The fervor of the crowd still echoed throughout the arena after Guild Beasts’ impressive victory over Adamantys.
Applause, cheers, and excitement filled the stands while the members celebrated their qualification for the next phase of the tournament.
High above the competitors’ section, Hitori stood with his arms resting on the metal railing, watching the arena.
Hitori:
“Guma…”
Beside him, Kamero kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield below.
Kamero:
“Perfect strategy…”
Below them, Nicelle celebrated alongside Guma and Mimi, completely excited.
Nicelle:
“We wonnn!”
Guma:
“HA! I told you I’d crush them!”
Mimi smiled timidly while Aysa clapped.
Aysa:
“Never underestimate my friend.”
Kamero gave a faint smile.
Kamero:
“Indeed…”
Yashina:
“It’s almost time for our match.”
And at that moment—
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The crystal of Arena Five rang in the distance.
The next battle was about to begin.
It was EXO’s turn.
Kamero looked at the group.
Kamero:
“Let’s go.”
The path toward Arena Five felt strangely quiet.
The inner corridors were illuminated by bluish crystals embedded in the metallic walls.
The shadows of adventurers stretched across the white stone floor as they walked.
But as they advanced—
The stares returned.
Adventurers stopped talking when EXO passed by.
Arena staff discreetly observed them.
Other guilds partially stepped aside.
The rumors had spread too quickly.
“The boy with black mana.”
“The user of living spheres.”
Hitori could feel it.
People no longer looked at him like they looked at ordinary adventurers.
Now there was fear.
Curiosity.
Distrust.
The black spheres slowly floated behind him.
Vibrating.
As though reacting to the emotions around them.
Yashina noticed immediately.
She moved a little closer to him.
Without speaking at first.
Then she quietly asked:
Yashina:
“Can you control them?”
Hitori took a deep breath.
His eyes remained fixed ahead.
Hitori:
“I can.”
But the answer sounded less firm than he would have liked.
Because deep down—
He wasn’t sure either.
Since the battle against Miv, those shadows felt different.
More aggressive.
More conscious.
As though the black mana was slowly ceasing to be merely power.
And becoming something else.
Then—
They arrived.
The corridor leading to Arena Five was much larger than the previous ones.
Huge metallic pillars surrounded the place while streams of blue mana ran through symbols engraved on the floor.
At the center—
A gigantic black steel gate remained closed.
The magical pressure there was overwhelming.
Sarina smiled while observing the colossal structure.
Sarina:
“Finally.”
She slowly spun her fans.
Wind began circulating around her.
Aysa partially drew one of her knives.
Kamero reopened his grimoire.
Yashina closed her eyes for a moment.
Golden hexagons slowly appeared behind her.
And Hitori…
Hitori stared at the gate.
Then he felt it.
Footsteps.
Toc.
Toc.
Toc.
The sound echoed from the opposite side of the corridor.
Slow.
Calm.
But strangely heavy.
The mana in the atmosphere changed immediately.
It wasn’t violent pressure like Guild Beasts’.
It was different.
Softer.
Quieter.
And because of that—
More uncomfortable.
The blue lights of the corridor seemed to dim for a moment.
Then the figures appeared.
Five people slowly emerged from the darkness of the opposite corridor.
Light-colored robes.
Floral details.
Movements too elegant.
As though they weren’t adventurers.
But priests.
At the center—
A girl with black hair held a white flower between her fingers.
She walked slowly.
Petals gently revolved around her body.
The smile on her lips was gentle.
Too gentle.
Hitori felt his stomach twist.
Because that smile didn’t bring peace.
It brought discomfort.
Like looking at a painting that was too beautiful.
Too perfect.
The girl stopped a few meters away.
Her white eyes slowly passed over every member of EXO.
Then she smiled again.
???:
“So you’re Guild EXO.”
Her voice was soft.
Almost delicate.
But the entire corridor seemed to grow colder the moment she spoke.
Kamero immediately narrowed his eyes.
Sarina partially lost her smile.
Even Yashina became alert.
The petals of the white flower slowly began dissolving into the air.
Spinning around her.
???:
“We are Guild Lotus.”
And at that moment—
The black spheres behind Hitori vibrated violently.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH…
Shadows leaked from them like dark smoke.
Kamero noticed immediately.
Kamero:
“Hitori.”
Hitori partially clenched his fists.
