Amid the chaos that had engulfed the city, Dia and Mori, along with a group of female warriors, leapt and moved swiftly across the rooftops, their eyes scanning the surroundings with sharp vigilance, searching for the Queen.
At that moment, they spotted a group of Verkoda beasts gathered together, forming a massive pile, moving in a strange and unsettling way.
Dia and Mori exchanged a quick glance, then without hesitation, decided to head toward them.
As they approached, Dia hurled one of the spheres she was carrying toward the cluster. The moment it made contact, it exploded, scattering the bodies of the Verkoda.
At the same instant, Mori lunged forward, throwing more spheres that detonated violently among them, spreading smoke and blood across the area.
As the dust cleared, they were shocked to find no sign of the Queen. Instead, a massive pit had appeared beneath the scattered creatures, leading deep underground.
In a moment of stunned realization, the remaining Verkoda launched a ferocious attack, forcing Dia and the warriors into a brutal battle to hold them off.
While fending off the assault, Dia shouted to Mori, "Head inside with some of the warriors! I'll stay here with the rest and hold them back!"
Mori nodded quickly, then leapt into the pit with a number of warriors, heading into the unknown.
Upon entering, Mori found herself in a wide, dark tunnel, where a low, eerie hum echoed from the depths.
She activated her left eye—Norma Eye—to see clearly through the pitch darkness.
Within the shadows, she saw the Queen surrounded by a group of Verkoda, but they were different from the others… larger and far more ferocious, as if they were her personal guards.
The Queen stood at the center, her features bearing a look of absolute control. Then suddenly, she emitted a powerful sound, causing all the Verkoda around her to ready themselves.
In that moment, Mori realized that this sound was what compelled the Verkoda to obey and guard her so fiercely.
She attempted to advance, but before she could move further, one of the giant Verkoda lunged at her with blinding speed. She barely evaded the attack, realizing the situation was rapidly worsening.
Then, the Queen released another sound—different from the first, deeper and sharper. As its echo spread, the ground around Mori began to tremble, and the hum in the tunnel intensified, as though something massive was responding to the call.
Above the surface, where the Verkoda were attacking the warriors, they suddenly halted their assault and began digging frantically, tearing through the ground with their fangs and claws, forcing their way toward the depths—toward the heart of the cavern where Mori stood facing the Queen.
Mori looked around and saw that the warriors who had entered with her had fallen one after another in the battle. Now, she stood alone, surrounded by death.
In that moment, she made her final decision.
Gripping the explosives she carried, she fixed her gaze on the Queen, then whispered to herself, "This battle must end here."
She lit the fuse, preparing for a massive explosion, then charged straight toward the Queen. Just as she was about to reach her, a devastating blast erupted, engulfing the entire area, destroying the pit and everything within it—dragging the Verkoda and the Queen down with it… along with Mori.
Outside, Dia was still fighting, struggling to hold back the gathering Verkoda as she shouted, "Hurry, Mori!"
The moment she heard the thunderous explosion, a violent tremor shook the ground beneath her feet. She froze for a brief second, her eyes widening in horror as flames and smoke surged from the pit.
With the massive explosion, the Verkoda became disoriented and retreated from their attack, then rushed toward the sea, abandoning the city in chaos.
Amid the devastation, Dia stood there, breathing heavily, her body exhausted—but her mind screamed a single question… where was Mori?
She ran toward the pit, and when she saw what remained, there was nothing… only destruction.
She dropped to her knees, her hands trembling, and whispered in a choked voice, "No… this is impossible…"
Her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't believe what she was seeing—but she knew… Mori had sacrificed herself to eliminate the Queen and the Verkoda in the depths.
Clenching the dirt in her hand, she let out a scream where rage and grief intertwined—a warrior's cry after losing her sister in the greatest of sacrifices.