Lunaria was able to confirm that no one lost their lives in the attack but many of the workers were injured for trying to fight back. The crystals were their livelihood, after all. Normally when a quota isn't reached, a whole team gets a pay cut at the end of the week.
Though she is not regretful for doing such a thing, the fault lies with Lunaria for not providing enough security to the workers and putting them in danger like that. Of course, there are a few red knights patrolling outside the city while there are shadows demons moving around as well, but perhaps by coincidence, the enemy was able to do this much damage to the crystal supply line.
Many mines and pockets of caves where the crystals could be found were destroyed in the blasts. Whoever did this shouldn't get away with just a slap on the wrist.
After making sure to catch all the attackers that were left, Lunaria had the red knights take them to the city prison. There was still no word from Arnold so Lunaria headed to the palace after she was done with what she had to do.
Gathered inside the reception room were Arnold, Siana, Caerwyn, and red knights standing by both entrances into this room.
"—You're here." Arnold addressed her, "Sit."
"What is going on? Have you captured the mastermind, Milord?" she asked him.
"We can worry about Tyran later. For now, Siana said there is someone she wants me to meet."
"?" Lunaria glanced at Siana for an answer but her gaze was rested on the door.
The door opened at that moment.
"—Lady Siana, we cleaned the girl up as you ordered." Two maids entered beside a young woman.
"Thank you. Now, come closer, dear."
As if she was a chick being called by its mother, the young woman with golden locks hurriedly approached Siana. She was a head smaller than Siana and looked a few years younger in appearance.
The two then faced the seated Arnold. The young maiden got onto her knees and bowed her upper body, her hands resting in her lap.
"M-My name is—"
"Wistorina von Valtore. Princess of the Republic of Zrek and its president's only daughter. You're a long way from home." Arnold said before she could say anything.
"E-Eh? Y-You know my name… Sir?"
"Your name isn't exactly hidden from the public, is it?"
"That's… true…"
"What brings you here?"
"A mysterious group of hooded figured were chasing her. They've been apparently doing it since this morning."
"Getting across the continent to this land in just half a day, you aren't an ordinary princess, are you?"
Arnold glanced above her head for a split second, which Lunaria noticed.
'Odd. Lady Selia does the same thing when meeting new people.'
Could it be that he's…?
"…I am a practitioner of ancient magic that utilizes runes… It has not only aided in my escape today but kept me alive in many situations."
"Huh, I thought only that Elf could use runes in this era but I guess there are others too."
He didn't elaborate who that was and just continued.
"If it got out that the princess of the Republic is a 'magic user', the people will revolt, you know? The nobles will conspire to kill you. That's how much hatred the majority of your people have for magicians. To avoid the deaths of their children, parents even send their children abroad, several of whom ended up in the empire."
"That is… true. I beg of yo—"
"It's fine. I don't care enough to use blackmail to gain an advantage in negotiations. In any case, rune magic users are never ordinary people. Am I right to assume the reason those people are coming after you is because of that?"
"…Half-right. It is because of my origin that I am able to use various runes in combat and all manner of life…"
"And?"
The princess' gaze swam around in a fluster. Siana sighed, "She can't tell us anymore than that. Everyone, it would be best if we left the two alone." She suggested.
Arnold nodded and soon only Lunaria remained beside him, standing near the wall like a statue. She had forgot to tie her hair together so it was hanging loosely, or is that really the reason?
"Uhm…" the princess timidly looked at Lunaria and tried to say something.
"Lunaria isn't just my advisor, she's a close ally with ties to a certain someone who I forged an alliance with. If the threat is big enough, I might need her to inform that someone to send aid. If you can't speak in front of her then I won't listen to you at all."
It would've been the same if Vetis or Lillith was here, thought Lunaria. Had Arnold not brought it up then she would've done so. It seems that he finally has a grasp on what their alliance means. So far she had only been entrusted with his workloads and only now felt that she was acknowledged for her position.
