The chamber was silent except for the ticking of the old clock fixed high on the wall. Heavy curtains muffled the noise of the city outside, and the long polished table stretched between the two sides of power: the grim-faced government officials on one end, and the guild leaders of the nation on the other.

The atmosphere was suffocating. Everyone present knew why they had been summoned by prime minister.

The news had already spread—the traitors had returned.

Chiyo Asashi leaned forward, her sharp eyes narrowing as she broke the silence first. "Tell me something, then. Why are they demanding the names of the dead? Why would they come here asking for Astrid Haraldsdottir and Lan Jia? Unless…" Her gaze swept over the officials. "…the government is hiding something from us."

Murmurs rippled across the table.

Lan Xinyue, dressed in a dark gown with her long white hair tied back neatly, remained silent. Her expression betrayed nothing, though her hands were folded tightly in her lap.

Nina Raj, on the other hand, looked visibly furious. Her jaw clenched, and her knuckles whitened against the armrest of her chair. She didn't even try to hide her anger.

One of the higher-ups, a senior councilwoman with gray hair and a hoarse voice, finally cleared her throat. "We are not hiding anything. We will make this absolutely clear. Astrid Haraldsdottir and Lan Jia are confirmed dead. Their bodies were identified after the attack years ago."

"Confirmed?" Chiyo's voice dripped with skepticism. "And yet, these terrorists are walking freely now, shouting their names. Forgive me if I don't take your words as gospel."

The councilwoman's face twitched, but she pressed on. "Lan Xinyue can confirm it herself. She was there. She saw it happen."

Dozens of eyes turned toward the Lan matriarch.

Xinyue's eyes, cold and unwavering, lifted from the table. "I killed my own sister," she said evenly. "There are no doubts about that."

The room went still. Even the officials seemed uncomfortable at her blunt declaration.

But Chiyo leaned back with a smirk. "Maybe you didn't do a good job, then. Because somehow, the ghost of your sister has found her way back, bringing friends with her."

Nina slammed her hand against the table, the sharp crack echoing across the chamber. "Shut your mouth, Chiyo! You're one to talk. When we were fighting on the frontlines, where were you? Hiding in your clan house, locking the doors like a coward while others bled!"

The tension spiked instantly.

Chiyo's smirk vanished, and her eyes sharpened dangerously. "Careful, Nina. Don't think your temper gives you the right to insult me. I was taking care of my own clan when traitors hit."

"You don't need to insult her," Nina snapped back. "It's the truth. Don't spit accusations at Xinyue when you couldn't even raise a blade when it mattered."

The chamber grew heated, voices rising as both sides seemed ready to erupt.

"Enough!" Lady Prime minister barked, slamming her gavel on the table. "This is not the time for your personal feuds. The traitors are here, bigger than ever. We demand focus. What are we going to do about them?"

Silence settled again, heavy and suffocating.

At last, Lan Xinyue's voice broke it. Calm, measured, but laced with ice. "We strike them. We root them out and remove them entirely. If they dare crawl out of the shadows after all these years, we must crush them before they grow any stronger."

The councilwomen nodded among themselves, some relief flashing in their eyes at finally hearing a concrete suggestion.

But Nina shot up from her chair, her voice cutting across the table. "Are you insane, Xinyue? Did you forget? They're holding your daughter hostage! And my guild members!"

The entire chamber stiffened. The weight of her words crashed down, and every eye turned back toward Xinyue.

Xinyue, however, did not flinch. She met Nina's furious gaze with the same cold detachment. "If my daughter cannot protect herself, then it is not my duty to shield her."

Gasps erupted from the table. Even the usually stoic officials exchanged unsettled glances.

"You heartless—!" Nina began, but Xinyue cut her off sharply.

"My responsibility is to protect the people. Not to indulge weakness. The enemies must be eliminated. Every second we waste wringing our hands over hostages is another second the traitors gain ground."

Her words fell like frost, chilling the chamber.

