Deep within the Lemnian Hollow, a mysterious creature beyond description, beyond comprehension, beyond words had fallen back into slumber.
Its body was so massive that no one could tell where it ended, but the slow rise and fall of its form proved it was merely sleeping, not dead.
Suddenly, the strange creature's presence flickered, as though stirred from a dream, and it lifted its head to gaze at the sky.
Two slits opened where its head was presumed to be — likely its eyes.
But after only a moment of watching, the creature seemed to lose interest, lowered its head again, and drifted back to sleep.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Lemnian Hollow, a small Hati was also looking up at the sky — or more precisely, at the moon — perfectly still, as if lost in thought.
Only once it reached some satisfying conclusion did it return to normal, circling around a girl like a little puppy.
"Hm? What's wrong, Cili? Is there something special about the moon tonight?"
Lucia patted Cili's head. Several months had passed since she'd begun learning to control Ether.
As her skill had grown and her bond with Cili deepened, she'd reached the point where she could roughly communicate with him.
"The moon changed? I can't tell."
"Arrooo!"
"I see. Guess I'm still too weak, huh? It's fine — I'll get strong eventually, stronger than you even! Then I'll be the one protecting you, how about that?"
"Arroo~"
"Hehe, of course it's not just you. There's Yuzuha, Hailey, Alice, and Manato too — I'll protect all of you. And of course, there's also..."
Lucia's ears twitched without her meaning them to. She was hiding a secret — one she herself had only just discovered.
But the blush creeping across the girl's face already said it all. When that budding feeling finally came out into the light of day, what fruit would it bear for her...
***
Port Elpis.
Guided by Little Geno, Geno had finally arrived here.
"Are you sure everything's fine on your end?"
"Don't worry, things are wrapping up on our side too. With the help of the Overtimeboo and the neighbors, the cultists have already been subdued."
Little Geno and the others, far off in Sixth Street, had also come under attack from Exaltist cultists — which was why Wise and Belle had lost their connection to Eous.
Fortunately, with Little Geno and the neighbors helping, along with twenty-four Overtimeboo, Sixth Street had weathered this senseless calamity.
Meanwhile, the unrest across New Eridu was gradually settling down.
"Good, then I can relax."
Hearing that everywhere else was fine, Geno let out a breath and slapped his own cheeks, steadying himself for the fight ahead.
The moment he'd arrived, he caught the thick reek of Ether tangled with Filth, so strong it nearly choked him.
"What are these guys up to now."
Geno didn't need to think twice to know the Exaltists were behind whatever mess this was.
At the same time, he began to worry about Lycaon and the others — after all, Little Geno had said the enemy had chased Bringer all the way here.
But the moment he stepped in, he was met with a scene of devastation.
Lycaon and Hugo both lay collapsed on the ground. Not far off, near the harbor mouth, a massive Sacrifice lay sprawled as though it had suffered some unbearable blow, utterly indifferent to everything around it.
"Is that... Bringer? Something's not right with him."
Tracing the marks of Ether, Geno quickly recognized this Sacrifice as Bringer himself. The overpowering Filth energy radiating off him made Geno pinch his nose without thinking.
Watching Bringer show no reaction at all, Geno's guard gradually eased. He decided to ignore him for now and hurried to check on Lycaon's and Hugo's injuries.
"These wounds are bad."
Both of Lycaon's legs were shattered, and his prosthetics had vanished without a trace. Hugo was covered in wounds, with several broken bones, and from the sound of his breathing, his internal organs seemed damaged too.
"Hff... ugh, Geno? Never mind us — deal with Bringer first."
Lycaon looked hazily at the figure approaching them, then said it didn't matter what happened to him — Bringer needed to be dealt with first.
But Geno would never just leave the two of them like that. He hoisted Hugo and Lycaon onto his back and carried them somewhere safe.
"Don't worry. Whatever that thing's planning, I'll stop him. Right now, getting you two treated matters more."
Geno knew perfectly well that finishing off Bringer now, while he was still motionless, would be the easiest path. But if he did, Lycaon and Hugo's injuries might not hold out.
Lycaon wanted to argue, but the pain wracking his body stole the words from him. He turned to look at Hugo, still unconscious, his breathing growing fainter, and finally fell silent.
Geno carried the two of them toward the Janus Quarter, intending to get them to a hospital.
What he failed to notice was a ghostly figure slipping in from the other side of the port — the two of them passing each other by, neither aware of the other.
Inside the port, Bringer lay slumped along the shore, trying to move his own body, but without outside help, he couldn't budge an inch no matter how hard he tried.
'Damn it! That cursed mutt! Ruining everything I've worked for! O Progenitor! Please help your poor devoted follower!'
Bringer prayed inwardly, just as fervently as the day he'd first witnessed the miracle the Progenitor had wrought. He believed with all his heart that the Progenitor would save him now, just as He had come to him on that day of deepest despair long ago.
But in the end, it wasn't the Progenitor who came for Bringer — it was someone else.
"Look at the state of you. Pathetic."
"Sa—! Rah—! If you've got time to stand there mocking me, get over here and help!"
Bringer's first reaction to seeing Sarah was relief, quickly followed by his usual wariness and suspicion.
The two of them were nominally equals within the Exaltists, but there was a clear gap between them — in influence, and in the strength the Progenitor's blessing granted. Sarah always seemed to have the edge on him, if only faintly, and he could never quite see through this woman shrouded in mystery.
"No rush. I'll save you — but you'll need to pay a small price."
There was no pity in Sarah's eyes, no sympathy for a colleague's misfortune — only the excited, playful gleam of someone eyeing a lab rat.
Much like a god looking down on mortals.
"You—! What are you going to do?!"
Truth be told, Bringer was starting to panic. Even though he and Sarah had made plans beforehand, he still couldn't be sure this woman before him would honor their agreement.
It was just a gut feeling.
"What am I doing? Why, welcoming you into the Lord's embrace, of course — to receive His blessing, become His mouthpiece, and lead us once again."
____
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