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"Kaiulani Aunt can't be revived with the Ode of Resurrection?"
"Does that mean..."
Mualani's voice trembled slightly, her face as if shrouded in a layer of gloom, unwilling to voice her guess.
"It seems Kaiulani's battle with the Abyss monsters can't count as a Night Warden War, so she can't be revived with the Ode of Resurrection like in the past."
After Kinich analyzed the situation in a low voice, he comforted the girl beside him. "Mualani, my condolences. Kaiulani died protecting her companions—she is a hero beyond doubt."
Mualani and Kaiulani both belonged to the People of the Springs, and they had known each other for a long time.
Learning of her companion's death, Mualani must be very heartbroken.
"Mualani..."
Kachina lifted her head, looking at her friend with worry and concern.
"I... I'm fine."
Mualani shook her head; that face which always overflowed with brilliant smiles now was filled with sorrow. "It's just... I need a little time to recover."
Paimon nearby also drooped her brows, feeling somewhat sad.
She looked toward the Traveler, hoping the other had a way to comfort her.
But the Traveler merely shook her head silently.
Just as they had heard when they first arrived in Natlan, Natlan people often battled Abyss monsters, and casualties occurred from time to time.
Even on their way to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, they had encountered an attack from Abyss monsters.
But at that time, with the Pyro Archon providing protection, they hadn't felt how severely Natlan was afflicted by the Abyss.
Only now, with Kaiulani—who had been standing together with them not long ago—dead, could the Traveler slightly understand the weight that Natlan people had borne for so many years.
"Sigh..."
"It seems it's because the Night Warden Wars weren't held, so Kaiulani can't be revived with the Ode of Resurrection."
After the initial shock, the other people in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame gradually reached the same conclusion as Kinich.
Otherwise, after chanting the Ode of Resurrection, why wouldn't Lord Pyro Archon be able to bring Kaiulani back from the Night Kingdom?
Just as the people of Natlan were preparing to accept that Kaiulani couldn't be revived, two discordant voices abruptly rang out.
"If you ask me, Kaiulani can't be revived not because the Night Warden Wars weren't held."
"It's clearly because she used despicable means in the team competition of the Pilgrimage of the Returning Flame on the Sacred Night and didn't receive the Wayob's acknowledgment."
"So she doesn't deserve to be revived at all!"
The ones who spoke were Tepetapán from the People of the Springs and Tamuyin from the Scions of the Canopy.
"Huh, they look a bit familiar?" Paimon furrowed her brows, feeling the two who spoke seemed familiar, but for the moment couldn't recall where she had seen them.
"Before the individual matches of the Pilgrimage of the Returning Flame on the Sacred Night started, two people said they were ambushed by Kaiulani and wanted to gain a chance to participate in the individual matches through a duel."
Kinich's gaze turned toward them. "After losing the match and refusing to accept the facts, they still have to show their ugly side in this kind of occasion—truly unsightly."
"What they said is too much!" Mualani suddenly lifted her head, anger blazing in her eyes as she glared fiercely at the two.
If they dared to slander Kaiulani one more time, she would absolutely rush up and beat them flying.
[These two guys are too evil, right?]
[Isn't Natlan full of warriors everywhere? How are there still these two scumbags?]
[Kaiulani just died, and they're saying bad things about her here—these two must be the only ones in their family portraits, huh?]
[Damn, I really want to beat these two up.]
[Kaiulani is a warrior who sacrificed herself to protect her teammates, yet these two are still condemning her over the team competition—truly insane!]
The ones feeling anger weren't just Mualani and the others; even the players currently going through the story were furious, itching to give these two a thorough beating.
"Everyone, don't think we're just talking nonsense!" Tepetapán shouted loudly. "Lord Pyro Archon organized us to come here and chant the Ode of Resurrection, so he must believe that Kaiulani's fight was a Night Warden War that could be revived with the Ode of Resurrection."
"Now that the Ode of Resurrection had no effect, it must be that Kaiulani herself has a problem!"
Tamuyin also chimed in agreement.
Hearing their words, the people in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame involuntarily shifted their gazes, looking toward the young Pyro Archon beside the Sacred Flame.
It wasn't because they agreed with their slander against Kaiulani.
It was just that they felt Lord Pyro Archon must have been certain the Ode of Resurrection could revive Kaiulani before calling everyone over.
Mavuika, who was acting as commander in the competition venue, seeing this, slightly furrowed her brows.
"There might be some issue with the Night Kingdom, causing the Ode of Resurrection to lose its effect."
"Rios might be concerned that saying these things out would cause panic among the people, so he didn't mention it."
"That means I need to shoulder the responsibility."
Mavuika's thought was to speak up herself, saying that gathering everyone was entirely her idea.
It was she who had misinterpreted Lord Pyro Archon's orders, mistakenly treating Kaiulani's encounter as something similar to a Night Warden War, leading to the Ode of Resurrection not working.
In this way, all the mistakes would be borne by her, Mavuika; as the Pyro Archon, Rios would bear no responsibility and wouldn't need to explain anything.
"Actually..."
Mavuika was about to open her mouth and take all the responsibility onto herself.
But at that moment, she noticed the young Pyro Archon standing beside the Sacred Flame had vanished from his spot.
"Did Rios run away?"
"No, he wouldn't evade it!"
Mavuika's gaze quickly swept over the arena, and soon she spotted Rios's figure appearing behind the two who had just been shouting.
The two who had been loudly slandering Kaiulani moments ago still hadn't noticed.
When they saw Rios disappear from beside the Sacred Flame, they widened their eyes in surprise, wondering why Lord Pyro Archon had left.
It wasn't until a bone-chilling cold crept up their backs that they realized something terrifying had appeared behind them.
When they turned their heads, they were so frightened by the figure standing behind them that their hearts nearly stopped. "P-Pyro Archon!"
"Get down." Rios's face showed no emotion; he merely said it lightly, and the two flew backward as if struck heavily, crashing heavily into the arena.
The next moment, Rios's figure was already standing atop the arena.
The people in the spectator seats, seeing this scene, instantly knew what their Pyro Archon was about to do.
"Lord Pyro Archon, what are you doing?"
Tepetapán and Tamuyin were warriors after all; after falling from a height, they could still struggle to stand up.
Seeing Lord Pyro Archon looking over with icy cold eyes, the two immediately realized what was about to happen next, and their moods plummeted to the bottom.