Chapter 418: War Drums (2/2)

Aina's expression changed. Suddenly, Leonel found his hand being pulled by something soft as he was dragged away.

He looked back over his shoulder to see Yuri hiking up her dress and chasing after them.

'This feels… oddly familiar…'

Leonel's train of thought was interrupted as he laughed.

This was the second time he and Aina had run away from Yuri. He didn't know why Aina wanted to avoid her so much, but he had to say he didn't mind holding onto such a soft hand.

Leonel couldn't be certain if Aina's scars only impacted her face, but what he was sure of was the fact her hands were perfect and without flaw.

'Is it creepy to be attracted to a slender hand?' Leonel thought to himself.

”Young Miss! Stop running!”

Unfortunately for Yuri, compared to the past, Leonel and Aina were even faster.

Eventually, she could only stop running as they disappeared into the distance. In the place of the running couple, Leonel's teammates suddenly appeared once again amid dim flashing lights, hints of confusion on their faces due to the unexpected teleportation.

Miles looked toward Joel and Raj, then all three met gazes with Yuri. They all had the same abandoned look in their eye.

”First time?” Yuri's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, a hint of sympathy in her voice.

The three nodded like wounded children.

Yuri rose to her tippy toes and patted their shoulders.

”You get used to it.”

**

While the Royal Blue Fort had been attacked by an unknown entity, the capital was coming up with ways to deal with the addition of a second moon.

Under this second moon's influence, it had been difficult for Earth to get a moment of peace. But, as though this wasn't bad enough, their world's evolution had been accelerated, causing an epidemic of Force Surges to erupt.

The activity of beasts and Invalids alike grew as a result, making the environment far more volatile. Instances of beast and Invalid hordes were taking the infantile world by storm.

It was amidst these challenges that news of this second moon was finally disseminated and reached the ears of the most powerful men and women of Earth.

The appearance of a Kingdom within the territory of the Ascension Empire? It was unacceptable.

The instant these matters were learned about, The Empire sounded the war drums. For the first time in centuries, a true threat had appeared within their territory.

For the vast majority of Earth, even getting access to the normal tech they had was impossible. But, in the past year, The Empire hadn't been sitting on its laurels. With the resources it had access to, the Capital had quickly become a place no less prosperous than any other Fourth Dimensional world.

In addition, even without access to technology, it was a simple matter for those of the Capital to exchange for treasures that would allow them to travel to this second moon.

War drums beat. War flags rose. A patriotic aura thrummed throughout the Capital.

As for the chosen leader of this expedition?

Prince Noah Fawkes.