CHAPTER 193: TUMULT OF THE TWO WEEKS: PART 5-ERKUNSHNKDLE CITY

The steel pavement, dusted with snow, led Asahi and the others to the city’s entrance.

A towering wall surged up from the city’s depths. It defied the thawing ice that pressed hungrily against it, eager to swallow the streets. Far below, factories pulsed with life. Food, essentials, and precious soil canisters poured out of churning machines. Three mountain rings guarded the metropolis. The outermost cradled the villages. The next bustled as the main port. The innermost ring hid factories beneath shining steel roads. A Sanctuary was beneath the city. Sucking vacuums siphoned it into the factories.

To reach the city’s vibrant heart, they wound their way through villages clinging to the outskirts.

"If it’s soil canisters you’re after, Astait’s your jackpot," Primrose declared, veering them through alleys. "Sanctuary soil from Linuxinia is the most coveted. Need heals? Soil shops—if you can foot the bill. Steeper here than Obrus, mind you."

"High emphasis on expensive," Trid muttered as the chill wind bit. "On the black market, Cleira’s soil goes for hundreds of thousands of Gincoins. Only the wealthy buy it. Next comes Linuxinia’s soil. Even with magic, healing in this world means berries, soil, or sorcery."

Primrose’s eyes broadened. "That much?"

Trid nodded.

"Cleiran soil’s pricey. Only place you’ll find all the Soil Powers at once," Trid said, flicking hair out of his eyes. "Cleira was united before the War of the Wish. All those rulers, craving peace, stood right there. That’s why the soil’s heavy with what they left behind."

A memory unraveled in Asahi. He recalled a floating city, a castle suspended in the clouds, and mountains scraping the sky. Thousands of rulers lived there. The vision was blurry, but Asahi remembered a central throne room paved with gold and steel. Three rings separated the city from the Lower to High Rulers. The rest was a mystery.

The memory slipped away, chased off by the relentless clatter of carriages echoing through the streets, jolting Asahi back to the present.

"Asahi!" Primrose called, louder each time. "ASAHI! Snap out of it!"

Though Asahi had been pieced together, the scars of The Last Calamity still clung to him, ghostly reminders of a changed world. More than anything, he longed to rewind time and stop Aiyana from unleashing ruin.

://: "I destroyed our world." ://

As the memory faded, winter’s bite crept back in, urging the group onward. Primrose guided Asahi and Trid through the city’s twisting lanes until they reached a Soil Shop, its shelves glittering with canisters of soil.

Asahi picked up a green canister, waited for Trid’s nod, then bought five. With practiced ease, he tucked one into his Soul Storage at his hip. As they left, they barely dodged...

(SWOOSH)

"Sorry, sir. I just..." a white-haired boy wearing a top hat said as he appeared at the edge, gathering papers with trembling hands. "Please, excuse me. I didn’t want to cause trouble," he apologized nervously.

His voice quivered with fear, as if prey on the run. Papers scattered like startled birds as he vanished into the alleys. Moments later, four men in black furs stormed the scene.

"Hey! There’s the white-haired thief."

"Huh?"

Rough hands grabbed Asahi and dragged him away. Primrose lunged to help, but the men closed in too fast.

"Y...You got the wrong person!"

"Quiet, white-haired runt," the man growled at Asahi. "Pay us for stealing ten Cleiran soil canisters, or go to Astait Prison."

"I’m afraid you got..." Primrose was quickly shoved, "...the wrong person."

Chains snapped around Asahi’s wrists as he was shoved into a steel carriage. Powerless to react, he couldn’t snap, even now.

"Don’t move," Trid growled, tail scales flashing. "Hand over the boy, or you’ll deal with me. I don’t do warnings."

"Wrath?" One of the men said. "What wrath?"

Trid surged forward, seizing a man’s throat and hoisting him up. The others collapsed as his power crackled through the group.

As the carriage lurched forward, Trid struck, shattering its steel frame with a single blow, stopping it in place. Primrose stood frozen.

"Dad... I never knew you had..."

Primrose stopped, stunned, as Trid dispatched the four men instantly.

"Get Asahi, grab the key," he ordered. "I knew this would happen."

"Okay," Primrose said, picking up the key. "But you?"

"I’ll handle it," Trid insisted, cutting the men with his nails. "No time for caution!" he shouted.

Primrose dashed to the carriage, unlocked Asahi’s chains, and pulled him out. They watched as more men swarmed and quickly overpowered Trid.

"Go, now!" Trid roared as his power flared, voice echoing with urgency.

Heeding Trid’s warning, Asahi, Primrose, and Grandpa fled. The sounds of Trid’s capture echoed as they hurried away.

"Dad!" Primrose shouted, voice breaking with worry.

"Keep running!" Asahi yelled. "We can’t help now."

After slipping free of the crowd, Asahi, Primrose, and Grandpa darted into a bustling plaza rimmed with shops. As they caught their breath, Asahi drifted into a quiet corner, memories of showing Aletha the library flickering through his mind. He muttered.

"Wow, I really am sounding like my sister."

Cold winds slipped in, but the rich aroma of coffee quickly filled the room—so inviting that it was easy to imagine losing oneself here, the perfect place to hide. But there was a problem.

"Savory treats!" Primrose gasped, drooling at the display.

Asahi hid a smile and stuffed a pastry in her mouth.

"There. Will that shut you up?" Asahi teased as Primrose nodded and munched. Later, they hid deep in the shop without being caught. Afterward, while hiding behind the boxes...

