Chapter 58: Prelude

Kairo, Donsentos, and his group arrived at the doors leading to the prisoner cell for the grade four criminals. It was within this corridor that everything would be decided.

"The chamber is located at the end of the path behind this door. Get ready. We will be entering the grade four criminals' den," Donsentos warned, getting his inquisitor staff ready.

"Should we really enter in here?" an engineer asked from behind the group.

"If you would rather drown, you're welcome to stay. Now stop acting like frightened babies and stand up straight," Donsentos said.

"Keep up the pace. We are almost there—just a little more effort. You have all survived until here. It wouldn't be difficult to go through a simple corridor," Kairo said, trying to cheer them up—or perhaps even himself. To say he wasn't apprehensive would be lying, but Kairo had no time for hesitation now. The ship was sinking. They had to enter that chamber at all costs.

"Once we all return safely, I want to chill in your villa, Kairo," Nyx said. The healing booster had begun showing its effect, and now her complexion looked a little better. At least now she could walk alone.

Kairo nodded; it sounded like a good plan. Reading through her words, he knew she wasn't saying it just for herself but for everyone. She was optimistic they were going to return alive. Kairo could only follow her example.

"Definitely," he said.

Donsentos placed his palm on the door system. With a soft click, it began parting away, dragging onto the water floor with clear screeching sounds. From the door's side, white smoke filled the air, covering their entire field of vision.

"Be careful," Donsentos said, taking the first step in. On both sides of the corridor, all the cells had been opened, appearing a little too quiet for Kairo's taste.

'Where are they all?' Kairo frowned. This didn't feel right because freeing the prisoners was supposed to create more chaos and infighting. Furthermore, Kairo had not encountered any resistance with the others until they reached here.

A trap? Kairo's heart skipped a beat.

"Donsentos, we should leave now. It's a trap!" he called out.

But Donsentos simply shook his head.

"Too late, Kairo. We have fallen into the trap the moment that door was opened. Everyone, in formation. Keep the engineers in the middle. Those frail mushrooms are very precious to the Card Mage Police."

Donsentos, unlike Kairo, appeared undisturbed by that. As if he was expecting it—or perhaps he didn't even care. Their target was at the other end, and that was all he had in his line of sight.

Kairo sighed in resignation. They could not retreat anymore. Thus, he summoned out the Sand Paladin once more.

Hopefully this time it will fight for me, Kairo thought. After the fight with Corry, the Sand Paladin had given him the Dead Paladin card, and after that, he was like a phantom of himself—as if he wasn't the same summon. Now that he desperately needed him, Kairo could not help but ask Donsentos:

"The Sand Paladin gave me a new card after a fight where I… what does that mean?" Kairo asked.

"Given you a card?" Donsentos and all the other officers took a curious look at Kairo and then at the Sand Paladin. Most of them had clueless expressions, but some three-star officers were different—as if they knew a little more. One could see almost a hint of envy.

"I get it, you're probably talking about Mirror Cards, Kairo. You're quite lucky, mushroom," Donsentos said with a smirk, genuinely happy for Kairo. "Mirror Cards are the reflections of the cards they represent. Most of the time, the Mirror Cards vary depending on what triggered them.

Normally, any card can have a mirror, and it is not restricted to summons like the Sand Paladin. But to obtain a Mirror Card, one must meet certain criteria that are very difficult to figure out or even understand. That's why Mirror Cards are rarely seen. However, their power is no doubt top-notch. You probably have to summon the Mirror Card at least once before the Sand Paladin will resume obeying your orders. Otherwise, I don't really know.

Be careful though, Kairo. Mirror Cards are complex to handle. Not only is their activation condition really hard to respect, they drain twice the amount of energy as normal cards, although they don't take extra space."

Kairo's muscles tensed slightly after learning about these cards. 'So the Dead Paladin is the Mirror Card of the Sand Paladin?' Kairo gasped.

If Donsentos was right, the trigger of the Mirror Card for the Sand Paladin was Kairo executing Corry with Wind Slayer. This was the only possible explanation Kairo could think of. Since those criteria were unknown and difficult to guess, it was also possible it was something else, but Kairo leaned more to the latter.

