On the other side, Rayne's team was ambushed while they were dealing with the puppets. Silva's men employed guerilla warfare tactics to stall and disorganize their opponents, quickly fleeing down the tunnel and disappearing into the next one. Rayne was appalled by the brazen tactics, but rage quickly took over when he saw that one of his agents had fallen during the initial ambush. He directed the rest of his men to search for the bombs while he rushed after the fleeing enemies.

Rayne's heart pounded as he sprinted through the dark, damp tunnels. He was fast—much faster than the assailants—and quickly caught up with them. He counted four people, but Silva wasn't among them. The assailants put up a fight, but Rayne dealt with them in a matter of seconds.

Breathing heavily and seething with rage, Rayne knew that finding the bombs took priority. But Silva was here, somewhere.

"My oh my. You seem out of breath, kid! Is this old man too fast for you?"

Rayne froze, hearing the voice he'd dreamt of confronting so many times. Straightening up, he took a deep breath and slowly turned until he was sideways, looking down the tunnel at Silva. Silva cocked his head and sported a teasing grin.

"Haah…I'm fine. I'm just not used to dealing with cowards running away so much."

Silva's grin disappeared, and he slowly extended his hand toward Rayne. Rayne narrowed his eyes, wondering what Silva was about to do. He focused on sensing the mana around Silva, expecting a soul attack, even a mind attack, but his eyes widened, and he took a step backward, jerking his head back.

In the spot his head had just been, a concentrated bubble of mana exploded, causing a loud boom to reverberate through the tunnel.

Rayne immediately cast Ice Spear, which Silva easily dodged.

"Hmph. Weak! Too weak, Rayne!" Silva shouted, repeating his previous action. He raised his arm and snapped his fingers. Another bubble of highly concentrated mana exploded next to Rayne as he sidestepped the attack and moved forward.

Silva grinned, turned to the tunnel to his side, and started running. Rayne, bewildered by the old man's audacity, watched Silva turn and run. Without wasting another moment, he pursued, determined not to let Silva escape. As Rayne rounded the bend at the end of the tunnel, he caught sight of Silva's form disappearing into the shadows. The chase intensified, with Rayne pushing his limits to close the distance. Silva glanced over his shoulder, his grin returning as he saw Rayne gaining on him.

Prince Tristan and Guild Leader Fluvis Frose watched the dazzling, glittering, and sparkling display of magic in the twilight from the balcony of the royal palace.

"It's time we headed toward the stage," the prince said, turning to leave. Fluvis nodded and quietly followed him. On their way out of the palace, the Spymaster approached and reported that he had men stationed atop the buildings overseeing the surroundings. The prince nodded, thanked him, and entered the royal carriage waiting to take them directly to the main square.

The drive from the royal palace to the square took ten minutes, just enough time for various thoughts to occupy the prince's mind. The situation had become dire after he learned about the bombs. He received a report that three bombs had been dismantled so far, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

"Worried?" Fluvis asked. Tristan nodded, frowning as he looked out the window. "I am worried too. Rayne's obsession with the Hounds and Silva is clouding his judgment… Perhaps it would be best if you postponed the festival until tomorrow."

Tristan was taken aback but nodded after thinking it over. He had been agonizing over the decision since the previous day, but it was straightforward. People came first, and if postponing or even canceling the festival was necessary to keep them safe, so be it.

"We'll arrive about twenty minutes before the end of the opening ceremony. I'll climb the stage immediately upon arrival and make an announcement. Shadow One…" The prince called out, and a shadow rose from his own shadow, awaiting instructions. Fluvis showed no reaction to the shadow's appearance. The prince instructed it to go and deliver his new orders to the Spymaster, ensuring everything was ready upon his arrival. The shadow disappeared, and the prince relaxed, feeling the weight of his responsibility lessen slightly.

----------------------------------------

"Marcel, don't waste time with the puppets; go straight for the bomb while we deal with the rest of them. Understood?" Arndell commanded. Before them, multiple sets of eyes shone red in the darkness. The soul puppets appeared dormant, and Arndell preferred to avoid confrontation given the emergency, but they stood in their way to the bomb.

Marcel nodded, his eyes focused on the transport trolley behind the mob. Arndell led the charge, provoking a reaction from the seemingly dormant puppets, and the fight ensued.

Marcel swiftly pivoted through the mob and slipped to the other side. He didn't look back. He trusted his fellow group members and immediately got to work. He glanced over the trolley, then at the container.

To disrupt the flow of mana and deactivate the bomb, Marcel first needed to disable the formation. The formation was engraved with a pattern of lines connecting runes at the ends.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Marcel lay on his back as he had done before, his hands starting to glow. He focused the mana imbuing his hands and guided it toward his index fingers, all the while observing and deciphering the complex patterns of the formation, which appeared identical to previous ones.

Recognizing the familiar pattern, he stopped observing and immediately began deciphering and nullifying the effects of the formation. Following the lines with his finger, he carefully and precisely unraveled one of the runes, erasing it. He repeated the process and was halfway done when...

cling

Hm?

tik tik tik tik

"What's..."

