Chapter 66

Eterna woke up and stepped out of the infirmary, only to realize Linus was already gone, and she let out a heavy sigh. Gadio, who had already woken up, saw her and gave a wry smile.

"Gadio, if you noticed Linus leaving, you could have stopped him."

"Do you think he would have stayed if I tried to stop him?"

"…That’s true, but still. In the end, it was just as Flam predicted."

The faint cries of soldiers could be heard from outside. It was likely that Nekt was killing the deployed soldiers. This had started almost simultaneously with Linus rushing out. In other words, perhaps in the spirit of fair play, he had been waiting for Flam and the others to leave the guild.

The reason they took such actions was not just because Mute had died. Their purpose of making their presence known to the people of the capital had already been achieved by yesterday. Some residents had already started evacuating, and those who remained were hiding indoors, not daring to come out. As a result, the only ones walking around were the soldiers. If they rampaged indiscriminately in such a place, it would only undermine their other goal of "buying time." Therefore, for the remaining day, it would be enough to hinder Flam and the others from searching for Mother's location. Just by doing that, their lingering attachments would be resolved.

"Good morning, is something wrong?"

Flam, who had come out of the infirmary a little later than Eterna, called out to the two of them in a small voice, perhaps out of consideration for Ira and Slow, who were still sleeping.

"Linus is already gone."

Hearing her exasperated words, Flam nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I figured as much."

She had had a similar feeling. After all, he had wanted to go look for Maria yesterday. It was already a good thing that he had waited until this morning.

"Also, the guild's mailbox received a letter, as usual. Do you want to see it?"

Gadio picked up the letter from the table and held it up for the two of them to see. Eterna glared at it.

"It's probably just a bunch of poetic words about 'sprouting' and 'blooming' for the remaining day."

"Well, let's take a look, just in case."

Flam suggested with a wry smile, and Gadio opened the envelope. He took out a white sheet of paper and read it aloud.

"For the remaining day, the time of sprouting has come. The seeds that have been sown will let out a great cry and eventually bloom. But even that is just a small part of the great love that envelops us... It seems I was right, Eterna."

"Predictable and tasteless."

"Ahaha..."

As always, she was sharp. However, regardless of the content of the letter, what Flam and the others needed to do would not change. They had to find the infant released in the capital, defeat the remaining Children, and find Mother. To do this, they needed to split up and search.

"What do we do from here, Gadio?"

"If Linus is searching for Maria in the western district, then Eterna and I will investigate the central and eastern districts, respectively."

"What about me?"

"You will guard the guild—more specifically, Slow. If Luke is targeting him, Flam, who said they are compatible, would be the best choice."

"Understood, then I'll stay here and wait."

Even if they were compatible, he would likely use his second core. It was unknown how effective Flam's reversal would be in that situation. However, the enemy consisted of two infants and two Children, the same number as their group. If battles broke out simultaneously, it would be difficult to call for help. She would have to defeat them with her own strength. The pressure made Flam's expression tense. Seeing this, Eterna poked her forehead with her index finger.

"Ow... What is it?"

"Tension is not good, relax."

"You're asking too much."

However, her expression was slightly less tense than before. Relaxing was impossible, but she told herself not to overthink it.

"Then, I'll take the central—"

"No, I'm sorry, but I need to go to the central district."

Gadio interrupted Eterna.

"Hmm? I thought the eastern district would be better for Gadio, but if that's your preference, I can't argue."

Gadio bowed his head in apology. Perhaps he had a feeling about something, or perhaps there was something in the central district. Since there were no clues to Mother's location, relying on his instincts wasn't a bad idea.

"Then let's get going—"

Boom!

At that moment, a low, dull sound echoed from the south, and the ground shook. Eterna, whose conversation had been interrupted twice, looked displeased. However, there was no time to be upset. The three of them immediately went outside and looked up in the direction of the sound. White smoke was rising towards the sky from a distance. As they watched, more explosions echoed from the same place.

"Is Linus fighting someone?"

"We need to go and support him."

"No, it doesn't seem like that's possible."

Gadio looked to the east as he spoke. Smoke was also rising there. Although the sound was not audible due to the distance, it was clear that some kind of battle was taking place.

"It's noisy everywhere."

"It seems they have started in earnest."

"Today is the decisive day for both sides."

"We can't let them do as they please. I'll go to the eastern district as planned. Gadio, you should search for Mother in the central district as planned."

With that, Eterna ran off.

"Is she okay on her own?"

"If Flam can do it, she can too, I think."

That was when the infants were still small, but today would be different. However, the fact was that their forces were insufficient. They needed to split up to respond.

"Taking Eterna's words to heart, I'll go to the central district as planned. Flam—"

"Yes, I'll guard Slow."

"Thanks, I'm counting on you."

