[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Galadriel]

[Capital City Outskirts]

Finding Victoria and Lucinda did not prove particularly difficult.

The two had only just returned from their outing beyond the capital, approaching the western entrance of Galadriel at an unhurried pace. Even from a distance they stood out immediately amongst the sparse movement around the city walls.

Lucinda’s white hair shifted softly beneath the wind while Victoria walked beside her with the same composed steps she always seemed to carry regardless of circumstance. Several guards stationed atop the walls watched the pair with visible relief as the massive western gate slowly opened for them.

Relief, that alone said enough about the current state of the world. People had begun looking at powerful individuals less like citizens and more like guarantees. Weapons that kept the nightmare outside from reaching them.

Agatha and Cor’nella intercepted them before they could fully pass through the sleek white iron gates.

Under normal circumstances, perhaps they would have moved somewhere quieter and more private. A chamber within the castle. An office. Even a secluded courtyard.

But there was no luxury for comfort right now.

Not with the urgency in Cor’nella’s report.

So just outside the gates would have to suffice.

Agatha watched Victoria carefully, the older girl had gone unusually quiet.

One hand lightly cupped her chin while her blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly in thought. She had clearly been digesting everything Cor’nella explained since the moment they arrived.

Lucinda meanwhile looked noticeably more pensive.

Her gaze occasionally drifted upward toward the tears overhead before returning to the others, as though comparing what they experienced earlier with what they were hearing now.

The silence lingered enough for Cor’nella to grow visibly irritated.

"Well?" the fairy suddenly huffed, floating directly in front of Victoria’s face with crossed arms. "Are you going to say anything or just stare really hard?"

Victoria blinked once.

Then smiled sweetly.

"If staring too hard annoys you," she replied pleasantly, "then I shall continue doing exactly that."

Cor’nella immediately bristled.

"You—"

The fairy’s tiny face puffed up with outrage as she opened her mouth to argue, only for Agatha to calmly raise a hand beside her.

That alone stopped her.

Mostly because Cor’nella knew Agatha only interrupted when she deemed something important. Still, the fairy shot her an annoyed glare anyway, Agatha ignored it completely.

Her emerald eyes shifted back toward Victoria.

"I take it your outing was informative," Agatha stated evenly.

Victoria’s expression brightened slightly.

"Indeed," she replied. "Quite informative actually." She gestured lightly toward Lucinda beside her. "Dear Lucinda here was an immense help. We even managed to seal several tears."

Agatha’s eyes widened slightly at that, evident enough for Lucinda to notice.

"You did?" Agatha stepped forward, genuine surprise entering her otherwise controlled voice. "How?"

Lucinda answered before Victoria could.

"We exploited the defensive mechanisms within the tears themselves," Lucinda explained calmly, though traces of exhaustion lingered beneath her voice. "The tears share energy between one another. When sufficiently threatened, they redirect immense amounts of that energy into creating stronger countermeasures."

Cor’nella blinked rapidly.

"Countermeasures?"

"A stronger Abyssal Creature," Lucinda clarified. "One specifically formed to respond to me."

The fairy visibly stiffened, Agatha’s attention sharpened further.

Lucinda continued.

"Once it manifested, the tears sustaining it became heavily strained. After dispatching it, they lacked the energy necessary to defend themselves or regenerate." Her red eyes briefly lifted toward the sky overhead. "That allowed us to seal several before the energy redistribution stabilized again."

Silence followed her explanation.

Even the nearby guards stationed at the gates seemed to listen more intently now despite pretending otherwise.

Hope was dangerous lately, but impossible not to grasp at.

Agatha slowly processed the explanation.

("Defense mechanisms...") Her mind immediately connected it with the countless reports gathered over the past month. The escalating creature density, the sudden surges during larger battles and the way the Abyssal hordes seemed almost reactive.

"Right," Agatha murmured quietly. "I have read most of the reports. And experienced it myself." Her arms folded lightly across her chest. "The number of Abyssal Creatures tends to increase the greater the perceived danger."

Her gaze settled fully onto Lucinda now.

"But you mentioned a single Abyssal Creature." Her brows furrowed slightly. "Would that be similar to the one Cor’nella apparently saw in Verdantis?"

Cor’nella immediately looked offended.

"What do you mean ’apparently’?" she snapped, floating higher indignantly. "I know what I saw."

Agatha did not even glance at her.

The fairy’s outrage had long since become background noise.

Instead, Agatha focused entirely on Victoria.

The blonde hummed thoughtfully.

