The dragon spewed dragonfire, turning a corner of Taro City into a sea of fire. The flames illuminated the sky, clearly visible even from several kilometers away.
Looking at the bright "scenery" of the city in the distance, Cumberland, standing at the entrance of the expeditionary force's command tent, stroked his silver beard and asked the knight beside him, "Why is His Majesty here?"
Alfonso brushed aside the parasite segments on his forehead and shook his head.
Cumberland pondered for a moment, then muttered to himself, "Perhaps we'll have an answer soon."
At this moment in the city of Tero, a figure dressed in black robes, with pale blue light emanating from his body, stood atop the Grand Cathedral, looking at the distant dragon, and softly said, "They've finally arrived."
Mylis stared at the Adam's apple and said in a low voice, "Your body is breaking down."
The throat bone raised its right hand and placed it in front of its eyes.
The once withered palms are now covered with thousands of tiny holes, each emitting pale blue particles of light.
The throat bone stared into the hole, and each pale blue particle of light had the original appearance of the living. If you listened carefully, you could also hear their painful cries.
Soon, the right hand of the throat bone began to collapse from the fingertips. The black flesh and bones, as if weathered over millennia, slowly drifted into the air with the wind. More and more pale blue light particles escaped from the collapse and disappeared into the air.
“The sacrificial parasites allow me to imprison the souls of the dead within my body; however, how to use and preserve this power is a major problem for me.”
He lowered his right hand, letting the pale blue light particles inside his body gush out.
As the pale blue light particles accelerated away from his body, the collapse of his right hand, which had begun in his throat, gradually slowed down and eventually stopped.
"My body is far too fragile to preserve so many souls. Forcing them to remain will only hasten my body's demise."
The right hand and right forearm of the throat bone were eventually reduced to ashes.
He dusted himself off and said quietly, "I need a new body, a new vessel, to store and use the power of my soul."
Mylis frowned and said, "Where can we find a body like that?"
The man with the throat bone looked up at the distant dragon, a slow smile spreading across his lips: "I don't need to go looking for him, he will come to me on his own."
Watching the throat bone disappear from the roof of the cathedral, Myris turned his gaze into the distance, slowly uttering a name, his tone full of helplessness and confusion.
"Todd Fisher..."
The silver-haired Valkyrie Evie rode a griffin, passing through flames and smoke, and arrived atop the dragon's head.
"I've brought the person!"
The dragon turned to look at the newcomer, and Randall on the griffin's back made him squint.
Extending its claws, the dragon swept away the collapsed buildings on the ground and pointed to the open space, saying, "Come down, I have something to ask him."
Evie directed the griffin to slowly land on the ground, gesturing for Randall to step forward.
Randall, covered in wounds and in a sorry state, showed no fear when facing tens of thousands of parasitic corpses, but when faced with this colossal dragon that blotted out the sky, his legs trembled involuntarily.
Where are your companions?
The deafening question sent a shiver down Randall's spine.
“I, Barbara, Carol, and Aldenan are still alive, but Bourville and Kellogg are dead…”
The dragon lowered its head, its dark golden eyes fixed on Randall, and asked, "I was referring to Karin Forman."
Karin Forman?
Randall was taken aback.
"She...she went to the rear alone to cover our escape...I don't know what she's doing now..."
Randall's incoherent ramblings displeased the dragon, which raised its head in annoyance. Losing patience, the dragon placed its claws on Randall's head and began to read his memories.
A moment later, the dragon lowered its claws.
Randall, whose memories had been read, was drenched in cold sweat and collapsed to the ground, unable to stand.
Evie walked to the dragon's side and asked softly, "Todd, do you know where she went?"
Todd turned his head toward the city center and said in a deep voice, "The last place she was seen was that commercial district... but I can no longer contact her in the soul space."
Ivy thought for a moment and asked, "Her soul hasn't returned, which means she's not dead; but you can't contact her, which means...?"
“This means that behind this chaos lies something I least want to see.” Todd gazed at the city burning in the fire and said slowly, “That’s why I’m here.”
Evie suggested, "Perhaps I can have the sisters split up and search the city."
Todd shook his head.
"The black plague has already spread throughout the city, and nearly a million residents will soon turn into the parasitic zombies you see. Searching the city at this time will only cause unnecessary casualties."
Ivy added, "On the way here, I noticed that the large hordes of zombies that had gathered together have all dispersed. This might mean that the people controlling them have left, and we might be able to clear out the city little by little..."
Todd reiterated his objection: "The risk is too great."
Ivy turned around and patted the griffin's head, soothing her mount as she asked, "So what do we do now?"
"Evacuate from here."
"Everyone?"
"Everyone."
Evie nodded, then mounted the griffin.
Half an hour later, at the expeditionary force headquarters outside the city of Taro.
The nearly 100-square-meter tent was crowded with commanders of all ranks. Cumberland and a group of staff officers stood in front of the sand table, discussing the situation in the city.
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