In an atmosphere of apparent calm, a man stood, his fly still open, his gaze fixed on the horizon above the toilets where he was relieving himself. A whistle escaped his lips as he thought about ordinary things of daily life. Suddenly, an event disrupted this tranquility; he saw a blue portal open beneath his feet, catching him by surprise.
"Huh?"
Before he could utter another word, his eyes locked with those of Logan, freezing his interlocutor in place. An aura of mastery emanated from him, almost hypnotic, as if time itself slowed down around them.
In a lightning-fast motion, Logan extended his hand towards the man, gripping his head and smashing it against the urinal. A dull thud resonated in the restroom as the man collapsed, knocked out by the attack.
"Ah!" Marie cried out.
Logan turned his head to look behind him and saw Marie, her cheeks slightly flushed with anger. Her eyes reflected a mix of emotions, the main one being annoyance.
"What's going on?" (Logan)
"I got some on me!" (Marie)
Logan gave a warm smile as Aria, despite her evident efforts to contain herself, finally let out a slight chuckle.
"Aria!" (Marie)
Marie began to hit Aria, but they didn't have time for that.
"Get in position!" Logan said, regaining his seriousness.
The three positioned themselves behind Logan, with Marie on his left and Aria on his right. Logan took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to lead, while he could already sense people moving through his radar.
"Go!" (Logan)
Logan began to run with determination, leading the way as the leader. He forcefully pushed open the restroom door, showing surprising agility and determination. Just as he exited, he was confronted by four alchemists who were in the entrance hall. Time seemed to slow around them, the alchemists' faces displaying a mix of surprise and incomprehension at this improbable situation. However, Logan had already anticipated their presence. Consequently, he swiftly grabbed stones in his hands, ready to use them.
He threw them, amplifying their impact, aiming for a non-lethal but disabling point: their knees. The projectiles hit their target almost simultaneously. One by one, the alchemists felt a powerful impact on their knees. And before they could comprehend what was happening, they found themselves on the ground, screaming in pain.
Without wasting time, Logan quickly headed towards the entrance to the basement, which was a bit further down the hall, hidden from prying eyes. As he approached the entrance, he sensed a presence. His radar indicated that three people were coming up from the basement.
"Three people are coming up from the basement!" (Logan)
"I've got this!" Aria declared.
A large ball of water burst forth from Aria's hands, forming a torrent that slammed into the door, splashing water everywhere on the basement staircase. The men who were hurriedly coming up soon found themselves walking in the water, unaware of the trap that awaited them.
Without hesitation, Aria quickly froze the water around the alchemists, immobilizing their feet in ice, rendering them completely immobile. They struggled in vain to free themselves, but the freezing grip held them firmly in place. Aria approached them with determination, deftly knocking out each of the alchemists, leaving them unconscious.
Faced with the sudden activation of the entire upper part of the building and the frantic back-and-forth resulting from their intrusion, Logan made the instantaneous decision to immediately seal off the entrance to the basement. To prevent any more alchemists from emerging and further complicating their task.
Aria sealed the entrance with her ice, while Logan also caused a part of the tunnel through which they had descended to collapse. Once done, only about fifty people remained in the basement.
In rapid succession, they descended the stairs to reach the basement, which at first glance was a gloomy yet illuminated place. But what mattered most was the dozen alchemists standing before them.
However, Logan had already anticipated their presence, but this time Marie had decided to take charge. An electric aura manifested around her body, which she projected at the alchemists. Not only that, but Marie disappeared instantly, reappearing amidst several opponents, striking them and rendering them all unconscious.
This all happened in an instant, but it didn't escape Logan's eyes; he understood what she had done. She had used lightning to stimulate her nervous system and muscles, making her much faster. And after a short period of time, all the enemies in the basement had been neutralized.
Looking more closely at the place now, it was gloomy and sinister, like something out of a nightmare. The damp, decrepit walls seemed to bear witness to many years of abandonment and neglect. The cells were dark and narrow, exuding an oppressive atmosphere that sent shivers down one's spine.
