Human emotions can be difficult to understand sometimes.
The peak that Baylor once saw in his older brother, Drogo… Frost had seen in his father.
But unlike Baylor—who discarded his peak in the most brutal way—Frost had looked up to his.
To see the figure he had revered for so long defiled like this… It was unbearable.
Frost was rotten to the core. But unlike his father… he had never abandoned his principles.
He was truly about to kill him.
"Sorry, handsome, but I can't let you do that ❣️"
Like a ghost, Madam A appeared before Frost. And just as swiftly, she delivered a lightning-fast kick that sent him flying. Blood gushed from his mouth mid-air.
"Don't kill him!"
Baylor shouted the moment he saw his son crash violently into the ground.
Frost coughed, struggling to gather himself.
Just one kick… yet it felt like half his bones had shattered. This was insane.
Madam A turned toward Baylor, who lay behind her.
"Well, well… Lord Moonlight. You're looking rather pathetic ~"
She was completely at ease. A short distance away, Carmen was gravely injured, and while Rem was in better shape, she wasn't in any condition to make a decisive move.
With her sheer speed, Madam A was the worst possible enemy to face right now. Even with their regained strength, neither Carmen nor Rem could unleash a final blow in their current state.
The situation was far from favorable.
As Madam A glanced between father and son, she chuckled.
"Your family is truly a mess, Baylor. Hehe… And here I thought mine was the one fucked up."
Baylor's face darkened at her words.
"Madam A…"
Taking a deep breath, he asked with forced patience,
"I haven't heard anything from the Sovereign. What exactly are you doing here?"
"Hmmm…"
She hummed playfully, her hand flicking at high speed to deflect Rem's surprise attacks.
"Since Astaroth didn't tell you, doesn't that mean… you're not all that important, dear Baylor? ~"
"You—!"
"Oh, don't get all worked up now."
At that moment, something in her left hand gleamed—a small white key radiating a strange aura.
"I came for this."
It was a simple key. Yet the moment Baylor laid eyes on it, his expression changed completely.
"The Seal Key… How…? Where did you get that?!"
"Oh? Wondering how I found out about it? Hehe~ You really love your little games, Lord Moonlight… Hiding something like this while keeping it so close to you all this time. But unfortunately…"
"I—"
"Hushhh~"
She placed a finger over her lips.
"From now on, you'll stay silent. The mere fact that you hid this is reason enough for me to crush your skull right now… But that would be boring. I'll deal with them first, then come back for you. After all, I doubt Astaroth would be pleased if I left you to die, don't you think? ❣️"
"…"
Baylor said nothing.
Meanwhile, that strange acidic substance was now tormenting Frost—rendering him incapable of posing any further threat.
Madam A shifted her attention to Carmen and Rem.
Her crimson eyes gleamed as her smile widened.
"Time to harvest more blood ❣️"
In a single instant, everyone felt the pressure in the air shift as Madam A unleashed her true power.
The first to sense it was Rem, thanks to her heightened senses—explaining why she immediately screamed,
"Carmen Starlight! Get over here, now!"
Fortunately, Carmen had quick reflexes and rushed to Rem's side without hesitation.
Meanwhile, a dark aura gathered around Madam A.
"Dawn Devil Style: Heart Domain ❣️"
With a single movement, the icy library floor transformed into something entirely different.
A burning sensation spread through Carmen and Rem's feet.
"From below?!"
"Goodbye ❣️"
From beneath them, a black substance erupted, surging high into the air as a colossal column that swallowed both Carmen and Rem whole.
A mere trace of that black acid had once left Carmen and Heisenberg unable to remove it—its corrosive nature had affected even their SS- rank bodies.
And now, they were submerged in an entire sea of it.
From within the massive column, a chaotic blast of ice burst outward, landing far from the scene.
Moments later, Carmen collapsed onto the ground in a horrific state—half of her body was eaten away, her exposed bones jutting out grotesquely. Half her face was nothing but raw, seared flesh. She was only alive because of Rem's intervention.
Rem fared better, but she was far from unharmed.
Emerging from the acidic sea, Madam A wore a delighted grin.
"Oh? You survived? Ah, how wonderful ❣️"
Rem was conflicted.
She had data on this ability, but facing it in reality was something else entirely.
