Daiki and the Floriae guards pushed deep into the market's heart, cutting down anyone who stood in their way.
Chains clattered as cages burst open—creatures scrambled into the forest, some fleeing, some staying to claw at their captors in rage.
Ahrie stormed back again and again, dragging more enemies. He and his bald-headed goons pummeled them into the dirt, their laughter mixing with the sound of breaking bones.
At the front lines, Derimiel and his men held the enemy's main force, shields buckling, blades flashing, refusing to give an inch. Every second they bought meant another life freed.
Hours bled together in smoke and screams. The stalls lay in splinters, the tents in tatters.
Finally—whoosh—Amariel's smoke signal curled into the sky.
Derimiel caught sight of it through the haze. His eyes hardened.
"Our job's almost done! Hold out, everyone!" he roared.
A cheer answered back, ragged but fierce. They poured what little strength remained into the fight, forcing the enemy back with the last of their fury.
Ahrie got bored of the beating.
Daiki and Amariel hustled a bunch of freed people toward the escape route they'd set up.
From the back, Daiki shouted, "Who the fuck are those dudes?"
Ahrie, grinning, "Oh them? My pets."
Daiki stared at the four baldys, face going weird. He and Amariel exchanged a look.
Amariel shoved a handful of rough seeds into Daiki's hand. "Exploding ones," she said.
"A—are you sure?" Daiki whispered, wide-eyed.
Amariel nodded.
"Fuckk…" Daiki muttered, glancing over at Ahrie.
He jogged back to Ahrie and shoved the seeds at him. "Here."
Ahrie blinked. "What's this?"
"Bombs," Daiki said.
Ahrie's eyes went bright. He snatched the seeds like candy.
"Grab 'em fast," he said, hand already moving.
Daiki turned back to the crowd, waving. "Have fun, you fucking lunatic—"
THWANG.
Ahrie chucked a seed at Daiki's side.
BOOOM!
A blast rocked the air—Daiki yelped, spit dirt, spun around, and shot Ahrie the most offended middle finger in history.
"This fucker—hope you die here, goddamn you," he hissed.
Ahrie lost it, laughing so hard he doubled over.
Amariel snorted a little laugh too, trying not to smile.
The crowd was moving out.
Ahrie strolled back to the baldys. "Here," he said, handing each of them a seed.
They all stared at each other.
"…Uh," one muttered.
Then the others nodded.
Ahrie tilted his head, confused—
BOOOOOM!
All four lobbed their seeds straight at him.
"RUN FOR IT!"
"HAHA, SERVES YOU RIGHT!"
"REST IN PEACE!"
Three of them bolted. One stayed behind.
Ahrie lay sprawled, coughing through the blast.
The last baldy leaned over, spamming the fuck-you gesture at his face.
Then—Ahrie's hand started to glow.
The baldy froze mid-gesture.
Ahrie… punched himself in the face.
"Hey! Hey, he's hitting himself!" the baldy shouted, waving at the three who were still running.
They stopped dead, pointing and yelling warnings.
"What?" the baldy yelled back. "Yeah, I know—he's going craz—iiiooouckk—"
Ahrie's hand clamped around his neck.
Sweat poured down his bald head.
Ahrie pried open his jaw, shoved a seed inside, and whispered, voice low and creepy:
"Ita…daki…masu…"
I'm fucked. I'm fucked. I'm fuc—
The baldy's eyes rolled back. Smoke hissed out his nose and mouth as the seed
ignited—not with a boom, but with a weak pfff.
He collapsed.
Ahrie blinked, confused. "…Huh? Not a bomb?"
He dug through the seeds, tossing aside the duds. Then his eyes locked on the three
who'd frozen far away.
A grin spread across his face. Tongue lolling, eyes wild.
He sprinted. Faster than hell. Straight at them.
"AHHHH! HELP!" the three baldys screamed.
BOOOOM!
An explosion tore up the ground beside them.
