Pythia remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"...But just standing here and doing nothing won't help either."
Ryke immediately nodded.
"Yeah."
"...That's what I'm saying."
**BOOOOOOM—!!**
A violent shockwave suddenly swept through the street.
The ground shook violently beneath their feet.
Dust and debris were thrown into the air, scattering across the abandoned road.
Kaelira staggered.
Ryke stumbled backward, barely managing to keep his balance.
Pythia remained standing, though the force of the blast sent her cloak billowing behind her.
A few moments later—
the shaking finally subsided.
Dust slowly settled around them.
Kaelira looked toward the direction of the explosion.
"...What was that?"
Ryke immediately looked at her.
"...See?"
"...This is exactly what I was talking about!"
He pointed toward the distant battlefield.
"...We shouldn't be here!"
"...That thing is fighting, the military is attacking it, and the entire area is shaking just from their battle!"
Kaelira frowned.
"...Can you shut up?"
Ryke's mouth twitched.
"...I'm just saying—"
"...Shut up."
Kaelira turned her attention toward the direction from which the shockwave had come.
Her ears twitched.
Something was happening over there.
Without saying anything else—
she suddenly moved.
Kaelira leapt forward.
Her foot struck the wall of a nearby house.
She pushed off.
Then—
**BOOM!**
She launched herself upward again.
A moment later—
she landed on the rooftop.
Kaelira straightened and immediately looked toward the battlefield.
Several military airships were visible in the sky.
Smoke still lingered over the distant ruins.
Kaelira narrowed her eyes.
"...It looks like the military killed it."
The airships remained hovering above the battlefield.
The explosion had clearly come from their direction.
Kaelira watched for another moment.
"...So maybe..."
She suddenly stopped.
Her gaze shifted.
The enormous hole in the earth was still there.
Something moved inside it.
Kaelira's eyes widened.
"...Wait."
A massive claw emerged from the darkness.
The creature slowly pulled itself upward.
Kaelira stared.
"...Another one..."
Her ears flattened.
"...But another one just crawled out."
Behind the first creature—
another massive silhouette could be seen moving within the hole.
Kaelira's expression changed.
"...They're coming from there?"
Pythia suddenly appeared beside her.
She landed gently on the rooftop.
"...What did you see?"
Kaelira pointed toward the crater.
"...Look."
Pythia's gaze immediately locked onto the enormous hole.
Her eyes began glowing with mana as she examined the area.
She remained silent for several moments.
Then—
"...So that's how they're getting out."
Kaelira looked at her.
"...What?"
Pythia continued watching the crater.
"...An entrance was opened."
Her eyes narrowed.
"...The Rift Breakers created a path out from the ruins."
She gestured toward the enormous hole.
"...That opening leads directly into the city."
Kaelira stared at the creatures climbing through it.
"...They're using it to get out."
Pythia nodded.
"...Yes."
"...They're crawling through the opening one after another."
Kaelira's expression slowly hardened.
"...Then that means..."
Her gaze remained fixed on the hole.
"...They can keep coming."
Pythia's eyes narrowed.
"...Yes."
"...As long as that opening remains..."
She paused.
"...There is nothing preventing more of them from emerging."
Ryke finally reached the rooftop.
He grabbed the edge and pulled himself up.
"...Haa..."
He took a moment to catch his breath before finally standing.
"...So..."
He looked around.
"...What are you two doing up here?"
He walked closer.
"...What are you looking at?"
Following their gazes—
his eyes narrowed.
Ryke's expression changed.
He immediately released mana into his eyes.
His vision sharpened.
Then—
his face froze.
"...What?"
He stared toward the distant crater.
"...There are two of them now."
His expression tightened.
"...Crap."
Pythia remained focused on the creatures.
"...Those two just crawled out."
Ryke looked at her.
"...Just now?"
Pythia nodded.
"...Yes."
"...The one that emerged earlier was already eliminated by the military."
Ryke's eyes widened.
"...Damn it."
He looked back toward the crater.
"...So they killed one..."
"...and two more came out?"
His expression became increasingly tense.
"...What the hell?"
He looked between Pythia and Kaelira.
"...We need to think about our next move."
His gaze returned to the crater.
"...But how did they even manage to come out of the ruins?"
Kaelira stared at him.
Then pointed toward the enormous hole.
"...Can't you see the hole in the ground beside them?"
Ryke blinked.
Kaelira narrowed her eyes.
"...Or are you blind?"
Ryke's expression twitched.
"...I can see it."
He looked toward the crater again.
"...So that's how they came out."
His eyes followed the massive opening.
"...They tore through the earth..."
"...and created a path straight into the city."
Silence.
Ryke's gaze suddenly shifted upward.
The military airships were still hovering above the battlefield.
He frowned.
"...Then why aren't the ships attacking?"
Pythia didn't answer immediately.
Her gaze remained fixed on the airships.
Ryke looked at her.
"...Pythia?"
She finally spoke.
"...Because they can't."
Ryke's expression changed.
"...They can't?"
Pythia nodded.
"...The cannons."
She glanced toward the airships.
"...They most likely haven't finished cooling down yet."
Ryke stared at the ships.
Then back toward the Rift Breakers.
"...You don't mean..."
Pythia's expression remained calm.
"...Yes."
"...Their strongest weapons are temporarily unavailable."
Ryke's expression darkened.
"...So we're stuck with those things..."
His gaze returned to the crater.
"...and the military can't even use their strongest weapons."
Kaelira's ears twitched.
"...Then we really are in trouble."
Pythia remained silent.