In the midst of battle, Arndell turned to Marcel and saw him facing towards them, his eyes filled with fear and dread. It was a split second, but Arndell could see the look of resignation on Marcel's face.

tiktiktiktik

clang

A flashing light momentarily blinded everyone in the tunnel, and then a thunderous explosion erupted through the air. Marcel had been at the epicenter, disintegrating without a trace. Arndell hastily summoned a mana barrier, pouring everything into it to protect the two agents within its radius of effect. The third agent had been just outside the barrier's reach and was all that remained. Arndell channeled the barrier as it cracked and repaired with every passing moment…

Prior to the explosion, the main square was bustling with activity. The crowd was dense, barely parting for performers and entertainers making their way through. Among them, agents stationed atop buildings noticed pushing and odd behavior from a couple of individuals. They signaled ground agents to investigate.

Before the agents could intervene, the crowd started to panic, screaming and pushing as they tried to flee. Their cries were drowned out by music and cheering. The suspicious individuals revealed themselves as puppets, attacking in a frenzy. Agents realized the severity and fought through the chaos to confront them, only to be blinded by a sudden burst of light...

Tristan and Fluvis's carriage stopped three minutes away from the explosion. The prince flung open the door, horrified by the dazzling lights of magic now overshadowed by a mushroom cloud. Seconds later, another flash and explosion rocked the area. Tristan turned to Fluvis in shock, but the old man was gone.

The ceremony fell silent amid a chain of explosions rocking the city center: one from the east square and two from the west.

For a moment, the main square stood frozen. Only the eerie sound of falling debris and blood could be felt between the explosions. A hand dropped from the sky, striking a woman in the crowd and shocking her awake. Her scream pierced the air, triggering chaos.

Some onlookers were too stunned to react, watching in disbelief as others trampled over them in a frantic attempt to escape the explosions, which were of unprecedented magnitude.

The last three bombs beneath the main square activated simultaneously. Amidst the chaos, Fluvis appeared. He closed his eyes and knelt as people rushed around him. Placing both hands on the ground, he weakly uttered "Ice Age."

The detonations caused an aftershock that knocked down those nearby, but Fluvis's skill mitigated the explosive force. Though he couldn't contain the entire blast, those closest to the epicenter perished instantly. Fluvis froze the air in a controlled radius around the central area, utilizing his mastery over ice to affect only what he intended.

While chilled, the bystanders remained unharmed by Fluvis's skill and slowly began to rise. Shouts and orders rang out as guards, adventurers, and Guild agents mobilized to lead people to safety and provide aid to the injured. The prince approached Fluvis in the main square, poised to speak, but held his tongue. Fluvis remained motionless, kneeling and concentrating, radiating vast amounts of mana from within his body.

The prince realized the danger was far from over and swiftly ordered the guards to clear the area. Meanwhile, Fluvis continued channeling his skill, pouring more mana into containing the aftermath of the explosions. After a minute, he stood up and gazed upward. Tristan, observing from a distance, followed his gaze and saw a mix of fire and ice energies evaporating into the sky. Fluvis breathed heavily and turned towards Tristan with unfocused eyes. A snowflake landed on Tristan’s face, prompting him to look down in surprise. Snowflakes?

"Master Fluvis, are you alright?" Tristan hurried to the old man's side.

cough cough

"Find Rayne," Fluvis repeated between coughs.

Tristan nodded earnestly, assuring Fluvis that he would locate him. Surveying the scene of devastation, Tristan saw flames extinguished at the eastern square, while the western square blazed brightly. Desperate to rally assistance, Tristan attempted to call out, but his voice faltered amidst the chaos. Every guard, adventurer, and guild agent was already engaged in containing the damage and aiding the injured.

“I’m going to find Rayne,” Tristan declared decisively, vanishing in a blur. The last report indicated Rayne and Arndell had separated, with Rayne heading west. That’s where I’ll find him!

Avoiding the panicked throngs heading away from the western square, Tristan swiftly made his way toward it. As he approached, he witnessed frantic crowds stumbling over each other in their haste to escape. He halted abruptly, his commanding presence quelling the frenzy.

"It’s over now. Help is coming, but it’s over," Tristan reassured the crowd.

"Over? It’s not over! They’re still fighting!" a man shouted, pointing towards the western square.

"That’s right! They’re still there!" echoed others in the crowd. Tristan redirected them towards the main square, assuring them it was now secure and they would find safety there.

Navigating through the tumultuous crowd, the prince hastened his pace. Within minutes, he arrived at the now-deserted square, eerily quiet and devoid of life. Surveying the scene, he noticed traces of ice magic etched into the ground and surrounding structures. Some buildings still smoldered, casting an eerie glow in the dim night.

Stepping carefully around debris from both explosion and battle, Tristan sensed the lingering presence of potent mana. A significant confrontation had occurred here just moments before his arrival.

He paced the square, a growing unease gnawing at him. Turning sharply in different directions, he deciphered the remnants of the recent skirmish. Suddenly, amidst the overwhelming mana signatures, he detected a unique source. His walk turned into a jog as he rounded a corner, leading to an alley behind a partially demolished building. Coming to a halt at the alley's entrance, he narrowed his eyes. The distinct mana he sensed emanated from the far end.

As he approached cautiously, his eyes widened with each step. His movements slowed, weighted by the gravity of what lay ahead. Gradually, a large blue crystal, stained with hues of blood, emerged before him—two meters in diameter and three in height. Tristan paused, placing a trembling hand upon the crystal. His face contorted with a tumult of emotions as he stood motionless, absorbed in his thoughts, until Fluvis finally arrived.