Before Elliot could get an answer, the ground shook and a loud sound of a horn echoed throughout the lands. They immediately got outside and saw four battleships floating in the air, landing in their direction.

"That\'s their men," Celine pointed out. "They must have followed you here."

"But we made sure to be as untraceable as we can," Connor said. "How come they found us?"

"We don\'t know, but we don\'t have time," Esmeralda walked in front of them. "I may have been too relaxed when we led you here and not able to hide your location. Everyone, let\'s go fight these shipd. Each one of you target a ship. I will protect you from the backlines with Celine."

"I will fight too," Emma said. "I don\'t know exactly what is going on, but I know that this is a fight that I\'m involved in."

She reached out her arms and waved them in the air. Emma then created four magic circles and attached them to each one od the four Adventurers. "This will give you a buff and a burn curse."

"Nice," Connor said with sarcasm. "But appreciate the buff."

He morphed into his Infernal form and stepped on his staff. "We\'ll take it from here."

Connor was the first one to attack. He immediately launched himself to one of the ships, passing through one of it. "I can actually take care of all of these!"

Then a cannon beam was fired at him. He barely dodged the attack, causing him to touch his chest and breathed out deeply. "Or maybe not. I don\'t actually think I can do this all alone."

"Kaminari, please go with him," Elliot said. "We\'ll take care of the land."

"Land?" Kaminari scoffed. "What will you fight here–"

Before he could finish his sentence, the shaking of the ground came back. They all turned to the source of the vibrations and saw six giant elephants with an army backing them.

"You should take care of the ground," Kaminari grinned. He wrapped an air field around him before launching himself off of the ground and attack the ships along with Connor.

"No!" Elliot yelled when the large beasts were running towards the town. "Stop!"

He used as much speed as he can as he ran at the elephants to block them. Daniel was beside him while Celine summoned several wolves to attack with them.

Esmeralda waved her hands in the air to create a fog in front of the elephants. "This should be enough to hold them."

Elliot raised his blade and attack. He was spamming his Enhanced Lotus Blast, taking the advantage that he had an extra damage and the burn curse on his attacks. He was taking down the giant beasts one by one, making sure to take down the rider with them.

Daniel on the other hand stayed at the back. He placed both his hands on the ground and created a giant red magic circle. "Blood Feast."

The army was immediately taken down in half. The soldiers fell to their knees, their eyes bulging out of their sockets and their skin was like it was sucked inside the flesh. All their blood was drained in their body, traveling like a shadow and going into the magic circle.

"This is fun," Daniel grinned. "Time to test how good my magic is."

Daniel stretched his arms as the army approaches. The red magic circle became blood and it was seeping through him, the man absorbing the blood inside him.

"Ahh," Daniel moaned. "Blood Phase."

His entire body was wrapped with a slender crimson armor that fit his body perfectly. "Alright. We\'re going to do this now. This time, properly."

–

It took them two hours to fight off the army. Elliot failed to protect all of the town. He wasn\'t able to protect everyone, causing a quarter of the people to get injured and some of the houses to crumble.

While they were battling, Elliot thought that something was odd with Celine and Esmeralda, so he confronted them.

"What really are your intentions?" Elliot asked while he wrapped a man\'s hand with a cloth that was weaved by Celine\'s beasts. "I don\'t really know if you helped back there or what."

"We are only here to help the Rogue Maiden. We\'re not combatants," Celine said. "I used my bird to send to the Ruby Maiden so she can get here safely. Esmeralda also used her magic to create an illusion around the bird as they travel here. As for the battle earlier, there are only so much that I can do for it."

"So, you mean you\'re here to help us but not actually help us?" Kaminari scoffed. "This is a war against them, and those sigils on your armor. Those are signs of your pledge to DuDu and Licht. You can\'t fool me, Lady of Beasts and Lady of Visions. What are you doing here?"

"We may not be able to fight, but we are here to do what you\'re doing. To stop the tyrants," Esmeralda said. "All those years, we were blinded by them. And as the Lady of Visions, I did not even acknowledge my own powers. I blocked all the visions up until half a year ago where a shift happened in my thought and saw the evil itself."

"Malice?" Elliot asked. "She did gave the emperors power so they can be as strong as they are now."

"No," Esmeralda said. "Something more ancient than her, someone who is as powerful an Absolute."

"As powerful as an Absolute," Elliot repeated. "Who could that be?"

Esmeralda stared into Elliot\'s eyes, as if she was talking to him in his mind. Elliot got the message and nodded, making Esmeralda nod too.

"You must stay here for the mean time," Esmeralda said. "I will go look for survivors."

The woman spun with a bouncing motion, then vanished into the air. Elliot watched the smoke that was Esmeralda\'s body travel to the forest nearby.

"I will come back," Elliot said. "I just have to take a leak."

"I\'ll come with you," Daniel tried to offer but Elliot shook his head.

"I\'m okay," the boy said. "It\'s not like I\'m going anywhere."

"Yeah, also my animals will warn us when danger approaches, just like what they did earlier," Celine added.

Daniel was hesitant but he had to agree. He sat back on the ground and helped them treat then town\'s folks.

As Elliot walked into the forest, he saw Esmerlada stand in the middle of a small clearing. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"I came to you because I know you have see the person I\'m talking about," Esmeralda said. "There is a being more evil and more dark than Malice, and that man is what we should be wary of."

"But…" Elliot trailed off. "Who is that man?"

"The Man himself," Esmeralda said. "The Third Surpasser."

–

In a high mountain back in the castle where DuDu was, a man stood by a cliff. He had his arms crossed in front of him as he watched the castle prepare for a war.

"They will kill themselves," he said. "Prepare. We will come now."

"Yes, master," his henchmen bowed.

"APRIL," he whispered.. "I will come for you."