Many bodies lay there in the depths of the bomb's destruction.
"Do you think they're all dead?"
Shafy leaned forward slightly on her overboard. Her foot touched the ground.
She walked among two or three bodies to confirm Rouma's words.
"Yeah, definitely dead."
A man struggled to his feet.
"Tech-Devils… I'll ki—"
He coughed up a clot of blood.
Suddenly, he was lifted into the air, caught by a robotic arm that had emerged from the girl's overboard.
"Give me one good reason not to decapitate you right now, you filthy vermin."
The man swayed, laughing in the face of the situation.
"If you kill me, Tech-Devils, you'll never learn the truth about your power and abilities, about your origin—about what you truly are."
What she was. She had always known that something was inside her—something indescribable. But what?
Her father always told her:
"Shafy, you are so special. Life will not be kind to you in the future, but you will be a gift to the lives of others."
No. She couldn't waver now.
"Who said I wanted to know any of that? You think you're clever, but you're just a fool."
Shafy looked at him, amusement flickering on her face.
The man had forgotten something crucial.
"You took the northern road, and that leads to only one neighboring city," Rouma said with confidence.
"And that city is Luxmaners. Our city is surrounded by a magical wall because it's a peninsula. So, whether you cooperate or not, we will kill you. But if you talk, we'll leave you here. Choose your fate!"
The man looked at her and smiled.
She was right.
"I suspected from the start that you weren't ordinary. The Master spoke of you as if you were dangerous… or deadly. And now, here I see a frail girl, but with immense power."
The man sighed and looked at Shafy.
"Alright, I'll tell you everything."
Shafy remained skeptical. It was too easy.
There had to be a catch. Or was she just imagining things?
"Why do you call me Tech-Devils? What is that name? And why are you searching for me, even if it means destroying an entire city?"
The man looked at her, then at the sky. He fixed his gaze there for a long moment before finally speaking.
"The wind blows north. Go to the city of Luxmaners. Seek out the witch with diamond eyes—she is the Oracle of the Tech-Devils."
The sky darkened, and the wind howled as if it were screaming.
"Woe unto you, woe unto you! Death and eternal torment are your fate! Victorius has betrayed the Devil's son! Victorius shall perish in hell!"
A chasm opened beneath the man's feet.
Long, forked hands grasped Victorius, still held by the robotic arm, and violently tore him in two in one swift motion.
His scream of agony was chilling.
The hands seized the pieces of his body, shredding them with terrifying speed. No blood, no lymph—just scraps, as if the man had been made of paper.
In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal.
Shafy stood there, eyes wide. It had all happened so fast. No one had even moved.
"Shafy, what do we do now? Our only source of information has been destroyed. What now?"
"Rouma, we're going to Luxmaners."
"Do you really believe him?"
"We have no choice. And besides, we have nothing to lose."
"Alright… but first..."
Rouma pulled out a grimoire.
"This will be useful. The road ahead is long and full of obstacles, but know that I will always be by your side. No matter the trials, I will walk with you until you regain your true strength."
She would hold onto those words forever.
Shafy recognized the book. She looked at her friend and smiled.
"You've always been there. Thank you. You are a true friend. When everything was dark, you were the light that reminded me that dawn always comes."
She looked at her friend. He looked back. They exchanged a smile and clasped hands.
They raised their hands and snapped their fingers in unison.
With a roar, a futuristic-looking car materialized.
"Great minds think alike."
They both climbed inside.
"Hello. Where would you like to go?"
"Luxmaners, here we come."