Kyros and Runa sat around the cafe, enjoying their meals and beverages brought to them by their waiters. Three days passed since the man's suspension from the military. Since then, he spent most of his time acting as Runa and Sarra's tour guide around Soteria city. Throughout those days of relaxation, they heard no word from Cassie about any new information about the Acolytes.

They were left entirely in the dark.

They noticed the immense increase in military presence and surveillance in the city. While comforting, it also unsettled the team. Tension weighed heavily in the air. It showed on the faces of the civilians.

No doubt all their negative feelings would bring the Varvara into Soteria again.

There were a few reports of Varvara sightings over the past three days. However, they weren't on the scale of the attacks from before. So, they were quickly dealt with before they could escalate.

"Think we've gone four days without doing anything?" Kyros wondered. He picked up a wine glass and took a sip.

"That's what it looks like," Runa assumed. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms behind her head. "No sightings of the acolytes anywhere."

"I've been meaning to ask...how long do you plan to stay here waiting for them to resurface?" Kyros inquired. Since the Huntress didn't belong to the country, he doubted she'd stay for long periods of time.

Uncertainty spread across Runa's face once she heard the question. She knew she'd be away from the guild for quite some time. Hell, it took over a month to reach Soteria. She also knew that her mission wouldn't be easy, but she never imagined how insane the situation was. If she chose to return to the guild empty-handed, she feared the mockery and disdain she'd receive from her comrades.

Quitting a mission halfway through was considered disgraceful and shameful. Punishment for such an act often resulted in ridicule, suspension from the guild, and a demotion in rank. 

 Those were things Runa didn't want to go through. She never quit a mission. No matter what.

She didn't care how long she'd have to wait. Either way, those acolytes would poke their heads out sooner or later.

"I'll stay as long as it takes for them to show up," Runa answered. "I didn't come out all this way to give up. I want my money."

"Figured you'd say that," Kyros chuckled and took another sip of his wine. "We should probably get going then. It's going to be night soon."

Runa nodded and stood from her seat. "You pay. I'm gonna go call Sarra and let her know we're on our way back."

After she issued the order, the Huntress collected her weapon and wandered out of the establishment. Kyros rolled his eyes and reached for his wallet. All three days he took Runa out to eat. And all three days he was the one forced to pay.

When he looked up from his wallet, he saw a woman join him at the table. And it was one that he unfortunately recognized. It was none other than Melanie Elisavet, the one in charge of the acolytes attacking the country. However, she wore civilian clothes and styled her hair to cover one side of her face.

Kyros prepared to take the woman right there at that moment, but, he stopped when he felt something poke his stomach. He looked down and noticed Melanie's sword unsheathed, mere millimeters away from piercing through his stomach. 

"Move out from that chair without my permission, and I'll gut you right here," Melanie warned with a charming voice. The pleasant smile that crossed her face spread anxiety and dread throughout Kyros' body.

"What are you doing here?" Kyros demanded. He envisioned the acolytes would reveal themselves again sooner or later. But, he never imagined they'd come to him. His eyes scanned the establishment, wondering if anyone else was an acolyte in disguise.

"Don't bother," Melanie shook her head. "I'm the only one here. And, I came to talk to you."

"About what?" Kyros' eyebrows furrowed. He never figured the acolytes would be willing to talk to others besides themselves.

"After our previous encounter, I've taken a bit of an interest in you," Melanie revealed. "You should be honored. I've come to you with a proposition."

"What's that?"

"I'm gracing you with the option to join us," The acolyte revealed. Kyros' eyes widened when those dreadful words reached his ears. The day continued to confuse and infuriate him even more. He never thought he'd encounter the acolytes so soon and it never crossed his mind that they'd look to recruit him.

"What kind of bullshit is this?! Are you out of your mind?!" Kyros winced when Melanie pushed her sword further. It pricked his stomach and blood trickled down the blade.

"Keep your voice down. You're drawing unwanted attention," Melanie warned.

Kyros gritted his teeth and kept his head down. "Why would I ever want to join the likes of you?"

"I saw the fire in your eyes when we fought. When I mentioned Shura, I sensed your hatred and frustration toward her," Melanie pointed out. "We Acolytes of Jaya share that hatred and seek to act out on it. Thanks to Shura's foolishness, we now possess the power to overthrow her. Surely, you seek to do the same when I noticed your rage."

