​Due to the extreme physical exhaustion, I ended up collapsing and falling asleep on the cold floor of the room. I was only awakened the next morning by a visit from the hotel staff. ​They helped me up, concerned. "Sir, what happened to you? Are you alright?" ​My eyes were open, but my mind remained hazy as they sat me on the bed. My body had yet to recover from the toll taken by the Time Sword draining my life energy. ​"I’m fine, thank you. You may leave me now," I managed to say. ​As soon as the staff stepped out, Ora emerged from the crystal attached to my hand to check on me. "Well? Are you feeling better?" ​"I don't know. I think I can walk now. What time is it? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" ​Ora suddenly flared with anger and tapped my head to scold me. "Do you honestly think you could have done anything in that state? The life energy the Time Sword extracts from you is no joke." ​I understood that my physical condition was critical, but I couldn't help but be furio

​After a short while, we decided to eat. Once we finished changing Aryan’s bandages, we returned to the hotel to pass the time. ​Aryan agreed to cooperate only because she trusted Ora, but even so, she refused to set Akexia free. ​"I cannot accept a child born from another woman sharing my father’s attention," she declared. ​Aryan explained that Mayu was her father’s first wife, and she did not trust me to be fair. ​"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked. ​"You believe she is your daughter with Frexia, and since my mother is gone, it would be easy for you to cast me aside and neglect me," she replied. ​She insisted that she wouldn’t harm Akexia, but she would not let her go until I brought her mother back. I didn't know if she was just jealous or if she wanted to keep Akexia as a hostage to force me to return her mother. I stopped arguing with her and decided to simply respect her wishes. ​"I promise, if I get the chance, I will save her for you." ​Aryan shoo

​A few hours after we emerged from the underground, we realized that chaos had erupted in the main streets of Baldona. Because of this, police officers were constantly leaving City Hall to assist in the streets.​"It looks like the rebels are starting to wreak havoc," I noted.​"They’ve been funded and armed, giving them the capacity to seize control of Baldona now that it’s leaderless," I added.​Minutes later, several parts of City Hall suddenly exploded. As we expected, the rebels had launched their attack. They struck just one day after the mayor and the Xen family were assassinated; they didn't even wait for the city’s leadership to recover.​The ensuing chaos thinned out the guards at the gates, providing us with the perfect opportunity to slip inside.​"Let’s go."​As we made our way in, we were startled to see giant titans running out of the City Hall.​"He’s already using the titans."​"Be careful," Aryan warned. "Titans are immortal as long as they have energy."​The police

​As I mourned in front of Aryan, I couldn't help but feel angry at fate. ​"Tell me, Ora, is this truly my destiny? Why is it that I always fail?" ​"Aren, I understand your pain, but this happened for a multitude of reasons, and it is not your fault," Ora replied. ​"I know I shouldn't be mourning her like this—our bond wasn't that deep, but..." I muttered sadly, slamming my fist against the ground. ​"She trusted me to save her and her mother. I promised them a better future... I hate that I couldn't provide that for them." ​I bowed my head, pressing it against the floor as tears fell. "I am such a worthless person." ​While I wept, Akexia suddenly embraced me from behind, begging for my forgiveness. "Father, please forgive me... I didn't know what happened. I’m confused as to why you’re grieving for her, but please, don’t blame yourself. I know you did everything in your power." ​Akexia explained that she had been attacked by Aryan during a mission and managed to imprison her. O

​ ​Hours passed as I continued my duty as Mayu’s bodyguard. I did nothing but wait outside. As usual, she wouldn’t let me inside the building, and talking between us was strictly prohibited. ​To keep from getting bored while waiting, I wandered around the perimeter of the building while chatting with Ora. ​"So, what’s your plan now that you’ve successfully saved her?" Ora asked. ​She was referring to the fact that the members of the rebel group, Golden Triangle, failed to bomb the mansion last night. Because Mayu didn’t come home, the tragedy was avoided. ​"We managed to save her, but it’s not over yet," I replied. "The Golden Triangle is still active and could still threaten Mayu's life. Plus, there’s the Xen family she wants revenge against, and the Poi family, who continue to complicate her situation." ​I knew that as long as those three groups remained, Mayu would never be truly safe, and a tragedy could still occur. ​However, Ora was confident that I could easily defeat my