Once again, it’s important to emphasize that Lucy’s strength didn’t come from being chosen by the Sacred Sword.

She was strong enough to be chosen by it.

Though she was powerful enough to overturn an entire area with a single leap, that didn’t mean she could instantly deal with the scattered gang members fleeing in every direction.

She started with the one who had run the farthest, breaking his leg with a swift blow.

“Grrrgh!”

With no weapon at hand, she grabbed the fallen man and threw him at the next target, knocking him down. She succeeded in getting each one of them to collapse in place.

As one of them lifted his head from the ground,

Shriek!

A sound, like air being torn, something no human could make, accompanied by the ripping of flesh.

“W-wait…!”

There was no such thing as surrender.

Lin had ordered her to kill them all.

Lucy was simply fulfilling her mission as a killing machine, executing Lin’s orders faithfully.

“You’re the last one, huh?”

“Eeeeek!”

“Since you’re the last, I’ll give you a choice.”

Lucy spread her arms and swayed them.

“Do you want it done by hand or by foot?”

The last remaining thug, in a final show of bravado, responded,

“Well, in that case, how about with your chest….”

“Dream on.”

Her soccer kick obliterated his upper body without mercy.

Sighing as she brushed off the blood splattered everywhere, Lucy clicked her tongue.

She couldn’t allow Lin to be exposed to this metallic scent.

Though she hated being in debt, she might have to ask Ravin to prepare a bath for her.

That was a matter for later.

With a bright smile, Lucy spun around.

“Lin! It’s all done!”

Whoosh~

A breeze seemed to blow inside the flimsy structure.

Lin was, of course, not in the open space.

“Huh?”

She had chased too far.

In her pursuit of the backs of fleeing prey, like a wild beast, she had strayed too far from Lin.

Which meant,

“I left Lin behind…!”

A chill ran down her spine.

She dashed back to where she had left him.

Bursting through the door, she found Lin surrounded by three men, struggling.

Even as a civilian, Lin was holding his own admirably.

He ducked quickly, landing a hook that dropped one of the thugs with a blow to the jaw.

He then shoved another thug down with a small shield.

But that was as far as he got.

A thug, emerging from the blind spot created by the shield, swung a dagger that grazed Lin’s cheek.

Slice!

“Got him!”

Taking advantage of Lin’s momentary freeze in shock, one thug grabbed him from behind, pressing a blade to his throat.

“Oh-ho! You’ve come just in time! You see this, right? One move, and he dies.”

“Damn! It looks like we’re done for. What should we do now?”

“Either way, we’re probably gonna die.”

The three thugs whispered among themselves before bursting into laughter in unison.

“I’m going to die feeling up that woman’s breasts.”

“Yeah! Let’s go out like men!”

But none of their words reached Lucy’s ears.

Her wide eyes were fixed only on the wound on Lin’s cheek.

“Lin got hurt…?”

Because of me?

Because I rushed off, leaving my primary protection target behind to show off?

Her nails dug into her clenched fists.

“Lucy, calm down.”

Noticing the fury and madness in her eyes, Lin tried to speak calmly, but Lucy couldn’t stop herself from going berserk.

Lin, who had sacrificed himself for her from the day she lost her limbs.

No, Lin, who had devoted himself to her since the day she lost her limbs.

After losing him once, how could she make such a mistake again?

This was unforgivable.

“I won’t forgive you.”

Not you, nor myself.

“You’ll pay with your lives.”

Sensing her ominous intent, the thugs began to back away.

“This crazy bitch! You want to kill your own… Grrk!”

Boom!

It was bizarre.

The man holding the blade to Lin’s throat was blown apart at the torso by a punch from Lucy, who hadn’t moved from her spot.

Lin was splattered with blood.

“Eek, aahhhh!”

The remaining two thugs couldn’t stand it anymore and ran without looking back.

But no matter how much they ran, they couldn’t get any further away.

To Lin and Lucy, it seemed as if the thugs were just running in place, though to the thugs, it felt like they were desperately fleeing down an alley.

“Ridiculous, isn’t it? Thinking they could wound Lin and live to tell the tale.”

A small, yet distinct voice was heard.

Adora emerged as if from the fog, her presence now fully different from before.

Her mere steps made Lin realize she wasn’t the same as she had been.

He finally took a proper look at her.

Straight gray bangs, short-cropped hair.

Orange eyes, and skin as pale as, no, even paler than Lucy’s.

A silhouette with a noticeably ample chest.

But despite her appealing appearance, her eyes held a madness that made Lin uneasy.