Something inside him reacted to that girl.
It wasn’t ordinary hostility.
It was incompatibility.
Like two things that simply should not exist close to one another.
The leader of Lotus then looked directly at him.
Her smile diminished slightly.
???:
“So you’re the user of darkness.”
The corridor fell silent.
Sarina partially opened her fans.
Aysa subtly changed her stance.
Yashina took half a step forward.
Hitori met her gaze.
Hitori:
“How do you know that?”
The girl slowly raised the last white petal in her hand.
She observed it for several seconds.
Then—
Its edges slowly darkened.
Like black ink spreading across snow.
???:
“Your mana contaminates the environment around you.”
Kamero noticed immediately.
His eyes slightly widened.
Because it was true.
The flower really was being corrupted simply by the presence of the black mana.
The girl watched the petal rot between her fingers.
Then smiled once again.
???:
“Interesting.”
Before anyone could reply—
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The crystal of Arena Five sounded again.
A voice echoed through the corridor:
???:
“Guild EXO and Guild Lotus. Prepare to enter the arena.”
The gigantic black gate slowly opened.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK…
The light of the arena flooded the corridor.
The crowd roared from beyond.
Mana.
Pressure.
Expectation.
The Coliseum of RiverHold breathed anticipation.
In the stands, voices mixed with the clanking of armor, the sounds of hurried bets, and the murmurs of curious spectators trying to guess which guild would emerge victorious from the seventh match of the day.
Flags fluttered atop the stadium towers, catching the golden light of the late afternoon, while the battlefield still bore the scars of previous fights: cracks in the stone, stains of mana slowly dissipating, and fragments of broken weapons hastily collected by the organizers.
At the center of the arena, Guild EXO observed their opponents.
Kamero crossed his arms, carefully evaluating every detail.
Kamero:
“So this is Guild Lotus…”
Yashina:
“Their clothes stand out, but that’s not all… the mana around them is different.”
The five members of Guild Lotus stood aligned on the opposite side of the arena.
They were women of remarkable beauty, dressed in hanfu-inspired garments and oriental battle attire.
Light fabrics flowed in elegant layers, embroidered with floral symbols that softly glowed upon their backs.
Each possessed a distinct presence.
As though they represented a season.
A flower.
Or a facet of nature itself.
At the front stood Mei Lan, the Empress of the Celestial Lotus.
Her dark hair flowed like silk over her shoulders, adorned with purple lotus flowers.
Her gaze was far too serene for someone about to enter battle.
Beside her, Xiao Yun, the Sakura of the Spring Tempest, seemed incapable of standing completely still.
Her fingers rested upon the hilt of her weapon, while crimson petals floated around her ankles as if awaiting only a command.
Further back, almost hidden by the shadows cast by her own companions, stood Hua Li, the Lady of the Poison Flower.
Her eyes were calm.
But cold.
Around her feet, small red higanbanas bloomed and withered in silent cycles.
Qing Ran, the Guardian of the Celestial Willow, stood with her hands joined before her body.
Bluish leaves slowly rotated around her, and a thin mist followed her like a spiritual veil.
Lastly, atop an arch adorned with wisteria vines, stood Zi Yue, the Archer of the Lunar Forest.
Her gaze did not wander.
It measured distances.
Angles.
Breathing.
Weaknesses.
Ezergrev:
“Very well! Let us begin the seventh match of the day.”
The judge walked toward the center of the battlefield.
He was a middle-aged man wearing the armor of the Royal Knights.
His blond hair was tied back, and his blue eyes conveyed an almost lazy calm.
Though the axe resting upon his back made it clear he was not someone to underestimate.
Ezergrev:
“Guild EXO and Guild Lotus, step forward.”
The two teams moved into position.
From the stands, Guild Beasts watched attentively.
Nicelle rested her chin upon her hand.
Nicelle:
“Those girls have elite-level presence.”
Mimi clasped her skirt tightly.
Mimi:
“Hitori…”
Guma remained silent.
His eyes fixed upon the field.
Ezergrev raised his hand.
Ezergrev:
“Victory by surrender, incapacitation, or inability to continue.”
Ezergrev:
“Lethal attacks will not be tolerated.”
Ezergrev:
“Does everyone understand?”
Everyone:
“Yes!”
Ezergrev lowered his arm.
