Lyriana stood calmly amid the chaos.
One arm held the artifact tightly against her side.
Her other hand remained slightly raised.
Her crimson eyes settled on Ryke.
"Keep it."
Ryke blinked.
"...What?"
Lyriana glanced toward the rifle lying on the ground.
"You'll need it another time."
Ryke stared at her for a moment.
Then, slowly, he lowered his pistol.
"So..."
He looked at her.
"You knew about it?"
Lyriana's expression didn't change.
"Did you really assume you could hide anything from us?"
Ryke's face twitched.
"Well..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"I was hoping."
"If you had any bad intentions toward His Highness..."
Lyriana's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...you would already be dead."
Ryke swallowed.
"And even if you did..."
Her gaze moved over him.
"...you're far too weak to be a threat."
Ryke stared at her.
He slowly lowered his shoulders.
"One more mouthful of spit won't make much of a difference at this point."
Lyriana ignored the remark.
Instead—
she turned toward the battlefield.
Pythia suddenly landed nearby.
**WHOOSH!**
Her feet touched the ground.
She immediately lowered her head.
"Lady Lyriana."
Lyriana glanced toward her.
Pythia continued.
"I failed to secure a spatial circle."
"I wasn't able to get the formation ready before the situation became chaotic."
Lyriana's expression remained calm.
"It doesn't matter."
Pythia raised her gaze.
"In this situation, there is little more you could have done."
She looked toward the damaged section of the port.
"The circle is still there."
Her crimson eyes became colder.
"And His Highness has awakened."
A faint pressure escaped from her body.
"Once the signal is given..."
"...he will be heading here."
Pythia's eyes widened slightly.
"So..."
Lyriana nodded.
"Before that happens..."
She slowly raised her free hand.
"...I'll secure it myself."
Mana surged around her arm.
**WHOOM!**
Blood began flowing from her mana.
It twisted through the air.
Then—
**SHRAAAK!**
The blood hardened.
Several dozen long crimson blades formed in the air around her.
Lyriana's gaze shifted toward the remaining mages and guards.
"Contact Vaelith."
Pythia immediately nodded.
"Yes, Lady Lyriana."
Lyriana's fingers moved slightly.
The crimson blades shot forward.
**SHRAAAAAK!**
They tore through the air toward the surrounding mages.
Several guards immediately raised their weapons.
"She's attacking!"
"Fire!"
**BANG! BANG!**
Bullets flew toward Lyriana.
The crimson blades moved first.
**CLANG! CLANG!**
They knocked the bullets aside.
The remaining blades continued forward.
The mages hurriedly raised their hands.
"Barrier!"
**WHOOM!**
A wall of mana appeared.
The crimson blades slammed into it.
**BOOOOM!**
The barrier trembled violently.
Then—
a second attack came from the opposite direction.
**SHRAK!**
A blade pierced through the barrier.
The mage's eyes widened.
"—!"
Before it could reach him—
**WHOOOOSH!**
A massive wall of water suddenly surged upward.
The crimson blade struck the water.
**SPLAAAASH!**
The attack was completely stopped.
Everyone froze.
A voice suddenly echoed through the port.
"You're just going to kill everybody the moment you arrive?"
The water continued swirling in the air.
"I guess vampires really are that bloodthirsty?"
Lyriana's eyes narrowed.
She slowly turned toward the source.
Two cloaked figures stepped into view.
They stood behind the wall of water.
Lyriana stared at them.
For a moment—
she said nothing.
Then her crimson eyes narrowed.
"So..."
Her gaze moved between the two.
"You followed me."
Illyria remained silent.
Hannah stood beside her, watching Lyriana carefully.
Lyriana's expression remained cold.
"I ignored that."
She slowly lowered her hand.
"But don't mistake that for tolerance."
Her eyes sharpened.
"If you intend to interfere with us..."
"...despite my warning..."
A faint killing intent spread from her body.
"I'll have no choice but to deal with you."
Silence filled the spatial port.
Ryke, who was standing several meters away, looked between the two groups.
*Who the hell are they?*
He glanced toward Pythia.
Even Pythia was staring at the two cloaked figures.
*Who are they...? Are they enemies?*
Her eyes narrowed.
*If they're enemies...*
*Then why aren't they attacking?*
The conversation continued.
Illyria slowly stepped forward.
"So..."
Her gaze remained fixed on Lyriana.
"You're willing to kill anyone who gets in your way?"
Lyriana didn't answer immediately.
Illyria glanced around the spatial port.
The destroyed floor.
The damaged walls.
The scattered bodies.
The shattered spatial formations.
Then—
she spoke calmly.
"Tell me something."
"There is only one thing that can be done here."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Transportation."
Ryke's expression changed slightly.
Illyria continued.
"And transportation works in two ways."
"Going..."
"...and coming."
Silence.
Pythia's eyes narrowed.
Ryke's gaze sharpened.
Lyriana remained expressionless.
Illyria continued.
"So which one is your objective?"
She paused.
Then—
her voice became certain.
"The latter."
"Escape."
She looked toward the spatial circle.
"That's the only reasonable answer in this situation."
Pythia stared at her.
*She figured it out?*
Ryke's expression also changed.
*Who are these people?*
He looked at Illyria again.
*They understood our entire plan just by looking at the port.*
Lyriana slowly turned toward Illyria.
"Since you now know our objective..."
Her crimson eyes became colder.
"...stop interfering."
Illyria shook her head.
"Sorry."
She smiled faintly.
"I can't do that."
Lyriana's expression darkened.
Illyria gestured toward the spatial circle.
"If that's your objective..."
"Go ahead."
"Why the killing?"
Lyriana stared at her.
For several seconds—
she said nothing.
Then—
"Are you naive?"
Illyria raised an eyebrow.
"Or can you simply not see what's right in front of you?"
Lyriana's voice remained calm.
"They chose to obstruct us."
Her eyes moved toward the guards.
"Therefore..."
"...they're obstacles."
She looked back at Illyria.
"And obstacles must be removed."
Illyria smiled.
"Naive?"
She shook her head.
"Trust me."
"I'm anything but that."
She stepped forward.
"What I'm saying is..."
"You should go ahead."
"Leave them to me."
Pythia's eyes narrowed.
"...What does that mean?"
She looked at Illyria carefully.
"What are your intentions?"
Illyria glanced toward Pythia.
Then—
she looked at Lyriana.
"My intentions?"
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"You see..."
She took another step forward.
"We seek to meet with Draven."
The moment she said his name—
Lyriana's expression changed.
Her crimson eyes became razor-sharp.
Ryke muttered under his breath.
*Draven... who the hell is that?*
Pythia's gaze also hardened.
Illyria continued.
"That's the reason we're here."
"We're not interested in your escape."
"We only want to meet him."
Lyriana stared at her.