“Are you really just a thief?”

Lucy, sensing something was wrong, asked. Adora smiled in response.

It was a clear sneer.

“You really are an incompetent warrior.”

“What did you say?”

With a soft gesture, she waved her hand through the air.

All the surrounding structures began to crumble as if they were made of smoke or dust.

With the disappearance of the buildings and walls, everyone in the black market looked around in confusion.

“W-what…!”

The two men who had tried to escape from Lucy collapsed again as they faced a wolf beast that suddenly appeared in front of them.

Among the things that vanished like a mirage were the cages that had held the beasts.

The three giant mutant beasts, now fully awakened, sniffed the air and growled at the fleeing men.

“We have to run!”

“Where to?!”

In front were the beasts, behind was Lucy.

Despite being caught in a hopeless situation, the thugs flailed their limbs desperately.

No matter how much they struggled to escape, they couldn’t get away from their starting point.

“What the hell is going on, damn it!”

Growl…!!

“No, no—!”

Without leaving a final scream, the two men were torn apart.

Having devoured their meager prey in an instant, the beasts turned their attention to Lin, who was the closest.

Lin tightened his grip on his small shield, feeling relief that he was more accustomed to fighting beasts than people.

“Lin!”

Lucy, gathering her magic in a hurry, was about to leap, but someone else moved before her.

“Don’t worry.”

As Adora waved her hand again, the beasts began baring their fangs and drooling at each other.

“No one will lay a hand on you.”

“…Who are you?”

Ah, Lin directly asked about me.

Pure joy welled up inside her.

“I am Adora.”

One of the beasts bit into another’s neck.

Then, the remaining beast crushed the head of the one that had been bitten and began devouring it.

“I’ve been waiting for the one who will lead us into the future, through endless repetition.”

Crunch, crunch

The beast that emerged victorious devoured its fellow’s flesh and bones, leaving nothing behind.

Despite the horrific scene unfolding before them, none of the people in the black market could move.

They could only flail in place.

Even Lucy couldn’t escape Adora’s mysterious influence.

“When we were on the verge of losing ourselves, exhausted by countless cycles of repetition, you appeared.”

Grrr…!!

The beast that had consumed its kin suddenly twisted its neck in an unnatural way.

It trembled violently, like a tree shaking in the wind, moving erratically as if it were glitching.

The more it trembled, the larger it grew.

Simultaneously, its fur darkened to a deep, blood-red hue, swelling ominously.

Both Lin and Lucy knew what that signaled.

“That’s…!”

Lin gasped in horror.

Adora stepped closer to him.

“You are our only salvation.”

“Get away from Lin!”

Finally, Lucy began to move.

She summoned her magic, forcing herself to break free from the containment field and charge toward Adora.

But Adora’s gaze remained fixed on Lin.

“You are the half we’ve been waiting for.”

“Shut up!!!”

The words were a twisted version of what she usually said to Lin.

Lucy shouted with all her might, rushing forward.

She had to shut that woman’s mouth.

How dare she, to Lin…!

My…

“But you’re my Lin.”

“…You wretched biiiitch!!!!!!!”

A crimson-golden aura surged around her.

Engulfed in magic, Lucy charged at Adora.

“Not that way!”

Lin barely managed to hold onto his reason, trying to stop the warrior.

“Lucy! It’s a trap! Take out the beast, not Adora…!”

Howl…!!

A high-pitched howl, thin and eerie, completely at odds with the giant beast’s massive body.

Howl…!!

And as if answering the call, smaller howls echoed in succession.

The unique mutant beast had fully awakened and activated its ‘Pack Summon’ skill.

“You truly only think of yourself, don’t you, Luciena Estelle?”

Adora didn’t hide her disdain for the warrior.

"You left Lin alone, refusing to listen to his words, and... and even..."

Her voice trembled with genuine anger as she berated Luciena.

"You even let Lin's cheek get scarred!!"

With a sharp motion of her arms, as if pulling back a curtain, Adora shattered the surrounding reality.

In an instant, the black market transformed into a vast, empty field.

Lucy realized that the containment that had been holding her had been lifted.

This applied to everyone else who had been in the black market as well.

"We have nothing more to discuss. I’m taking Lin with me."

As she said this, Adora felt as though time had stopped for a moment.

Seeing the unfocused gaze in the warrior's eyes made her feel that way.

"Who gave you permission?"

A crimson-golden magic swirled around Lucy like a vortex.

"Lin is my only ally, my greatest companion..."