Ezergrev:
“Then…”
Ezergrev:
“Begin.”
For several seconds—
Nobody moved.
Silence descended upon the field like a suspended blade.
Hitori observed the members of Lotus, waiting for them to make the first move.
Hitori:
“They’re just standing there…”
Sarina no longer hid her impatience.
Sarina:
“That just makes them easier to hit.”
Aysa tightened her grip on her knives.
Aysa: New chapters come out on g.com first.
“No.”
Aysa:
“They’re waiting for the right moment.”
Kamero nodded slightly.
Kamero:
“The field is still neutral.”
Kamero:
“They want to change that.”
Yashina felt it before she saw it.
Humidity.
The air became colder beneath her feet.
Mei Lan took a single step forward.
Mei Lan:
“Sacred Lagoon Domain.”
The stone floor of the arena began breaking apart in gentle circles.
Not like a violent explosion.
But as though the earth itself had surrendered to a higher will.
Spiritual water emerged from the cracks, spreading into shallow, gleaming sheets.
Upon its surface—
Purple lotus flowers bloomed one after another.
Illuminating the battlefield with a mystical radiance.
Sarina instinctively stepped back.
Sarina:
“What the hell is this?”
Yashina:
“She transformed the terrain.”
Mei Lan elegantly raised her hand.
Mei Lan:
“Roots of Serenity.”
Golden roots emerged from beneath the lagoon.
Sliding under the water before leaping out like serpents.
Sarina tried cutting the first ones with her fans.
But two roots appeared behind her and wrapped around her waist.
Yashina was captured almost simultaneously.
Lifted several inches above the ground.
Sarina:
“Let me go!”
Yashina gathered light in her palm.
Yashina:
“Ray of Light!”
The blast struck the root.
But its power weakened before cutting through.
The light itself was swallowed by the mist that had begun spreading across the arena.
Qing Ran slowly opened her eyes.
Qing Ran:
“Mist of the Eastern Garden.”
Bluish mist spread across the lagoon.
It did not completely block vision.
But distorted shapes.
Distances.
Movements.
Worse still—
Mana itself seemed to dissolve into the water like ink.
Kamero formed a small ice crystal.
The structure fell apart before stabilizing.
Kamero:
“The mist is draining mana.”
Hitori:
“That’s cheating!”
Kamero:
“It’s strategy.”
Aysa threw three knives toward the roots restraining Sarina.
The blades struck.
But the roots merely recoiled before regenerating the damaged sections with a golden glow.
Aysa:
“Use your weapons.”
Aysa:
“We need to conserve mana.”
Hitori drew his dagger.
Hitori:
“Right!”
Yashina:
“Stay back.”
Yashina:
“Your spheres are getting smaller.”
Hitori:
“Huh?”
Hitori noticed that the black spheres had shrunk considerably in the short time Mei Lan’s magic had been active.
High above—
Zi Yue pulled the string of her spiritual bow.
Zi Yue:
“Wisteria Arrow.”
The arrow crossed the battlefield in silence.
Kamero perceived its trajectory at the last moment and raised a denser wall of ice, gathering mana all at once rather than shaping it gradually.
The arrow pierced halfway through the barrier before blooming into small explosive trails of wisteria.
The shockwave forced him to slide backward.
Kamero:
“So that’s how it works…”
Kamero:
“The draining effect can’t erase condensed magic fast enough.”
Zi Yue observed him from afar without changing her expression.
Zi Yue:
“You learn quickly.”
Hitori looked at her, then at Kamero.
Hitori:
“Was that a compliment or a threat?”
Kamero:
“Both.”
Hua Li disappeared.
There was no running.
No jumping.
No dramatic announcement.
Just an empty space where she had stood a second earlier.
Aysa felt a chill run down her spine.
Aysa:
“Hitori, behind you!”
Hua Li emerged from the mist’s shadows like a silent blade.
Hua Li:
“Crimson Root Vines.”
Red vines sprouted from the shadows cast by the newly born spiritual trees and tried to pierce Hitori.
Yashina pushed him aside just in time.
But one of the vines slashed his arm.
The pain was small.
The cold that followed wasn’t.
Hitori:
“Huh…?”
The black spheres had fallen low, as though they were suffering together with him.
Hua Li tilted her head.
Hua Li:
“The Red Spider Lily does not kill first.”
Hua Li:
“It warns.”
