"What was that all about?"


    During the night, the seven women regrouped inside their house.


    The one who asked this question was May, who, after helping Eric defend Turric, looked far more exhausted.


    "Really, this is incomprehensible. Why did the attack stop?"


    Dramia crossed her arms.


    The same thing happened in all cities. The giants barely moved away from the portal, only leaving an army of corrupt beasts on the loose.


    "Could it be because of Elliott''s massive damage to their forces?"


    Recalling what had happened near Turric, Karteira mentioned it.


    "This might be it. But from the looks of it, I''d say there are other circumstances. This whole thing felt like a warning."


    After defending against a wave of beasts with her maids, Olivia had her own opinion about it.


    "A warning, you say..."


    Deveralna agreed somehow. With a frown, she continued.


    "If it were a matter of destroying the continent, it would have been easy today. The number of enemies we had to face was incomparable to what we had to face before."


    The others nodded.


    "My sister and I came across that many corrupt beasts only when Tiohr-nam was getting attacked."


    Karteira closed her eyes.


    "Right, we''ve managed to deal with them thanks to Orion and Amelia. This was difficult at the time, but now..."


    She peered at the women sitting around the table.


    "We''re strong enough to deal with that by ourselves."


    A sense of pride developed inside all of them. Even the weakest member, Senia, could fight without problem.


    "But the issue remains. The number of giants witnessed is nothing to scoff at. Elliott does have experience fighting them, and he is rather quick to dispatch half of them in a single attack, but we can''t leave it to him alone."


    Deveralna said, with a conflicted expression.


    "It''s not that I don''t trust him. It''s just... that he won''t be able to be everywhere at the same time. We need to get rid of those giants by ourselves."


    "And we don''t have someone to rely upon. Orion, who could easily kill them, or Amelia, who fought a dragon by herself, are not here to bail us out."


    This was the truth, which everyone agreed to.


    "Without them, the continent depends on us."


    Taking over, Olivia leaned on her chair, tired.


    "This is a threat that wasn''t prepared for... Are we even ready to counter it?"


    They looked at her.


    "What do you mean, Olivia?"


    Confused, May asked.


    "Can we deal with those giants? I''m pretty sure if they attack all together, we won''t be able to resist for long. Karteira managed to kill one, but that''s all, right?"


    Nodding to her remark, Karteira kept her mouth shut.


    She wasn''t one to brag in this circumstance.


    "We don''t nearly have the firepower to deal with five hundred gigantic-sized corrupt. Maybe if we asked the dragons, we could get a chance to fight back, but even they aren''t a surefire way to protect the continent."


    An air of uncertainty filled the room as each one of them began to ponder a way to defend Triazils.


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    But nothing came to them. There weren''t any mythical ways to deal with this invasion. They had no powerful weapons or magic, nor were they acquainted with powerful people to begin with.


    The only one with enough power to get rid of them entirely was Deveralna, but it would come at the expense of the land itself and probably the cities too.


    An uncontrollable power similar to the one she used against the mindless Kiel was out of the question.


    Then, May, Olivia, and Karteira turned their heads toward the corridor.


    "Henrietta, do you maybe have something that would help us?"


    "..."


    The others followed their gaze until a blonde woman walked away from the wall she had her back pressed against.


    Listening in silence to the conversation, she had no interest in joining until she was called out. As she stood at the door frame, Henrietta joined them.


    "Why are you asking me?"


    She approached the table and sat between Dramia and Senia in the spot where Orion always sat.


    No one was bothered by this, simply waiting for her to sit comfortably.


    Then, Olivia answered her.


    "Well, as far as this matter goes, we are helpless. The only one who can help us is you."


    Karteira nodded before adding something.


    "We know we are asking too much, right after losing your friend and after Amelia fell unconscious."


    Sighing to herself, Dramia finally entered the conversation.


    "There is no future for us if Triazils is destroyed. We don''t know when those monsters will return or if we will have another chance like this one."


    "While we have a few moments of tranquility, we should find a way to become stronger."


