“Really… An Elder recall?”

“Yes, as the reports informed, they crossed our bottom-line. They should not treat our guests as something they can hunt.”

The Sect Master stays silent for a moment and then says.

“Alright, I will recall the ones causing trouble. However, if, from now on, something happens, my sister will directly bring Eloise over. Since her condition is much better, Joyce’s presence should deal with most problems.”

‘Sure enough, the others Elders are here only to provide Aunt with time.’ “I accept the conditions.”

“Are you sure about your choices?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I await your achievements.”

[clack]

The call ends. Thus, the projection disappears.

[sigh]

“We finally took the first step. Was there any problem?” Ginn asks.

“We found no issues with the connection.” Dinna answers.

“It is still better to not underestimate them. I am going to talk with Joyce next, so come and open the room.” Ginn says.

Freed from her task, Dinna opens the door. Immediately, Ginn leaves the room with his sword in his waist.

—

In another room, Joyce is having breakfast.

Eventually, after taking one sip of her tea, she says: “Come in.”

Soon, Ginn enters the room, taking his sword and putting it aside. Afterward, he walks towards the elder and greets: “Good morning, Aunty!”

“Ah, come and join me. Let’s eat something while we talk. So, have you decide?” She asks, her mood much brighter than the day of Eloise’s treatment.

Ginn joins her on the table, and responds: “I decided to stand up against them.”

“How about the last news?”

“We got it. I also talked with father-in-law not long ago. Some Elders will be recalled, and we only need to wait to see whom.”

“Are you feeling this daring?”

“Too many people underestimate us. [sigh] Truly, we need to hold our grounds.”

“Be young, but don’t jump in the fire blindly. So, what can I help with?”

“If no one leaves, and we have too much on our hands, I would like to ask your help in sharing the weight. However, that will probably not happen, so I hope you stay the whole time at Eloise’s side. Since if a fight breaks out, the house may shake slightly.”

“I see you are very confident. What about the master, who is in seclusion?”

“We will protect him at any cost. For this reason, yesterday, we broke most connections with New Horizons, due to disagreements.”

Joyce nods.

“How confident are you against them?” She asks.

“Outside? Not so much. But if they chose to fight here, I see very few outcomes where we lose it all. Although the fight might cost us much.”

“I will leave you to act out your plan, but if I see it going too wrongly, I will intervene. For instance, the worst thing would be for the little girl to wake up a widow.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence. And I will work not to disappoint you.” Ginn then bows.

“Alright, you go. Go, go, boy. I see you don’t want to eat anyway. After this whole thing ends, we talk. By then, I hope you can stop with your little secrets.”

“Thank you!” Ginn bows again, and then takes his leaves.

Alone in the room, Joyce begins to think: ‘Not bad for a little kid. Lacking a bit of objectivity, but your actions may clear the airs in Volcano. Ha, I wonder if my brother is underestimating you. You robbing Volcano’s successor will be an enjoyable sight to see. Indeed, I look forward to seeing their reactions.’

Her smile disappears, while her mind continues: ‘But I hope you play with caution. Ambition is a dangerous endeavor. In truth, I wonder, how far will the children go?’

She slowly has her breakfast before leaving to visit her niece.

—

Inside Clearsky Auction House, Ginn meets with their young master, Devo Clearsky.

“Mr. Aravyz, your proposal is quite tempting, but will our involvement only amount to so much?” Devo says.

“Yes, everything else is under control. I only hope that Clearsky can activate the last layer.”

“Such a waste. It is incomplete, so It will probably break.”

“Probably, yes.” Ginn agrees.

“Since you don’t mind the loss in investment, why should I? Alright, I look forward to the many years of cooperation to come.”

After the agreement, they sign a mutual contract.

In the end, a handshake closes their meeting, and Ginn leaves satisfied.

Later, looking at the contract in his hands, Devo analyses the situation.

‘I don’t know what my father sees in you. But I hope his bet on you was not off the mark. Because if it wasn’t for his good attitude towards you, I wouldn’t have accepted such a weird agreement. It sounds too good to be true.’ Dove thinks.

—

The whole < Dragons > faction’s home has been peaceful for weeks. However, today the tension in the air rose again, as Patrick and Derick leave the base.

The Elders received an order of return for causing trouble. Therefore, because of their open aggression, the two brothers could only accept the recalls and return.

As they leaf, a few disciples accompanied them back.

While the tension on the air was high, nothing happened. After, the base security was upgraded even further, as Ginn’s subordinates calmly organized a multitude of matters.

[The night falls.]

[A new day rises.]

Everyone works as intended. While Clearsky Auction House moves early towards < Dragons > base, Joyce decides to visit Eloise first thing in the morning.

From within the unusual small movements, sings that the < Dragons > decided to make their move appears.

On the side of the base, in a garden, Lyrian is having her breakfast, as she generally does every single day, she goes into the open sky to enjoy the early sun.