Small higanbanas bloomed near Hitori’s blood.
Kamero tried advancing to help him.
But Xiao Yun had already begun moving.
Xiao Yun:
“Dance of Sakura Blossoms.”
She didn’t run.
She danced.
Her feet barely touched the surface of the lagoon.
Each movement left behind trails of crimson petals that transformed into slashes through the air.
Kamero raised defensive crystals.
But the attacks came from broken angles.
As though Xiao Yun changed direction before even finishing the previous movement.
Aysa attempted to intercept her with knives.
Xiao Yun spun her body, avoiding them with the lightness of a falling leaf.
Xiao Yun:
“Flexible Bamboo Steps.”
Her body bent in an impossible way, avoiding a blade that should have struck her shoulder.
In the next movement, she released a floral slash that opened a deep scar in the ground between Aysa and Kamero.
Aysa:
“She never stays still!”
Kamero:
“Don’t follow her body.”
Kamero:
“Follow the petals.”
Aysa:
“Easy for you to say!”
Meanwhile—
Sarina gritted her teeth under the pressure of the roots.
Sarina:
“Yashina, stop standing around and do something!”
Yashina:
“I’m thinking.”
Sarina:
“Think faster!”
Mei Lan calmly walked across the lagoon.
Untouched.
At the center of her domain.
Mei Lan:
“The more you struggle…”
Mei Lan:
“The more you nourish the garden.”
Then Yashina realized it.
Every spell dissolved by Qing Ran’s mist made the lagoon shine a little brighter.
Every wound inflicted by Hua Li caused small red flowers to bloom.
Every arrow fired by Zi Yue created new wisteria branches that clung to the arena’s structures.
Lotus wasn’t simply attacking.
They were creating a world where only they held the advantage.
Yashina:
“Sarina…”
Yashina:
“We need to disrupt their rhythm.”
Sarina:
“You finally said something useful.”
Yashina gathered light around her body but did not fire immediately.
Yashina:
“When I cut the roots, create a wind current and disperse the mist.”
Sarina:
“Don’t order me around.”
Yashina:
“Then do it your way.”
Yashina:
“As long as it works.”
Sarina smirked.
Sarina:
“Now we’re talking.”
Yashina:
“Rain of Light Blades.”
Numerous luminous blades emerged from the hexagons and descended in sequence.
Not chaotically.
But with precision.
The golden roots were severed at multiple points simultaneously.
The moment Sarina freed herself—
She opened both fans.
Sarina:
“Gale Sweep!”
Wind swept across the lagoon, pushing away part of the blue mist.
For a few seconds—
The draining effect weakened.
Kamero seized the opportunity.
Kamero:
“Concentrated Blizzard.”
Instead of spreading ice across the entire battlefield, he condensed the spell into a narrow, swift current.
The ice advanced along the spiritual water, partially freezing the path toward Qing Ran.
Qing Ran raised her hand.
Qing Ran:
“Mirror of Blue Flowers.”
Aquatic flowers appeared before her, reflecting part of the freezing magic back.
Kamero felt the cold strike his own arm and clenched his teeth.
But Aysa attacked from the flank.
Aysa:
“Paralyzing Knives!”
Qing Ran avoided two.
But the third grazed her waist, tearing the fabric and interrupting her concentration for a brief instant.
The mist wavered.
And that was enough for Hitori to breathe easier.
But Hua Li did not allow the opening to last.
Hua Li:
“Funeral Flower Fragrance.”
A sweet aroma spread through the air around Hitori.
The forest distorted before his eyes.
For a moment, the trees seemed to bend toward him.
The ground lost its depth.
The voices of his friends became distant.
As though they came from beneath water.
Hitori:
“What… is this…?”
Hua Li appeared before him.
Without haste.
Hua Li:
“The more you resist…”
Hua Li:
“The more the flower finds its way into your senses.”
Hitori tried to attack with his dagger.
But struck only a shadow.
Vines wrapped around his ankle, pulling him to the ground.
Spiritual thorns emerged around him.
Tearing his clothes.
Opening new wounds.
Hua Li:
“Higanbana Thorns.”
The poison sank deeper.
Hitori felt his body growing heavy.
It wasn’t ordinary pain.
It was as though each muscle had forgotten its purpose.
Hitori:
“Damn…”
On the opposite side—
Xiao Yun increased the pressure on Kamero and Aysa.
