"Lilith!" Iris exclaimed, running over to Lilith, who was still lying unconscious on the floor. Iris tried to help her, and Lilith slowly opened her eyes.
Lilith saw Iris nearby, still barely conscious. However, she was aware of Iris's presence.
"Iris...?"
That clearly brought Iris back to her senses, so she hugged her. "Thank God~!" Lilith, still confused, could only remain silent, smiling slightly at her friend.
Meanwhile, Flynn watched with relief that the Seraphim was safe. Then, he looked back. He saw the knights restraining Takechi's still unconscious comrades.
"...Is it over?"
"Not really," Infori said, replying to Flynn's remark. Flynn immediately turned back to face Infori, who had been standing there. "You probably forgot to count that person, Flynn."
Flynn finally understood what Infori had said: there was still one suspect who needed to be arrested. It seemed like he was on the verge of breaking down, but someone like him must have something unfathomable.
Flynn confirmed Infori's words, approaching Infori and standing beside him.
"Yes, I think you're right."
Takechi, who was lying on the ground, tried to stand up, then looked at Flynn with a gaze filled with anger. They stared at each other, Flynn staring sharply but with the authority of a squad captain.
Amidst the silence, Flynn spoke, breaking the silence and seemingly giving Takechi an ultimatum.
"The wind always brings certainty to the right path; a storm is no obstacle to justice."
Takechi fell silent, and everyone else there fell silent. Stunned by the situation.
"..."
"Wherever you go," Flynn said, then frowned slightly and glared at them. "...The wind will always be with you."
Suddenly, the hairs on Takechi's neck stood on end. "?!" Takechi swallowed hard, then stared at Flynn with a wary gaze.
Lilith and Iris had been silent the entire time, unsure of what to do next. "..."
Infori, who was nearby, could only listen silently.
Then, Takechi spoke. He responded to Flynn's words, which he dismissed as utter nonsense.
"Stop all your nonsense...! You're just making up words that don't even have any meaning!"
Flynn didn't waver; he could now remain calm even when provoked. His gaze remained fixed on Takechi, not even looking away.
"..." Finally, he answered, "Every word I speak has the same meaning. Every line is a reflection of the wind that always blows around us."
"Reflection... Huh?"
"That's right. It's the reflection of the wind that always gives me words, that always motivates and convinces me to keep moving forward…"
The wind then blew slowly, calmly, enjoying the actually hot atmosphere. The wind now seemed to cool things down, making them feel better than before.
Flynn closed his eyes, imagining himself in a vast meadow with the wind constantly blowing gently against him. Flynn felt the breeze; he didn't even need to move to see it.
The grass swayed in the direction of the wind, the morning sun shining from the east.
Flynn opened his eyes and looked back into Takechi's wary eyes.
"...To a better future."
After that, Takechi suddenly burst into laughter. He lowered his head for a moment, as if holding back something, before bursting out laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter erupted, sending shivers down the spines of anyone who heard it. His eyes glinted—not with joy, but pure madness. The laughter filled their ears, and the knights' hands tightened as they gripped their sword hilts.
Lilith and Iris were transfixed by the sound, while Infori and Flynn were wary of Takechi's movements.
"..."
Takechi then stopped laughing, but his voice still sounded like it was laughing.
"I know what you're talking about. Moving forward into the future you're referring to... It might mean the destruction of Everness."
The revelation at that moment stunned Flynn and Infori.
"What...?!"
Lilith and Iris, the two Seraphim tasked with maintaining the balance of Everness' world tree, were also stunned. "...?!" They hadn't expected such words to come from a Nephilim.
"What do you mean?!" Flynn exclaimed.
Takechi chuckled.
"Heh, haha. This is going to be very interesting. Everness has been maintaining the balance of this world with all her might for so long. It's time for her to rest, and when all the artifacts are gathered—then the sacred tree's destruction is certain."
"Don't joke! Who are you, really?" Iris suddenly shouted at Takechi.
"You're Seraphim, so it's natural for you to guard the world tree. But you still haven't even gotten the artifacts!"
Lilith then remembered the events of the previous night, when Lilith and Iris had tried to buy the Gauntlet of Rebirth from Takechi, but it turned out to be a scam.
"So, the Gauntlet of Rebirth…"
"That's right! I was sent to kill two Seraphim who were carrying out their duties as Seraphim, protecting the sacred tree from groups like ours!"
Lilith and Iris were stunned by that statement.
"...?!"
"Impossible…" Iris said, not believing what she was hearing.
"And…" Takechi turned his gaze to Infori. "The Gauntlet of Rebirth is still in your hands, isn't it?"
"How did you—"
"Did you know? Heh, did you think you could fool my senses? I already sensed your presence when I was near that mountain."
"…" Infori fell silent.
"No wonder Flynn Deschain left first. Turns out he just wanted to meet his partner," Takechi continued. He then chuckled. "But... we'll definitely get the Gauntlet, no matter what."
Infori remained silent, not responding at all. He didn't even waver.
"..."
"Stop all your nonsense! Surrender yourself to us!" Flynn spoke again, loudly demanding Takechi surrender.
"That's another matter; now it's time for a show," he said, then pulled something from a pouch on his belt. It was a perfectly round object, coated in iron all over, but not with a small, dark sphere in the center.
This immediately shocked both Infori and Flynn.
"Wait?!"
"That's... Knightley Road?!" Flynn said, not believing Takechi had it.
"Huh, Knightley Road? No..." Takechi replied. He then pointed the Knightley Road-like object forward. Suddenly, something happened. The small sphere in the center glowed darkly, emitting a dark aura.
Jill and her companions' bodies suddenly underwent a transformation, gradually disappearing and moving toward the small sphere.
As if absorbed, the sphere became completely transparent and flew toward the small sphere. Finally, they entered the dark sphere.
Everyone was shocked to see this.
"What are you doing!" Flynn exclaimed.
Takechi smiled slyly. "I'm sacrificing all my comrades," he pointed the object upward. "To perform a summoning!"
The sphere emitted a beam of red energy into the sky, creating the body of a single monster in the sky.
"Feel the fury of three beasts united! Dark Chimera!"
Takechi summoned a monster—a lion-like creature the size of a building, with four legs and sharp claws, a lion-like figure with sharp teeth, and a goat's head with two horns and a long snake for a head. Dark wings were also clearly visible on its body, wings even larger than its own body. Its skin was rough and covered in snake-like scales and sharp feathers.
The Dark Chimera flew through the sky, its flapping wings creating a strong gust of wind.
WOOSH!
It made some of the knights retreat, while the rest could only stare in silence.
"Impossible…" Iris said, transfixed by the Dark Chimera now hovering above them.