The head of the Everen family — a woman with a cold expression, devoid of even the faintest warmth — descended into the snowy valley.
A battlefield now, painted in red, with corpses piled around her daughter... and the boy who had protected her.
Everyone fighting was instantly frozen.
Whether it was those trying to take her daughter — or Noel himself, who had been fending them off — none were spared.
Her arrival sent a ripple through the valley, drawing reactions from all sides.
Even the three major factions stirred.
The witches looked torn — calculating.
Would it be worth falling out with one of the world’s top families?
What move would bring the most profit?
Those in black, their faces hidden behind masks, also paused, deliberating.
Should they act now, before things escalated beyond recovery?
And then — there was the Hollow Sun Cult.
Unlike the others, they didn’t hesitate.
Elysia, already preparing to move, turned to Serah and said urgently, "She’s stronger than me — but I can hold her off long enough for reinforcements to arrive."
"It’s an Apex Relic. Even though we already have many... we can always use more."
Power gathered at her fingertips.
She was ready to move.
But Serah simply shook her head.
"Don’t engage her for now. Just observe."
Elysia gritted her teeth, seemingly wanting to refute.
But, a single glance from Serah silenced her.
And so, unwillingly, Elysia backed down.
All she could do now... was watch.
The Everen head — Clarissa — finally descended to the ground.
She walked toward her unconscious daughter, and the entire valley tensed with every step she took.
Whether they had been frozen mid-fight or were still standing at a distance, the same suffocating tension gripped them all.
Everyone was watching — nervously, tightly — unsure of what would happen next.
Because all of them had just tried to go after her daughter.
And none of them were prepared to give up the Apex Relic.
"Don’t cross the line further," Clarissa’s cold voice echoed through the snow-laced air — sharp, commanding, and filled with unspoken threat.
"Don’t turn this already bad situation into something worse."
Her aura surged outward, swelling like a crushing wave, pressing down on all who could still move.
It wasn’t just a warning.
If they truly wished to act, they’d best go fetch their superiors — because none of them were enough.
Then, her gaze moved slightly — no longer focused solely on her daughter.
She turned her eyes toward the Trial Dimension itself and added:
"The Trial is still open, and there may be more valuable things inside."
"So if you’re going to make a move..."
"Think carefully before doing it."
It wasn’t just a threat now — it was bait laced with logic.
Better to risk the unknown within the Trial Dimension — where the rewards could be greater and the losses not immediate — than to challenge her now, for a single Apex Relic... and die in the process.
Most of the crowd backed off.
The pressure softened.
While a few still looked unwilling, the majority’s retreat meant they wouldn’t dare act alone.
At a distance, Serah snorted in disgust at their cowardice.
But her eyes weren’t on them.
Even frozen in place, she could feel it.
His aura — it was growing stronger.
His resistance was increasing.
He was trying to break free from Clarissa’s suppression.
And then Serah’s gaze narrowed.
Her voice came out low — filled with raw, killing intent — as she looked at Elysia beside her.
"If she dares lay a finger on him... then make your move."
"I don’t care if she’s the head of a top family — if she dares, then today, she will die."
Elysia smiled faintly and nodded, then turned her gaze toward Clarissa with hopeful eyes — almost expectant.
She watched as Clarissa finally came within a few feet of Noel.
And when her expression grew even colder, Elysia’s anticipation only sharpened.
No matter how much Noel gathered his power, it was clear — he still couldn’t break out from Clarissa’s restraint.
But then... something changed.
Without warning, Noel retracted all of his aura.
And in its place... he summoned a scarf.
The world seemed to lose its color the moment it manifested.
Sounds vanished — as if the air itself had been muted.
Time seemed to still.
And then, slowly, Noel floated into the air — breaking free from Clarissa’s restraint — rising to meet her at eye level.
A grin touched his lips.
"Isn’t it a little harsh," he said, voice calm, yet edged with irony, "to treat your future son-in-law , mother?"
Clarissa’s eyes grew colder.
But in the end, her gaze moved to his injuries — to his bloodied condition.
... And she said nothing.
She didn’t even respond.
Instead, she stepped past him, walked to where Selena lay unconscious, and without a word, lifted her daughter into her arms.
Noel didn’t stop her.
He said nothing more.
He only watched, then slowly moved his gaze over the entire valley... and with a flick of his hand, the scarf vanished.
At a distance, Serah lowered her hand from her throat — her eyes wide, as she gasped and spoke at last.
"What... what just happened?"
She had tried to speak during that moment — but no sound had come out.
Elysia’s tone was equally stunned as she answered.
"It was the parasitic relic... It had to be."
"How he could use it though, I don’t know."
"Maybe... maybe he has high compatibility with it?"
"Either way, using it clearly comes at a huge cost."
Serah nodded slowly, then shifted her gaze back to Noel.
The color had drained completely from his face — a silent confirmation of just how much that one move with the scarf had taken out of him. Elysia had been right.
He was still standing... but barely.
Serah’s eyes narrowed as she looked toward the distance where Clarissa had disappeared.
A pang of regret surfaced — maybe she should’ve made a move after all.