"Do you really think you can accomplish anything on your own? In this place, a legend is nothing more than a delicacy that anyone can taste," said one of the Ten Shadows, the one with the most strikingly handsome face. He stepped forward with the elegance of a nobleman, yet the aura surrounding him felt heavy enough to crush bones.
Tiger remained unmoved. He spun the blade of Void Fang, letting the mechanical whir of his sword blend with the hiss of the scorching wind.
"Then by all means, try to taste me," Tiger retorted, his voice flat but laced with an undeniable threat. "But be careful. Sometimes, the food you assume is delicious turns out to be a poison that ends your life before you can even swallow it."
The Handsome One chuckled—a melodious yet hollow sound. He raised a single hand, and instantly, the air surrounding Tiger began to boil. The gravitational pressure that had previously glowed with a blue mana suddenly shifted into a burden of thousands of tons, slamming heavily onto Tiger's shoulders.
"Arrogant," The Handsome One hissed. "Let us see just how well the bones of a legend can withstand the weight of our authority."
BOOM!
Without warning, Tiger didn't wait for the attack to fully manifest. He exploded forward, slicing through the heavy gravity with a speed that defied the human eye. His target wasn't The Handsome One, but Black.
Tiger knew that trapped within the encirclement of these ten demons, Black was both his shield and his key to information. Tiger grabbed Black by the collar, lifting the wretched man's body like a sack of wheat while moving in a frantic zig-zag pattern to evade the invisible strikes raining down upon the ground.
The Ten Shadows began to move in unison. They were no longer merely standing; they danced within the smoke, closing in on Tiger from every conceivable angle. This was no longer just an interrogation. This was a dance of death in the pits of hell.
Tiger leaped.
His body launched into the air, cutting through the billowing black smoke like a ghostly phantom. However, he didn't jump to escape. With a brutal jerk of his arm, he pulled the chain connected to Void Fang, causing the serrated blade to revolve in a massive horizontal radius mid-air.
"Lina! If you're just here to watch, you better leave before I level this entire place!" Tiger shouted without turning around, his instincts detecting Lina, who was still hiding beneath a ragged cloak among the crowd.
Hearing her name bellowed out, the figure in the ragged cloak gasped. She threw back her hood, letting her hair—a stark contrast to the darkness of the Abyss—unfurl for a brief moment. A thin smirk played on her calm face.
"You really never change, Tiger. Always making an unnecessary scene," Lina called back. Her voice was crystal clear, cutting right through the noise of machinery and explosions.
Without waiting for a second command, Lina moved. The orange glow across her body—the effect of her special second-skin suit—exploded, unleashing a heatwave that warped The Handsome One's gravitational pressure. She launched herself like a bullet of light straight toward the center of the swirling smoke.
"Don't you dare expect me to help you for free!" she added as she delivered an energy-infused kick toward one of the shadows attempting to close in on Tiger.
Tiger grunted, his feet slamming onto the debris with a loud thud. "Just bill it to Lion... if we make it out of here alive!"
Now, in the heart of Glosum's Maw's living hell, two legends stood side by side. The Ten Shadows began to tighten their formation, realizing that their prey had just multiplied by one, and this new poison was far more lethal.
"How dare these petty rats interfere in our affairs!" roared The Handsome One. He slammed his hand downward, attempting to pin Lina's movements with a Gravity Well.
But Lina was no ordinary prey. Mid-flight, she executed an artistic aerial twist, leaving a trail of orange fire that incinerated the remaining oxygen around the shadow.
"Tiger! Take the left side!" Lina yelled.
Tiger didn't bother replying with words. He merely let out a low growl, using the momentum of Lina's energy blast to hurtle forward. With Black still slung over his shoulder, Tiger swung Void Fang with absolute force. The sword's chain extended, sweeping through the left flank like a colossal whip ready to sever anything in its path.
CLANG!
The collision between Tiger's blade and the energy shield of one of the shadows unleashed a shockwave that crumbled the surviving walls of Glosum's Maw.
Now, the focus of the Ten Shadows was fractured. Those who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago were beginning to find themselves overwhelmed by the combination of Tiger's brutal strength and Lina's light-speed agility.
Yet, the sounds of clashing blades and the choking smoke outside never penetrated the isolation room where Amae was being treated. Thanks to the medicine provided by Scarlett, Amae had successfully passed her critical state.
"I'm sorry, children, I must leave," Scarlett whispered softly, gently caressing Meyra's head before moving to Zilla. "I have administered treatment to Amae and Meyra. Remember, even though their external wounds have healed, their internal state is still fragile. Do not let them engage in heavy training just yet."
Scarlett stepped toward the door, but her legs suddenly grew rigid as her gaze locked with Nugia's. The boy's words echoed in her mind once more, piercing her conscience like a surgical needle: "Abandonment is a dead hope. You must be brave, Lady. Do not let your sacrifice be in vain."
Scarlett froze, her hand tightening around the doorknob. A suffocating question swelled within her mind: Sacrifice? Did that boy mean... my biological daughter?
Scarlett walked away without casting a single glance toward Snake, who stood just outside the door. Down the long corridor leading to the exit, each of her footsteps echoed, synchronized with the increasingly erratic beating of her heart. Her mind was in turmoil, haunted by a single, impossible alternative.
"How could Nugia possibly be referring to Ariella?" she murmured inwardly, her eyes staring blankly at the far end of the hallway. "How could a child his age know? Even within PETERUMMAN, only a select few are aware of our blood relation."
The air in the corridor suddenly felt thin. Scarlett felt as though the walls of this mansion were watching her, whispering the secrets she had buried deep beneath layers of medical oaths and betrayal. If Nugia knew, then the abandonment she had maintained for so long had already leaked.
The hope she had presumed dead was now beginning to crawl back, bringing an onslaught far more terrifying than the ten shadows waiting outside.