The filth and desolation were unbearable, but what shocked the most was the deplorable condition of the subjects within. Dried blood stains marred the floors and walls, bearing witness to the suffering that had occurred within those sinister walls. The air was tainted with a nauseating stench, a mixture of acrid and putrid odors.
The cells lined up along the dilapidated walls, revealing years of suffering and abandonment. The doors creaked ominously as they closed, as if sealing dark secrets behind their bars.
Upon entering the rooms, the horror of what had transpired there became even more evident. Sinister equipment, operating tables stained with indelible marks, shelves filled with bottles of strange liquids – everything bore witness to the horrifying experiments conducted in this accursed place.
The sight of the subjects was the most terrifying. Most of them seemed to be in agony, their eyes emptied of all expression, as if they had lost all hope of living. Their bodies were covered in wounds and scars, silent witnesses to the horrors they had endured. Some had lost limbs, mutilated in gruesome experiments, leaving their bruised and maimed bodies at the mercy of suffering.
Every corner of this shadowy place seemed to hide a story of pain and despair. One could only imagine the unspeakable suffering these poor souls had undergone in this nightmare-inducing place. Muffled cries and echoes of horror that had unfolded within these walls.
Shock and horror overwhelmed them as they beheld the magnitude of the atrocities that had taken place here. Their hearts tightened in the face of the injustice and cruelty inflicted on these defenseless beings. They were witnesses to a living nightmare, confronted with the cruel reality of what humanity was capable of.
However, they didn't have time for this, as circumstances didn't allow for it – time was against them. Without wasting a moment, they had to decide to proceed with the evacuation of everyone present.
The team immediately sprung into action to formulate an evacuation plan. They took the time to reassure people, explaining the situation calmly and empathetically while guiding them to the exits in an organized manner.
They had to assist most of the slaves in passing through the portal, as most of them were in very bad shape. It took time and effort to get them all out in a laborious process. And finally, after liberating everyone, they departed.
"Knock, knock!"
A door creaked slightly as it opened, allowing a thin beam of light to illuminate the dark room. In this light, Zem appeared.
"What's going on?" (Zem)
"The Alchemist Guild is under attack, Commander! The King asks us to intervene, and the Church is already beginning to move!" (Soldier)
"Get ready, we're going!" (Zem)
In the warehouse, another portal opened, this time to their final objective. They had barely had time to secure everyone before they had to leave again, as time was working against them.
They immediately entered the portal, finding themselves on top of a tall building. From up there, they had an unobstructed view of the majestic Bestial Palace, while the Pleasure District bustled with activity, as always. Logan immediately remembered the location of Aria's mother's room, at the very top of the building.
"Hold onto me!" Logan immediately requested.
Marie and Aria without any hesitation clung to each of his shoulders. Then Logan maximally tensed each of his muscles before increasing his speed. He initiated a brief run, shattering the ground with each step, and then leapt with superhuman strength, soaring into the sky. In an instant, they found themselves in the air several meters above ground. After a few brief seconds, they were at the right altitude, and Logan shattered the wall in front of them.
The wall that had stood moments before had completely disappeared, leaving behind only a gaping hole leading to the outside. Through this opening, a magnificent nighttime sky was revealed, illuminated by countless twinkling stars and the two majestic moons bathing the landscape in a mystical light.
Amidst this almost fairy-tale scene stood the three individuals: Logan, Marie, and Aria. As Aria's mother observed them calmly and serenely, Aria herself rushed towards her mother to embrace her.
"Mom!" she exclaimed, her voice full of emotion.
In an embrace filled with emotions, Aria nestled against her mother with genuine affection. They held each other as if trying to make up for all the time that had passed since their last meeting. Aria's mother gently removed her mask, revealing her radiant face illuminated by a fond smile.
The mother's eyes settled on her daughter's face, and she was immediately struck by the transformation that had occurred since their last separation. She observed each delicate line and expression, capturing in her mind the evolution of this young woman she hadn't seen grow up.