Kyros couldn't deny that he hated Shura. Or rather, he despised the concept of Gods as a whole. He didn't want to accept the powers given to him by the Goddess. But, he couldn't ignore them forever. 

The world was changing in a way that he never foresaw. 

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind knocking her off her throne," Kyros agreed. "But, I don't condone your methods. I can't see how slaughtering hundreds of innocents will help you win the God Selection."

Melanie smirked, clearly it showed that she knew far more than she was willing to let on. "You know nothing about Gods, do you?"

"Should I?"

"When dealing with adversaries that boast nearly limitless power, it'd be best to learn all you can about them," Melanie informed. "But, we can discuss this more if you decide to join us."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then, I will leave you to your fate." 

"And that would be--"

"Death. Those that refuse to join us are destined to die."

"You're insane."

"No, you're the one that's insane," Melanie scowled. "I can't understand how you can fight for a selfish Goddess, or for a country that mistreats you at every turn. And for what? The past actions of your family."

Kyros' eyes widened. Not only did the woman have him cornered in a difficult position, but she also knew about his family history? She couldn't have been in the country long enough to learn about it.

"What're you--"

"Your father was a radical supporter of the Last King and tried to free from Tartarus upon his defeat. Unfortunately, your mother defeated and incarcerated him in Tartarus herself. Afterward, your mother was rewarded with an increase in rank," Melanie continued to list off the actions of his family. Kyros could only sit there in astonishment as he got forced down memory lane with the acolyte. "While out on an expedition for the military, your mother betrayed her unit and got most of them killed. But, that backfired, and she wound up dying out in the Wild Lands. Around that time, you decided to join the military yourself. And now they fear you'll follow in the footsteps of your parents and become a traitor."

Kyros clenched the edges of the table. It took everything out of him not to lash out at the woman. She wandered into dangerous territory so easily, without a care in the world.

"How do you know all of this?" Kyros inquired.

"I used to live here. My connections are still just as powerful as before," Melanie revealed. "You shouldn't waste your time trying to fight for this country. Your recent suspension should be more than enough evidence to prove that they don't care whether you live or die. Why fight for a nation that judges on such trivial matters such as bloodline?"

"Because I see more to Soteria than just bloodshed and corruption," Kyros answered without hesitation. Melanie blinked in confusion. "Yes, this country has a lot of problems. But, with the right leadership, it can all be fixed. That's what I plan to do."

"You can't fix Soteria. It's destroyed beyond repair." Melanie harshly announced. She shook her head and continued to let her words of malice leak from her mouth, "Soteria dug itself into its own grave the moment they assassinated its greatest ruler."

"Your father?" Kyros assumed.

Melanie bit down on her lip. "He brought prosperity to this country. And how did it repay him? With an ax through his head." She tapped the side of her head.

"Your father brought prosperity using violence and war. Thousands of people suffered for decades because of him. I know it's hard hearing this about him, but he had to--"

"Shut up," Melanie demanded. The soft smile that once plastered on her face shifted into a fierce scowl. "This nation took everything from me, and I plan to do the same. Everyone will learn what it's like to lose everything they loved. They'll learn that the past will always come back to haunt them."

Kyros narrowed his eyes after the woman's declaration reached his ears. He learned more from his conversation with Melanie than he ever did when Aion spoke with him about her.

"Whatever you're planning won't work, Melanie." He declared without fear. "Soteria won't fall to you or anyone."

"I'll take that as your answer," Melanie sheathed her blade and stood from her chair. She turned her head and stared out the window. The sun slowly descended. The reaches of darkness stretched out over the city. "You were given the option of salvation, and you declined. What happens to you afterward is all on you."

"What are you planning?" Kyros prepared to leave his seat again. He stopped when the woman sharply turned to face him with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Make any sudden movements, and I'll slaughter everyone in here," Melanie threatened. "You should know what damage I could do with just a few corpses."

Kyros clicked his tongue and kept his butt planted in the chair. Every fiber of his being shouted at him to capture Melanie, but he didn't want to risk getting others killed. It pained him to do so, but he sat there and watched the Acolyte leave the establishment.

