— Why are you getting mad? It's not my fault you're so easy to manipulate.
Atela crosses her arms, visibly annoyed.
— And when you asked me where I was going after the mission… was that also a tactic to lower my guard?
— That? I was just curious about where you were headed next.
Atela was about to return to her own question, to ask him where he planned to go after the mission, but Noa's answer is far more surprising.
— I plan to follow you wherever you go.
Atela thinks she misheard him.
— Wait… I don't understand. Why would you follow me wherever I go? You can just stay in the capital.
But for Noa, following Atela is only a pretext to leave the capital.
— I want to leave the Eastern Empire.
— You're a member of the Hyperion family. You can leave the Empire whenever you want.
— Don't you think that if I could leave the Empire, I would have already done it?
Those words intrigue the young woman, and she thinks she understands.
— Ah, I see… it's because you're a former member of the Order, right? They can't let you leave in case you reveal secret or confidential information to other nations.
— Almost. If I leave without informing anyone, it'll create tension between the main branch and the secondary one. The secondary branch—completely independent—will do everything to track me down… and eliminate me if possible. And knowing my father, he'll never accept that. It could trigger a war between the two branches, weakening the Empire's defenses. And in this situation… that's the worst thing that could happen.
Atela understands. She doesn't insist further, but one question remains.
— From what I understand, you're planning to fake your death so no one looks for you, which would keep both branches on good terms. But then why follow me? You could just fake your death and leave on your own.
— Because leaving the Empire isn't my final goal.
Atela is starting to get tired of the conversation. She asks what kind of objective could push him to follow her, specifically. She clearly doesn't expect the completely insane answer she's about to hear.
— I intend to find and kill the human monarch.
He says it in a low voice, almost threatening.
— You're joking… right?
She stops on the stairs.
— What you're saying is completely insane. You want to kill Hades? Do you realize how stupid that sounds?
She turns to him as if looking at a madman, fear and disbelief mixed in her eyes.
— Hades is the most powerful monarch. Even all the others combined couldn't claim victory against him. And you—you may be a former assassin—but you don't stand a chance.
Noa remains deathly calm, but his gaze changes. A cold, restrained anger appears—almost invisible—his eyes faintly glowing in the dark.
— I'm fully aware I'm not strong enough to even get close to him. I plan to become much stronger… and push my true potential to its absolute limit. That's why I'm leaving with you. Since you're a general, it'll bring me closer to him. And I have a feeling… it'll make me even stronger than I already am.
Atela quickly turns away, covering her ears. She doesn't want to hear another word—and definitely not why he wants to kill Hades.
— This situation is already absurd enough!
But as she walks, she bumps into Fou's back—he had stopped.
In front of them stands a massive closed door.
Noa says they've arrived. Atela removes her hands from her ears and, ignoring everything he just said:
— Here we are. The entrance to the underground.
She's still surprised by how enormous the door is. Noa thanks Fou for guiding them here. Fou remains motionless, his wide smile unchanged. His pupils contract.
At the far end of the slums, someone had stepped on a wooden branch while trying to stay quiet. He was clearly nervous.
Despite the distance—Fou heard it.
He turns toward the stairs, but Noa calls out:
— Fou.
He turns back. For a brief moment, Noa looks at him before he leaves.
— Take care of yourself.
Fou doesn't leave immediately.
Then—he vanishes like lightning. So fast they don't even see him go. Only a cloud of dust remains.
— I think we've done pretty well so far.
Noa says, while Atela looks at him from the corner of her eye, frowning.
The massive door opens, revealing the dark underground beneath the slums. Several bridges stretch out, all leading to the same place.
At the center of the area, a gigantic tube glowing with white light faintly illuminates everything.
Below the bridges, as far as the eye can see—dark districts. Abandoned domes, broken statues, remnants of another era, worn down by time.
The two walk along the main bridge. The sound of their boots echoes through the vast space.
— So this is what the Empire's underground looks like… honestly, I expected worse.
Noa's voice bounces through the area, echoing far beyond what his ears can catch.
Atela points toward the glowing tube.
— That's where I need to go. If you want to go back—
But Noa walks past her before she can finish. She sighs and follows.
A heavy silence settles between them.
— Atela, is it true you're part of the Angel clan?
She thinks he should be more discreet… but answers anyway.
— Yes. I'm an Angel… and the princess of the Kingdom of Reiva.
