you want… but if you change your mind, you know where to find us."
"Are you sure?" Aconé and Asti asked in unison.
"Yes. Come here, into my arms."
Lucien hugged them tightly.
"I think I'll live a long time yet. This short time we spent together was fun, terrifying, but with a great group," he said.
"You jerk… are you saying goodbye or what?" Aconé said.
"Maybe," Lucien replied, walking toward Hikiri.
"For me, it's just a handshake," Hikiri said.
"No problem," Lucien answered.
The two shook hands like good friends.
"Dina, Darlius, just a goodbye for you," Lucien said.
"Shut up!" Dina replied, pulling him into a hug.
For her, who saw every member of the group as a friend despite their arguments, these were her first real friends, the first to treat her like a normal person. Even if she didn't show it, Lucien's departure broke her heart.
"My turn, I guess," Darlius said, raising his hand.
Lucien shook it.
"And Tony? You didn't even say goodbye to him," Darlius pointed out.
"It's okay. I feel like I'll see him again in the future," Lucien replied.
"Now, try to stay alive," he added as he walked away.
At the same moment, Tony was running to meet Kelvin.
Verna went to question her sister with Aude.
Dola was trying to recover as quickly as possible by absorbing ether.
And in London, at the group's starting point, a giant lion over fifty meters tall, its maw dripping with blood, its eyes a deep black, followed the strong scent of blood that was yet so far away.
"Let the party begin," Rieze whispered.