"I-I understand… I do not want to bore you with… my past but it's important that I share it with you…"
"Go ahead then."
"—Nonono, we can't let an outsider get a step ahead of us~!" A woman's voice came from behind Lunaria but before she could react, she was smashed into a nearby wall by a black tentacle.
"Wha—" even Arnold was caught off-guard when several signatures appeared around him out of nowhere.
Fortunately, Arnold was still fast enough to react in time and grab Wistorina.
A [Delay All Teleportation] spell would've been great right now so that Lunaria could detect them before they can teleport to the location. Of course, she didn't expect someone to actually teleport in the middle of the city, and especially not in the palace. While she is the only level cap here, there were the level 80 to 90 red knights and the shadow demons. Anyone sane would think it's ridiculous to teleport right into the enemy's den, especially when the den is filled with predators.
'My teleportation won't work.' Lunaria tried to summon the red knights but was blocked by some magic interference spell. It seems fighting alone, even without knowing anything about the enemies' capabilities and origin, is her only choice.
The room suddenly blackened, windows covered and doors vanished, and several figures appeared, all of them standing near the walls.
Behind the couch that Arnold sat on stood a woman with long dark purple hair that looked oddly like the arms of a slime. At their tips was a bright cyan hue that contrasted sharply with her purple hair.
"Oh, don't glare at me like that, big boy." She blushed as she touched her lip shyly, noticing Arnold's glare, "You haven't yet attacked me, which means you know that should you kill me, you will never escape this dimension~"
"Dimension…?"
"Ahn~ I love that hopeless expression. You are standing in the middle of nowhere in the Between Realms."
Arnold's expression hardened. No wonder teleportation didn't work here—the atmosphere itself drains all energy from its user's body.
But Arnold still had that ring that doesn't need mana to function so maybe he can teleport the three of them out of here? He was obviously not using it because he didn't want to give anything away to the enemy until he knew what they wanted.
"You must be wondering why I can pull a whole room to this place~ Well, I don't really hide it from anyone, you know~ It's because my Papa was born in this realm and raped a human when he landed in the moral realms then taadaa, I was born~!"
'How is that possible? Only humanoids should be able to have children with humans.' That includes her since she's a demon.
Dragons are one of the only monsters capable of taking up human bodies but the probability of them having children with humans is always low but possible if the human has the right genes.
Lunaria didn't know much about the Between Realms but there is no way a humanoid could survive in this environment, just like humans can't survive the depths of the ocean without being crushed.
"Give me the girl and I will consider letting you live." After saying so, her comrades unsheathed their weapons ready to attack should they refuse.
Knowing Arnold could handle it, Lunaria didn't attempt to interfere. If need be, she will provide help with her magic.
"I'm not going to bargain with anyone. Tell me who you are." There was no panic on his face, as if he didn't care if this barrier-like dome were to fade away and expose them to the harsh conditions of hell itself.
"Boy, the only reason you still have your head is because I have a soft spot for handsome guys." Her melodious voice vanished and her face twisted, "But don't overstep the line. I get very easily annoyed if I haven't been fucked. I could've been in bed with a cute little virgin boy prostitute if this harlot princess didn't run away. And now I'm going to be punished for letting her run away! How was I supposed to know she has that weird magic!?"
"Tell me where you're from and what you want then I might not kill all of you involved."
"How dare you threaten us!?" one of the hooded figures shouted, stepping forward. "We should kill him, Lady Hessinia! We've done enough digging, and he's just a level 40 from the last records we got from the academy!"
That caught Lunaria's attention.
Her brows furrowed. 'Accessing the academy's rank registry? That's no small feat…'
She took a step closer, her eyes never leaving the figures in front of them.
'They have records that update yearly. Every student's class, level, martial arts style, mana capacity, even unique traits. That information is tightly sealed. Not even the nobility has open access—only the upper circle of the academy has clearance.'
Her gaze sharpened. 'Which means someone is either working from within… or they've got black-market access to high-grade information.'
