*Boom!!!*

A loud and powerful explosion came out from above.

The thing happens so sudden. No one inside the opera house have been prepared by this incident.

The upperpart of opera house destroyed, exposed to the dark sky, leaving the debris failing down to the ground like a rain.

“[Light Barrier]!!” (Misha)

A barrier made of light quickly enveloped Misha and people around her, covering them from the failing debris.

*Gruoohh!!!*

The incident occurring for a while.

The heavy dust risen, scattered everywhere, blocking their view at the surroundings. Until the incident over, their sense blocked.

“…”

When the debris stopped failing, Misha doesn’t immediately release her spell, but glanced at Arc.

Arc look the surroundings, then to sky. Afterward, he gives a weak nod, indicated it was safe.

The barrier lifted.

“Father, Bother Rian!” Emer shouted as soon the barrier lifted.

“Auntie Eli!” Herlin also screamed.

“Don’t worry, we’re fine!” A response came out from distance.

“I’m fine, Herlin! Wait at your place, I’ll come!” Another response from nearer location.

“Eh, Father and Brother Rian was here?”

“Yeah.”

The dust gradually thinning out.

Once the dust was cleared off, the current state of opera house became visibly.

“Hu!” Misha gasped looking at the scenery.

Except of the stage and some part of audience seats, the whole spot buried by stones.

“W-What!?”

“What is this!?”

There some panicked people. Despite the situation, they’re luckily fine. They are survivors that survive from the incident with luck.

“H-Help…”

Some doesn’t so lucky. While they survive, they wounded all over their body.

“…”

Just minority that fine because of their strength. Because of their experience, they can calmly survey the situation.

There people that have run-out luck tonight. Under the stones, parts of human body protruding out, and fresh blood flowing out. Some stone moved, exposed the flattened human meat underneath it.

“Ugh!” (Herlin)

She vomited.

Herlin condition worse than Misha when she saw the scenery. Soon, she vomited out anything she had eaten, and tears drenched her pale face.

“Be ease.” (Arc)

Arc gently rubbing Herlin’s back to calming down her.

“Here.” (Arc)

Arc offered a bottle of water to her.

“…Thank…” (Herlin)

“What the hell happened?” (Emer)

Emer said in low and sharp tone, then turned at Misha.

When he looked at her, she seemed observing the surroundings. With her disposition, Emer understood she was searching the survivor, intended to heal them.

“Misha… Don’t. Stay here beside me, be readily to use your magic anytime, understand?”

“Brother––” Misha wanted to say something, but her word stuck once she saw Emer’s expression. “Okay.” She nodded obediently.

“Good.” (Emer)

With that word, he shifted his attention to the surroundings.

“Misha.” Arc called out.

His face rigid. Right now, he got a huge bad premonition.

Ever since before explosion, warning alarm in his mind continue ringing vigorously.

“What is it, Arc?” (Misha)

“This isn’t over.” (Arc)

The situation isn’t over yet, but Arc couldn’t find the source of danger.

“Soon, there’ll something so dangerous approaching us, right now.” (Arc)

Misha’s face stiffened. Arc ability to detect danger is rather mysterious and unprincipled, but it really reliable, especially at times like this.

“Be prepared, Arc.” (Misha)

Said by her grimly, then took out her sledgehammer.

Following her, Arc took out a sword and handed over a short spear to Raina.

“Huh? Spear? Isn’t Raina use claw?” (Misha)

“*Tilt*…???” (Raina)

“We can’t find any suitable claw for her, so Uncle Jug teach Raina some martial arts. She using spear since she got talent for it.” (Arc)

“Yes.” (Raina)

As they’re done their preparation, Misha doubled her vigilance at the surroundings.

*Shush!!* *Shush!!*

Four shadows emerged near them.

“!!!” (Misha)

Misha prepares her magic.

“[Light Arr–]!” (Misha)

“Wait!!” (Arc)

Because of the sudden appearance of this four people, Misha almost got heart stroke, and launched her Magic to them. Fortunately, Arc managed to stopped her in time, since these newcomers are their shadow guards, the allies.

“Young Miss, we’re come to help out.” Said one of the guards.

“Uh, oh… Okay” Misha calmed down, realized they turned out allies.

“You… I recalled you’re guards that secretly placed on Misha.” (Emer)

“Yes, young master.” (Guard)

“Good, since you’re here, please guard them for time being, and make sure don’t move unless needed. I’ll go, check father’s situation.” (Emer)

“““Hah!””” (Guards)

“Wait, brother, don’t leave yet!” (Misha)

Haven’t yet Misha finished her sentence, Emer already gone.

“Ugh!” (Misha)

Misha complexion get ugly.

“Don’t worry about master Emer, young miss. He is capable and strong man.” One of the guards reassuring her.

“Okay.” Misha sighed out.

“You children, are you all okay?” (Elisabeth)

Elisabeth arrived at the location. Behind her, Mr. Butterfly, and several people followed. There’s no speck of dust on their body. Seemed, they were fortune since Elisabeth was near when the incident happened.

