Outside the city—
deep within the surrounding forest—
Lyriana moved silently between the trees.
An artifact concealed her appearance and masked her presence as she made her way toward the city.
The spatial artifact was held securely in her arms.
She continued forward without slowing.
Her gaze remained sharp.
Her eyes seemed to pierce through the dense forest, constantly scanning the path ahead for anything that might obstruct her journey.
Eventually—
she caught sight of people.
Dozens of civilians were making their way out of the city.
Some were running.
Others hurried along while carrying whatever belongings they had managed to take with them.
A few clutched their children tightly as they fled.
Lyriana watched them silently.
*...It seems things aren't going quite as Pythia described.*
Her expression remained calm.
*Every settlement we stop at...*
*...something always seems to happen.*
She continued moving through the forest.
*Though this time...*
Her gaze shifted toward the distant city.
*...there's a reason for it.*
*A crack to the Abyss was opened.*
*And those creatures are coming through it.*
She remained silent for a moment.
Her pace never changed.
*Regardless...*
*...it doesn't change the fact that something always happens.*
Lyriana continued toward the city.
---
Elsewhere—
on the rooftop of a building within the city—
Illyria and Hannah stood overlooking the streets.
Below them—
the evacuation continued.
Groups of civilians hurried toward the outskirts while soldiers directed them away from the battlefield.
Illyria watched the evacuation carefully.
"...If things continue like this..."
"...there shouldn't be any problems."
Hannah remained beside her, silently observing the streets below.
Illyria continued.
"...The best we can do for now is watch over the situation."
"...And deal with any danger that gets too close."
Her eyes shifted toward the distant battlefield.
Smoke still lingered above the ruined district.
"...Though it doesn't seem like there will be much for us to do."
She paused.
"...Everything should be fine for now."
Her expression became slightly more serious.
"...As long as the military can continue keeping those creatures at bay."
Hannah gave a small nod.
Illyria looked toward the civilians leaving the city.
"...We'll remain here for a little while longer."
"...Once we're certain things are under control..."
She glanced toward Hannah.
"...We'll leave."
Hannah nodded again.
Neither spoke afterward.
The two simply remained on the rooftop—
watching the evacuation continue below.
For the moment—
everything still appeared to be under control.
But that was about to change.
---
Back on the battlefield—
the remaining soldiers were still spread throughout the ruined district.
Several were helping injured soldiers while others kept their weapons trained toward the battlefield.
Suddenly—
a communication device crackled.
A voice came through.
"...All units, maintain your distance."
"...Do not approach the battlefield."
The captain immediately turned toward the soldier holding the device.
"What's happening?"
The soldier hesitated.
"...Sir..."
"...We've received another report."
The captain's expression hardened.
"Report."
The soldier swallowed.
"The corruption is spreading."
The captain's eyes narrowed.
"...How far?"
The soldier checked the latest information.
"...It's already spreading beyond the area where the knights were fighting."
Silence.
The captain looked toward the distant battlefield.
The remains of the Rift Breaker were gone, but a faint haze of Abyssal mana still lingered throughout the ruined streets.
His expression became grim.
"...So even after we killed them..."
"...the problem didn't end."
He clenched his fist.
"The knights were corrupted after being exposed to the Abyssal mana."
"...And now that same mana is spreading through the surrounding area."
His gaze swept across the soldiers nearby.
"If we allow our people to remain here..."
"...we'll only create more corrupted individuals."
The captain immediately raised his voice.
"Everyone!"
"RETREAT!"
Several soldiers turned toward him.
"Move away from the battlefield immediately!"
"...Do not approach the contaminated area!"
The vice captain immediately raised his communication device.
"All units, this is an emergency order!"
"Begin immediate withdrawal!"
"I repeat—"
"ALL UNITS ARE TO RETREAT!"
"Maintain a safe distance from the battlefield!"
"Do not make contact with anything showing signs of corruption!"
The order quickly spread throughout the district.
Soldiers began pulling back.
Those who had been assisting the wounded were forced to withdraw as well.
Several adventurers also began retreating after receiving the warning.
The battlefield, which had moments ago been filled with soldiers and knights—
was rapidly becoming empty.
Then—
a figure approached the captain.
Lady Onoria.
She looked toward the battlefield before turning toward him.
"...Captain."
"What is the situation?"
The captain immediately turned toward her.
"Lady Onoria."
He briefly lowered his head.
"First..."
"...Thank you for your assistance."
"Your guild has helped us considerably."
Onoria remained silent.
The captain continued.
"But we need to retreat."
Her expression changed slightly.
"...Retreat?"
The captain nodded.
"The situation has changed."
He gestured toward the battlefield.
"The Rift Breakers have been eliminated..."
"...but the knights who fought them were exposed to the Abyssal mana."
His expression darkened.
"All of them were corrupted."
Onoria's eyes narrowed.
"And now..."
"The mana left behind is spreading."
"We don't know how far it will spread..."
"...or how quickly."
He paused.
"...If our soldiers remain here, they'll be exposed as well."
Onoria looked toward the ruined battlefield.
"...Do you have any means of containing it?"
The captain shook his head.
"...Not at the moment."
Onoria's expression became serious.
"Then you cannot allow it to continue spreading."
She looked toward the surrounding city.
"If you have no way to contain it..."
"...eventually, the entire city could be affected."
The captain nodded grimly.
"That's why we're withdrawing."
Onoria remained silent for a moment.
Her gaze returned to the battlefield.
"...Then make sure every unit receives the order."
"We can't afford to lose more people."
The captain nodded.
"We'll do everything we can."
Onoria turned toward the members of the Black Eagle Guild.
"Everyone."
The guild members immediately looked toward her.
"We're leaving."
Several of them hesitated.
Onoria's voice became firm.
"Do not remain within the contaminated area."
"Fall back immediately."
The guild members nodded.
"Yes, Guild Master!"
They quickly began retreating.
---
Across the battlefield—
the soldiers stationed on the rooftops received the same order.
One after another—
they began withdrawing.
Those positioned along the streets followed.
Even the soldiers stationed farther away began pulling back.
The battlefield gradually became quieter.
The sounds of combat disappeared.
The shouts of soldiers faded.
Footsteps echoed through the ruined streets as the remaining forces hurried away from the contaminated area.
Above—
the airships also began changing position.
One of the ships slowly climbed higher.
Inside its command deck—
the captain stared through the viewing window at the ruined district below.
A faint haze of Abyssal mana could be seen spreading through the streets.
"...It's spreading."
An officer beside him nodded.
"Yes, sir."
The captain's expression tightened.
"And we still have no means of containing it?"
"...No, sir."
The captain remained silent for several seconds.
Then—
"...What about the evacuation?"
The officer immediately checked the latest reports.
"We've received confirmation."
He looked up.
"...The evacuation is underway."
"The eastern district is being cleared first."
"The civilians are being directed toward the city gates."
The captain slowly exhaled.
"...Good."
His gaze remained fixed on the city below.
"Then keep the ships at a safe distance."
"...Until we know how far the corruption will spread."
The officer nodded.
"Yes, sir."
The airship continued rising.
Below—
the soldiers continued retreating.
The streets around the battlefield slowly emptied.
Yet—
across the ruined district—
the faint crimson haze continued crawling outward.
It seeped through the shattered streets.
Through the cracks in the stone.
And into the areas that had not yet been touched by the battle.
The military had killed the Rift Breakers.
They had survived the bombardment.
They had even begun evacuating the city.
But none of that had stopped the real threat.
The Rift Breakers were gone.
The Abyssal mana remained.
And it was spreading.