Aerin? How’d she get here!?

Rayelle’s heart skipped a beat.

There’s no way she should know I’m here! Wasn’t she at the city lord’s mansion?

Could it be my fight caused too much noise?

Rayelle stole a glance at the massive holes smashed into the walls by human cannonballs, feeling a flush of embarrassment.

She’d been angry earlier and hadn’t held back her power… This commotion would definitely draw Aerin.

What now…

Rayelle lay sprawled on the ground like a limp rag, utterly unable to move.

Even the slightest motion would trigger weird sensations.

If Aerin saw her like this…

Rayelle couldn’t bear to imagine the consequences!

Sure, Aerin probably didn’t know about this Rigmore-targeting poison herb—but better safe than sorry.

If her identity got exposed now, what awaited her would be…

Ugh!

Just the thought made Rayelle shudder, fear flickering across her face as an unnatural blush crept onto her cheeks.

No. She couldn’t let Aerin see her like this.

If discovered, she’d end up utterly humiliated!

Her whole life after that would be miserable.

Rayelle silently checked her mana.

Only a tiny bit remained.

The End of Sequence 36 granted immense power, but its drain was terrifying.

She doubted she could activate it again.

Yet, picturing her grim fate, Rayelle gritted her teeth and chose to try once more.

Biting her lip for focus, she endured the discomfort and struggled to lift her head.

Seth stood before her, half-submerged in the shadow portal, his expression puzzled.

"You…"

He’d noticed her state but didn’t dare attack.

Rayelle’s earlier display had been too terrifying, too powerful.

Though she now seemed powerless—collapsed, weak, utterly vulnerable—Seth wouldn’t gamble.

"I’m… fine…"

Rayelle locked eyes with him, forcing out the words as amber light flickered in her gaze.

Seth had no clue why she’d blurt that, but he sensed a bluff.

She probably couldn’t enter the shadows and wanted to lure him out to crush him.

Not wasting a second, Seth vanished into the portal.

Glass shattered again.

In Rayelle’s vision, the cracked real world and twisting illusion drew closer, merging as her mana poured in.

Reality shattered. Illusion filled the void.

Her discomfort faded—but not completely.

Before full overlap, violent nausea exploded inside her.

Her mana was gone.

Yet the Extraordinary Power could still run—by burning life force.

Thankfully, the Dragon King’s vitality was strong.

Rayelle clenched her jaw against the searing pain of conversion.

She focused the power solely on purging the poison, ignoring her scraped knees and elbows from the fall.

The life-force drain hurt too much.

Ugh… pfft…

As the poison vanished, Rayelle collapsed again, spitting blood.

Mana depletion and life-force loss left her weak, the Dragon King’s power fading once more.

Suddenly, dazzling golden light flooded the dark alley.

A figure wielding a giant sword appeared.

Undoubtedly, Aerin.

"Tch. Escaped."

Aerin frowned at the closed shadow portal.

The moment Seth vanished, Rigmore’s aura disappeared too.

From the scene, she pieced it together fast.

"...That evil dragon slipped into Bonn City unnoticed and teamed up with the Chaos Sect?"

Rayelle, still panicking, froze—confused. Why would Aerin think that?

Aerin’s frown deepened.

Last life, Rigmore belonged to no faction. This time, he’s with the Chaos Sect?

Trouble.

Her gaze swept past injured Rayelle and bound, weak Chriss behind her.

It settled on the surviving Chaos Cultists trapped in the alley.

Aerin’s mind filled the gaps: Rayelle ambushed, protecting Chriss against overwhelming odds. She fought fiercely, taking down many cultists but suffering heavy wounds.

Aerin mistook Rayelle’s fall injuries for battle scars.

"Damn Chaos Cultists! Bullying our Rayelle like this? Unforgivable!"

Icy killing intent radiated from Aerin—colder than Rayelle’s earlier aura.

Rayelle and the cultists shuddered.

The cultists wore innocent faces.

This girl blamed them for all Rayelle’s injuries.

But the fight had been one-sided! Rayelle crushed them without being touched. Many died instantly.

Aerin wouldn’t listen.

Her eyes narrowed. She gripped the Holy Sword’s hilt and swung hard.

"Slash!"

Holy aura surged like waves. Golden sword phantoms materialized around the fleeing cultists, hovering mid-air with cold glints.

Whoosh—thud!

The phantoms pierced them. All but one—saved for questioning—were shredded instantly. Gore splattered everywhere.

Beside them, Rayelle trembled, watching in secret.

One wrong move, and that fate would be hers.