Xiao Yun:
“Crimson Petal Slash.”
The attacks came in layers.
First, a feint with her body.
Then, a burst of floral wind.
Finally—
Real petals slashing from behind.
Kamero defended with ice as best he could.
But every defense cost too much mana.
Aysa noticed a pattern.
Aysa:
“Kamero, lower left!”
Kamero didn’t hesitate.
Kamero:
“Ice Pillars.”
The pillars weren’t created to hit Xiao Yun.
But to limit her movement.
The crimson dancer leaped over the first.
Spun around the second.
But found Aysa waiting in her blind spot.
Aysa:
“Got you.”
The knife almost touched Xiao Yun’s shoulder.
Almost.
Zi Yue fired an arrow from above.
Aysa was forced to retreat.
The attack that might have wounded Xiao Yun only sliced through several petals.
Zi Yue:
“Never ignore the sky.”
Kamero looked upward irritably.
Kamero:
“That archer is sealing every route.”
Zi Yue landed atop a suspended platform of wisteria.
Zi Yue:
“Lunar Hanging Garden.”
Floral vines spread across the sides of the arena.
Creating platforms.
Traps.
Firing positions.
She didn’t need to move.
The battlefield itself repositioned her.
Meanwhile—
Mei Lan finally advanced.
Mei Lan:
“Celestial Bloom.”
Gigantic lotus flowers blossomed around the members of Guild Lotus.
Violet light enveloped Qing Ran, Xiao Yun, Hua Li, and Zi Yue.
Healing wounds.
Restoring mana.
Yashina felt despair creeping in.
Yashina:
“They’re healing…”
Sarina spat to the side.
Sarina:
“Then we’ll hit harder.”
Yashina:
“That won’t be enough.”
Yashina:
“We need to strike the one maintaining everything.”
The two looked toward Mei Lan.
The Empress of the Celestial Lotus noticed.
And smiled serenely.
Mei Lan:
“Come.”
Sarina needed no second invitation.
Sarina:
“Wind Slash!”
Yashina:
“Light Discs!”
Wind and light attacked together.
Mei Lan raised one hand.
Mei Lan:
“Veil of Eternal Petals.”
Thousands of violet petals formed a barrier around her.
The attacks forced the petals back.
But not enough to break through.
Sarina clenched her teeth.
Sarina:
“What an annoying defense!”
Yashina observed the pattern.
The petals didn’t block everything simultaneously.
They concentrated where the attack was strongest.
Yashina:
“Sarina.”
Yashina:
“Separate attacks.”
Sarina:
“I told you not to order me around.”
Yashina:
“Then attack from the opposite side.”
Sarina snorted.
But obeyed.
The two split apart.
Sarina attacked from the right with short bursts of wind.
Yashina fired irregular beams of light from the left.
Mei Lan’s veil was forced to divide.
For the first time—
Its density weakened.
Mei Lan slightly narrowed her eyes.
Mei Lan:
“Interesting.”
Sarina emerged from behind a severed root.
Using her own wind to propel herself forward.
Sarina:
“Cyclone Strike!”
The attack struck the veil.
Opening a gap.
Yashina seized the opportunity.
Yashina:
“Light Spear!”
The magic pierced the opening.
Striking Mei Lan’s shoulder.
The empress stepped back.
Only a little.
But she stepped back.
Sarina smiled.
Sarina:
“Now we’re talking.”
But her smile vanished quickly.
The entire battlefield reacted to Mei Lan’s wound.
The lagoon shone.
The spiritual trees trembled.
The violet lotuses closed their petals.
As though holding their breath.
Qing Ran looked toward Mei Lan.
Qing Ran:
“She’s going to use it.”
Zi Yue lowered her bow for the first time.
Xiao Yun stopped dancing.
Even Hua Li, despite Hitori lying helpless before her, turned her attention toward the center of the domain.
Mei Lan touched the wound on her shoulder.
Observing the blood on her fingers.
Mei Lan:
“I admit it.”
Mei Lan:
“You are more persistent than I imagined.”
Sarina spun her fans.
Sarina:
“And you’re more talkative than you should be.”
Yashina:
“Sarina…”
Mei Lan raised both hands.
The spiritual water began revolving around her.
Mei Lan:
“But this battlefield no longer belongs to you.”
