Extra's Descent

The next chamber.

"Akh!"

"Kh…!"

As easy as that.

After all, the heads had collectively decided on the same strategy.

To trick the guards into dampening their defenses for a quick and easy kill.

Slash—!

In a matter of seconds, the guards were no more.

Inside the room it was only Brandon and the head left.

"Good work."

However, this head was indifferent to the whole thing.

Business is business.

"Go on now."

He waved Brandon off.

At his instructions, Brandon turned around and headed for the door. But soon halted in his steps as the head left a few words.

"Ah, before you go, I need you to fetch the item for me."

In particular, the item he had just won in bidding.

"I need to try it right now."

An impatient man.

Brandon nodded his head.

"Understood."

Then, the head turned back around and leaned on the railings.

Brandon reached for the doorknob. In that instant, he clenched his fist.

Splurt!

Threads revealed themselves, latching all over the room as they twisted the head's entire figure, blood splattering all over.

The head let his guard down. But in the first place, this head was way weaker than him.

Shortly after, Brandon left the room.

***

It was quite a breeze for Evelyn.

Although the heads had devised a strategy, there was no point in following it.

With a snap of her fingers, light filled the entire room. However, Evelyn didn't look away.

She was used to the light.

It was her power.

The [Celestial] affinity.

The affinity to harness the celestial bodies.

And whenever it was night, she could feel the pinnacle of her power rise.

As soon as the light faded, there was nothing left.

No traces.

None at all.

As if the room was empty in the first place.

Just like that, Evelyn had finished cleaning the last chamber.

A total of thirteen minutes.

And the reason for that five minutes….

Munch~

She took a quick detour.

A snack break.

Munch~

Realizing that Brandon was still occupied with his task, Evelyn decided to approach the seat and sat down.

Crossing her legs, she scanned the auction.

She couldn't believe it when she saw all the artifacts.

They were all weapons.

Weapons that would undoubtedly be used in the war.

And this country….

"We aren't ready."

They weren't ready for the war that is approaching.

Even if the plan succeeds, and they had cleared out the blackmarket, it wouldn't stop the Milis continent from invading.

This blackmarket.

This syndicate.

This auction.

It was all to recruit people to their side.

To destroy Holy Britannia from the inside.

She had to get stronger fast.

"Damn it."

She cursed.

It had been about four months since she had ascended to the SS ranks. Particularly, the SS- rank.

But she couldn't find the missing piece to ascend higher.

The S ranks were hard to progress. Even if she trained everyday, she still wouldn't be able to progress so easily.

No amount of meditation wouldn't help her case.

Especially given how hard her affinity was to use.

Yet regardless, whenever she had asked advice from her fellow S rankers, they would all tell her the same thing.

"Training."

She was past the point of training.

There had to be something.

Something else.

There was only one person she could ask that might give her the right answer.

But that person….

….He was dead.

"Lucian."

He was her junior in the guild. Joined three years later than her.

Yet he had become the strongest in the world.

But even the strongest had died.

Truly, what is this country's future….?

The ones who reigned at the top were incapable. They didn't know what they were doing.

Cowards, hiding in a wall, afraid of change just because their safety net had died.

There was no one fit for the position of leader. And the one who was currently leading the Imperial Army, Bellion Van, knew he wasn't right for it.

For that reason, he held off on taking the position.

The Grand Marshal.

Yet she found herself hypocritical for making such complaints.

Even Evelyn knew she wasn't fit for it.

There was no one.

Truly no one.

This country was doomed to lose the war.

However, what Brandon told her….

He saw the bigger picture.

It was for that reason why this plan was executed.

"I hope it all works out in the end."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Evelyn got up and left the room shortly after.

***

Time passed.

It was the last chamber.

But it proved to be difficult as the head was able to fight back. About similar strength as Brandon.

But regardless, it was manageable.

After all, Evelyn took the chambers with the stronger heads.

He was prepared.

Clank—!

His sword met with a magic circle. It was barrier magic.

However, threads maneuvered around and pierced the head on the shoulder.

It was quite hard to aim.

"How dare you fucking betray us?"

"You must be misunderstanding something."

Clank—!

"You're the traitor here. You have betrayed Holy Britannia."

Clank—! Clank—!

"This entire organization must fall."

"Who the fuck do you think you are spouting all that bullshit?"

Clank—! Clank——!

However, Brandon didn't respond to his question.

Instead, he muttered indifferently.

"Dominion."

At that, his eyes flicked abruptly, gazing at the head's legs. It was trembling slightly.

And the speed at which the magic circles formed had begun to slow down its pace.

Clank—! Clank—!

"What are you!?"

The head screamed as he tried to block all of Brandon's attacks.

Blocking was all he could do.

After all, Brandon was fast.

His sword swung at normal speeds, but the pace would instantly increase mid–swing.

Brandon could tell this head wasn't well versed in close combat.

A typical mage.

After all, he had thrown feints. Even purposefully striking in the air, and in each exchange, the head would move his hand to block, regardless if he was defending himself or not.

As if he was tracing the sword on autopilot.

It was quite funny, and Brandon found his lips curling up.

Swoosh—!

Brandon's sword swiftly breached past the head's defense, grazing the side of his torso.

A flurry of attacks were sent and grazes etched, tearing the head's clothes.

"Kh…!"

Brandon raised his sword up.

Voosh—!

Amethyst cursed flames engulfed his sword and Brandon bit his lip.

The flames.

It hurt.

He felt like his body was burning internally, as if he was burning alive himself.

This had never happened in the past. But as soon as the entire Lumian ordeal happened, the flames had started hurting him.

It was for that reason why Brandon refrained from using his cursed flames too much.

Especially while he was still at the surface level of learning Evelyn's pseudo swordsmanship.

Regardless, he had to try it.

Swoosh—!

Brandon swung down and blood splattered all over, smearing Brandon's entire figure and the flames dispersing as soon as the attack landed.

Wiping his cheek, Brandon turned around.

His job was done.

It was time for the second phase of his plans.

With such thoughts, he left the room.