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Meanwhile at the church of Shura—a holy sanctuary built in Soteria city as a dedication to the Goddess of creation and life. There were many faiths and religions in Salome, but the most common belief was of Shura. Or at least that’s how it was in Soteria. There were many stories and myths about her deeds throughout history. The most famous one was the story of how she created ultimate warriors now known as the Seven Savior Generals during the World Splitting War. After the war concluded, each General separated and created countries in their image, creating the seven world powers known as the kingdoms.

Outside the large chapel resided two giant statues of two women—one of the first ruler of the Kingdom, Soteria, and the second was of Shura. Or at least the depiction of how the people saw her.

Chayse patrolled around the inside of the church with a few armed soldiers. To him, it looked well rehearsed and efficient. He hardly spotted any holes in the patrols defenses. However, he knew Elma wouldn't feel the same.

For the past three days they remained around the church, Elma would point out the errors and mistakes she spotted. She'd chastise everyone until it got perfected. The soldiers often complained about her methods, but, she made quick work of them and proved her superiority. 

That woman was terrifying when she was angry. Which was why Chayse often tried to remain on her good side and stayed out of her way entirely.

"What're you doing?" Elma's voice came from behind Chayse, followed by the sound of wooden doors being closed. Chayse turned around and watched his partner approach him. Despite how beautiful he thought she looked illuminated by the moonlight bleaching through the stained-glass windows, her expression sent a chill down his spine.

"Keeping up with patrol as usual," Chayse answered. "How're things out there on your end?"

"Nothing as usual. No suspicious activity." Elma took a seat on a nearby pew.

"Maybe we're just wasting our time here," Chayse complained. "We evacuated the people here and kept this place on lockdown, but so far there hasn't been a single hint of a potential attack."

"Well, it's not like we can predict when the next attack will come. We'll have to keep waiting things out for the next few days,"

Chayse stepped forward and scratched the back of his neck. "Something I've meant to mention, how do we know they'll attack this church specifically? Or any other church for that matter?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"We've secured every single church in the city. We've got multiple units patrolling them. It's no secret what we're doing," Chayse crossed his arms over his chest. "So, how can we be sure they'll attack the churches when there's such an overwhelming military presence?"

"From the Director's reports, the Acolytes had no problems with attacking military units in the other towns. Even though we've only met Maur, if his partners are as brazen as him, then they'll attack the churches." The confidence in Elma's voice brought a weary smile to her partner's face. "However, I still can’t help but feel irritated that Roditis was the one that gave us that information in the first place."

"It's not that much of a big deal, is it? He's one of the smartest people in this country. If he believes the Acolytes will attack the churches, then perhaps we should listen to him."

"Yeah, I know. It's just a matter of pride, I guess."

"Don't let that--" Chayse stopped in mid-sentence after he heard rapid gunfire outside of the church. Elma jumped from the pew and rushed for the door. The doors swung open, and some soldiers flew into the church--defeated. The Hunters readied their bows and aimed ahead of them for their incoming threat.

A large, boar-like creature stormed into the church. Its amethyst colored eyes locked on the Hunters.

"No way! A Basurde?!" Elma exclaimed.

"Now they're using Basurde's?!" Chayse exclaimed as well.

"Stay sharp, Chayse!" Elma ordered before she released her arrow. It struck the Basurde in the head. Its cry of pain resounded in the church, but the creature refused to fall without a fight. It charged with deadly intent, plowing through the pews and anything else that got in its way.

Basurde’s had high attack power, and they were resilient. Thankfully, they weren’t well known for their speed. Elma and Chayse dodged its initial charge with ease. While its back was turned to them; they fired a few arrows into it. It squealed once more before it turned around and charged again.

Same as before, the Hunters dodged and released more arrows into it. Only that time, the projectiles exploded on impact. The monster got consumed by the explosions, squealing loudly before collapsing. Chayse hurried to its side and crushed its head with his boot. 

It quickly vanished seconds later.

"Okay, great. Guess the attack's happening now," Chayse looked over at Elma and shrugged his shoulders.

"Damn it! How'd they get here without us knowing again?!" Elma turned and prepared to head outside. She noticed an odd shadow on the floor and moved her gaze moved to the second floor of the chapel. It was there she laid her eyes on the man of the hour—Maur.

"What a spectacular performance you hunters put on for this one. Truly magnificent," He sarcastically applauded the Hunters, "this one is surprised that the Huntress survived our first encounter. Perhaps this one should have been more thorough."