"Seen a white-haired boy?" a distant voice asked. "About this tall..."

Asahi and Primrose clutched their treats and listened, staying hidden as a thump echoed.

"A Dragon Man gone loose on the entrance to the city," one man said as he sipped a hot brew of coffee. "Figured now’s the time for a break," he continued, sighing.

"Boss would be mad if she saw us slacking," another voice added.

"Who needs her? I’m just helping for her looks."

"Keep it down. Don’t want to be caught praising your higher up."

As the two chatted, Asahi and Primrose stayed as still as they could, eavesdropping on every detail.

"About Thursday—will you go? The Queen of Astait will appear."

"Wait, she came out of hiding?" The man replied. "After what... twenty years?"

"Shhh... I’m not supposed to share intel yet. This thing’s a secret, remember?"

After a while, Primrose nearly snapped.

"All they talk about is random stuff...this, boring stuff that. No real info."

"But," Asahi said, covering her mouth, "there’s a ceremony soon. They said so."

"Half an hour for that? Lame. Anyways, worth it, I guess," Primrose said, cheeks flushed, grabbing another pastry.

After overhearing the conversation and regrouping, Asahi hesitated, nervously considering snapping his fingers. The uncertainty lingered as Asahi and Primrose finally made their way back outside. Emerging onto the bustling street once more, they looked around—and there he was.

"Trid, you’re hurt, damn it," Grandpa said, cloaked in a brown hood, channeling his energy. "I can only manage this one damn time. Good things those damn men had resisted cuffing you, damn it."

Asahi and Primrose stepped back, watching as green essence poured over Trid, who stood tall as Grandpa worked his healing. The crowd noticed and stared. Grandpa tossed a canister to Asahi, then to Primrose, shouting his instructions.

"Throw at the damn suited men, damn it!"

Obeying his command, Asahi and Primrose hurled the canisters. A colossal dragon head burst forth, spewing fire that scorched the group to ash. The red canister ricocheted, unleashing a storm of missiles that blanketed the plaza. Stunned by the canisters’ power, Asahi blurted out his question as they sprinted from the city.

"What did we use?"

"You burned through all of them, damn it!" Grandpa barked, fishing out a battered wooden sword from Soul Storage. "Quit picking fights and wasting Cleiran Soil, you hear?"

Primrose stomped her foot, face red. "So YOU swiped them! It would’ve helped to share, Grandpa. We got chased halfway to the moon. Trid nearly got wrecked!"

Grandpa vaulted high and slammed his wooden sword on the suited men’s chests, knocking them flat.

"Damn right I stole them. These are precious commodities," Grandpa said as more guards ran over. "Better for you to leave. My old back won’t last long," he warned.

Five more guards rushed into the plaza and ran to cuff Grandpa. The crowd scattered as the guards chased Asahi and Primrose through the city. Suddenly, loudspeakers blared: "Intruder Alert: White-Haired Fiend and pink-haired maiden have been unleashed. Five thousand Gincoins will be paid on discovery of this bounty."

Now, the whole city was against them. If they were able to find a way out of the inner ring without being caught, Asahi wouldn’t have to resort to a snap. Now that he realized it, he could shield Primrose, but that would lead to him being cuffed, which would impair his special ability to rewind time with a snap. With no other options, unable to fight or defend, the last thing they chose is..

"FLIGHT!" Immediately, they dashed as fast as they could through square-shaped buildings and broad alleyways. People of all types blocked them, but then,

"What happens if I drink the damn Soil canister?" This question came straight from Grandpa, who unleashed a barrage of pushing attacks, knocking everyone front and center. Absorbing the ultimate power, a red aura burst in him as he knocked people back like a bull.

"Get out of here, damn it!" Grandpa hollered as clusters of people stared in shock and curiosity. "We made a scene. I’d rather get killed than lose my granddaughter. I have no regrets!"

Afterward, Asahi and Primrose darted away from the city’s inner ring, racing toward the farthest outskirts of Erkunshnkdle City. There, pursuit would finally fall away as the guards stopped and...

"Forget about it..." One of the men said as people rushed toward the entrance of the second ring of the steel walls. "No use pursuing them when all the canisters have been used."

Asahi celebrated inwardly, but Primrose shot him a look of concern.

"Now what?"

"We cling to the villages and hope we don’t get caught."

With no use to snap, knowing that even if they were hurt, they would be safe, Asahi had other plans and jolted as far as they could from the mechanical city.

. . .

Meanwhile,

"Did you see?" Rumors swirled through the city, spreading left and right. "An Old man drank a Soil Canister and tossed everyone in their way."

"Drinking a Soil canister?" One said as he sipped coffee. "I do feel that is pretty strange. No one in this world dared to do that. Mainly because they would choke."

"Is that exaggeration?" A woman spoke in a deep voice, and people gulped. "What is it with the commotion? Haven’t I ordered you two to capture the white-haired boy?"

"Q...Queen of Astait? What are you doing here? Which... one?" The man dared to ask.

"The one with the Orb of Immortality at their disposal."

At that moment, everyone froze in fear, not knowing that Asahi had...

"I’ll settle the score." Said a red-haired man as he approached the Queen. "Apologize for not doing introductions. Allow me to introduce myself. I... am Yawman, a member of the Promise."

"T...The Promise?" The Queen of Astait mumbled beneath her breath. "Why are you here?"

"I’m here to settle score on a certain white-haired boy. You might no him as..." Yawman bowed down. "Asahi Adtraic, One of the Original Owners of this World."