— Reiva… that's a celestial kingdom, right? And if I'm not mistaken, it lies between Kaamelott and the Western Empire?
Atela relaxes slightly.
— You really can't hide anything from you, can we? And I bet you also know I'm the guardian of the Ancient Tears—Ava.
— Exactly. You mentioned it several times while speaking with my father.
Atela rubs her face, annoyed.
— This is seriously irritating.
— I'm sorry about that.
She lowers her hands, surprised.
— Well… that's new. I think this is the first time I've ever heard you apologize. Honestly, I didn't even think that was possible.
— It happens… very rarely.
Atela smiles.
— I think this is the first time in a long while I've felt this open with someone… it feels really strange.
Noa agrees.
— Yeah… it feels good to open up sometimes. But sometimes…
He looks straight ahead, expression neutral.
— It hurts more than anything else.
He whispers it inwardly.
Suddenly—Maelle's voice reaches Atela.
She stops abruptly.
Noa notices and turns.
— What is it—
She quickly covers his mouth, looking straight into his eyes, slowly shaking her head.
Silence.
No sound remains in the underground.
Everything feels frozen in time.
Noa first looks at her, understanding—then focuses behind her.
His eyes widen.
Atela turns—
And freezes.
In the darkness, near the sealed entrance…
A figure stands.
Cracks run across its body.
Greenish eyes glow.
Its stitched mouth holds a permanent smile.
It looks like a scarecrow.
It stares at them.
Without moving.
In total silence.
They slowly step back—
But suddenly—
BOOM!
Noa is blasted across the underground, slammed into a distant pillar by a punch made of raw muscle fibers.
Atela doesn't even have time to check on him—
The entity is already above her.
About to grab her.
She reacts instantly—
A powerful kick.
It sends the man flying back.
— Noa!
The next second, dozens of hands made of flesh and sharpened soul energy try to seize her—
Before being obliterated by a beam of blue energy.
The impact is so violent it destroys the bridge—and all surrounding ones.
Atela falls—
But Noa, head injured, catches her mid-air.
They crash violently into the abandoned districts below.
Atela emerges quickly from the rubble, breathing heavily.
— Who was that?!
— No idea… but this feels bad. I'd even say… there's a smell of death in the air.
Where Damnation landed, a shapeless mass of flesh slowly reforms.
— How strange… this energy feels familiar… but I can't remember… what a shame.
Damnation regains his form.
His smile returns.
Noa stands up with difficulty.
— Who the hell is that…
Atela realizes the situation.
— What do we do now?
No time to think.
The ground starts shaking.
Noa grabs Atela and launches into the air, reinforcing his legs with energy.
Below them—
A wave of flesh, blood, and bone sweeps through everything.
They land on a remaining fragment of bridge, eyes wide.
— Atela, go. I'll handle this.
She thinks it's madness.
But Noa is certain.
He knows exactly what he's doing.
After a moment of hesitation—she runs.
Toward the central tube.
Without looking back.
The door opens.
She enters a completely white room.
In front of her—
A white cube.
Covered in intricate patterns.
With a crystalline core visible inside.
— The Ava Corrector…
She summons a red crystal.
Pulsing in sync with her heart.
Outside—
The abomination condenses into a single point.
Reforming Damnation's arm.
He chuckles.
— This is getting exciting…
A water attack strikes him—
He destroys it with a single punch.
— Is that really all you've got?
A blue light flickers above him.
Noa prepares an attack.
Lightning gathers around his right arm.
Damnation notices too late.
Noa strikes—
Using metallic debris as conductors.
At that exact moment—
A blinding light erupts from the tube.
A massive explosion—
Flashes of light engulf the underground…
Then the slums…
Then the entire Empire.
In the capital—
The light pierces through the frozen chamber of the Psaimon family meeting.
Everyone is stunned.
The light spreads across the entire Eastern Empire.
Psaimon, Zoé, and Damnation are thrown—
Then suddenly—
Gone.
Elsewhere.
— What?!
Damnation slams his fist into the metallic ground, furious.
Zoé looks at her arm.
— Even my familiar's activation… has been shut down…
Psaimon watches in silence.
The light fades.
The ice sealing the Empire disappears.
People slowly open their eyes.
The Patriarch looks out the window—toward the origin of the light, still glowing in the distance.
— Noa…
Next chapter: Destination