Today, her mood is quite stable as she doesn’t seem affected by the fact her whole party was called back. Because she didn’t show open aggressiveness, she was the only one able to stay behind and complete the mission.

However, while she is enjoying her tea, a big spirit veil comes into existence surrounding her.

She looks at the isolation and put her tea back on the table. She then looks towards where the mansion was, and smiles as a group of young people appear before her.

Ginn comes into her vision. His sword is in his right hand already unsheathed and the scabbard on his left.

“What is the meaning of this young man? Did the ability to snitch people back confused your head? Are Volcano personal, people you should dare to corner?” She asks, her tone getting colder and colder.

Despite her cold tone, her mood doesn’t change, like she saw the whole play as only some children tantrum.

To her surprise, they all came running towards her without responding.

“So brave…” she says as she gets up and steps aside from the table, preparing to receive the attackers.

Let me kill a few. she thinks.

Ginn was the first one to arrive at her, and she uses her bare hands to stop the sword coming at her.

Nevertheless, showing the difference in strength, Ginn becomes unable to move and tries to retrieve the sword, but he is unable to.

Immediately, Lyrian prepares to kill the second one, but to her misfortune, they didn’t get close to her.

Indeed, when the next attacker was around two meters from the Elder, he stops aiming his weapon, flopping it to the side. Following, he opens his hand, showing a dull symbol draw on it. Before even reaching one meter from her, an explosion occurs.

[boom]

Surprised, she takes a small step back, increases her awareness, and look towards the young man that surprised her. However, what she sees is someone flying back due to the big explosion. Unlike her, the assailant wasn’t able to hold his ground.

At the same time, a greater force comes from the sword she is holding. Because of that, she looks at Ginn and sees his aura going wild.

From Ginn’s left, another explosion goes off. But this time around, she isn’t surprised.

Then simultaneously, a few people appear on all her sides, preparing the same type of attack.

Within everyone’s sight, Lyrian’s aura rises as she fights back, her closed fist makes a fast move in the air, creating a shock wave.

[kaboom]

In the middle of the explosion, she opens her fist and aims it towards Ginn. Hence, before the first explosion even calming down, a second smaller occurs.

As Lyrian let Ginn’s sword loose, he flies back due to the attack, going all the way out of the isolation.

Once Ginn leaves the isolation, the energy walls emit a very intense red glow. The dust around Lyrian hasn’t settled down yet, but she senses the surrounding space wriggling.

In less than a second, the whole isolated area becomes a sea of flames. And noticing the attack, Lyrian aims for the sky as she punches.

[RUMBLE] [CRACKS]

The fire attack was so fast and potent, that thundering sounds are heard outside as the ground shakes.

As a result, the whole city notices that a fight is going on. And a line of flames rises to the sky like a beacon.

Outside the base, the Clearsky’s personal are surprised by the tremor.

“Stop your silly expression and initiate the array!” Dove Clearsky yells.

In the middle of the flamy air, Lyrian’s smiling face is gone. Because, the last attack was much stronger than her prediction of those kids’ firepower levels, even stronger than what she would expect from Ginn’s suicidal attack.

While she was running calculations through her head, < Dragons > main force begins to move.

At the front, Deniz moves directly towards Lyrian, his white eye completely red.

As he moves towards her, Lyrian notices two blonds and dark-red-haired young men appeared inside the isolation, but what surprises her is how Ginn is behind them and seems to be perfectly fine. Since she did not hold much back in the last attack, she expected him to be deeply wounded right now.

As Deniz got closer, Lyrian senses two assassins pests getting closer to her back.

With a powerful motion, she steps down. The ground cracks and the corresponding shock wave makes the three attackers fly back a couple of meters. Meanwhile, Lyrian jumps and runs towards the four in the outskirts of the isolated area.

Energy concentrates around the three in front of Ginn, as Doug, the dark-red-haired man, directs a sealing technique, which causes chains to solidify in the air and fly towards Lyrian.

She punches towards all the chains centered around her way.

[crack] They break. And while Doug flies back, the Green brothers roll to the side.

Behind them, Ginn steps aside, dodging the flying man, and his sword begins to move in a broad arched motion. He aims to slice the middle-aged woman moving towards him.

While attacking, Ginn’s muscle contracts as he seems to exert more force than needed to hold his sword. On the other hand, Lyrian doesn’t stop either, as her closed fist gains a gray dulled color.

[POP] Around them all the chains break into pieces, and the pieces immediately pop and disappear.

They both sense all the energy in their surroundings disappears.

Their mighty auras also pop out of existence, as all their techniques turn off. While Lyrian hand goes back into its natural color, Ginn can still hold his fast-moving sword somehow.

After noticing the change, Lyrian moves her closed fist in an arc motion, hitting the side of the blade. She then arcs her back and tries to jump backward, using all the force in her legs, but she is too slow.

