It felt like an earthquake had struck BoneHaven.
Numerous buildings collapsed, killing several in the process.
There was a brief moment of silence and then blood-curdling screams erupted, threatening to drown out the sounds of the explosions
Chaos ensued and those that had laid in wait quickly removed their masks.
"For the Prince!... For the Republic!... Death to the Empire!"
The rebels had finally revealed themselves, however contrary to expectations, they were actually in the Eastern District.
And accompanying them...
The middle class that tried their hardest to fit into the nobility but were trampled and insulted.
The merchants that were never bestowed titles because they were from commoner backgrounds.
Finally, the retired military men that despite their years of service were abandoned for not being a part of the nobility.
These groups didn’t hold back in their greed as they pushed to acquire what had eluded them for so long.
Unleashing their full force, BoneHaven was soon drenched in blood as the noble houses were attacked.
Throughout all of this, both Natasha and Anastasia were left speechless.
Everything happened so quickly, they were playing catch-up at this point.
"Just how much did this guy plan?" Anastasia muttered in sheer disbelief.
She understood now that she came too late.
There was barely anything she could do with how things were going.
Natasha couldn’t even make a sound as she watched her beloved city fall into chaos.
Anastasia was right... there was no saving BoneHaven from destruction.
The time to save it had already passed, all that was left was dealing with the aftermath.
"Natasha!" A male voice filled with urgency cried out from behind.
Natasha glanced back to find a man riding toward her on horseback.
He seemed completely out of it as jumped down from the horse and ran the rest of the way.
"What... what’s going on?... What caused the earthquake?... What about Ambrose and the others?" Natasha quickly fired off after recognizing the man to be the one that had replaced Madeline as Ambrose’s secretary after her death.
The man, whose name was Oscar, quickly replied. "It’s over, everything is over!... We lost!"
A sudden slap across the face caused Oscar to shut his mouth.
Natasha clenched the hand she used to slap him. "I’m sorry... but now is not the time to panic."
Biting down on her lower lip, she added. "We have to save what’s left of BoneHaven regardless of what’s happening right now... do you understand!?"
"Y...yes." Oscar nodded in response.
Taking a moment to calm his nerves at which time Ana had transformed into a human and was seated somewhere, sulking, Oscar took a deep breath and then he spoke up.
"Captain and the others are trapped in the tunnels. The earthquake was caused by an explosion in the tunnels which blocked the entrances. Currently, they are fighting with the Evil Eye brotherhood and the rebels who are with them."
"Basar?" Natasha inquired.
"Nowhere to be found," Oscar replied.
"He was baiting us to come and get him," Natasha remarked in a grave tone.
Oscar nodded. "The city is in chaos. Those staying in the Eastern District have taken up arms and are attacking the noble houses, killing and looting as they please."
"Have the Royal Blues tried to maintain the order?"
"No. due to how suddenly the whole thing happened, they are still trying to gather their forces. Surprisingly enough... the inhabitants of the western district are helping them with the rescue of victims trapped in collapsed structures."
Natasha pursed her lips before subtly glancing in Ana’s direction.
The latter was seated on the scorched earth, staring into the distance while her hands were playing with her gown.
Taking a moment to consider, Natasha approached her. "Lady Ana."
"..." There was no response.
"Lady Ana," Natasha called out again.
"..." Still no response.
"Can you stop?" Anastasia turned to face her. "I’m not in the best of moods right now. We failed, BoneHaven is doomed."
"... Are you just going to give up?"
Ana sighed. "You know when I call myself the Omen of Great disasters, it sounds cool to others but for me, it’s just a warning that wherever I go, something bad always happens."
"And it’s never something small, like maybe a robbery or a politician stealing. Always something that would lead to the loss of numerous lives. It’s starting to get annoying."
"It is," Ana remarked softly. "I knew BoneHaven was in danger but I did nothing but follow my desires. Caught up in my dreams, I forgot that I had to protect the citizens of Zion."
"You had no idea how it would happen though...you can’t blame yourself for what’s happening, Lady Ana."
Anastasia didn’t respond but her solemn expression was enough to decipher her mental state.
Natasha was left unsure of what to say.
Anastasia had always seemed lofty figure that held great power and authority, but seeing her so weak... helped Natasha understand that just like her, Ana also wasn’t a perfect being.
Sighing heavily, Natasha crouched and stretched out a hand to Ana. "Please, Lady Ana... we need you now more than ever. If not you, who else can save BoneHaven from this disaster?"
Ana’s lips moved but no sound was made.
She slowly glanced at Natasha. "What if I only manage to stop the disaster after you all are dead?... I don’t want to experience that again."
"You won’t. Because you won’t move alone, I’ll support you in any way I can." Natasha replied.
"You?" Ana revealed a sad smile. "You aren’t even a Martial Artist yet."
Natasha grinned. "This should be an opportunity to get there, right?"
"...Yeah." Ana nodded. "Yeah, it is."
"So, what do you say?... Can you help me save my city from destruction?"
Ana’s gaze alternated between Natasha’s eyes and her hand before she reached out and grabbed her hand.
"I’ll do my best," Ana said before adding. "And beat Basar up while we are at it."
Meanwhile, at the side, Oscar couldn’t help but hope that whatever happened, BoneHaven would survive this disaster.