Narrow, dark, and void of people. In a small and hidden alleyway, there were barely any sounds to be heard and living things to be seen. The only where light shines from was from the top of the buildings.

  Tap Tap Tap

  The silent sound of footsteps echoed throughout the dark alleyway, filling the empty alleyway with a little bit of life. The one who rodug such sounds was a man draped by a dark hood, silent as the dead as he walked.

  Suddenly, the man stopped. He looked left and right time and time again before proceeding to go on. Although his face was covered with a hood, caution was evident from his movements alone.

  Knoock

  Two short knocks repced the sound of footsteps when the man stopped once again in front of a certain door. The man then whispered a few inaudible words and soon after, a creaking sound followed as the door opened.

  Ihe room were more hooded figures gathered inside a small room, serious expressions painted on their faces. There were only a few figures, tered on a rge man who arent to be the leader.

  "Are you sure you weren't followed?" ［Leader］

  "That's impossible. I made sure to be extra careful." ［Minion 1］

  "Good. Then we shall proceed with the pn." ［Leader］

  The ures heir heads with the leader's words. Their expressions have bee even darker and more serious as a gloomy and suffog atmosphere swallowed the room whole.

  The ones present in the room were her than a few of the remaining members of Iblis. With their headquarters destroyed, they are now seeking revenge on the kingdom, ready to sacrifice their lives for their cause.

  Long before people even started to ehe royal capital for the foundiival, they had already started exeg their grand pn. They pnted tless devices all over the city for the sale of revenge.

  More than a month ago, they iionally sacrificed some of their members to attack the Royal Academy, taking that time of chaos as a ce to infiltrate the royal capital without no one knowing.

  Their rage even burnt hotter as they learnt that the ones responsible for destroying their headquarters were present in the capital. Although it would be a disadvahat more powerful people are now in the capital, it was also a ce to wipe out their enemies all at once.

  They have already sacrificed too much for the sake of reve was too te to back out now that they have e so far. All their hearts wished for was the ruin of the kingdom and its people.

  "ht. About what I tasked you, what are the results?" ［Leader］

  "It's...." ［Minion 1］

  The man gritted his teeth as he ched his fist, clearly infuriated about the current situation. His exaggerated reaade the others anxious and fused at the same time.

  "Have you goe? Why aren't you answering?" ［Leader］

  "S.... S-rankers, two of them... Amongst the heroes, two of them were S-rankers. I believe they will be gest obstacles." ［Minion 1］

  Chaos desded upon the room as soon as the man uttered those words. All that resent now wore faces of disbelief and fear as their discord spread even deeper. The only one who remained calm was their leader.

  The leader was also a little shaken from hearing the man's words, but he did not let it show on his face. He o remain calm and collected to maintain order amongst the remaining members.

  Thunkkk

  The table produced such a sound as the leader threw something on top of it. It was a sack made of thick cloth, its ey covered in blood, clearly taining a dead creature inside.

  Upon seeing the sack, the chaos quickly disappeared as the members' attention was focused into it. All of them knew what was inside, and it was because they knew what was ihat they regaiheir calm.

  "Don't fet, we also have a trump card of our own. Even if they do mao stop our attacks, hundreds of thousands of lives would still be lost. Let's take this opportunity to let our cause be known and engrave ourselves in history!" ［Leader］

  """Ooooohhhh!!!"""

  Morale was over the roof. The moment the leader yelled, the others also followed suit. The fmes of determination have burnt even brighter iheir eyes. They were all ready t ruin.

  ...

  "Grey, I'll make you swallow your words." ［Julius］

  "Heh. Don't get me started. You haven't even gotten a single shht." ［Grey］

  "That's because I was just warming up." ［Julius］

  "Warming up, my ass. This is your fourth time already." ［Grey］

  Currently, Grey and Julius are on their 11th game. It was a dart shooting game where the closer the pyer's dart to the bullseye was, the higher their score would be. A on game within the festival.

  Like Grey had said, it was already Julius' fourth time pying. While he does hit the target every siime, none of them hit the bullseye which was required to get the stamp they needed.

  Once again, Julius breathed out a lengthy sigh and with a swift flick of his hands, he threw another dart towards the target. All eyes were towards the dart as it traveled towards the still target.

  The dart's speed was even faster than a bullet, but unfortunately, speed was not what the game was all about. It was accuracy that Julius didn't fully possess. Just like before, although close, the dart didn't nd on the bullseye.

  "Argh! So close!" ［Julius］

  "Just give up already a me do the work." ［Grey］

  "Alright, the's see how you try!" ［Julius］

  Ued by Julius' provocations, Grey paid the stall owner a few copper s and received three darts iurn. All were pretty small, just a little lohan a child's open palm.

  Unlike Julius who was inexperienced with le ons, Grey was an expert in all csses. The "Rogue" css dealt with throwable projectiles was something Grey has mastered to the "High" level.

  "Julius... This is how it's done." ［Grey］

  A smug and fident expression pstered over his face, Grey threw the dart even without looking at the target. There was o as Grey was fident that he would strike the bullseye perfectly.

  Grey was not one who loves showing off his skills, but in front of Julius whom he often banters against, it was a pletely different matter. He just wao best and annoy him in every way he could.

  The dart Grey threw was even faster than Julius. It was so fast that no one even saw it fly towards the target. Before they k, the dart had already struck the bullseye, creating a thud sound.

  It didhere either. Grey fired off the two remaining darts, successfully hitting the very ter twice more ain. Both times, Grey still didn't look and just smirked at Julius.

  "Woah～! Amazing!"

  "Young man, you sure are a talented one!"

