Simon yawned loudly as he stirred the carriage from the rear. Two horses of different colors pulled it forward—the right one black, the left one white. The carriage itself looked quite luxurious, with a fanciness that matched that of nobles and the wealthy. They had "borrowed" it from a merchant heading the same way.
Inside, Akiko sat quietly, studying a map. Katsu and Achtur were still unconscious across from her. The carriage's interior was designed with dark red floral patterns. Its exterior was plain black, adorned with a white moon mark on each of the front doors. The two white seats inside spanned the width of the carriage, capable of fitting four people each, with a white oval table in the center.
A groan escaped Katsu's lips as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt his body resting on something—or someone. His vision was blurry at first, but he managed to spot Akiko across from him, studying a map with three books beside her. As he tilted his head up, he realized he was lying down on someone. Just as the memories flooded back—Ember City, the blood, the killing, the crisis—his body jolted upright with a loud shout, his face dark with horror.
"Hey! What's going on back there?" Simon called out from the front, glancing through the chained window above Akiko to check inside.
Akiko sighed. "Don't worry, Simon. He just woke up."
"Oh, figures," Simon replied with a smirk as he turned his attention back to the road.
"Wha… what happened?!" Achtur exclaimed, finally waking up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, still disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings.
After a long pause, he blurted out, "What are you guys doing here? Where am I? What are you going to do to me?!" He covered his chest with both hands, eyes wide in panic.
Simon chuckled with a jokingly concerned tone. "You make us sound like perverts or traffickers."
Akiko sighed again. "Can you guys just be quiet? You just woke up and you're already causing a ruckus."
Katsu, who had been holding his head and screaming from his resurfacing memories, finally calmed down. Achtur lowered his guard just a little as both of them turned their attention toward Akiko.
"Let me explain our current situation," she began. "Ember City has been completely destroyed. It's unofficially off the global map. All Colnite Knight Rankers that were stationed there are likely dead or incapacitated. Civilians? Dead. And to make things worse, the LevaiCrypt is walking around freely. That might not be a problem now, but it will be later."
She paused before continuing. "Anyway, to wrap this all up—Achtur Vilma," she said, extending her hand, "join us."
Katsu's eyes widened. "What?!"
But Achtur calmly replied, "No. I still have the people of Colnite City to protect. Although my comrades are dead, that doesn't free me of my duty as a knight of Colnite City."
Akiko smiled. "Colnite City doesn't exist anymore."
Achtur's expression hardened. "What?"
"I said Colnite City doesn't exist anymore."
"I heard you the first time," Achtur snapped. "How is that possible?!"
"The LevaiCrypt destroyed it. It ran through the entire city. Then the Crimson Nights finished the job," Akiko answered.
"Damn," Katsu muttered, glancing at Achtur's horrified expression.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt. Simon's voice rang out from the front.
"We got company."
Akiko opened the carriage door and stepped down, her gaze fixed on a group of armed men blocking their path. Katsu followed, then paused and turned to Achtur.
"You coming?" he asked.
Achtur didn't respond.
As Katsu stepped down from the carriage, he got a good look at the armed group ahead.
"They're members of the Crimson Night," Akiko said.
"The Crimson Night? You mean the group that attacked Ember City? The people who destroyed one of the greatest cities on the Jaquede Continent? That Crimson Night?" Katsu asked, stunned.
"Yes," Akiko replied.
Simon was still seated at the front of the carriage, hands gripping the reins. A wicked smile spread across his face.
"I got beaten by Chronly and was pissed. Then I got decimated by Aenedleah freaking Rogers, and now I'm even more pissed. But seeing the cause of my rage standing right in front of me…" He chuckled. "I'm gonna go wild."
He continued, voice low and sharp, "All my ego got crushed in an instant, but beating you guys won't help me get it back."
He turned his head slightly, looking through the chained window.
"Hey, Achtur," Simon called. "They're all yours."
A surge of yellow lightning erupted from inside the carriage. Achtur stepped out, his body glowing with electric energy as bright as the sun. A star mark glowed on his forehead, his eyes pure white with sparks dancing around them. His once neat hair now crackled upward like static fire.
"My prey just came right to me," he said, stepping down from the carriage, walking slowly toward the group of men.