“We’re fine.” (Misha)

“There’s no injured among us. But it seemed Herlin have rather bad.” (Arc)

“*Cough*!” (Herlin)

Herlin drinking the water Arc gave her. Her pale complexion hasn’t restored. Her small figure trembling since she used with the cruel scene.

Misha seeing Herlin pityingly. She remembers got similar reaction before. Unknown to her since when she got used with this.

Elisabeth relieved since no one was hurt. She worried with her apprentice’s state, but the current situation doesn’t allow her to care her.

Elisabeth gazed the surroundings, and her expression turned ugly.

“…Someone had planned this.” (Elisabeth)

This was the most rational explanation as to why the ceiling exploded.

*Badump!!*

Another strong throb rammed the people.

“This.” (Elisabeth)

A change happens on Elisabeth’s face.

Before the explosion happened, this throb came out earlier, and felt by all people present. Elisabeth believes the throb related with the things happen here.

“…” (Arc)

Arc’s eyes scanning through ruined opera house.

And found something that conspicuous.

In the middle of ruins, he saw a big orb laying on the ground. The orb color was ominous black, and there’s sense of oppression oozing out from it.

“…” (Arc)

Don’t know why, but Arc feel his eyes nailed on the orb. When he staring it, there another sense familiarity surging out his heart.

“Old God’s Heart.” (Arc)

By the time he realized, a particular name he didn’t know came out from his lips.

“What did you just say little servant?” (Elisabeth)

“???” (Arc)

Elisabeth squinted at Arc.

*Boom!!*

Another explosion occurred in the center of ruins.

Arc saw it.

The explosion just now came from that orb.

“What!?”

“What this time!?”

“Over there!”

Coming out from the survivors, panicking. They then noticed that weird orb’s existence.

A huge amount of black mana gushed out of the orb. In just several second, a dense amount of mana filled the air in the ruins.

“Ugh!”

“Hey! What wrong with you!?” (Misha)

The people Elisabeth brought with her collapsed.

Misha checked them, and realized the cause.

These people aren’t mana practitioner. They collapsed since this amount of mana was too much for their body.

“That!!” (Elisabeth)

Elisabeth’s face aghast when she saw the black orb.

“How could that thing here!!” (Elisabeth)

“Auntie Eli… what was that!?” (Herlin)

“…” (Misha)

“*Glare*…” (Raina)

“…” (Arc)

“Something very terrible… Miss Misha, under any circumstance, you must never approach that thing.” (Elisabeth)

Misha nodded wordlessly.

Even without being told, Misha absolutely wouldn’t approached something looks so dangerous. Just watching that black orb, Misha felt terrible chill on her back.

“…” (Arc)

Arc silent. His expression rigid, his breathing slowed, and terrible chill continuing creeping on his back.

At this moment, Arc receive the biggest alarm ringing for today.

The vision around him moving slowly. His eyes darting around, searching for something.

He caught several unknown shadows jumping around the ruins. When one of them leaped toward Misha direction, it’s exploded.

“WATCH OUT!!!” (Arc)

Kicked the ground, Arc throw himself between the shadow and Misha.

*Clang!!*

The loud sound of blade clashed resounding in the space between them.

With a narrow margin, Arc managed to fend off the shadow’s assassination.

The shadow’s balance throws off since his attack blocked.

“““!!!””” (Misha, Raina, Herlin)

Surprised by the appearance of the shadow, the children petrified in place for a sec.

“!!!, [Shadow Ball]!” (Elisabeth)

Someone made a move.

Elisabeth instantly regained her composure. After Arc blocked the first attack, she made the follow-up counter.

“Ugh!”

Being hit by [Shadow Ball], the shadow bounced away to wall.

As there’s considerable distance, Arc inspecting the shadow’s appearance.

It’s a robed man.

Cold light glinted on his eyes. Arc intended to beat first the man half-dead before trying to expose his identity. 

“[Light Arrows]!” (Misha)

After some time, Misha also regained her composure, and launched three light arrows at the robed man.

The robed man spotted the magic, hurriedly made a dodge maneuver.

“Hmph!”

He managed avoid the light arrows.

Unfortunately for the robed man, he was struck by Raina, who was already waiting at the end of escape path.

Raina’s spear stabbed the robed man heart, ending his life in one strike.

The man fell lifelessly on the ground.

“…” (Arc)

With this, his first plan failed.

Misha immediately turned at her guards, intended to ask why they didn’t defend them just now.

“…” (Misha)

The words stuck at her throat when she saw the guards battling several robed men at distance.

Arc looking at the surroundings.

After finished the assailant, Arc still couldn’t be relaxed, instead doubled his vigilance, as his instinct still ringing vigorously.

Like answering his feeling, another commotion occurred around.

*Boom!!... Boom!!...*

*Clank!!... Clank!!...*

The sounds of weak explosion and clashes of blade resounding in the ruins.

Arc and Misha’s face twitched.

It seems it wasn’t only them that got attacked by mysterious assailant.