    Nodding next to her and sharing the thoughts of her sister, Drania opened her mouth.


    "It is exactly as Sis said. We can''t simply wait until the next invasion without even being prepared for it."


    "As we are now... we are too weak."


    Everyone was affected by this statement. Hearing that, Henrietta spoke, speaking with honesty what she had gathered about the women.


    "Senia is too dependent on water to be useful. While the output of her power is barely useful in crowd control, what she needs is a way to expand the amount of magic she can use and find more abilities that could turn the tide on this invasion."


    One after the other, she switched her gaze to the concerned party.


    "For May, the elemental fused to her soul and body is too young and too tainted to release the full potential inside both of you. Improving your link is important, as it would facilitate the flow of magic between you, leading to less waste of energy while removing fatigue buildup."


    While Senia looked at her hands resting on her thighs, May simply nodded.


    "Olivia has powerful water magic, but it isn''t as deadly as you wish it to be. Compared to the efficiency of your maids, who use only non-magical weapons, something is seemingly missing. A catalyzed source, something to condense your massive pool of magic while also working on your dark magic, which is far from being in your control."


    Hearing the words of the Remnant of Fate was like a wake-up call for the women. Olivia fell into deep thought, realizing that she had been completely seen through.


    "In Deveralna''s case, all she needs to do is control the flow of energy to perfection. With the help of that... critter, she could potentially become the most powerful entity in the world."


    "Drania, Dramia, you were far too lazy in your training. You were on the right path after finally following Orion''s routine, yet, as it was only the beginning, it wasn''t enough to deal with the current situation. You have to take this matter very seriously, or your efforts will be meaningless."


    "Lastly, Karteira. There is barely anything to criticize. Your constant growth and hard work led to this incredible explosion of power. If there is one thing to speak of, it is your reckless attitude in battle. You should lose that need to play with your opponent before it becomes your fall."


    They all fell silent.


    "Do you know why I know so much about you? For May, it is because I know my share of struggle with elementals. But for the others?"


    "Where am I sitting?"


    Speaking in a rather low voice, Senia answered her.


    "On Orion''s chair..."


    Henrietta glanced at her with a gentle smile.


    "Exactly. What I said about you was what Orion saw through the moments he spent with you."


    Their eyes opened wide at this revelation.


    "Orion?"


    "He watched over each one of you. Through the many portals he was able to create, he followed your growth very keenly."


    Recalling the conversation she had with him at that time, she smiled.


    "Through the countless iterations of himself I saw, his core never changed. Orion is and will always be a compassionate man who can''t help but protect the ones he cares for."


    "That is how he is and will remain. Pinpointing your failures is something he wasn''t planning to tell you. Because... the need to endanger you wasn''t necessary."


    The fact that the battle against Miasma was a fated encounter with him at the center resurfaced from the depths of their minds.


    "But this is different now."


    Henrietta''s face became serious all of a sudden.


    "Without Orion, this world is doomed. Or so I was persuaded."


    "Our hope to fight back is still present. You, the seven companions of the Hero, and the three allies that shared their fates with him."


    Standing up from her chair, Henrietta walked to the door and glanced over her shoulder as she stopped inside the hallway.


    "We, Remnants, will proactively help you. Our power is useless in battle, but our knowledge is worth more than anything."


    Her voice echoed in a way that forced a shudder down the women''s spines.


    "The time to hide is long gone. I will gather the Remnants scattered across this continent and bring them here."


    "Tomorrow, after noon, I want you all in front of the portal hub."


    After saying that, Henrietta opened the front door and walked out of the house.


    Shocked beyond belief, only empty air escaped their mouths.


    Finally, Karteira''s arms shook, bringing her back to her senses.


    "The Remnants... of Triazils..."


    She and Olivia shared a perplexed gaze.


    "In this place...?"


    The most incredible gathering of all time was about to happen, with Horizon as its center.


    A gathering of Remnants, whose notions they influence, shape the world they live in.