With a heavy step in his armor, Gadio ran towards the central district. Flam, who was left behind, took a deep breath and said,

"Well, when will Luke show up?"

She drew her Soul Eater and waited for the boy's attack.

◇◇◇

Let's go back a bit in time.

This was just before Linus encountered the "enemy."

He was tracking Nekt, relying on the cries of the soldiers he could hear. The distance was gradually closing. Perhaps out of frustration that his movements were being predicted, his methods of killing were becoming increasingly sloppy.

"I'll catch you now!"

With his innate speed, Linus ran through the narrow alleys as if gliding. However, he was also anxious. The fact that Nekt was killing soldiers as if leaving clues, even while being pursued, suggested that he had a destination. Or perhaps he was leading Linus somewhere. Linus had to catch up and ruin his plans. Finally, he saw Nekt reaching out to a soldier, drawing his bow, and firing an arrow at supersonic speed.

"You're already here!?"

Nekt, surprised, "connected" and transferred to another location. The arrow he had fired embedded itself in an empty wall. The soldier who had been caught in the sudden event was stunned but seemed unharmed. His life had been saved. Linus passed by him and continued his pursuit of Nekt.

"You're underestimating me, boy!"

"Tch!"

Nekt tried to escape by continuous transfer. Linus, running and closing the gap, pursued him. The chase was going in Linus's favor, but at a certain point, Nekt stopped.

"I was planning to lead you here more easily."

He said this with a tired voice. Linus responded irritably.

"I was planning to stop you before you reached your destination."

In the end, they had reached this place as planned.

"So, what is this place?"

"The place where you have to fight someone."

"…One of the infants?"

"Exactly. You can't just leave it, can you, knowing it's here?"

If he had ignored it, it would have gained more power. Why had Nekt deliberately led him here? Linus glared at him.

"I have someone I want to settle things with before I die. I can't afford to fight you."

"Flam?"

"No, Gadio Raskutt. I was dealt a severe blow by him in our first encounter, and I want a rematch."

He had not forgotten the painful blow he had received in the battle over the ink. Although he had lost then, he was confident that he could overwhelm him with his second core. The feeling of superiority he would gain by defeating a once-defeated opponent and transforming into a monster was a good end, he thought.

"What if I don't let you go?"

Saying this, Linus drew his bow. Nekt, on the other hand, seemed relaxed.

"It won't work. Let me tell you, 'Third Generation' can be even worse than us without their rationality."

"So what—"

His words were cut off. A strange, pungent smell carried on the wind. Looking in the direction of the wind, he saw a house that stood out. It was a large building in the western district, perhaps a merchant's warehouse. However, what was strange was that soldiers were standing around it. Why were there so many soldiers only around that house? As Linus looked puzzled, Nekt smiled.

"You can't just ignore it. And once they notice your hostility, you won't be able to escape easily."

The soldiers turned to face Linus. Their lifeless eyes made him feel a chill. They were clearly not in their right minds, controlled by something—probably the infant. Two soldiers drew their swords from their belts, faced each other, and simultaneously raised and swung them, cutting each other from the top of their heads to their crotches. The bodies of the soldiers who had been cut open split open, and dozens of babies about ten centimeters long crawled out, using their hands and feet to crawl on the cobblestones and even on the walls, defying gravity, moving towards Linus. The scene reminded him of the birth of insects, and he instinctively knew that they had to be killed. He immediately fired an arrow. The arrow exploded mid-air, and multiple fragments rained down like meteors. Each fragment, imbued with wind magic, exploded on impact, creating a localized storm that destroyed the infants, scattering blood and their contents. The grotesque miniatures, intricately crafted, made even Linus, a seasoned adventurer, feel a sense of revulsion.

"Well, good luck."

With that, Nekt left. As he had said, Linus could not ignore them.

"Damn, damn, damn!"

The soldiers continued to cut each other, and more infants emerged from inside. Linus, in a fit of rage, fired multiple arrows, slaughtering them. Fortunately, each one was not very strong, so he could deal with them relatively easily, but the mental strain was immense. The situation was too grotesque.

"Anything goes, huh...!"

Linus approached the fallen soldiers and the dismembered bodies. They were no longer moving. The objects, whose purpose was unclear, seemed to have a will that deliberately defiled humanity. He stood in front of the entrance to the warehouse that the soldiers had surrounded. The pungent smell was coming from inside.

"I can't just leave it, can I..."

Determined, he took a step back from the wooden, double doors and drew his bow. He concentrated his mind, channeled his magic, and fired with maximum power, breaking through the door and the wall. Wood and dust scattered, and through the opening, he saw half the face of a giant infant, damaged by the shockwave. Despite the large hole, he could not see the entire face. The face, injured by Linus's arrow, writhed, and from inside, a large number of small infants, like maggots, crawled out.

"Again with this pattern