"Possibly," Victoria admitted after a moment. "Actually, more than possibly." She lightly tapped a finger against her arm while thinking aloud. "With the accumulation of powerful individuals currently stationed in Verdantis—multiple Inheritors, high-level mages and military concentrations—it may have triggered a far more severe response from the tears."

Her voice gradually slowed.

Because another realization was clearly forming, Lucinda noticed it too.

"...Victoria?"

"It’s just..." Victoria started slowly, her gaze remaining fixed on the broken heavens overhead. "I no longer believe immense force is the primary factor behind triggering the tears’ more severe defensive reactions."

The wind swept through the open gate as her words settled over the group.

Agatha’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"If not raw power," she questioned evenly, "then what?"

Victoria lowered her gaze from the sky at last, though her expression remained thoughtful.

"Verdantis should have already triggered a response of this magnitude if destructive capability alone was enough," she explained. "That nation currently houses several exceptional individuals." Her fingers lightly folded against her arm. "Yet Lucinda managed to provoke that response entirely on her own."

Lucinda stayed quiet beside her, though her attention sharpened. Agatha considered the statement carefully before responding.

"It could still simply be because of how powerful Lucinda is," she pointed out. "And besides..." Her emerald eyes shifted toward the white-haired girl. "There are other Inheritors capable of matching her, are there not?"

Lucinda gave a small nod.

"The Inheritors of the God of Darkness and the Forsaken God are both exceptionally powerful," she admitted. "Only really falling behind Dante in direct combat capability." Her expression grew more contemplative as she continued thinking aloud. "There is also the Inheritor of the Goddess Astraea."

Cor’nella blinked.

"There are really that many monsters walking around pretending to be people..." the fairy muttered under her breath.

Victoria ignored the comment entirely.

Lucinda, meanwhile, continued.

"And I am fairly certain all three have already been occupied dealing with large-scale Abyssal manifestations throughout their territories." Her brows furrowed slightly. "If overwhelming destructive capability alone triggered the tears’ higher responses, then this should have happened much sooner."

Brief silence followed as Agatha folded her arms tighter.

"Then what is the deciding factor?" she asked finally.

Victoria exhaled softly through her nose.

"A working theory only," she admitted. "Nothing concrete yet." Her blue eyes turned briefly toward Lucinda before continuing. "One factor is intent."

Agatha’s gaze sharpened.

"Intent?"

"Yes." Victoria nodded lightly. "Not simply violence or magical output, but a directed threat."

Lucinda’s expression shifted at that.

Victoria noticed immediately.

"You understand already, don’t you, dear? How about explaining it for the class?"

Lucinda slowly nodded.

"When we went to study the tears..." she murmured, her voice thoughtful, "I intentionally released my mana toward them." Her red eyes narrowed slightly. "I was targeting them."

"Exactly." Victoria pointed at her lightly. "Mirabella levels mountains because she is Mirabella. Excessive destruction follows her everywhere." A small smile briefly touched her lips before fading again. "But destruction itself may not matter nearly as much as whether the tears perceive themselves as the target."

Agatha’s expression shifted slightly.

"So they distinguish between collateral destruction and actual hostile intent directed at them."

"Which would mean awareness," Lucinda finished quietly.

Cor’nella visibly shivered.

"That is significantly creepier when you actually say it aloud."

Victoria hummed in agreement.

"If the source behind the tears possesses enough intelligence to prioritize threats selectively, then it would naturally respond more aggressively toward individuals specifically attempting to understand, seal, or destroy them." Her gaze drifted briefly skyward once more. "That would also explain why the responses are escalating."

Agatha processed the implications quickly.

"Because now," she said slowly, "people are no longer merely surviving against the Abyss, they are beginning to push back."

"It is possible," Victoria admitted honestly. "Especially if Verdantis has begun mounting coordinated resistance against the tears themselves rather than merely the creatures they produce."

Agatha’s gaze sharpened further.

"And if the source deemed Verdantis a priority threat..."

"Then the scale of response would naturally increase," Lucinda finished grimly.

For a moment, no one spoke.

"Well," Victoria said lightly, though the seriousness beneath her tone remained impossible to miss, "we can continue theorizing while moving."

She nudged her chin northward.

"Dear Fiona and General Mai are still in Verdantis." Her blue eyes softened ever so slightly. "And regardless of theories, hypotheses, or terrifying revelations regarding intelligent abyssal phenomena..." A small sigh escaped her. "We cannot very well leave our friends alone in the middle of that."

Lucinda immediately stepped forward first.

"Agreed."

There was no hesitation in her voice. Agatha gave a single nod.

Victoria watched them for a moment, her gaze focused on Lucinda.

("But that’s not all... it’s much more specific than that.")