"Ahhhhh!"
The creature let out a sharp, distorted shriek that seemed to echo in every direction.
The sound alone caused Hargreaves to cough up a mouthful of blood.
In truth, he was already at his limit.
The effects of Restricted Item-1, 2, 3 had taken a tremendous toll on his body, leaving him exhausted and dangerously weak.
But what filled his mind at that moment were his team members and his fellow workers.
He could not allow them to die here.
Drawing upon one of his New Order abilities, Hargreaves borrowed a portion of the power from the curses sealed within his dream.
Immediately, slick and sinister tentacles burst from his body and lashed toward the creature.
...
Meanwhile, inside the reception room of the Yellow Hotel, Derrick moved quickly as he prepared the altar for the exorcism.
He took out a strip of seaweed and ignited it with a lighter.
On the other side of the dim room, Rosanne and Berlie were treating Lumian's injured leg. Berlie first summoned a small yellow light to ease the wound, and Rosanne immediately began bandaging it afterward.
Even so, Lumian was experiencing a level of pain he had never felt in his entire life.
Derrick remained focused.
He placed the burning seaweed at the center of the purification area, then arranged the candles he had prepared in a precise vertical formation.
Derrick was truly a specialist.
As a child, he had excelled at nearly everything, academics, practical skills, and everyday life. He was the kind of person who seemed destined to have a complete and successful future.
But as he grew older, everything changed.
At the age of twenty-five, he lost his wife in a car accident, along with their unborn son.
The tragedy transformed him forever.
He abandoned the career he had been pursuing and turned to mysticism, eventually becoming a sorcerer.
From that point onward, Derrick deliberately forced himself to remain detached from others.
Still completely focused, Derrick picked up the thick bark of a sturdy tree.
Under the watchful gazes of Vincent and Sharley, he snapped it into two pieces and placed one piece on each side of the six candles, dividing them into two groups of three.
Next, he uncapped a bottle of vinegar and, with practiced movements, poured it across the floor within the purification altar.
As soon as he stepped back, the sharp, pungent smell filled the reception room and stung everyone's noses.
Derrick remained calm.
He flicked open the lighter, ignited it, and tossed it onto the vinegar-soaked floor.
Immediately, a strong flame spread across the floor, consuming everything in its path.
When it reached the burnt seaweed, the fire flared up even more intensely, surging outward in all directions.
In an instant, the dim reception office was bathed in blazing yellow light.
It was beautiful, yet dangerous. Still standing next to the fire, he poured a cover amount of oil in the flame.
Then, turning slightly toward Vincent, he asked calmly, "What's the time?"
"Six fifty-five," Vincent replied after glancing at his phone and slipping it back into his pocket.
Derrick nodded solemnly. "We'll have to wait until exactly seven o'clock."
After saying that, he stepped forward and helped Rosanne and Berlie finish treating Lumian's injured leg.
A few moments later, the minute hand reached seven.
It was time.
At that exact moment, a starlit fog rolled in from nowhere, drifting silently through the reception room.
Supported by Berlie, Lumian rose to his feet and stared at the beautiful scene.
Derrick, however, did not allow himself to be distracted.
He knew the ritual had to begin.
Standing beside the blazing fire, whose brilliant yellow light contrasted sharply with the dark room and the shimmering fog, Derrick activated his Order abilities and lit the six candles.
Without hesitation, he took the Grey Lander Charm and placed it near the center of the altar.
The room fell into complete silence.
In that stillness, the faint voices of the souls sealed within the Grey Lander Charm could be heard.
At the same time, Derrick's expression became utterly calm and focused.
He took a slow breath and began to recite the incantation.
"O One who gives and takes,
O evil that seeks to claim,
May you die here and come no more.
As peaches bloom in spring
and wither in winter,
follow the natural cycle of life
and depart in perfect peace.
O lingering spirit, I beseech you.
Whatever binds you to this world, release it.
Go now, and enter the light."
...
Immediately after Derrick finished the incantation, the blazing yellow fire surged higher.
At the same time, the starlit fog spread rapidly throughout the reception room.
Without warning, Lumian was struck by an invisible force and hurled backward, crashing into the receptionist's desk.
It was clear that James was still hell-bent on killing him.
Even on the verge of purification, the lingering spirit wanted to drag Lumian down with it.
Lumian had almost no strength left.
But he had come prepared.
Activating Sleight of Hand, a sharp dagger materialized in his palm.
Without hesitation, he cut his own finger and smeared the blood across his face.
To everyone else, the scene was baffling.
They could not see the invisible force attacking him, nor did they understand what he was trying to do.
In Lumian's field of vision, however, the air itself was twisting and surging, unleashing countless unseen attacks toward him.
With blood staining the blade, Lumian dodged the strike from the lingering spirit and slashed at the unseen presence.
In the end, however, there was no need. The starlit fog was already beginning to recede.
Seeing this, Lumian let out a weak chuckle. Heh, finally it's over...
