CHAPTER 57: SERAPHINA’S ULTIMATUM

"Why?" Ace asked.

Why did she turn to the Immolated? Did she not know enough about them, get sold empty promises, or just want that shrine’s power no matter what? When he saw her look down, eyes narrowed, he knew he’d missed the mark.

Seraphina said, "Why? Isn’t it obvious? I didn’t want to die."

"...I see." Ace nodded.

Just as he’d ended up at the bottom of the Crimson Lake and confronted Tava’Az, Seraphina must have gone through a similar ordeal. Maybe her quests hadn’t given her anything useful, so she hunted more monsters, betting on drop luck. Could’ve been anything.

She doesn’t have the Aquasteel Grimorie because of me. It all ties back to me.

Ace felt guilty. He hadn’t meant to bring Chaewon here; he believed her future lay in a different Gate with her father. But her father had handed her to him.

Glad she was with him, he knew it didn’t change much.

He couldn’t blame himself for Seraphina’s fate, yet he couldn’t shake the responsibility. Unlike him, she had no way to overcome the Withered Shrine of the Immolated’s Priestess and its divinity. Given her words, Seraphina beside him was a slave.

Ace took in the gravity of it and chose his next words carefully.

"You didn’t come here of your own accord, right?" Ace asked.

"Yes. You stared directly into Gesta’s soul. She saw through your identity and realized you’re a threat to the ritual. She’s always watching the Heaven Village through the Totem or my eyes... and now she will use me as her blade to kill you," Seraphina said without looking back at him.

The air turned heavy between them. Amid cheers for the duel between Ace’s core team and Edward Sawyer’s, they felt detached, in their own world. If they both stood, a fight would erupt. Ace didn’t doubt it.

But Gesta, Priestess of the Immolated, had different plans.

Seraphina conveyed Gesta’s will. "Come to the Totem and fight me there. If you’re not there by sunset, I will start killing everyone in the Heaven Village, starting with the praying rankers and ending at the top."

"Yeah," Ace said with a nod.

Seraphina stood and left him alone.

Down in the arena, his friends’ duel neared its end. Chaewon had Edward’s number and never let him threaten her friends.

She cut him and drew blood. Alex used his shield to press her advantage, then smashed into the enemy tank, sending him tumbling to the other end of the arena.

He showed he was worthy of Rank Seven, a tank his friends could trust on the front line. Mercer showed sharp battlefield awareness, keeping to spots that didn’t burden his allies; his heals were far more efficient than the enemy’s.

The duel ended in their favor.

Chaewon turned to Ace first and found him in the stands, deep in thought. At her approach, he smiled and nodded, but she could tell something weighed on him. Without a word to Edward Sawyer and his teammates, she left the arena and headed to Ace.

Alex sneered at the enemy tank. "Learn to use a shield before swingin’ a sword." He followed Chaewon, Mercer in tow.

—

"Ace?" Chaewon leaned in, looking straight into his eyes.

Many rankers seethed at the sight; Chaewon was a strong, attractive woman.

Leaning down to meet Ace’s eyes, she looked like she peered into his soul, her chest dipping to give him the best angle.

Ace exhaled. "Yeah... I have a problem."

"You mean ’we.’ Let’s find a less crowded spot to talk about it," Chaewon said with a bright smile. It lifted his mood a notch.

Seeing Ace and his team leave the arena, many rankers voiced disappointment that Ace hadn’t accepted a duel. They were curious about his skills and what he could do.

That said, who could fight him? No one ranked high enough to match him or give him a real fight. In the end, the cheers faded or shifted to other names.

Outside, Ace sat on a thick log the Heaven Village used as a bench. Chaewon and Mercer sat on either side of him, while Alex stood with his arms crossed.

"This village might not make it through today," Ace said.

"What?"

"No... it won’t," Ace said, correcting himself.

While Seraphina—and the Priestess controlling her—believed no one knew the ritual’s purpose or reach, Ace knew what Gesta didn’t want him to know.

The same Totem had stood in the middle of the village in his first life as well, though much later. The Priestess of the Immolated used this Totem to increase the number of Ignis Caro, an undead monster tied to the Withered Shrine of the Immolated. She told him to go to the Totem, so Ace was sure she meant to use those undead and Seraphina’s strength against him. The undead would back her if Seraphina couldn’t match him.

"We should evacuate everyone!" Chaewon said.

Mercer nodded.

Alex scratched his neck. Don Capo ain’t saying anything. There must be another issue.

Ace exhaled. "Try to evacuate everyone."

"I will! I’ll tell them I can see danger and that it’s coming from the Totem!" Chaewon said.

Ace caught her hand before she could sprint off. "Say you have an item to sense danger."

"Ah, okay!" Chaewon nodded.

Ace looked at Alex. "Go after her. I can’t get close to the Totem."

"Yeah." Alex nodded.

Chaewon knew that starting a commotion near the Totem would draw the Priestess of the Immolated’s attention, so she sprinted to Tyler’s weapon store. Ace valued the man, and so did she after hearing his story. The line outside hadn’t dwindled; it was as long as ever.

Chaewon raised her voice. "Please, listen to me! There’s danger in the Heaven Village! Evacuate now!"

Rankers looked at each other, then at her.

"You know Rank Two Veis Einwisdam cleared this village with his Sixteen and other high rankers?"

"Yeah, you just want us gone so you can get into the store."

"Just wait with the others."

Chaewon’s face fell.