"Maur!" Elma shouted and launched an arrow at him. Maur quickly caught it and smirked. He tossed it to the side where it proceeded to explode and collapse a section of the second floor. Those parts violently crashed down to the first floor.

"Hasty," He arrogantly leaned against the railing, "do you actually wish to fight this one again? Have you forgotten how the last encounter went?"

"It won’t go down like last time," Chayse assured him. A foreboding smile crept across the acolytes face in response. Not a single shred of doubt crossed his mind.

"You are correct. This time, the two of you will be eradicated in the name of Mother." He proudly preached as he reached within his robes. The Hunters knew precisely what he had been going for. Elma and Chayse fired more explosive arrows at him. He dashed along the second floor, narrowly avoiding them while he tossed more orbs down at them.

"Scatter!" Elma had shouted before she jumped out of the way of the orbs. Plumes of black smoke erupted from them, covering the immediate area. Out from the smoke immediately came more Basurde’s. They all charged the Hunters with great ferocity.

"This one would like to bid you farewell. The fall of this country is imminent." boasted Maur, as Elma and Chayse continued to evade and attack the monsters.

"Maur! You won’t get away with this!"

"On the contrary, this one will," He retorted, "this one does not know how you managed to figure out we would attack the churches first. But no matter, the combined might of this entire country will not be enough to stop what we have planned."

"Shut up already!" Chayse exasperatedly exclaimed after knocking a Basurde into others.

"Defiant to the very end. This one admires that about you hunters," He said, "Enjoy playing with the pets. This one is on a very tight schedule." He turned his back to them and jumped through one of the holes in the building.

"Get back here!" Elma rushed towards the exit. However, more Varvara blocked her path. "Outta the way!" 

Chayse and Elma used the combined strength of their explosive arrows to clean out the remaining monsters inside of the church. Afterward, they hurried outside to see the carnage that the Acolytes wrought.

It was as if they stared at a portrait of hell. Military soldiers left and right dropped like flies when engaged in combat against the Varvara. Off in the distance, buildings were lit ablaze, and the black smoke rose into the dark sky. Cries of pain and anguish resounded in the immediate area.

"Son of a bitch…" Chayse quietly swore at the sight. He blamed himself for this. How could he have allowed this carnage to happen? He had legit information that was supposed to help them prevent the attack in the first place.

But once again, they failed. The capital was under attack, and countless people were dying.

"Stop spacing out, Chayse!" Elma stepped forward and shot down many Varvara that intended to attack wounded soldiers. "We’ve got a job to do!"

Chayse regained his composure and assisted in the extermination of the Varvara in the area. It took some time, but they eventually cleared them all out.

"That should do it for now." Elma lowered her bow and reached on her belt to activate her Milo. A holographic image of Caz appeared above it before she ordered, "Caz! Give us a status on the city right now!"

"It’s not good. Countless Varvara sightings are appearing on my monitors. The military’s been dispatched to deal with them, but massive damage has already been done. Does that make sense?" Caz casually answered.

"Any sightings concerning the Acolytes? We need to find them as soon as possible! That’s the only way this is going to come to an end!"

"Nothing yet. But, if I were to make a guess, I’d say they’d head for the castle."

"It’s the best logical choice. They attack the city to cause panic and have the military disperse all over. Then, they’d attack the castle while it’s seemingly defenseless." Chayse concluded.

"Then that’s where we’re heading." Elma and Chayse rushed toward a nearby Nemean. They convinced a soldier to be their driver. Afterward, they were driven toward the castle at full speed. Along the way, they rolled down their windows and shot arrows at as many Varvara as they could to save people in distress.

"Oh shit…" Chayse's eyes widened at the sight of a small blockade of Varvara up ahead, "You’ve got to be kidding me."

"There’s too many of them blocking the road! I have to stop the car!" The driver exclaimed.

"Don’t stop the car! We’ve got it all under control!" Elma assured the driver before she looked over to Chayse. He nodded his head, already knowing what she planned for the blockade.

The Hunters pulled out three arrows from their quivers and aimed the roadblock of monsters. They released them and watched them detonate. All the beasts got consumed in the series of chain explosions, which ultimately cleared the road for them.

"Oh, my goddess that was so badass! I’m so glad that I joined the military!" The driver happily cheered as he continued to take the Hunters toward the castle. He turned the corner and immediately slammed on the breaks.

