"A child!?"
'To drag even a small child into this...!'
"Drop the knife! You mustn't fight!"
Ardee's gentle plea rang out, and the Astraea Familia was consumed with rage toward the Evils for forcing a child onto the battlefield.
However, Lyra sensed an ill omen. It was the same for Akumo and Shakti, who were watching Valetta's meaningful smirk.
"Shakti!! Hold her for a moment!"
"Understood!"
Clang—!!!!
"Keke! Well, give it your best shot!"
Valetta seemed pleased, satisfied that Akumo had vacated his position, and immediately began engaging Shakti as she blocked her path.
"I won't hurt you, so come this way!"
"Ardee!!!! Stop!!"
Thud—!
Akumo blocked Ardee as she tried to approach the child, forcing a distance between them.
"Akumo!? What are you doing all of a sudden!"
"Think rationally. The Evils are the ones who put a knife in that child's hand. It wouldn't be strange if they hid something else!"
"But...!"
Ardee's heart continued to waver despite Akumo's words, driven by her desire to save the child before her.
"They're just a child, Akumo!"
"Saving them can wait until after we've dealt with 'The Murderer'!"
Their ideologies clashed, and the other adventurers present became victims to the debate, hesitation clouding their resolve.
"God... please..."
In that moment, a pathetic voice leaked from the child's mouth. Ardee, with eyes full of conviction, decided to save the child. However, those eyes... failed to see Valetta's wicked gaze.
"Everyone, swarm that bastard!!!"
As Ardee approached the child, Valetta screamed to capitalize on the opening. The robed figures behind her all began rushing toward the two. Flustered, Ardee gripped her sword, but—
"Mom, Dad, please let me see them again..."
At the child's words, she couldn't bring herself to draw her blade. She could only stare as the child pressed a switch hidden within their clothes.
KABOOM!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive explosion tore through the surroundings with a deafening roar. Everyone who witnessed the scene felt their thoughts grind to a halt.
".....Eh?"
"No way..."
"Is it..."
"A suicide bomb...?"
"...Ardee?"
The sight of Akumo and Ardee swallowed by the blast left everyone dazed. Shakti, who had been engaging Valetta, inevitably left an opening. Valetta did not miss it, plunging her blade into Shakti's abdomen with a sadistic cackle.
"You're wide open!!!!"
Squeltch—!!
"Hahaha!!!!! You idiots!"
Amidst the smoke of the explosion, Ardee slowly opened her eyes, trying to process the chaotic situation.
"Akumo...?"
Before her eyes was Akumo, who had shielded her by absorbing the entire force of the blast.
"Ardee..."
"Akumo...! Are you alright!?"
Ardee's eyes trembled violently as she checked his condition. However, Akumo couldn't focus on the scorching heat radiating from his back.
Patter-patter—!!
"Hnngh...!!"
Seeing more suicide bombers rushing toward them through the smoke, Akumo made a split-second decision. He grabbed Ardee's arm and threw her a great distance away.
"....!!!"
'N-No...!!'
"AKUMO!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ardee saw the countless figures closing in behind Akumo as she was thrown. She shrieked at the despairing sight, but she was already hurtling out of the smoke.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!
"....A... Aku... mo...."
Step, step—
"What's this? You're still alive?"
"....."
"Regardless, with an explosion of that magnitude, that bastard must be well and truly dead, right? Kyahaha!!!!!"
The combined detonation of dozens of bombs had enveloped Akumo, shaking the very foundation of the building. Ardee stared, her body frozen and unable to move.
Valetta, mocking her, raised her sword above her head to deliver a finishing blow.
Clang—!!!
"Tch! Still hanging on?"
"Urgh...!! Ardee! Get a hold of yourself!!!!!!"
Ardee's sister, Shakti Varma of the Ganesha Familia, intercepted Valetta's strike despite her own injuries. Behind her, the members of the Astraea Familia charged at Valetta, their eyes burning with fury.