Ahrie was tossing seeds one after another as he sprinted, laughter shrieking through the smoke.
"Keeeeee-keeeeee-keeeeeek!"
"…Sir," one of Derimiel's men muttered, wide-eyed.
"What?" Derimiel asked—then the ground shook with a string of blasts.
Through the firelight, they saw Ahrie, hurling bomb seeds like candy, tearing everything apart in his path.
"It's Ahrie, sir…" the man said, almost nervous.
Derimiel's lips curved. A short laugh broke out. "That guy… he really went crazy on them."
He raised his sword, signaling the retreat.
"Let's move out."
Behind them, the black market burned to the ground.
Every cage smashed, every captive freed.
The rescue mission—
a success.
Meanwhile…
Luar, the boss, and his crew reached a Floriae village.
"We're rich… hehehe," one of his men muttered.
"Start capturing them," the boss ordered coldly.
They surged into the village. Chaos erupted—some torched houses while others dragged away the small ones.
"Kill anyone who resists."
The elder slammed his cane on the ground. "Tch… damn it."
"What do we do now?" someone asked, panicked.
"We can't fight them head on. Our main force isn't here." The elder's face hardened. "Escape. That's our only option. Lead them out—some of us will buy time."
The elder mounted his wolf and rode straight toward the invaders.
From a burned house came the muffled sound of sobbing.
Children, hidden inside a drawer, trembling.
"Wheeeere are youuuuu…" a man's sing-song voice slithered through the smoke.
He yanked the drawer open.
"THEEERE YOU AREEE."
The children screamed. Rough hands dragged them out.
"RUN! I'll hold them off!" a Floriae man roared—
SLASH!
Blood sprayed as the boss's blade cut him down.
"…Who's holding who?" the boss sneered.
The elder arrived at the scene.
Corpses of his people scattered the ground. Others chained and dragged off.
Flames devoured homes.
The once-peaceful village was being erased… just like their kingdom had been.
The elder clenched his fist, teeth grinding.
He raised his cane—shhhk—a hidden blade sliding free.
[Enfluer!]
A violent gust roared out, hurling dust and debris. The ground itself quaked.
From a distance, the boss squinted.
Luar gave a low whistle. "That's one big wolf."
The elder charged, wolf tearing through men at his side.
He drove his sword straight for the boss's head.
CLANG!
The boss caught the thrust in the curve of his axe. He twisted, trying to wrench it free.
But the elder spun with the motion, landing lightly and resetting his stance.
"…Not bad, old man," the boss muttered, grinning.
Steel rang out again and again, strikes so fast the eye could barely follow.
Meanwhile, the elder's wolf fought a swarm of men. For every raider it crushed, two more came. The beast's movements slowed, its sides heaving. The elder's breathing grew ragged as well.
"Tch…" The elder's jaw locked, forcing himself to endure.
Outside the black market—
Ahrie strolled up, bruised and battered.
"Yooo."
Daiki snorted at the sight of him. "Hah. You look like hell, madman."
Derimiel stood apart, scanning the rescued crowd. His eyes darted from face to face…
No sign of his siblings.
His chest sank.
Maybe they were sold off earlier…
"If so… the nearest hub is Glimmerfen." Amariel's voice was soft.
Derimiel exhaled, steadying himself. "…Thanks."
He turned, voice firm. "I'll head there now. Princess Riel—please guide them back."
Amariel nodded.
"Daiki. Ahrie. Help Derimiel."
Daiki dipped his head. "Got it."
"Wait—hold up. My job's done." Ahrie raised a hand, annoyed.
Amariel sighed. "…I'll pay you extra."
Ahrie's face lit up with a grin. "Now that… is how you speak my language, Lady Riel."
"This damn capitalist…" Daiki muttered, grabbing Ahrie by the collar and dragging him after Derimiel.
Amariel led the survivors back toward safety, while Derimiel, Daiki, and Ahrie broke off—headed for Glimmerfen.