“Shut up, Sion. Do you really think you’re in a position to threaten me?”

Alter ground his teeth and glared at Sion. Whatever had sparked his hostility toward him, it was impossible to tell.

“Threaten you? I’m not threatening you—I’m just asking whether I should kill you or not. Why—weren’t you itching to follow your dead comrades anyway—”

“You bastard!”

But there was one thing that was certain.

“Enough.”

Continuing to fight here would do them no good whatsoever.

Selina stepped between the two, pushing them apart as they looked ready to come to blows.

“If you’re going to fight, do it later. Right now, escaping this place comes first.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m not leaving—!”

“Your younger siblings are waiting.”

In an instant, Alter’s gaze changed.

“My siblings…?”

“Yes.”

Before meeting Alter, Selina briefly explained how she had happened to encounter his younger siblings.

“They’re being protected in a safe place right now. Someone trustworthy is looking after them, so you don’t need to worry.”

“…My siblings were alive.”

Light gradually returned to Alter’s eyes, which had been dull and unfocused. Perhaps, trapped in this prison, he had believed everything connected to him was already gone.

“I’ll go. I’ll go.”

Fortunately, realizing that there were still people he had to protect seemed to restore his strength.

“Funny. Weren’t you just saying you couldn’t trust us?”

Sion sheathed his blade with a hint of regret and mocked Alter.

“I’m not trusting you, so shut up.”

“Of course you shouldn’t. If it weren’t for the mission, I’d be the one sticking a knife in your back.”

Alter and Sion glared at each other as though they were about to kill one another.

However, Selina stood between them, glaring at both of them and making it clear that she would not tolerate a fight there. Neither of them pressed the issue.

“Once we get out of the prison, there’s a sea cave. The person who went to secure a boat will be there, so as long as we reach that point, we’ll be safe.”

As Selina laid out the plan while leading them out of the prison, Sion let out a whistle.

“Wow. Easy to say.”

At the end of the long corridor on the fourth floor, countless soldiers were blocking the path of Selina’s group.

“If we’re going to kill all of these guys and get through, that’ll take some time.”

He pulled three or four daggers from his clothing. When the pocket knife had fallen earlier, Selina had thought it was just an additional one that he had dropped by mistake. Now, however, it was clear that the daggers were his weapon of choice.

“Our priority isn’t killing people. It’s rescuing Alter.”

Selina warned him as she summoned Ari.

As a translucent light flickered into existence, the soldiers hesitated and took a step back.

Even Sion, who was rarely fazed, muttered in awe.

“Wow. This is only the second time I’ve ever seen someone handle a spirit up close.”

As far as Selina knew, the only person who could control spirits besides herself was her mother.
That made Sion’s offhand remark—second time—impossible to ignore.

“Don’t retreat. Surround them!”

The soldiers were already advancing with their spears leveled, leaving no room for further conversation.

Having been weakened by his long imprisonment, Alter was in no condition to fight.

This meant that Selina and Sion had to protect him while moving forward.

“Alter. Stay right behind us.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Seriously, you’re useless.”

The moment Sion grumbled, the soldiers launched their attack all at once.
They thr*st their long spears straight toward their torsos.

“Where do you think you’re aiming?”

The soldiers who had rushed in recklessly were struck in their vital points by the short knives Sion hurled, collapsing to the ground.

“Make way!”

Seeing the close-range soldiers fall, the head guard shouted.

At once, the soldiers at the front pressed themselves against the walls, opening space. From between them, archers stepped forward with bows in hand.

“We’re just trying to break one prisoner out. Isn’t this suppression a bit excessive?”

Sion protested as if arguing his case, but it was a complaint that would never be heard.

“Fire!”

At the head guard’s command, the soldiers released their arrows all at once.

Five or six flew towards Selina’s group. With the corridor so narrow, it was impossible to avoid them completely.

However, there was a way to deal with them that didn’t involve dodging.

‘Think of the arrows as the enemy’s blades—and strike them all down.’

Gripping the sword formed of spirit light, radiant and shimmering, Selina drew the image clearly in her mind.

After envisioning the incoming arrows being cut down in a single sweep, she swung the blade.

Shhhraaak!
Shhhraaak!

In an instant, it was as if the arrows had been engulfed by a blinding flash of light. Unable to pierce the light barrier, they fell to the ground with dull thuds.

Faced with this almost miraculous sight, the soldiers stood frozen to the spot with their mouths agape, unable to react. Even the head guard seemed stunned and unable to issue another command.