Roots, wisterias, cherry blossoms, willows, and higanbanas began responding simultaneously.
The five members of Guild Lotus moved in perfect synchronization.
Mei Lan:
“Collective Technique.”
Xiao Yun:
“The petals dance.”
Hua Li:
“The funeral flowers awaken.”
Qing Ran:
“The mist nourishes the garden.”
Zi Yue:
“The moon guides the arrows.”
Guild Lotus:
“Eternal Garden of Lotus Flowers.”
The arena no longer resembled an arena.
Lotus lakes covered the ground.
Crimson cherry trees blossomed amidst the mist.
Wisterias formed suspended bridges above the battlefield.
Blue willows spread luminous leaves through the air.
Red higanbanas bloomed like wounds upon the earth.
Guild EXO’s mana slowly began to drain away.
Meanwhile, their opponents seemed to breathe easier with every passing second.
Kamero felt his knees growing heavy.
Kamero:
“Now I understand…”
Kamero:
“They never intended to win quickly.”
Aysa:
“They were preparing the territory.”
Zi Yue drew a gigantic arrow high above.
Zi Yue:
“Night Flower Rain.”
Hundreds of floral arrows appeared in the false sky created by the domain.
Xiao Yun vanished among the cherry trees.
Xiao Yun:
“Violent Spring.”
Crimson petals spun like a living storm.
Hua Li approached Hitori, who could barely rise.
Hua Li:
“Scarlet Underworld Bloom.”
The higanbanas around him expanded.
Slowly corroding his spiritual resistance.
Qing Ran spread her arms.
Qing Ran:
“Great Willow of Heaven.”
Behind her, an enormous willow tree emerged.
Its luminous leaves healed allies and weakened enemies.
Then Mei Lan finished, with the calmness of a sentence.
Mei Lan:
“Sacred Tree of Xianhua.”
A gigantic oriental tree rose at the center of the arena.
Its roots spread throughout the entire domain.
Connecting every flower.
Every tree.
Every attack.
At that moment—
Guild EXO understood.
They were no longer fighting five women.
They were trapped inside a living garden.
And the garden wanted to devour them.
Hitori, lying among the higanbanas, felt his consciousness sinking.
And together with it—
The black spheres dissolved into the air.
Hua Li’s voice seemed distant.
Xiao Yun’s petals were nothing more than red stains.
The cold of Qing Ran’s mist was no longer the worst part.
There was something else.
Something inside him.
Something that moved when the poison tried to reach his heart.
Hitori:
“What… is this…?”
For a brief instant—
A shadow flowed from his hand.
Small.
Almost imperceptible.
Hua Li noticed.
Her expression remained cold.
But her fingers retreated slightly.
Hua Li:
“That mana…”
The shadow disappeared.
Hitori lost all strength and collapsed completely.
Mei Lan watched from afar.
Mei Lan:
“It seems there is something strange about that boy.”
Xiao Yun appeared atop a cherry blossom branch.
Xiao Yun:
“Do you want me to finish him?”
Mei Lan closed her eyes briefly.
Mei Lan:
“Not yet.”
Mei Lan:
“The battle isn’t over.”
Kamero, Aysa, Sarina, and Yashina gathered together with difficulty.
All wounded.
All exhausted.
Surrounded by a domain that weakened them with every breath.
Sarina tightened her fans, hiding the trembling in her fingers.
Sarina:
“Damn it…”
Sarina:
“They were still holding back?”
Yashina took a deep breath while staring at the colossal tree standing at the center of the forest.
Yashina:
“If we bring down Mei Lan…”
Yashina:
“Perhaps the domain will weaken.”
Kamero:
“Perhaps.”
Kamero:
“But Qing Ran maintains the regeneration, Zi Yue prevents any approach, Xiao Yun cuts off every opening, and Hua Li is finishing off Hitori.”
Aysa looked toward him.
Aysa:
“Then we need to split up.”
Kamero:
“If we separate, they win.”
Sarina gritted her teeth.
Sarina:
“Then we’ll destroy this damn garden together.”
The spiritual flowers surrounding them began shining brighter.
The next wave was coming.
And everyone felt it.
The real battle had only just begun.
At the center of the Eternal Garden of Lotus Flowers, Guild EXO remained standing through sheer stubbornness.
And far from everyone’s eyes—
Beneath Hitori’s nearly motionless body—
The shadow moved again.