CHAPTER 106: THE HUNT HAD BEGUN

As the rain came to an end and the clouds slowly dissipated, the blue sky began to peek through, clear and clean. The sun, high above, cast its golden rays upon the world, as if trying to force a new beginning... although no one there was in any condition to accept it.

Against that sky, the ruined city that had once been the proud territory of the Medici Clan lay devastated.

The houses were destroyed, reduced to rubble. The streets were covered with corpses, dried blood, and broken stones. Around the city, a great wall still stood, but its structure trembled, cracked, and was on the verge of collapse.

From the remains of the buildings, rainwater continued to drip slowly. The drops hit the ground with a clear sound.

The air was thick with a suffocating smell: blood, dampness, burnt flesh, and the savage stench of the beasts prowling the city.

In the area where the enormous corpse of the Lightning Boar of Viscount rank lay.

Less than a hundred survivors remained. Many were crying. Everyone was in mourning. Not only for their deaths, but for the certainty that it was all over. Among the fallen were the two elders, Colson and Milson, pillars of the allied families, who had given their lives to protect them.

"We have to leave this mountain immediately," Levi said, wiping his tears with his dirty sleeve. His voice was low but firm.

His heart ached, broken by not being able to give the elders the burial they deserved. But he also knew that staying meant condemning the few who were still breathing.

Without wasting any more time, he began giving orders. They had to move before the enemies returned.

The Medici Clan had fallen.

And the few who remained knew it well: now, without a name or shelter, they would most likely have no choice but to become mercenaries.

They made their way through the rubble, treading carefully among the remains of what had once been their home. With every step, memories flashed before their eyes like golden fireflies: the laughter of their families, the embraces of their lovers, the promises of their friends... all now reduced to ruins.

Tears streamed down their faces, slow and silent. There was no time to cry out loud. All they could do was keep going. Live for the fallen. Resist. Do not let fate break them.

But fate had other plans.

From different points in the city, four pillars of energy emerged violently, tearing through the sky and connecting. In a matter of seconds, an ethereal cube formed, trapping all the survivors of the city.

Their expressions darkened instantly. The faint glimmer of hope they still held onto... was mercilessly ripped away.

Shortly thereafter, five figures appeared among the ruins. Without warning, they began to attack. It was brutal, sudden, and relentless.

The massacre resumed. The survivors, desperate, tried to defend themselves. But it was useless. The attackers were in perfect physical condition, organized, and ruthless.

Minutes later, the streets were once again stained red. New bodies covered the ground. The blood running through the cracks was still warm.

"Shit! The one with the coin mask is nowhere to be found," growled one of the attackers, cleaning his weapon with rage.

"Maybe he’s just another corpse among so many," said another, with a cold smile.

"I doubt it. That bastard wouldn’t die so easily. He’s probably already fleeing the city, trying to escape the mountain," replied the first, as he began to give orders coldly. "You guys, report immediately. Tell them he’s escaped. But he won’t get far. No one can get out of here alive."

...

With the ethereal cube covering the entire city like a dome of judgment, Lydia and Eren walked among the ruins.

Their footsteps echoed over pools of dried blood, broken bones, and smoldering debris. They did not speak. The presence of that formation needed no explanation: they were trapped...

Lydia had regained much of her mana essence. Her daggers glinted between her fingers, ready for their final dance. She knew she would not get out alive, but she would not allow death to take her without a fight.

Eren, his arm bandaged in a makeshift manner, gritted his teeth.

From the broken edges of the city, they emerged, a group of people in precarious conditions.

The battle erupted.

Lydia moved like a cornered animal. Her daggers moved quickly, attacking and blocking. But the difference in numbers was brutal. A spear struck her in the side. A second one hit her leg. She fell to her knees, but with a defiant smile. Not out of bravery, but out of determination.

Eren screamed. He fought. He struck desperately, and it was then, amid blows, pain, and death, that he understood.

It wasn’t about power.

It wasn’t about revenge or justice.

"The weak live to avoid suffering. The strong suffer for their purpose. Until you find your path, you will be dragged along by others."

Eren paused for a second. The battle raged on, but he... finally understood. He never chose. He was always dragged along. By his sister. By the cause. By the moment.

But now, on the brink of the abyss, when all was lost...

He found his way.

And that’s when they stabbed him.

A blade pierced his back and emerged from his chest. He coughed up blood, falling next to Lydia, whose eyes were slowly fading.

She looked at him, her voice broken:

"It looks like this is the end for us."

Eren cried. Not from pain. Not from fear.

"If only I had understood... before..."

Her last breath escaped through silent tears.

And so, in a forgotten corner of a destroyed city, two destinies came to an end.

...

Kael wasted no time. As soon as he saw the ethereal cube descending, he spun around and began running without saying a word. His priority was to get out of there before he got trapped. He had already made up his mind: he would use Michel as bait.

That’s why he didn’t warn him.

Michel, noticing his sudden escape, also started running. One glance at the sky was enough to understand everything: they had sealed off the city. There was no turning back. And with that kind of deployment, it was clear what would come next.

They would leave no witnesses alive.

Shortly thereafter, the sound of footsteps began to echo behind them.

A dozen figures emerged from the alleys, running at terrifying speed. Each one exuded such a dense murderous intent that it seemed to materialize in the air, enveloping the atmosphere in unbearable pressure.

The hunt had begun.