Running like a madman, Ji-li's face was etched with worry. He knew Hirina had gone to warn Princess Dola about the intruders. But the destruction of half the castle and the flames dancing in the sky had alerted him that something serious was happening. What worried him most was that the training hall, where Dola, Chiva, and Hirina were, was right next to Shia's quarters, now reduced to rubble.
Arriving at the castle, Ji-li could see the full extent of the damage. Numerous trees had been cleanly sliced, bloodstains marred the ground, and a strong metallic scent filled the air. But what shocked him the most was the missing section of the castle, as if it had been torn away by a colossal force.
Heading toward the training hall, Ji-li scanned left and right, hoping to find his sister. He prayed she was outside rather than inside. But the first person he came across was Li Vêt, lying on the ground, covered in blood, with multiple cuts lacerating his body.
Ji-li placed two fingers under Li Vêt's nose to check his breathing, pinching his own nostrils to block out the stench of blood. "So you're the one reeking of blood," he muttered, crouching to examine Li Vêt's wounds. "Well, I don't know who did this to you, but they really wanted you dead."
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on Li Vêt's forehead. "You're going to owe me for this. I'm using up a healing ether talisman, so I hope you've got something to pay me back with."
The talisman liquefied, transforming into pure blue water that enveloped Li Vêt's wounds, gently settling over them to begin the healing process.
Figuring he'd done enough, Ji-li stood and headed toward the castle. "And what about me, you idiot? You're just going to leave me to suffer?" a voice shouted.
Ji-li stopped dead, not out of fear, but annoyance. He recognized that voice. Turning around, he saw Aude, embedded in a tree, his mouth and nose overflowing with blood.
"Sorry, Aude, but my sister's waiting, and your situation seems less dire than Li Vêt's," Ji-li said.
Stuck in the tree, Aude gritted his teeth, spitting out a string of curses. "Come here, Ji-li, you filthy bastard! You heal Li Vêt, but you leave me to die? My wounds are internal! If you knew the pain tearing through my abdomen right now, you'd come over immediately!"
Ji-li turned his back, waving a casual goodbye. "You dog! I'm sick of tasting blood in my mouth! Bring me a talisman!"
Seeing that Ji-li remained unmoved, Aude changed his tone. "Fine, you don't want to heal me. But go check if Princess Shia is okay. The explosion came from inside the castle, not outside."
At those words, Ji-li quickened his pace. If it came from inside, it must have hit the training hall, he thought, his heart pounding.
Inside the castle, Hirina, Dola, and Chiva had survived, despite a section of the upper wall collapsing straight toward them. Hirina had held it up in the air with her air element, saving them from certain death.
"To think someone tried to destroy the castle—it's insane," Chiva said. "And they almost succeeded."
"They must be incredibly powerful to cause this much chaos," Dola added. "I don't believe a single person could've done this. There have to be several of them."
"What if it was the group of intruders from the resistance?" Hirina suggested.
Dola placed a hand on her chin, thinking. "In my opinion, it's not them, even if I'd like it to be."
"Then who else could benefit from this? Could it be one of your sisters?" Hirina asked.
"No," Dola replied. "Even if both of them are completely unhinged, they wouldn't do this. Verna loves control and imposing her authority. Why destroy her own castle? As for Shia, she's a sadist with no clear goal… for now. She prefers focusing on one victim at a time, so I doubt it's her."
Hirina frowned. "Don't forget, there are three other lunatics in the city: Rieze, who might want revenge on Shia; Dono, whose goals no one knows; and Ulturion, who seeks power and loves humiliating the strong to boost his ego. Of the three, I prefer Ulturion—his motives are straightforward."
"So, you think it's one of them?" Chiva asked.
"No, I think they've allied," Dola declared.
"WHAT?" Chiva and Hirina exclaimed in unison.
"What are you basing that on, Dola?" Hirina pressed.
"Nothing," Dola said with a shrug. "If it's not the intruders, it has to be them."
"But if you had suspicions about them, why didn't you talk to your sisters?" Hirina insisted.
Dola shrugged again. "Simple: I don't want to get involved. I'll hunt the intruders as planned and leave those three to the others."
Chiva and Hirina exchanged a puzzled look. Hirina spoke up, her expression questioning. "Isn't that a bit cowardly, Dola? They're your sisters, after all."
Dola fixed her with a crooked smile. "Yes, and I don't care. It's not my problem. So, get ready—we have a group to hunt."
"…I didn't realize you were so calculating, Princess Dola," Hirina said.
"Well, in this world, you need a bit of cunning to survive. Otherwise, you get eaten," Dola replied with a smirk.
Crack… crack…
Noises behind the door alerted the three girls, who immediately assumed attack positions. The door opened, and Ji-li stepped in.
The first thing he saw was the three girls ready to pounce. "Wait! Don't attack, it's me, Ji-li!"
Chiva collapsed to the ground with a sigh. "Who else but you would rush into a ruined battlefield just to find his sister?"
"What, you've been fighting?" Ji-li asked.
"No," Chiva replied. "The only thing that happened was the wall nearly crushing us."
"Okay, good thing you were here. I don't know who did this, but they left Li Vêt and Aude for dead."
Chiva's jaw dropped. "Both of them at once? Someone took on two rank eights and left them for dead?"
"I SHOULD'VE BEEN THERE TO LET LOOSE, DAMN IT!" she shouted.
"Are they still alive?" Hirina asked.
"Yeah, but you should've seen the state Li Vêt was in—he was practically swimming in his own blood. And Aude was embedded in a tree," Ji-li explained.
"And my sisters, did you see them?" Dola asked.
"No, Princess, but Aude asked me to check if Shia was okay. I figured Princesses Verna and Shia were at the epicenter of the explosion. But I chose to find Hirina first before looking for them."
Dola crossed her arms, letting out a loud sigh with a mocking smile. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"If you want to punish me, go ahead," Ji-li said.
"Why would I punish you? Just because you're looking for your sister in a half-destroyed castle? Don't be ridiculous," Dola retorted. "But in return, you'll join us for the hunt, which is now moved up to today."
"Are you sure, Dola?" Chiva asked.
"Yes. First, we find my sisters, then we help Li Vêt and Aude, and after that, we set out," Dola decided.
Meanwhile, in the hills where one of the Red Shadows' bases was located, cultivators were being slaughtered like flies.
"Help us! Help us!" one of them cried.
Boom! His head, along with others, was torn off by a massive paw. A giant lion devoured the headless bodies with savage glee. Its vision, wide and precise, could see far—very far. And its eyes were fixed on the City of the Seas.