She began mentally listing off possibilities. 'Information brokers? Maybe. But information dealers rarely field their own fighters. These people aren't just spies—they're combatants. A hybrid group. A criminal organization with distinct roles: gatherers, enforcers, possibly even mages.'
Hessinia's posture, confident and unbothered, told her something else too.
'They're not hiding their presence. Only a group with nothing to lose would act like this… or one powerful enough to fear no consequence.'
A flicker of recognition crossed her features.
There was one who was powerful enough to not care about that but… that organization has always acted smart, never hitting the hornet's nest unless they were planning to get of the nest.
'It's definitely not the Murim Martial Alliance. They have discipline, hierarchy, and rules of engagement. They wouldn't send someone like her. This Hessinia is far too wild. Too indulgent. And that organization only allows martial artists—which Hessinia is not.'
She mentally scanned her memory for all the large organizations she had learned about over the years.
'Only one known group fits this pattern. A rogue network operating in the shadows, always changing bases, operating in black zones and war-torn regions. Fighters, assassins, smugglers, slavers. It's a single entity operating in various countries, led by one individual who controls several other powerful subordinates.'
She remembered the name whispered in war briefings. An organization that made an impact in both the empire and the surrounding nations, and whose name made fear creep up the souls of those who know them.
Her voice rang out clearly as she connected the dots.
"Milord," Lunaria said, loud enough for even the hooded figures to hear, "these people… they're from Serz."
"W-What the!? H-How does she know that!?" Hessinia looked at her comrades, "Which one of you bastards told her!?"
"N-None of us did!"
"Dammit, if Miara found out we even gave away our identities on top of missing the deadline, then I'll get punished even harder! Ahhh, I want to go to a brothel!!!!"
'You could've… just played dumb.'
Is this woman an idiot or just new to the job, wondered Lunaria. Very sloppy work but even if she tried to play it cool, Lunaria had already figured it out.
"If you already know who I am, then you should know I'm affiliated with one of your Legion squads."
"So what!? Our authority exceeds—hmf!" Hessinia was about to spill even more but she covered her own mouth when she realized.
"You must take direct orders from a Cadre if you can do something like this." he glanced at the ceiling, sensing the monstrous presences looming outside. If this barrier was lifted, those monsters would pounce on them all.
"L-Lord Arnold…" Wistorina clung to him tightly, knowing he was the only obstacle standing in the way of her capture.
Arnold didn't say anything to her, but asked Hessinia a question instead, "I now know who you are but what is your goal exactly?"
Glaring at him, she hissed out an answer, "Isn't is obvious? We want the girl! She's part of our leader's plan to take over the world!"
'Why would you reveal that so openly? She truly is an idiot…'
"Oh? How will you do that when the dragon lords and many others could stop you?"
"Fufufu, once we have her in our hands, we can summon the Divine Tree that will stop any opposition trying to interfere."
"…Wistorina, what does she mean? How do you fit in this?"
"…I-In the Dark Scroll, there are ancient texts only certain individuals, with the sign of the Timeline Gods, can read. Three of our ancestors were once possessed by the Timeline Gods before they made it a rule to never allow gods to descend to the mortal realms. Since I am related to one of them, that sign carried over to my body and rests deep in my soul, allowing me to use my soul to translate the contents within the Dark Scroll."
"…Why did they possess your ancestors?"
"Legends dictate that it was to seal the Star Beast away—or part of it. After it consumed the soul of a goddess, it became a bigger threat that they could've fathomed."
"I heard he consumed a divine soul, but I thought it was Thalgrimm's after the war against the demons ended."
Wistorina shook her head, "Something as powerful as the Star Beast descending to the world would have been recorded by the humans of that time but I found nothing about it no matter how much I dug."
"If that's the case, why did the Timeline Gods use your ancestors? Couldn't they just possess some demigod race in other realms?"
"I-I'm not sure… Perhaps there is a condition that must be met for them to possess mortals to influence the material world? Or maybe my people weren't ordinary humans back then?"