The sword soars down, slicing the side skin of her arm. Then, it scratches the front of her right shoulder, flies close to the middle of her chest, and cuts directly into her left thigh.

Despite everything, she doesn’t stop and moves back until she is out of the energy dried area.

“Scheming brats “ shes whispers.

[plop] The energy fills the area again.

Noticing something abnormal, Lyrian stops and looks up. The initial barrier has regenerated, but that wasn’t what surprised her. What did was that something seems to have changed since she lost total connection to the outside. ‘Can’t run, ha.’

Her senses begin to blurry as a new sea of flames appears, but this one much weaker.

In the middle, she can still pinpoint eight people running towards her right now. Not holding back, she unleashes an aura wave, and her whole body gains a coloration gray dull.

However, the eight attacks didn’t come, but rather the eight auras became one.

Once the change takes effect, she notices they somehow can share their power. ‘That is why…’

Then, she moves and aims towards the sword moving towards her, with the intent to break it.

Her hands cut through the sword aura flowing towards her, as she tries to catch it barehanded again. However, this time around, the sword doesn’t stop. Although she didn’t miscalculate the force used, the sword still cuts through her hand like butter.

Once in touch with it, Lyrian notices her body going limp. Nevertheless, just before the sword impales her chest, she sees that the blade is now covered in some weird looking engravings, making it much sharper, sharper enough to break through her refined body.

In this split of a second, her eyes quickly focus in Ginn and see how he doesn’t seem mighty at all, his face pale and contorted. With her high awareness, she immediately notices what is missing on him: the scabbard.

As the sword enters a few centimeters on her chest, she loses all her senses. While still conscious, she becomes unable to move and sense the outside.

Subsequently, the energy surrounding her changes and moves like a quilt trapping her.

Layer after layer of restriction forms holding her in place.

Next, the isolating array glows red and then changes and collapses.

[plop] Everyone appears outside, and except for Ginn, they all fall to the ground exhausted.

The sword, within a scabbard now, slides off from all the restrictions like they are nothing.

Yet, Ginn still holds his place for a moment, prepared to fight longer despite his condition. He only lets his tension go once he sees that the array seems to have sealed Lyrian completely.

He then slowly walks around ten meters towards the building, before lying down.

Behind him, a group of people appears, fortifying the seals. Dinna Mortez is within the new group. And despite her disheveled appearance, she checks the entrapment carefully, before yelling loudly.

“SUCCESS!”

The yell is like a trigger of a firework show. Once people around hear it, many begin to yell in commemoration. Some even cry while on the floor, catching their breath.

However, Dinna doesn’t stop. She then begins ordering the group around her. As they sit down, they begin to control the entrapment. Their job to slowly kill, once for all, the one inside.

While the celebration goes on, Yells, hugs, and tears, Manu and Max go into motion. The two doctors and their subordinates, in perfect condition, go around attending the heavily injured people.

At Ginn’s side, the teenager Louis appears with a flask of medicine in his hand. He helps Ginn drink it, and then puts both of his hands on Ginn’s chest, as he begins to provide the leader his energy.

Around, the celebration slowly calms down, as everyone begins to help to move the exhausted and lightly wounded into the building.

After some time, Manu comes to Louis’s side. She puts her hand on the boy’s shoulder and says: “Can you go send the Clearsky people off? Tell them the plan was a success, but we are too occupied to welcome them right now.”

The teenager nods, with his eyes now red. Then, he slowly stops providing support, stands up, and moves towards the base’s entrance.

Beside, Manu checks Ginn’s condition and begins first aid, and once Louis is far away enough, she talks.

“Why are you faking unconsciousness? Don’t you want to see the little boy cry?”

“If he started to cry, he would probably be unable to do his part and feel bad about it,” Ginn says softly, his voices weak.

“He is rather sensitive to people suffering around him, so I am not sure if he will ever be a master of the spear.”

“He will,” Ginn answers with confidence.

“Three deaths. The results are better than predicted.” Manu reports.

“Do your best, so we don’t lose anyone else.”

“Sure. I will send you in.” After finishing first aid, she signs to people around her. Next, Ginn is readily helped into a stretcher and brought inside.

—

Above on the fourth-floor window, Joyce is looking down, her expression serious.

‘Underestimating…’ She wonders.

Noticing something behind her, she then turns around.

“So how about it?” she asks.

“All caught, Master.” A teenage girl answers and then bows.

“For now, that is all. Go keep I eye on them for me.”

“Alright.” The girl leaves.

After taking another look outside, this Joyce dissolves into nothing.

—

Inside the seclusion room, totally isolated, Ben notices nothing about the fighting happening outside.

After a few weeks here, he is now naked asleep in the low-bed.

However, the room is now filled with a mix of cold and warm essences. Close to the walls, water flows down and around in ditches, and little marble spheres float on it.

And within the glow of the room, Ben’s appearance can be seen much healthier.