Their reunion was tinged with a mixture of emotions: the joy of finally seeing each other again, the nostalgia of shared memories, and the pride of seeing her daughter become such an extraordinary person. In this intimate moment, the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter grew even stronger.
"You've grown so much, I never thought I'd see you again." Élie, Aria's mother, said.
"I thought the same, that my life would end miserably." (Aria)
She then turned to look at the masked man, whom she had no difficulty recognizing.
"You really came." (Élie)
"Yes, but for now, we don't have time." (Logan)
Logan approached her and placed his hand on her head. He hesitated for a moment, nervous, as he still remembered Aria's screams of pain. As she had asked him, Logan had made her place an enslavement seal in order to practice breaking it, with the intention of being able to do the same for each slave.
However, this experience had been extremely laborious, as expected, with each attempt resulting in Aria's agonizing cries. Her body was racked with spasms and violent tremors. Logan's heart raced as the minutes ticked by. He couldn't bear to put her through such torment, and when he was on the verge of giving up, she grabbed his arm:
"No, I can endure it, we keep going until we succeed!" she insisted with determination.
This was more than admirable; she never complained, not even once. With each attempt, more painful than the last, she would say:
"Again, we'll make it!"
It was an unwavering determination that commanded respect, she was determined to play her role to the end. But it remained nonetheless horrific, as Aria was bleeding profusely from her eyes and ears at times. The successive and repeated attempts hurt her despite all of Logan's goodwill to avoid harming her and irreparably damaging her magical circuit, leaving her sometimes in a sorry state, stopping just when her body could give in.
Then finally, after many painful attempts, there were advancements. Logan gradually understood how to proceed, validating step by step the right process and technique. Stimulating the circuit sufficiently while temporarily reinforcing it, before isolating the artificial circuit from the seal, little by little. And once it was finally completely isolated, destroying it completely, finally releasing the slave from this curse. It might seem simple, but it required tremendous dexterity and unwavering concentration to execute the procedure properly.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to remove the pain during the process, despite all the goodwill in the world. So, Logan handed his mother a piece of cloth to bite down on before continuing.
After a painful moment, the seal was broken, 3 minutes later, the maximum time he managed to achieve, knowing that the initial attempts could last up to 1 hour.
Once she was freed from the seal, Marie then opened the portal for her to join the others at the warehouse.
"No, please, let me help you." She declared with a determined air.
Unlike the other slaves, the palace girls were well-fed to stay beautiful in order to always please the clients. So now that her seal was broken, she could fight without any problem, so there was no reason to refuse.
"Very well, but we don't have much time, free as many slaves as possible and direct them here." (Logan)
The plan had already been established beforehand, everyone knew their role. Marie would stay in this room and cut it off from the world with one of her abilities.
[Spatial Blockage: the user can cut off a place from the world, preventing anyone from entering or exiting.]
The problem with this ability was that it was extremely mana-intensive, only able to be maintained for a paltry 30 minutes. And this time could be shortened if the space was attacked, increasing the mana consumption to maintain it.
With everything settled, the three dashed through the building in a frantic race. Liberating the slaves one by one, driving away the clients, and defeating the poor guards, while Logan lifted the seals of the slaves one by one.
The guards were mostly there to monitor the slaves' actions and reprimand and punish them with the seals, they weren't very strong. Moreover, who would dare to attack the Bestial Palace? Yet, that's what was happening tonight, in this night, trying to activate Aria's mother's seal, but unfortunately for them, it had disappeared.
As a result, the group was progressing at a very good speed and without any hiccups. Then Logan finally arrived at Lissia's room. He opened the door and found her sitting on her bed, still wearing that beautiful yet conspicuous outfit. She immediately got up and hugged him:
"You came as promised." Lissia declared, happy to see him again.
"I always keep my promises." (Logan)
Logan then released her from her seal and indicated where she should go.
"Will you join us?" (Lissia)
"As soon as I'm done." (Logan)
She slipped away with a smile after getting her answer.