"Why’d you stop the car?! Keep driving and…" Elma paused the moment she looked ahead and saw a much more massive horde of Varvara that blocked the road. It appeared as if it went on for miles. How many lives had been lost for the monsters to build up to such enormous numbers?

"There’s just too many of them! Do you two even have enough arrows for all of them?" asked the frantic driver.

"Unfortunately, not…" Chayse didn’t even bother to attempt counting the number of arrows they had. There was no point. They were clearly outnumbered. The Varvara took notice of their vehicle then began to approach slowly.

"We have to turn around! We can’t risk driving through all of them!" The driver yelled.

"No! This is the fastest route to the castle! Drive straight ahead! Chayse and I will deal with them!" Elma proclaimed. The driver showed much hesitance with the order, but, he eventually went ahead with it once the Varvara got too close for comfort. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal and took off down the road, plowing his way through the horde. Elma and Chayse used their daggers to cut down the monsters that got tossed into the air after they got struck by the vehicle.

A familiar howl directed Chayse's attention upward. Above on the rooftops were Lykaon’s. They jumped down from their high ground and landed roughly on the top of the vehicle. Elma was the first to react to the immediate threat. She maneuvered onto the roof of the Nemean and readied herself for the incoming enemies.

Some of the Lykaon’s lunged towards her with their claws at the ready to tear her limb from limb. Elma evaded them by leaning backward. They flew over her head and crashed down onto their friends back on the road. Afterward, she engaged the ones that remained in close combat. While the dealt with the ones above, Chayse dealt with the ones below. He fired as many arrows he could spare at the ones that got too close to the vehicle.

"The two of you are amazing! Keep it up! We’re almost there!" The driver informed.

Almost immediately, a nearby Lykaon swiped one of the tires of the vehicle, shredding it entirely. The driver lost control of the vehicle and skidded off the road. The Nemean tipped and flipped over multiple times before it eventually crashed into the side of a building.

A strange taste of iron reached Chayse's lips as he opened his eyes. His head throbbed with immense pain. He brought his hand to his head, and he looked at his palm. Blood stained his hand. He weakly called out to Elma.

No response.

He called out again.

Still no response.

He frantically looked around and caught a glimpse of her on the ground outside the car. She was positioned face down on the sidewalk. Countless Varvara approached her. Chayse quickly left the Nemean and rushed to her side. He killed some of the monsters that dared to attack her while she was down.

"Back off, you bastards!" Chayse shouted and pointed his daggers at them. He stood firmly in front of her and watched anxiously as more Varvara appeared on the scene. They bared their fangs and prepared to attack. 

But, Chayse didn’t give them a chance. He made sure that he was the one that went on the offensive. He extended his Neoframe arm forward and activated the Ignis Vitalis installed in the palm of his hand. Streams of intense flames incinerated those foolish enough to get close enough to him.

A red-orange light flickered across his body. 

It was his Praus. 

Using the Vitalis installed in his arm required Praus as fuel. And after all the damage he sustained after the car crash; his Praus was very limited. It wouldn’t be long until it was all used up. If one were to run out of Praus, their life force, then they would die without a doubt.

Despite that fact, dying for his partner was not something that he could act half-heartedly about. Upon their first meeting, he remembered how he proclaimed that he would die for her without hesitation. At that time, he didn’t mean it. But, karma forced him to follow through with it.

Eventually, the streams of flames came to a complete stop. Chayse's Praus had nearly run out. He dropped down to one knee in complete exhaustion. The Varvara continued with their menacing approach.

Death.

It was coming. And yet, Chayse felt no fear or sorrow. Death came to all in the world. No one was safe from it. No matter how strong or weak an individual was, they could never escape from the cold, firm grasp of death.

Before the creatures of death could reach him, an explosive arrow raced past him and struck down multiple of them. Chayse slowly looked over his shoulder and saw his partner as she stood firmly with her bow in her hand.

"About time you woke up," Chayse joked, "did you have a nice little nap?"

"More or less…" Elma hurried to her partner's side and helped him up. "How're you holding up?"

"Almost spent on my Praus; my ribs are killing me, I think I got a concussion…" Chayse listed off a few of his injuries nonchalantly, "other than those things; I’m doing pretty great."

"Good. I’m going to need someone to watch my back." The Hunters stood back to back.

"Are you kidding me? I’ve always got your back, Elma. Always." Chayse assured her before they engaged the horde of Varvara in combat.