"Uh... Elena" I stammered nervously.


    "Yes?" she responded, turning her attention toward me.


    "Behind you..." I muttered, slowly pointing my hands behind her.


    As she looked back, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the bishop.


    He stared at us like a broken old machine, his face filled with utter disbelief.


    "Elena..." the bishop slowly uttered.


    "Your excellency..." Elena replied, her hands wrapped around my body, tightening with nervousness. It seemed her excitement had momentarily overridden her awareness of her supposed father''s presence.


    "…"


    Why were these two not saying anything to each other? The silence hung in the air ufortably, urging me to break it.


    "Kuh hmm…!" I cleared my throat.


    As they stared with each other again, the bishop was the one who tried to break the tension first.


    "I''m d you''re safe, Elena."


    "Thank you. I''m d you''re okay as well, your excellency," she replied, an awkward expression on her face.


    "…."


    "…."


    The awkward silence persisted. It was evident that if left unattended, this situation wouldn''t resolve itself.


    I couldn''t shake the feeling that these two had already engaged in some argument before our arrival, and now they were resuming their conversation with silent tension.


    Despite my desire to mend their unexpected drama, time was not on our side.


    "Elena, can you tell us the whole situation? Why are you here, and why is Louise unconscious?" I interjected, hoping to redirect the conversation.


    My question seemed to jolt the bishop out of his stunned state, as he remembered his purpose in being here.


    "Sorry…." Whispered to me.


    Elena shot me a peculiar look with an awkward smile before nodding in agreement.


    ….


    "So you''re saying after fighting a gigantic red monster back at the dungeon, a ck portal suddenly appeared below you and teleported you here?" The bishop asked Elena, his confusion evident. As far as he knew, the only things emerging from the ck portal were monsters.


    "Yes… But I have a feeling it was because of the masked person that suddenly attacked us…" Elena replied, her expression thoughtful and concerned.


    "So, there was also another masked individual inside the dungeon," Adrianmented, connecting the dots.


    "Were there also others out there?" Elena asked, her confusion growing, as she had been inside the dungeon when the whole bombing incident happened.


    "Yes, one of which was the one who started bombing the city. It''s safe to say that we''re dealing with a whole organization here," Bishop Austin said with a concerned face. He wondered how he would report all this to the pope, his mind already specting about the identity of the masked organization.


    "Elena, take this…" said Bishop Austin, handing the baton to Elena.


    "Your excellency, t-this is," Elena stammered, her eyes widening as she recognized the white baton.


    ''Tonatiuh''


    It was one of the few holy relics the church possessed, said to be the very gift of the goddess herself.


    This singr baton contained the power of the sun.


    "The city needs the sun, Elena," the bishop said in a stern voice.


    Although Elena wasn''t exactly sure what to do, she understood her responsibilities as a saintess, and now was the time for it.


    Her hands gripped the baton tighter as warm light emanated from it, enveloping her like a mother gently hugging her child.


    The holy relic was starting to recognize its new master.


    Both Adrian and the bishop could feel their energy returning, the pain and headaches dissipating in a matter of seconds.


    The bishop smiled, looking at the saintess.


    Elena, now empowered by the sacred relic, felt a surge of responsibility and determination.


    With a newfound strength, she looked at Bishop Austin and Adrian and smiled.


    She knew she had the power to help everyone now.


    ….


    "Bishop, Saintess Elena!" the five pdins immediately kneeled in front of us after witnessing Elena and the bishop safely emerging from the ruined hall.


    "Adrian…! —"


    Aria''s words were abruptly cut short as she caught sight of the person Adrian was carrying.


    tinum blonde hair framed a beautiful and innocent face that exuded the pristine aura of a young princess.


    Louise Obelia, Aria''s close friend,y sleeping in Adrian''s arms, d in a beautiful ck and white dress that Aria had specifically chosen for her. The attire, slightly dusty from the recent chaos, did little to diminish Louise''s regal appearance.


    Aria took a step closer to Adrian, her eyes fixed on Louise. The emotions in her eyes were a mix of concern, relief, and an overwhelming surge of protectiveness for her friend.


    "She''s okay, right…?" Aria asked, her voiceden with worry.


    "Yeah, she''s just sleeping," Adrian reassured her, his tone calm and steady.


    Unable to contain her tears of relief, Aria gently touched Louise''s sleeping face.