“Let’s take Alter and go.”

Seizing the moment, Selina grabbed Alter and headed for the stairs.

As she passed, the soldiers flinched and parted like water, opening a path for her.

It seemed as though they would make it down the stairs safely.

“What—what are you all doing?! Seize them at once! If arrows won’t work, then use fire arrows!”

Coming to his senses, the head guard began shouting angrily.

The soldiers, who had previously retreated in fear, picked up their bows once more.

They judged Selina, the spirit wielder, to be the greatest threat, so they aimed all their arrows at her.

Thwip.

But those who had bravely raised their bows collapsed helplessly to the floor.

“Cowards. What do you think you’re doing?”

It was Sion—his thrown dagger had struck them squarely in the forehead.

Seeing their comrades falling like leaves in the wind, the remaining soldiers panicked and took a step back. Some even dropped their weapons and tried to flee.

Thanks to the chaos they created, it wasn’t difficult to support Alter as they descended.

As Selina went down the stairs, she spoke to Sion.

“You didn’t have to kill them. Aiming for the shoulder or chest—just enough to incapacitate them—would’ve been sufficient.”

“They should be grateful I killed them without pain.”

“…You really do have a unique set of values.”

“I grew up in a place where if I didn’t kill others, I’d be the one who died.”

Sion replied with a crooked grin.

Before long, the group reached the prison gate.

Numerous soldiers were blocking the way even there. Dealing with them, however, was easier than expected.

“Make way! Explosives incoming!”

One of the group that had infiltrated the prison to secure an escape route found explosives.

When they threw them at the soldiers guarding the gate, the soldiers scattered in a panic and fled to the other side.

Moments later, the explosives detonated with a thunderous roar, causing the huge prison door to collapse.

“Now—let’s go.”

Thanks to that, escaping became much easier.

Having rescued Alter — the group’s primary objective — they headed for the promised sea cave.

Yet all the while they were making their way there, Selina couldn’t shake off a lingering sense of unease.

‘Something’s off. They must have known we were coming for Alter, so they should’ve sent reinforcements. For that, the defenses were far too lax.’

Although rescuing Alter was their immediate priority, there was another fundamental reason why Selina’s group had come here.

They wanted to draw attention until the Thalia forces reclaimed the Grand Ducal Castle.

‘From the moment Sion killed the guard, the place must have erupted into chaos. Waldemar should’ve sent backup by now…’

Wondering if they simply hadn’t arrived yet, Selina looked toward the far side of the sea.

But there were no boats on the sea—neither vessels that looked as though they carried soldiers, nor even a single ferry.

‘Did they assume everything would be handled on its own, simply because Holchester Prison’s reputation is so notorious, and decide not to send reinforcements?’

If that were the case, she couldn’t tell whether it was fortunate or unfortunate. If Waldemar’s forces stationed at the Grand Ducal Castle were not divided, reclaiming it would hardly be easy.

‘Would it be better to make even more noise and draw their attention?’

Selina continued to ponder as they made their way towards the sea cave.

Even if it meant sacrificing herself, she wanted Calix to achieve his goal of reaching the Grand Ducal Castle.

She also wanted him to stay safe.

“We’re here!”

By the time they arrived at the sea cave, the rest of the group had already gathered there.

Fortunately, they all appeared unharmed, and none of them had been caught on the way there.

“Should we wait here until the tide comes in, or push forward through the mud?”

As the tide had only just receded, launching a boat was out of the question.

However, waiting inside the cave could make the situation even more dangerous.

The group looked to Selina for instructions on how to proceed.

After a brief moment of thought, she spoke in a heavy voice.

“…I think it would be best if all of you leave now.”

“Then what about you?”

Sion caught the subtle nuance in her words and asked.

“I’ll stay here. I think we need to draw their attention a little more.”

To remain here alone meant accepting the danger herself.

“W-what are you talking about? You’re the one who came to get me. Then we should leave together—why would you stay here by yourself?!”

The moment Alter belatedly grasped what she meant and shouted—

“Puhah.”

Sion finally let out the laughter he had been holding back.

“For a second there, I thought you’d figured out my plan.”

No sooner had he muttered the remark in mockery than Sion’s chilling blade was once again aimed—this time at Selina’s throat.

“You think I’d let you die at someone else’s hands?”

The blue sheen of the blade reflected in his eyes—eyes that were unnervingly clear, his gaze gleaming with murderous intent.

“There’s someone who ordered me to deal with you personally.”