There were six elemental properties in total—each with an advanced variation:
Fire and its superior Lightning property.
Water and its superior Ice property.
Wind and its superior Sound property.
Earth and its superior Gravity property.
Light and its superior Star property.
Darkness and its superior Shadow property.
These were supposed to be the limits of elemental affinities.
However, during the last war against the Ultras, an entirely new property had been documented—wielded by the enemy.
Madam A was living proof of it… as was that black acid.
Rem theorized it was some bizarre hybrid of Water and Earth, but it was beyond comprehension.
And worse… it was terrifyingly powerful.
The situation was clearly dire.
---
From a distance—after Madam A's unexpected interference—Ada Starlight carried Frey's unconscious body toward Ghost.
Ghost had only just returned after aiding Carmen in sneaking past Baylor earlier.
Frey's condition was horrifying—there wasn't a single unscathed spot on his body. Despite Ada using every healing potion at her disposal, none had any effect. That realization sent chills down her spine.
Unfortunately, after a month of excessive chemical treatment, Frey's body had developed resistance. Healing no longer worked on him.
Desperate, Ada rushed to find a way to save him.
The moment she reached Ghost, he was already enveloping them in his shadow.
"Ghost Umbra… You said you could leave this place whenever you wanted. Then take him—take him and run as far as you can."
Leaving Frey in his arms, she stepped back.
Ghost hesitated before nodding reluctantly. He didn't particularly care, but he still asked,
"What about you?"
Ada clutched something strange in her hands, her resolve hardening.
"I'll do what I must."
Ghost didn't understand what she meant—nor did he recognize the peculiar object she held.
The aura emanating from it was anything but reassuring.
But he didn't press further. Saving Frey and escaping were the only priorities now.
"Good luck."
Ghost immediately expanded his shadow, attempting to tear open a rift in the field.
Meanwhile, Ada took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the glowing sigil in her hands.
She recalled her fateful encounter with that mysterious figure… over a month ago.
That day, she witnessed a terrifying future—one that felt almost unreal at the time. Somehow, he made her see a future where Frey had died, and everything around her had been destroyed.
The vision was so detailed, so vivid, that she believed it instinctively. And that belief drove her to try and change it—by any means necessary.
Before that man—no, that thing—vanished, he left this object with her.
"What is this?"
That was what Ada had asked back then.
And the answer she received from that veiled entity with glowing blue eyes...
"Your last resort… If all else fails. But don't use it unless you're prepared to trade your life for it."
She had no idea what would happen.
But given the current situation… she might have no choice but to take the risk.
That was the conclusion Ada reached.
Madam A, who was enjoying herself immensely.
Ada, who was on the verge of risking everything.
Everyone present was lost in their own thoughts.
Among them, Rem's expression changed the most.
Thanks to her senses, which extended into the very fabric of space, she recognized it.
That power…
Immediately, Rem clasped her hands together, causing the very air around them to tremble violently.
Everyone felt something was wrong—including Madam A.
"Now, now… What is that little doll trying to do?"
Rem forced a strained smile.
"Destroy this place."
At the exact moment those words left her lips, the domain began collapsing entirely.
"We made it out."
Before their very eyes, the legendary Semiramis Library was crumbling—vanishing after countless years and revealing everything it had hidden.
Now, they all found themselves standing within the ruins of House Moonlight's palace, surrounded by chaos, screams, and devastation.
"Why?"
That was the question most of them had.
The answer came in the form of an overwhelming pressure crashing down from afar.
Madam A was the strongest among them—so she sensed it before anyone else.
"One… No."
A sinister smile crept across her face.
"Two SS-rank individuals?"
The moment she finished speaking, a devastating beam of energy struck the ground in front of her.
From within the aftermath, a single man emerged—exuding an overwhelming killing intent.
"This is bad~"
Long silver hair. A body sculpted to perfection. A terrifying dagger gripped in each hand.
And those piercing crimson eyes, watching everything from behind a mask that concealed his face.
The Supreme Warden, the strongest of the Royal Guards…
Oliver Khan had arrived.
His deep voice echoed like thunder.
"A Lord of the Ultras… in this place."
The muscles in Oliver's arms tensed as his aura flared.
"Good thing I got here in time."