Nina trembled with rage. "How can you say that? How can you throw away your own flesh and blood like that?"

"Because," Xinyue replied coldly, "I understand the weight of leadership. Sentiment has no place here."

"Spare us your speeches," Nina spat. "This isn't about sentiment—it's about responsibility! Your bloodline, your guild, your family! If you can't even protect your own daughter, then what right do you have to lead anyone?"

Chiyo chuckled softly, watching the clash with thinly veiled amusement. "Well, it seems the perfect Lan matriarch has cracks in her armor after all."

Xinyue didn't spare her a glance. She leaned forward, her eyes sharp. "Mock me if you want. But while you waste time, the dungeons are expanding at an abnormal rate. The one that spawned just months ago is already growing faster than anything we've ever recorded. That, more than any hostage, is the true danger. Let me remind you what happened last time a dungeon went out of control...that country doesn't exist anymore."

Her words silenced the room again.

The councilwomen exchanged troubled looks. One of them finally muttered, "She's right. If the dungeon continues to expand unchecked, this entire country could collapse."

Another councilwoman added, voice grim, "Then we face two crises: the dungeon's growth… and the traitors' return."

The chamber fell into uneasy quiet once more.

Xinyue's voice was steady, final. "Then the choice is clear. Remove the traitors. Quell the chaos. And face the dungeon before it swallows us whole."

Her words lingered, heavy as stone, while the rest of the chamber sat in silence—split between outrage, fear, and the cold, brutal logic of her command.

***

Ren and Daichi slipped quietly into the service room. The air inside smelled faintly of dust and old wood, a space rarely used by students. The narrow staircase ahead was dimly lit, the single bulb above flickering like it might burn out at any second.

Daichi frowned, whispering, "Man, this place looks like it'll collapse if I breathe too hard."

Ren glanced up the rickety stairs. "Come on."

The wooden steps groaned under their weight as they carefully climbed. Each creak felt like a gunshot in the silence, but no one came rushing to check. When they reached the second floor, Ren pressed his shoulder against the door and slowly pushed it open.

A long corridor stretched before them. And pacing left and right at the far end was a woman with a rifle strapped across her chest, dressed in the same cleaner uniform as the others.

Daichi sucked in a sharp breath. "She's guarding. We're screwed."

Ren's eyes narrowed. No way past her without doing something. His hand twitched unconsciously, the urge to use his power bubbling up. But with Daichi right beside him, he couldn't. Not here. Not yet.

He leaned closer and whispered, "Daichi… can you use your skill? Maybe create an opening?"

Daichi scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "My skill? Ukimi no Jutsu. It just makes unliving things lighter when I touch them. I don't see how making her gun weigh as much as a feather's gonna help when she'll just shoot us."

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, "Of course… what did I expect…"

Daichi frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it." Ren peeked again at the woman. She walked to the right side of the corridor and then—never came back. The seconds stretched. The silence thickened.

Daichi whispered, "Did she… leave?"

Ren's instincts screamed otherwise. He stared at the empty stretch of hallway, lips pressed tight. Something about it didn't sit right. But they couldn't stay hidden forever. He gestured forward. "We move now. Quick."

"Finally." Daichi exhaled shakily and followed close behind.

They hugged the wall as they hurried down the corridor. Every step felt heavier than the last, but the woman never returned. When they reached the staff room door, Ren's gaze flicked to the far end of the hall.

For just a heartbeat, he thought he saw her. Not the same woman—this one had striking red hair that glowed faintly even in the dark.

Ren blinked, and she was gone. His breath caught. …Was that real? Or just my imagination? Shaking the thought away, he pushed Daichi forward. "In. Now."

It could have been his imagination, but he could have sworn he felt a chill crawl down his spine. It was as if something unseen pressed its gaze upon him—something he desperately didn't want to witness. His body screamed in silent horror, yet his mind could not grasp why.

Ren had no idea what that feeling was, only that it was a warning, raw and primal, one that his soul seemed to recognize even if he did not.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.