Through the hotel's glass doors, he looked outside.
Hargreaves was still standing.
But he was drenched in blood and swaying from exhaustion.
In one final effort, he was preparing to expend all of his remaining spirituality to summon the curses sealed within his dream.
Before he could do so, Derrick acted.
With remarkable composure, he seized the Grey Lander Charm and held it aloft.
His eyes fixed on the monstrous Bishop as he shouted:
"The Grey Lander Charm!"
Combined with the effects of the purification ritual, the power of Restricted Item-1, 2, 3 increased dramatically.
The creature let out a piercing shriek and clutched both of its twisted heads.
In the next moment, the body of the Bishop exploded, blood splashing in all direction, covering the glasses, the roofs, and Hargreaves himself.
At the same time, the corrupted soul was drawn into the golden box.
...
Seeing this situation, the group broke into relieved smiles.
Even Sharley, who had originally joined only as a paid participant, could not hide his grin as the tension finally lifted.
They began talking all at once, exchanging high fives and congratulating one another.
Lumian watched the scene with a faint smile on his face.
Then he turned and slowly walked toward Derrick.
At first glance, Derrick was still standing calmly beside the altar.
But as Lumian drew closer, his smile froze. Blood was pouring from Derrick's eyes and ears.
It was not even in streaks, it was a rather tremendous amount!
During the purification, the power of Restricted Item-1, 2, 3 had been amplified dramatically.
And with that increase, the backlash against its user had also multiplied.
Skywalker… he murmured inwardly. Then, trying to reassure himself, he forced a weak smile. Heh. Mr. Derrick understands mysticism better than any of us. He can simply perform a ritual and heal himself.
But even as the thought formed, a deep unease began to spread through him.
...
He raised his hand, intending to give Derrick a high five.
Before he could, the starlit fog began to roll in once more.
James was still trying to force his way back into the world.
Despite the blood streaming from his eyes and ears, Derrick tightened his grip on the Grey Lander Charm and straightened. "Everyone, go. I'll be right behind you. It's only a short ritual." He said calmly.
Seeing the fog creeping steadily across the floor, the others reacted immediately and hurried out of the reception room, leaving only Lumian.
The starlit mist continued to spread between them.
Derrick turned to him and forced a faint smile. "Go, boy. I'll be right behind you."
But Lumian still did not feel reassured. Something in Derrick's expression told him that this was not as simple as he claimed.
When Derrick saw that Lumian was still standing there, he drew upon the last of his strength and shouted:
"Go. Now!"
Shocked by Derrick's tone, Lumian finally turned and ran, committing him into Skywalker's hands.
The moment Lumian left, Derrick let out a slow breath.
By then, the starlit fog had completely filled the reception room.
As it closed around him, scenes from his life began to flash through his mind.
He saw his wife smiling during their dates.
He saw the bright and carefree days of his youth.
He saw his colleagues at the Faculty.
He saw himself acting detached and nonchalant, yet still chuckling quietly at their jokes.
All the moments he had tried to leave behind returned to him in that final instant.
With those memories in his heart, Derrick turned toward the glass doors.
On the other side, Lumian was still watching.
Derrick gave him the most genuine smile he had shown in years.
Then, using his Order abilities, he locked the door.
"Do well, kid."
No… Lumian cried inwardly, his eyes instantly turning red.
On the other side of the glass, Derrick gave no further explanation. He simply raised the Grey Lander Charm one final time.
"The Grey Lander Charm!"
Outside, Hargreaves witnessed the scene, and his own eyes reddened.
It was not only Lumian who was watching.
Rosanne, Vincent, Berlie, and Sharley had all turned back as well.
Every one of them saw Derrick standing alone within the starlit fog.
Then a blinding radiance erupted.
For an instant, it was as though the light itself had driven away the surrounding darkness.
The brilliance was so intense that everyone was forced to shield their eyes.
And just as quickly, the Yellow Hotel exploded in the same burst of golden light.
Immediately, the walls, the doors, the glasses and debris all exploded in all direction.
...
When the falling debris finally settled, silence descended over the scene.
No one spoke.
They simply stood there, staring at the ruins of the Yellow Hotel.
Suddenly, Rosanne let out a small chuckle and turned toward Lumian. "Where's Mr. Derrick? He's probably gone back to the alchemy room. Reading again."
But before she could say anything else, Lumian stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Rosanne broke into sobs.
To be honest, Lumian still could not fully accept what had happened.
The same Mr. Derrick he had joked with, investigated alongside, and only recently begun to grow close to… was gone.
The other team members remained silent, their expressions solemn as they looked upon the shattered building.
After a long moment, Hargreaves stepped forward.
His hat was lowered, partially covering his face.
He bent down, picked up the Grey Lander Charm from the debris, and slipped it quietly into his pocket.
Then he turned and began to walk away.
But after only a few steps, a single tear rolled down his cheek.
At that moment, Hargreaves felt as though he had failed as a captain.