The world had finally seen Grandor's ugly face.
The one that had oppressed the truth for centuries.
Her mask had finally shattered.
Yash had made Grandor reveal her own schemes to the world through Kuon's powers.
A few hours earlier...
[Zesta]: That fool Ratan wasn't truly a traitor, was he?
She said with tears in her eyes.
Yash remained silent.
Tape covered his mouth.
He was being transported toward Grandor's royal palace.
[Kuon]: What should we do next?
Yash showed him another note.
CREATE AN ILLUSION OF THE CAPITAL FILLED WITH PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES.
CREATE ANOTHER ILLUSION OF YOU TWO ESCORTING ME TO THE PALACE.
SHE WILL LET HER GUARD DOWN.
I HAVE PLANNED THE REST.
[Zesta]: What am I supposed to do?
Yash changed the note.
GRANDOR WILL RELEASE MONSTERS.
PROTECT THE CIVILIANS ALONGSIDE KUON.
KUON WILL BE IN A FROZEN STATE DUE TO MAINTAINING A HIGH-LEVEL ILLUSION.
[Kuon]: This guy figured out my weakness too?
Yash changed the note again.
I DEDUCED IT FROM THE DETAILS RATAN SHARED.
THIS IS MY LAST NOTE AND MY LAST REPLY.
GRANDOR WILL HAVE MY TAPE REMOVED JUST BEFORE WE REACH THE PALACE.
MAKE SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING ACCORDING TO HER PLAN.
Back to the present~
Grandor transformed her arms into long, flexible vines and shot them toward Ganaraj.
He released a small Aura burst.
The vines were deflected instantly.
[Yash]: Make sure those vines don't pierce your skin.
[Ganaraj]: Hahaha! I am the invincible Gana Ruler!
He dashed forward and struck Grandor with all his strength.
Her neck bent unnaturally before snapping back into place.
The impact destroyed half of what remained of the capital.
Yash, who had been sitting in his chair, finally stood up.
Yash (thinking): If she truly is a Seven-Starred Personnel, then she should have Four-Starred Personnel serving under her.I need to eliminate them. If I were her, I would have already sent one of them toward Ruin Society through the sea route alongside those NPC soldiers.
The strongest one.
Yash closed his eyes and thought deeply.
A vine burst from beneath the ground, aiming straight for him.
Before it could reach him, it was sliced apart.
A sword.
Osh's sword.
[Osh]: Seems sharp objects coated with Dark Energy Reserves are her weakness.
Yash opened his eyes.
[Yash]: I need to return to the spacecraft.You guys deal with her and regroup there afterward. By the way, where's the Gana Fleet?
He looked toward Ganaraj.
[Ganaraj]: They were shopping a few hours ago. When the evacuation started, they mixed in with the civilians.
Yash made a goofy, surprised face.
[Yash]: But I told you to gather them at the spacecraft.
An awkward silence followed.
[Osh]: No worries. It might actually work in our favor.
Yash sighed.
[Yash]: There is a small chance a Four-Starred Personnel is hiding among the civilians.The Ganas may prove useful there. I'll head to the spacecraft.
The moment he finished speaking, he rushed away.
The impact destroyed the ground where he had been standing.
Yash (thinking): Grandor has likely tampered with my sense of direction. She may have altered the local magnetic field around my frame as well. I'll need to figure out a way to reach the spacecraft as quickly as possible.
*
Ruin Society,
All civilians had been instructed to gather near the western gate.
Arjun packed his belongings along with some emergency food supplies.
Pratik, Gin, and the others imprisoned in the darker region had emerged to guide the slaves toward the safest locations.
Pratik sat on a rock.
He looked exhausted.
He hadn't slept for two days since Ratan threw him here.
On top of that, he had been working nearly twenty hours every day.
Arjun walked toward him and carefully pushed a cracked cup of water into his hands.
[Pratik]: I'm not thirsty, Arjun.
[Arjun]: This is clean water. It's rare. You won't get sick. Not dirty water.
Pratik realized that even fresh water was a luxury here.
For these children, it was something precious.
He finally understood both the depth of their suffering and the strength of their restraint.
Instead of refusing and explaining himself, Pratik accepted the cup and drank it.
[Pratik]: It was tasty.
Tears streamed down his face.
Arjun giggled and ran off.
Gin walked over.
[Gin]: You lied.
[Pratik]: Even this so-called clean water is contaminated with heavy metals. How are these kids supposed to live like this?
[Gin]: This is how reality works. Those born into poverty build their immunity through hardship. Those who can't... perish.
Gin spoke while staring at the ground.
[Pratik]: I won't allow it.
I'm going to save everyone.
[Gin]: You will.
The sea battle would take place in the eastern section.
The darkest part of Ruin Society.
The same area where the broken wall met the sea.
The land battle would take place in the north.
Pratik would stop the army advancing by land.
Gin would hold the eastern route as its defender.
The two agreed on a signal.
Once one battlefield was secured, the signal would alert the other.
After that, they parted ways.
Time was running out.
Battleships could already be seen on the horizon.
The march of troops could be felt through the ground itself.
A group of monsters was also advancing toward the spacecraft, where Surya and Nini stood guard.
To be continued...