“Argh!”

“Gyaa!!”

Several of robed men appeared, killing the unconscious surviving people.

“Who are you!?”

“You bastard!”

“Assassin!”

While the ones that still conscious, fighting against the mysterious assailants.

*Bam!!*

“““AAarg!!”””

Several robed men screamed and threw into air. From the direction, they coming from the way Emer went.

The battle raged.

Corpses from both sides piled up.

The now ruined building become blood-stained slaughter house.

Right now, they had to recognized that the entire of former opera house has become battlefield.

“Just what in the world happened!?” Misha raged.

“Misha, we’ve to protected the unconscious people first.” Arc reminded.

“Yeah.” (Misha)

“Raina, help me.” (Arc)

“Yes.” (Raina)

Arc, Misha, and Raina gathered the unconscious people.

“[Sanctuary]!” (Misha)

A big barrier formed around the unconscious people. [Sanctuary] different from normal barrier, as this barrier doesn’t need its caster to maintain it. Once casted, [Sanctuary] wouldn’t be faded unless it destroyed or reached its time limit.

“What have we do now?” (Misha)

“Miss Misha, it’d better if you didn’t go anywhere.” Elisabeth advised. “It’s unfavorable to go under this chaotic situation.” (Elisabeth)

“Yeah, I know. I also couldn’t abandon this people.” Misha eyeing the people under [Sanctuary].

Elisabeth nodded at Misha response.

Arc’s gaze went up.

Under the night sky, he saw several shadows jumping at their reaction.

The shadows are robed.

From their looks, Arc judging they’re the assassin’s reinforcement.

“There more of them!” (Arc)

Eight robed men landed near them.

“…” (Elisabeth)

A murderous gaze appeared on her eyes.

Elisabeth silently stretched her hand. She knew any talk is useless, that’s why she’ll use her full strength.

“[Rise]!” (Elisabeth)

From shadow beneath her, ten puppets emerged. The vision so creepy, unconsciously Misha took a step back.

The shadows leaped at Elisabeth. They knew the puppets is bad news, rather than waiting for the puppets fully show up, it’s better to kill the caster first.

“Attack them, my soulless servant.” (Elisabeth)

Their thought is right and rational. Sadly, they’re a step too late. When they reached Elisabeth position, the puppets completely summoned.

The puppets intercepted the shadows. Among 8 shadows, 2 of them instantly killed by puppets since they weaker than puppets.

The remaining have equal strength with the puppets. One or two of them could handling several puppets at a time.

With this Elisabeth battling against 6 people alone. She herself giving support to puppets from rear.

“Haaa!”

“What!” (Elisabeth)

One of the robed men, the strongest one, breakthrough the puppets formation, directly jump at Elisabeth.

When he almost reached her, a small figure blocking him in the way.

[Quick Move] [Strength up] [Mind Strength]

Arc enhanced his body to maximum.

[Straight trust]

And send a full charge strike toward the chest of robed man.

“!!!”

The robed man received the direct brunt of Arc full strike. At the end, he barely fended off Arc’s attack, and threw backward.

The robe on the man’s head fell off. Showed the face under the robe.

“Huh?” (Arc)

Arc surprised since the face in front of him is someone he knew.

“You that lolicon!?” (Arc)

“Who are you call lolicon!?” (Slave Hunter Leader)

The man roared back at Arc.

Slave Hunter Leader depressed since he heard that humiliating name once again.

“Who are you, little bitch?” (Slave Hunter Leader)

“…”

Slave Hunter Leader was eyeing Arc, wondered how could this little bitch in front of him knew the title that sissy boy placed on him.

Meanwhile, Arc rather taken aback.

Little bitch?

Is Slave Hunter Leader mean me?

Oh right.

Right then, Arc recalled he still wearing the silver-haired princess costume. Since the event so abrupt, he didn’t have chance to change.

That’s why Slave Hunter Leader mistook Arc as girl.

Still, Arc is wondering what Slave Hunter Leader connection with this situation.

Arc swept that thought from his mind, since the matter before him more urgent than something that could do later.

Arc doesn’t reply the Slave Hunter Leader, and wordlessly attacking him.

 

*****

***

*

 

The battle raged.

Because everyone so focused in battle, they ignoring the matter of the black orb.

In the middle of the ruins.

The river of blood flowing, puddling under the orb.

If there someone see it, they’d realize the orb absorbing the blood.

One of the robed men approached the dark orb.

From the intensity mana and demeanor that man have, someone could guess he was the leader of this group of assassins.

He tapping the black orb lightly with his staff.

Then a change happens on the orb.

The orb shook, floated up on the ground.

A sinister smile formed out on the robed man’s expression.

*Boom!!!*

This the greatest explosion after a series of explosion.

The ground shook.

Afterward, with the orb and the robed man as the center, many dark tentacles protruding out from the ground.

The tentacles spread through the ruins.

A particular large slimy tendril emerged underneath Arc’s party, and lashing on Arc’s body.

 

 

 

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