The crumbling temple that once stood beyond the Gate of the Starry Realm was gone.
The God's Haze that had threatened to engulf the city was the concentrated power of the ancient gods—a remnant from the world's dawn. A single touch meant surrendering one's life to the heavens, whisking the soul from this world in an instant. It had not been long since that haze finally dissipated.
On the great bridge in the city center, as dusk approached, the sky began to bleed into a deep madder red.
"I’ve said it a dozen times!" Sera’s voice boomed. Her companions stood behind her in silence, none of them daring to cut in. "No holding back! Dispatch our forces immediately!"
"At once! We will coordinate with the Imperial Capital and our own territory immediately!" A knight from House Riohalde scrambled away, barely keeping pace with the representatives of the other Seven Great Archduke Families who were similarly overwhelmed. The nobles of the Imperial and Neutral factions were no different. This was an upheaval that would be carved into history, far eclipsing the incident in the Baldur Mountains.
Kaito approached her. "Hey, got a second? I’m heading to the temple area. It’s likely a disaster over there, and they could use some muscle for the heavy lifting."
Sera nodded. "Fine. Just stay ready to move if things turn south."
Squal chimed in, "In that case, Kaito, I'll go with you."
"Great. Having Squal there will definitely put the priests at ease."
Squal followed Kaito off the bridge, leaving only five of them behind. Even they could not afford to stand still for long.
"I’m going to the Count's Manor," Charlotte Rofelia spoke up next. "Liz, you're coming with me."
Liz Arkay bristled. "Huh? 'Coming with you'? I’ll have you know I’ve been working my tail off! I’m exhausted, but I’m doing my part!"
"I know. But it’s reassuring to have you there, Liz."
Liz huffed, though her expression softened. "Fine... you should have just said so from the start."
"Then Nemu will go too!" Nemu Altia piped up. "If any of the city's magic tools are busted, Nemu can fix 'em in a snap!"
Following the descendants of Rofelia and Arkay, the Altia girl also left the bridge. Only Sera and Vane remained, weathering the endless stream of knights and nobles. Finally, after they had managed to catch their breath, three familiar figures approached.
"Good work, you two."
It was Licia, walking toward them with Ren and Fiona. They looked worn, but potions and a brief rest had clearly put some life back into them.
"Wait, you guys should still be lying down!" Sera protested.
Licia smiled weakly. "We couldn't just sit still while everyone else is working."
Ren added, "We’ve had enough rest for now."
Fiona nodded in agreement. "We’ll be alright."
Sera sighed, defeated by their sheer stubbornness—or perhaps their resolve. All three possessed a frightening amount of willpower.
"Where were you guys?" Vane asked.
"At the Count's Manor," Ren replied. "We had to explain what happened beyond the gate. If there was any haze left, they couldn't send the knights in."
The three of them had just finished recounting the events at the Temple of Micel to the Count. It hadn't even been two hours since they had sealed the leak. Sera remembered how they had pushed past the guards to reach the temple earlier that day. “Danger doesn’t matter. Our friends are in there!” they had shouted. Even Kaito had dropped his usual act to rush into the unknown. Minutes later, a pillar of fire had pierced the sky, clearing the clouds and the last traces of the haze.
"It’s finally over," Ren said softly.
Licia and Fiona shared a look of relief. "I think I'll sleep better tonight than I have in days," Licia admitted.
"I'll probably pass out the second I hit the bed," Fiona joked.
Watching them, Sera felt as if she were looking at a beautiful masterpiece.
"Ren," the descendant of the Hero spoke. "Why did the Princess of Medil do it?"
Ren thought back to Mascheria's words—completing the Forbidden Book, reading the world's memories, the fall of the Holy Land. "I don't know the full story," he admitted.
Sera shrugged. "People like that rarely tell the truth anyway."
"True. But she came now because of the Night of Prayers. The haze only appears when Crushera's power peaks. If she'd come at any other time, she might have just sunk the whole area into the earth like her own dukedom."
Ren fell into thought. In the original Legend of the Seven Heroes, this disturbance never happened. Mascheria hadn't set foot in the temple in that timeline. This world was different. He recalled the things he saw in his memories—the other Ren Ashton undergoing the trial. Maybe she lost to the original Ren back then, he mused with a wry smile.
"The Bishop is still active, isn't he?" Sera noted with a sigh. "The Demon King Cult is nothing if not persistent."
Vane looked at Ren. "How strong is he? Compared to Mascheria?"
Ren gazed toward the horizon. "He's strong. Without a doubt."
His voice was calm, yet everyone felt the weight of his words. If Ren said it, it was a fact.
"You three should get back to the inn," Sera said suddenly.
"What's with the sudden change of heart?" Licia asked.
"Because you guys are the most exhausted." Sera could see the lingering fatigue in their eyes and the faint scrapes on their arms. "Go sit in the shade over there. I mean it."
She pointed to a quiet corner of the bridge shielded by supply crates. It was a prime spot overlooking the lake, now peaceful and quiet. The three of them nodded hesitantly and sat down.
Ren looked at the sparkling water, the tranquility of the Land Where the Stars Sing finally returning. He thought of Mascheria's parting words—the "Favor of the Old God." He didn't know which god she meant, but it was a lead. He also wondered about the voice he'd heard when he woke up. Who was that?
The silence that followed was heavy but comfortable. The sound of the water and the gentle breeze soothed them.
"...I think I’ll rest for just a bit," Ren murmured. No more words were necessary.
Thirty minutes later, Sera checked on them. She found the three of them fast asleep on the bench, leaning against each other.
"Honestly," she whispered with a smile, "they really are close."
She stood guard, turning away a butler from the Count's Manor who came looking for them. "Tell the Count they're busy," she told him.
The butler took one look at her face, then at the shadows behind her, and nodded. "Understood. I will return once they have enjoyed the breeze to their heart's content."
Sera stayed by the railing, watching the magic ships arrive in the distance. The work was far from over, but for now, she would make sure no one disturbed them.
"Stay like that for a while," she whispered to the wind. "You've earned this time."