Aria and her mother were fighting as if they had always done so. Their movements were synchronized, dancing around their opponents with disconcerting ease. One launched fast and precise attacks, while the other covered the weak points of their enemies with unparalleled mastery. Their combined skills neutralized any opponent daring to stand against them.
In their fury, they spread a freezing cold throughout the palace, freezing everything in their path. Huge blocks of ice formed and destroyed several parts of the building, testifying to their devastating power. The shattering sound of ice and crumbling walls resonated throughout the palace. The guards attempting to stop them were quickly overwhelmed by their combined strength. Both were fast and agile, evading blows, while in attack, they were forces of nature, pushing back their enemies with raw and indomitable energy.
Outside, bewildered people gathered, wondering what could be happening. Aria and her mother were proving to be true prodigies.
"You've become strong, my daughter." (Élie)
"It's thanks to him." She replied with a smile.
"I think I'll never thank that man enough, I'd really like to get to know him." (Élie)
"He's very kind, handsome, and caring." (Aria)
"Oh, you haven't fallen in love with him, have you?" She asked with a small smile on her lips.
Aria immediately blushed under her mask, starting to make panicked gestures as well.
"No...no... I don't know what you're talking about!" She stammered, flustered.
"Ah, ah, you're so transparent, my daughter." She laughed heartily.
After 25 minutes, most of the girls were finally freed from captivity. The plan had worked perfectly, and their escape had gone surprisingly quickly. It was time to head back to join Marie and leave, looking forward to getting out and ending this perilous adventure.
"What have you done!" Suddenly, a voice resounded.
It was a voice that Aria and her mother would never forget. A memory engraved in their minds forever, the man responsible for all their misery. As they left the enemy's lair, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows, addressing them as they were about to leave.
Vengus had appeared with his men, facing Aria and her team. The tension in the air was palpable, the two sides glaring intensely at each other. While Aria's heart began to race, she turned to see the face of this man.
"My palace, you've laid it to waste!" He yelled in rage.
"Aria, let's go!" Logan immediately shouted.
Her mother immediately understood and rallied with Logan, putting her own grudge aside.
"Aria, let's go!"
But Aria stood still, her companion's words no longer reaching her. Her mind was overwhelmed by painful memories of the past. The chaos, the terror, and the loss she had experienced were coming back to haunt her.
The cries and tears of her people seemed to echo in her ears, as if the past was coming to life once again. The scene of carnage and horror was etched in her memory, impossible to erase. Her mother, a loving and protective figure, had been defiled by malicious hands. Her father, a strong and wise man, had been violently killed before her eyes.
Every member of her tribe, her friends and family, had been ripped from her life and sold like common goods. The images of this tragedy played out in her mind, now on an endless loop.
Aria felt a boiling anger inside her, like a burning fire threatening to engulf everything. The painful memories continued to spread tirelessly in her mind, reviving the pain and rage she had long buried.
Her teeth clenched so tightly she could feel the pressure on her jaws. Her hairs stood on end, a sign of her alertness and inner agitation. The mana flowing within her, that powerful magical energy, burst out violently, creating sparks of energy around her.
Logan looked at her with concern, aware that she was overwhelmed by her emotions.
"Aria, no! We succeeded, it's over!" Logan shouted.
But unfortunately, it was already far too late, Aria had already lost herself in the past and anger, and lunged at them without restraint.
[Beastly Fury activated!]
"Vengus!" Aria exclaimed, rushing towards him.
In the process, a violent explosion of ice shook the building, causing many walls to explode and collapse with a crash. The echoes of this blast reverberated throughout the region, a sign of unleashed magical power.
Meanwhile, from afar, Zem and a mysteriously clad man in a white and blue robe immediately sensed the intense mana variation in the air. Without hesitation, they decided to quickly head toward the source of the disturbance, ready to face whatever lay behind this explosion of power. With their group behind them, the church and the royal knights also prepared to take the stage.