"This implies I have to summon the Dead Paladin," Kairo said with a bad feeling about it. If he did that, someone had to die for the condition to be fulfilled. The Dead Paladin was an executioner, not a fighter.

"Donsentos, are those shadows normal?" Camilla called out.

All around them, there were group figures drawing themselves like they were coming to life. It was like the group had been in an illusion, and now the illusion was fading. Kairo's ears began shaking from the increasing tonality of the impacts ahead. It didn't appear like they were in a simple corridor anymore, but in a war zone.

Ahead of them, the illusion finally dissipated, showing a large group of people fighting against another group. At the head, the ones in front of Kairo's group wore familiar uniforms. Barefooted, they charged endlessly forward, sowing chaos and havoc.

In front of the chamber, Danzan and a group of dwindling officers were trying their best to keep them away. "They can't close the chamber without us inside. They are waiting for us," Kairo said. This was the only explanation he could think of—otherwise, why would they be holding off prisoners who were superior in numbers?

"I don't know how, but some bastards gave them their cards. This must be Rellion and his group," Donsentos cursed, but his voice appeared deaf in front of the rising chaos of the fighting.

"What should we do? Force our way through the fight? We might get lucky and go unnoticed," an engineer asked. But Donsentos wasn't even answering. Instead, he raised his guard, ordering them to form a circle around Camilla and the others.

"They are here," he said.

Behind Kairo and his group, three people approached. Walking slowly onto the water-drenched floor, they moved like agents of chaos arriving in front of their creation. Rellion, moving at the forefront, had a satisfied smile—his expression that of someone who had won. Curling his lips upward, he said, "The trick about freeing the prisoners was smart, I must admit. But you didn't expect us to organize them, right? You have no idea what the zeal for vengeance or survival can do to people—turning chaos into order."

Kairo's face darkened, because Rellion's arrival didn't go unnoticed. The group that had been fighting ahead also seemed to have noticed Kairo and his group. Now they were sandwiched between the two, neither able to regroup with Danzan and the others nor retreat out of this place. They were stuck.

"If I knew things would have turned out this way, I would have never allowed you to go with that woman," Kairo said.

"It's too late for regret," Rellion shook his head. His expression firm—he wasn't here for sentiments. "Danzan, release the Seruth monster and I will spare Kairo and the others. Refuse, and I will kill you after I kill them," he said. His voice loud enough to rise above the chaos. His arrival had somehow reduced the fighting, with the prisoners now unsure of who to attack first. Kairo wasn't surprised finally learning who was their target.

This prisoner was the most dangerous one on board. A grade four criminal who was so important that it required two captains to escort him. Kairo wanted to know what made him so special that Selis would send such a powerhouse just to get him, but he could only keep his curiosity in check for the moment.

"As if some newborn Card Mage could give me orders. I have been using these cards for as long as I can remember. I have a better deal. Once Kairo beats your ass up and I finish with these morons of prisoners, I will settle the score with you," Danzan spoke loudly, as if he didn't care about what happened to Kairo and the others.

"The cards Rellion gave them are not their own originally awakened cards. This is our advantage—their understanding of these borrowed cards is limited. This is the same for Rellion. He isn't an original Card Mage, more of a fake copy of it," Donsentos said loudly, emphasizing every word, clearly not fearing infuriating an army of enraged prisoners with cards in hand.

Rellion's expression twitched slightly, as if he had been pierced by a needle. This was the brutal reality he didn't want to remember.

"Who cares that you used pacts to get your powers? All that matters is that you're stronger than most of them. Let me handle these morons. You will understand the power of the underground Card Master."

Dawrind could not stay silent anymore. He dismissed everything that was ugly and everyone that said ugly things to him. Holding the cards in his hand, he threw them in the air. Then he began running toward the group.

"Observe and let's see if this is still fake, you bastards... come on now... Draco," he said, catching the cards with his lips midair.

Kairo and his group all lifted their arms to protect their faces from the windstorm that had suddenly burst forth. In the sky, something massive was currently forming—like a bird taking to the sky. The massive figure floated above the corridors, its body so huge it covered their entire field of vision. Within the white smoke, clear ember-like eyes radiated with ominous energy.