"I know who we can ask."
"Too bad you won't be alive to go through with it because the tree that consumes all will consume you too!" Hessinia cackled, "All that will be left is us and the demons, with our leader standing on top of this world. No one will take that dream away, not even that idiot demon that thinks he can be this world's Demon King!"
"A demon aiming for such a title—Arsnoria won't take that kindly."
"Hmph, as if I don't know that! But we can't exactly side with that bitch since we don't know how to get in touch with her."
"When you said demons will be left as well, does that mean your leader intends to forge an alliance?"
"As if we would side with such filth! The Demon King will be placed under our rule as will all her armies! Aided by those slaves, we will conquer the nine realms."
"That woman is seriously crazy. That just means I should be careful when I meet with her in the not-too-distant future."
"W-What did you say!? As if the leader will meet with you! Not even the Cadre's know what the leader looks like—Wait, how are you so sure it's a woman!?"
"That's something you don't need to know—" A crackle came from Arnold's palm before a spark echoed.
Aether appeared around both Lunaria and Wistorina at that moment. In addition, Arnold also had Gergois equip itself on Wistorina for what was about to come—
A powerful roar shook the entire Between Realms, scaring even the titanic unseen monsters surrounding the little box that appeared out of nowhere. Eager to see what's inside, they gathered here, ready to pounce on whatever it is.
The darkened sky suddenly lighted up and a gigantic mass of energy twirled above.
"W-What are you doing!? I'm serious, I'll release the barrier!"
"—[Leviathan Storm]."
In the speed of light, the twirling energy rained down from the heavens, striking the ground with ferocious force, dispelling all the dark clouds and fog, revealing a purple sky above and an almost alien-like terrain filled with strange shrooms, rock formations, bones of titans and trees with twisting barks.
Everything within a 1000km radius was visible after the devastating blast and shockwave struck the world.
Of course, every sign of life was eradicated as well.
That was how powerful this skill was, even when weakened.
--That's what he intended to do but just as he thought, the woman had survived.
A purple barrier stacked with strange multiplier runes was surrounding her.
It seems that since this realm sucks out any form of energy, his most powerful attack lost 99% of its firepower in the end and he was on the verge of collapse as well as his Aether was being drained by the second. Fortunately, his internal energy remained untouched.
Using [Essence of Hydra] is going to be useless in this literal void of a realm that sucks you dry.
"Y-You fool! You just destroyed the rune I placed in the room that was meant to send us back!" The moment her barrier vanished, Hessinia screamed in panic.
"Why are you so worried?" Arnold didn't have a hint of panic on his face, "Can't you travel to and from this dimension?"
"But I can't take others with me! Only by using transportation runes is it possible and you destroyed the only one! Dammit, I should've seen this coming! Why are you even so calm!?"
"…What's with all the rune users coming out of hiding now… Look, I can go back any time I want." He held up the Virgin's Blood ring, "This little magic item was gifted to me by a goddess. It allows me to teleport to wherever I please so long as I know where I'm going."
"A-An artifact!? Give it here!"
Arnold smirked.
"Then die!" Hessinia yelled, a purple wall of fire appearing behind her. From it, a demon-like head with rows upon rows of teeth and a nightmarish face appeared "I'll just seal your soul away in this land! Have a taste of despair—Ack!?"
She was suddenly swatted aside by an overwhelming force, sending her to the floor. The demon-like head vanished once her concentration was broken. She laid there, butt up and panties visible in an embarrassing pose.
The one who smacked her was Lunaria who, even for a magic user, had incredible physical power, "Milord, we should take this woman back with us and see what else she knows about this Divine Tree and Serz itself. This isn't just a matter between some ordinary kidnappers looking for ransom—the very world is in danger."
"I know and yeah, you're right," Arnold looked at the void-like clouds that were closing in on their location then back at the corpses of Hessinia's comrades whose souls will remain here for all eternity, "Let's go back. I have heaps of paperwork to go through."