“...... Father!"

Nalya threw herself into Alan's arms with the dough in her hand, and the flour rubbed against him, but no one cared. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

A smile that spreads along every wrinkle on his face dispels the fatigue of the long journey. Alan patted her daughter's back, but she couldn't say a word for a while.

Naria didn't let go for a moment. Behind Allen, Akan, who was waiting for his hug, opened his arms and hugged both father and daughter into his thick chest.

Nalya couldn't help but chuckle - her dough was completely stuck to Alan's back.

When they were finally able to sit at the table, Alan looked around and asked, "Just the two of you?"

Naria nodded helplessly. Ed went to Lockburg and came back late, Tess ran back in the middle of the day and "borrowed" Finway without saying anything, Nya was unstable as usual, Ise ......

Isis still hung his head and said nothing.

It was he who opened the door for Allen before he knocked on the door, but his obviously bad eyes made Akan not dare to open his mouth and hug him directly.

In the face of Allen, he didn't dare to put on a face...... But he could at least be listlessly silent.

“...... Have you seen him?" asked Alan calmly.

Iss jerked his head up, keenly aware of something.

"Yes. "I know where he's going." ”

In fact, Ed also knew...... The moment Scott entered the Black Tower, he already knew.

It was a disturbing sense of rejection. Even if it wasn't from him, it still made him resist when he saw Scott.

Ed was steady, frustrated at how easily he was influenced—he had to have a stronger will.

This is the base of the three-storied pagoda, and it looks the same as before. A mist of golden light floated in the air, the ground paved with shards of gems shimmered with sparkling light, and the power of magic was like an overly strong floral scent, which made Ed itch and sneeze uncontrollably.

However, in the center of the tower, at Scott's feet, the heart of the deep sea, which replaced the shattered fiery red gem, was as blue as the deepest ocean floor...... or the highest night sky.

It shone brightly as Ed approached, like a starlight blooming in it.

"Do you even know what you've done?" there was no anger in Scott's voice, "you're being taken advantage of so easily. ”

“...... Know. "But if I don't, the three-storied pagoda will fall." ”

"Maybe you should let it fall. ”

“...... A lot of people will die, Scott. ”

"More people will die...... Because of this. Scott tapped the blue gem with his long-unsheathed sword, and Ed's heart twitched involuntarily.

Instinctively, he stepped forward, but Scott stepped back.

"Don't worry. He said, "I'm not going to destroy it, it's too late to do so." ”

"The power of the three-storied pagoda can be used by us now...... Isn't that bad?" Ed couldn't help but discern.

Scott shook his head.

"But this power didn't belong to you in the first place. He said, "This city, Tonbuch, is a thorn in its heart, a scale that cannot be touched...... It had spent a lot of effort and watched it be twisted into a forbidden place by forces beyond its control, and the only thing that could make it accept it was that the treasure here still belonged to it, even if it couldn't get it for a while...... You have angered it, Ed, and it refuses to return to the altar we have prepared for it—in the wilderness of the Sidney Basin, and it wants to make Stonebutch its place of arrival, as it had orchestrated hundreds of years ago. All those who are in it, their flesh and soul will be its sacrifices......"

“...... We'll stop it. Ed said, his voice soft but firm.

Scott looked at him for a long time and smiled miserably.

"Look, Ed," he said, "that's the problem—you must stop it, according to the oath I have made, and the pact I have made...... I have to stop you. ”

Ed blinked blankly, his heart pounding, and he fell.

Scott took a step back and raised his sword in salute, without a hint of expression on his face.

"No......" Ed whispered a word...... However, Scott's longsword was already whizzing.

Ed stood stunned. For a moment he thought the sword would stop in front of him, like Is's claws that shone with cold light...... As the tip of the sword pierced into the flesh, he raised his hand and grabbed the blade tightly, his body shrinking, and he suddenly retreated, realizing in a shudder that Scott was not Is...... He won't stop.

His reflexes were quick enough - and the training of Norway and Tess along the way was not in vain. Ed had already healed his injuries when he fell to the ground and rolled away, and when he jumped up, he had quickly added his defenses, his body fighting instinctively, but his mind was still in chaos.

The tip of the sword touched his heart, and the blade slit through his palm...... The cold pain was nowhere near as hurtful as the fear in his heart.

It was as if someone was screaming and refusing to accept it all. But he knew early on that this day might not be avoidable.

He just didn't expect to be so caught off guard...... No, he simply kept telling himself that it couldn't happen.

Blazing flames greeted him, and a mist of golden light swirled like water, enveloping Ed.

They can withstand fire, but they can't resist weapons forged of metal and magic.

Ed clasped his hands and flipped outward, and the invisible force flicked away the sword that stabbed straight at him, but there was a sharp pain in his shins.

Stett kicked him hard in the leg. Without protection, Ed suspects his leg will break...... Or it's broken.

Without hesitation, he fell to his knees and narrowly avoided another blow from Scott's sword-swinging slash, and several rockets sprang out of his fingertips and stabbed Scott's chest.

The flames only left a scorched black mark on his clothes, and they didn't hurt Scott in the slightest.

- Absolutely.

Ed spat at at his own stupidity, only to be distracted for a moment, and Scott's fist had already slammed into his head like a hammer.

His eyes were dark, and although he did not lose consciousness, he still fell to the ground involuntarily.

The sharp blade grazed his neck and sank to the ground—it hadn't broken his defenses yet...... But it's about the same.

"Is that all you have to do?" Scott's angry voice came and went into his buzzing ears, "if you can't beat me here...... What are you going to do to stop it?!"

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