'Should I just leave Jarilo-VI?' This was Topaz's first thought. She was merely a debt collector driven by personal interest, after all. While Belobog's debts were substantial, she certainly wasn't willing to risk her life for them.
The terrifying earthquakes continued unabated. Around Topaz, buildings crumbled one after another, and pitch-black fissures split the ground, reaching deep into the planet's core—straight to the Underworld…
"Everyone, evacuate immediately! The Wildfire will hold the line here!" Seele darted through the crowd, guiding the panicking residents to safety while keeping a firm grip on her scythe. Her sharp gaze swept across the area, as though she were wary of something lurking in the shadows.
The Underworld was incomparable to the relatively well-supplied Overworld. The scarcity of resources had bred deceit and treachery among its inhabitants—put simply, their moral standards were far lower.
Sayings like "Poverty does not diminish one's ambition"? Well… they were nothing more than empty words to be taken with a grain of salt.
When survival itself became a struggle, a luxury beyond reach, all such noble ideals turned into mere jokes. This was precisely why Seele had to maintain order amidst the chaos.
"Look out—Hah!" Seele blurred into motion, her scythe flashing as she shattered falling debris into dust. After confirming the area was safe, the girl resumed her duties without pause.
But even for someone as battle-hardened as Seele, repeated rescues gradually took their toll, and she began to feel her stamina waning.
"Huff… What the hell is going on? Did those Overworld bastards decide to wipe out the Underworld or something?"
Meanwhile…
Feeling the tremors beneath his feet and watching the frantic crowds scrambling for safety, Yun Fan couldn't help but frown as he stepped out of the Goethe Hotel and made his way through Rivet Town's streets.
"These two… they're going too far."
In Yun Fan's perception, two immense forces of the Path of Destruction were wreaking havoc across Belobog. It was the clash between these two powers that had brought about the current catastrophe.
Watching the Underworld residents flee in terror, Yun Fan sighed. So this is what they mean by 'When immortals fight, mortals suffer'?
"Still, I can't let you two keep this up. If this continues, Jarilo-VI might just be destroyed."
With a single thought from Yun Fan, a colossal figure slowly materialized in the void beyond Jarilo-VI—so vast it blotted out the sky.
At first glance, the figure appeared vividly clear, yet upon closer inspection, it seemed indistinct and blurred.
Witnessing this spectacle, the Overworld residents of Belobog shuddered, their faces filled with awe. Some even dropped to their knees in worship, murmuring prayers like, "O great deity, we beg you to save Belobog!"
"This… Why would an Aeon appear on such a backwater planet?" Topaz's mouth hung open in shock. As a high-ranking executive of the Interastral Peace Corporation, she had once been privileged enough to witness the Amber Lord building his walls. She had always considered it a rare honor.
Yet never had she imagined she would encounter an Aeon on Jarilo-VI—a planet long abandoned by the IPC. Moreover, this Aeon didn't resemble any of the known ones. Could it be… the enigmatic Aeon of Causality?
"An… Aeon?"
Aboard the Astral Express, Himeko's eyes widened as she stared at the distant, planet-spanning energy projection—one she had never seen before.
Among the Aeons whose forms remained unknown, aside from Equilibrium's HooH, Enigmata's Mythus, and Finality's Terminus, only the newly ascended Aeon of Causality fit the description.
Given the presence of an Emanator of Causality on this planet, Himeko leaned toward the latter possibility.
"Sigh…"
A soft sigh echoed in the ears of all living beings on Belobog. Instinctively, every creature—great and small—lifted their heads, gazing toward the majestic presence. Even in the lightless depths of the Underworld, the people felt an inexplicable pull, turning their eyes toward the direction of the figure.
As the sigh faded, the earthquake-shattered buildings and collapsed ground began to mend as though time itself were reversing. Even the injured found their wounds healing, their vigor restored in an instant.
Satisfied, the figure gave a faint nod before gradually dissipating.
"What a magnificent being… Wait! My camera?! Quick, I need to snap a picture! This is footage of an unknown Aeon! If I submit this to the Corporation, my bonus this month will double!" Snapping out of her daze, Topaz frantically rummaged through her storage space.
"Found it—Mmph!" Just as she pulled out her camera and adjusted the angle to take a few shots, a muscular arm suddenly reached from behind her, pressing a handkerchief over her mouth and nose.
"Mmmph—?!" Caught off-guard in her excitement, Topaz instinctively struggled, her ample chest heaving—though there was no one around to appreciate the sight.
Her resistance was futile. Within seconds, her limbs grew weak, her consciousness blurred, and her eyelids grew heavy.
'Anesthetic…' was her last thought before darkness claimed her.
"Thank the heavens, it worked on the first try." Old Sampo, who had been reluctantly tasked with Yun Fan's mission, let out a relieved sigh as he looked at the unconscious Topaz. Kidnapping was all about the element of surprise—and he only had one shot.
If he failed this time, the girl would undoubtedly be on high alert afterward, forcing him to resort to a direct confrontation.
"Heh, mission accomplished. Time to wrap up!" Sampo pulled out a rope from his pocket and swiftly bound Topaza into a tight bundle. As he finished, a sudden realization struck him—hadn't this girl been accompanied by an interdimensional warp trotter? Where had the little critter gone?
Right then—
Bang! Bang!
Two bullets whizzed through the air, striking the ground near Sampo's feet.
Looking up, he saw Bronya leading a squad of Silvermane Guards charging toward him—guided by none other than Topaz's missing warp trotter.
"Sampo Koski! Release your hostage at once!"