    Although a multitude of questions swirled in Aria''s mind, such as why Louise seemed unscathed or what had transpired in the ruined hall, her immediate priority was the well-being of her friend.


    For now, she found sce in the fact that Louise was safe. The unanswered questions could wait until they were out of this perilous situation.


    "Oh my, you''re here, Aria?" Elena''s voice rang out, filled with visible shock and disbelief. It was understandable; she hadn''t expected Aria, of all people, toe to her aid.


    As Elena''s gaze fell upon Aria, Aria''s eyes lightly widened in response.


    Despite her initial shock, she couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief seeing Elena safe, though she wouldn''t readily admit it.


    ''Right, I forgot we came here to find this... person. I''m d she seems alright, at least''


    "So, you really were here. Well, I''m d you''re fully intact, at least," Aria remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "You really can''t be honest, can you? I''m sure you''re really happy right now, seeing me, right?" Elena retorted with a hint of amusement. "Thank you for being concerned about me."


    "I didn''te here for you!" Aria shot back, her frustration evident.


    "Really now...?" Elena''s hand moved to cover her mouth, her left hand prominently disying the white ring adorning her ring finger – the engagement ring Adrian had given her, a symbol of hismitment. Seeing it, Aria''s jealousy ignited, her gaze narrowing at Elena.


    "T-this... Bitch...!" Aria muttered under her breath, her anger bubbling to the surface.


    "Oh, my, those are quite the mean words, you know, Miss Aria," Elena responded in a tone that was both sad and sarcastic. The faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips only served to further infuriate Aria.


    Sparks seemed to fly between them as they exchanged words, though beneath the tension, there lingered a hint of camaraderie, born from years of shared experiences.


    "Fufu, I didn''t say those words with harmful thoughts in mind please do forgive me dear saintess..."


    "Yes, I''m sure calling me ''bitch'' was just a slip of tongue, despite it''s clear meaning…... everybody makes mistakes so I''ll forgive you, fufu"


    As theyughed gently at each other, the atmosphere crackled with unresolved tension, the underlying emotions palpable to those around them.


    Even the pdins was having trouble what to make of the situation.


    "Haah...! These two... really can''t be honest with each other, huh," Adrian thought, his eyes darting back and forth between Elena and Aria.


    Theplex dynamic between the two women both bemused and concerned him. It seemed there was never a chance that they wouldn''t find something to argue about whenever they crossed paths.


    Adrian sighed, recognizing the futility of trying to intervene in their ongoing banter. He decided to redirect their attention, hoping to steer the conversation away from potential conflict.


    "You two, stop the bickering. With each other—" Adrian began, but his words trailed off as he caught sight of the wide-eyed Bishop. The color drained from the Bishop''s face, leaving him looking ashen and shocked. His gaze was fixated on the ring adorning Elena''s finger.


    Adrian''s attempt to guide the conversation came to an abrupt halt as he noticed the Bishop''s reaction. The atmosphere in the room shifted, bing charged with an unspoken tension. It was as if the weight of a revtion had settled upon the Bishop, and Adrian could feel the gravity of the situation.


    "S-so, Bishop, we should get back to the square right now—" Adrian stammered, attempting to divert attention away from the conspicuous ring.


    However, his words faltered as the Bishop''s piercing gaze bore into him, seeking an exnation


    And as the Bishop clenched his trembling fist.


    Everything suddenly turned white for a short moment.


    In the brief, disorienting span of whiteness, a distant explosion reverberated through the air. The shockwave that followed was so powerful that it shook the very foundation of the earth, sending everyone tumbling.


    The force of the st was palpable, and panic ensued among the group.


    "Kyaah….!!"


    Reacting swiftly, Adrian instinctively wrapped his arms around both Aria and Elena.


    The pdins and the Bishop, with expertise honed through training, gracefully descended to the ground after the initial upheaval caused by the explosion.


    "What was that?" one of the pdins asked, his voice filled with urgency and concern.


    No one had an immediate answer. The scene before them was both bewildering and terrifying.


    The once-imposing walls that served as both the protective barrier and the border of Estelle Academy were now cleanly severed. The cut was so precise and calcted that it seemed almost unbelievable.


    The path of the long sh, was weirdly at the very heart of Estelle academy''smercial district.