"You goddamned piece of SHIT!!!!!!!!"
Boom—!!!!
Lyra's rage-filled attack was intercepted by another suicide bomber charging at her.
"What the hell was that explosion!?"
"These bastards... they're suicide bombers!!!!"
The other adventurers, seeing a horde of Evils detonate themselves around Akumo, were horrified. They immediately began trying to create distance, but several more explosions erupted from the remaining suicide bombers, throwing the battlefield into instant carnage.
"Goodbye, dear adventurers. Hope you rot!"
Rumble—!!
"It's collapsing!!! Everyone out, now!!"
"I know! Wait... Ardee! Stop!"
"Don't be a fool, don't go back in there!"
Driven by shock, Ardee began frantically crawling toward the epicenter of the blast where Akumo had been swallowed.
"Akumo is still...!"
"....Ardee! Get a grip!"
"Ardee..."
With a hollow expression, Ardee called out Akumo's name, pleading with her comrades. But the site was already buried under tons of debris. There was no hope of survival, nor any hope of finding him in time.
"Sister..! Please... Akumo..."
Grit—!!
"Dammit... Everyone, withdraw!!!!"
"Sister!! Please..!!"
"I'm sorry...!"
"AKUMO!!!!!!!!!"
Shakti clenched her teeth, threw Ardee over her shoulder, and rushed out of the building. Leaving Ardee's desperate screams behind, they escaped just in time.
Rumble—!!!!
Simultaneously, the building collapsed as a massive chain of explosions began.
KABOOM—!!!!
The force reached all the way to Loki and the other adventurers who were monitoring the status of the front lines.
"Whaye's that!? That explosion...!!"
"L-Loki! Explosions are erupting in the city and—"
"Ye're tellin' me it's comin' from the base Finn and the others were hittin'!?"
"....No, Goddess..."
"Raul...?"
"It's not just that one base..."
Loki finally grasped the meaning of Raul's words, her eyes widening in shock. Before she could utter another word, more explosions thundered in the distance.
KABOOM—!!!!!!!
Rumble—!!!!
Consecutive explosions rippled throughout the city as various strongholds began to crumble. These pillars of smoke served as a beacon, signaling the beginning of an absolute nightmare.
"Their target is... the city itself?"
Following Asfi's observation, Orario was plunged into chaos. With the signals of the explosions, the hidden Evils emerged from the shadows, beginning their indiscriminate slaughter of the populace.
"Nngh....!!"
'It hurts....'
Buried under the wreckage, Akumo checked his body, only to realize he couldn't move a single muscle.
"Ah... damn it."
'Suicide attacks using fire stones.... These godforsaken Evils...'
"I can't... I can't go down here...."
Within his fading consciousness, the faces of those he had connected with flickered by. The Loki Familia, who had accepted him despite his ambiguous position; the Freya and Hephaestus Familias, and many others who had assisted him.
In his years as an adventurer in Orario, he had built various bonds. The Astraea Familia, whom he had fought alongside, was one of them.
'But... if this is how it ends....'
"...."
"As if I'd let that happen....!"
'What do you mean, "this is how it ends"? The conflict hasn't even finished, and to make matters worse....'
"Zard, Alfia... Is this really what you wanted....?"
Akumo's breathing began to slow. The vibrations he felt from the outside world proved that the conflict was far from over—in fact, it was escalating. That horrific reality set a fire in Akumo's heart.
"Damn it....!"
Thump—
Thump—!
THUMP—!!
Slamming his head against the debris in frustration, Akumo could not suppress the rage, despair, sorrow, and indignation surging within him.
"Who says this is where it ends...!"
"I'm so goddamn angry... I want to ask those who chose this path exactly why they did it...!"
"More than anything... I'm angry at my own hesitation..."
'It's pathetic. Telling Ardee to stay sharp when I was the one wavering....'
Slowly—
'My eyes... are closing....'
At the moment his death seemed certain.
Once again, his soul began to answer.