  Cheers reverberated around the stall as Grey hit three bullseye in a row. The fact that he didn't even look made the ore excited, but at the same time made Julius very irritated as he looked at Grey's obnoxious expression.

  "Show off!" ［Julius］

  "You're just bad at it. Just admit it already." ［Grey］

  "Shut up! I'll get it this time!" ［Julius］

  Driven by Grey's provocations, Julius once again paid for ary and tried to hit the bullseye again and again. But just like before, it was useless. Even in his fifth try, Julius couldn't hit a single bullseye.

  After Grey received his stamp from the dart game, he and Julius tinued pying for a few more minutes before stopping. The two-hour time lime had already epsed. It was time to end the petition.

  With the petition rey and Julius headed baear the entrance where they and the girls split off to meet up with the tter. The moment they arrived, the girls were already there, waiting for them.

  "So, how did it go?" ［Elise］

  "I'd say we did pretty well. We got 12 stamps!" ［Julius］

  "Yaay～! We won!" ［Eliza］

  "Hehehe! We got 19!" ［Elise］

  Julius' smug face quickly disappeared with Eliza and Elise's decration. Oher hand, there were rge smiles blooming on the girls' faces. Even his fiancée, Amelia, couldn't help herself but giggle as she covered her mouth with her hand.

  Unlike Grey and Julius, who were peting with one another, rather than w together, the girls were basically the very definition of the word "teamwork". Of course, they made sure to have fun evehey were in a petition.

  "We... We lost..." ［Julius］

  "Well, it was already expected. We've just been fooling around, after all," ［Grey］

  "Grey, read the mood, will you..." ［Julius］

  "You're just overreag. There isn't even a punishment for the gaー" ［Grey］

  "But there is, though." ［Elise］

  Grey couldn't even finish his words as he was interrupted by Elise. Both Grey and Julius, who was just ag as if he had lost big time, were quickly frozen at Elise's statement.

  "Wait, this is the first time I'm hearing that!" ［Grey］

  "Me her. We haven't agreed on such a thing!" ［Julius］

  "That's because we just decided on it just retly." ［Elise］

  Elise ended her statement with a bright smile as she slightly tilted her head. The ones who were on the receiving end of her smile became frozen once again from sheer shod disbelief.

  Eveheir faces were mostly covered with their hoods, one could still see the shock they felt with how stiff their bodies have bee. They have nretted not taking the petition seriously.

  "Now, now, don't be too worried. The punishment is not harsh at all." ［Amelia］

  "That's right! We'll only py a fun little game!" ［Yuna］

  Or so the girls said, but deep inside Grey and Julius' hearts, they felt an ominous feeling brewing inside untrolbly. The girls' bright smiles now looked like a devil's smile, evewo of the girls were their beloved girlfriends.

  Void of any other choices, Grey and Julius were dragged along by the girls to a certain game they have just retly seen. It was a game Grey was quite familiar with ba Earth.

  "A dunk tank...?" ［Grey］

  Grey and Julius' faces quickly ged expressions when they saw what their punishment would be. Not because they were afraid to be wet, but because the water ihe tank was also filled with ice.

  More severely than Grey, chills ran down Julius' spine as he saw just how cold the water tank was. While he eaking hot baths, he couldn't say the same for ice-cold ones. He wao avoid being drenched in such cold water at all costs.

  Worst of all, the game was not a part of the list where one could get a stamp. It was only a game to enjoy with panions and have fun. There was no clear merit frey and Julius to py it.

  "Nope, not happening. I won't be swimming in that cold water!" ［Julius］

  "Julius, where, perhaps, are you going?" ［Yuna］

  "Yuna, let me go! This isn't the time for jokes." ［Julius］

  Julius quickly tried to turn his bad run away, but before he could even take a siep, Yuna had already grabbed him by the shoulders, preventing him from running away.

  While Julius could easily overpower any normal adult, his impressive strength is useless against Yuna who was an S-ranker. He only looked like a child trying to get away from his mother's hold, all to no avail.

  "Yuna, unhahis could be taken as assault against royー" ［Julius］

  "Julius, please～!" ［Amelia］

  Julius tried his best tle, eveing to using his authority as a prince, but Yuna didn't let go of her. Julius only stopped struggling when his fiancée pleaded to him with irresistible eyes.

  "Ugh.... Fine, dammit! I'll py the game!" ［Julius］

  "Fufu, thank you!" ［Amelia］

  In the end, Julius couldn't resist against Amelia's plea. No matter how tough he acts, he is soft and weak against the one he loves. Well, it wasn't only him. Grey was also in the same boat.

  "Greyー" ［Yuna］

  "It's alright, I'll participate." ［Grey］

  "U-Un..." ［Yuna］

  Yuna didn't eveo ask. Grey already knows that he will give in sooner ahe moment Yuna starts to ask him to. He brought it upon himself to agree without resistance as to not waste any time.

  After lining up a short while, the group finally arrived in front of the game, and after paying a nickel , they were given two balls per try and the boys, Grey and Julius, were led towards the seat.

  The first victim of the punishment was Julius. The very momeook a seat, he could already feel the ess from his feet, but he couldn't back out as he didn't want to disappoint and make Amelia sad.

  "If you're all ready, you start whenever you want."

  """"Yes～!""""

  The girls smiled in unison as they agreed to the staff's words. Now, other thaeral chills Julius got from the cold water below him, he also felt aype of chill once again run down his spine as he saw the girl's smile.

  "Haap!" ［Eliza］

  Spaasshhhh

  A huge spshing sound echoed all over the area as Eliza's shot accurately hit the dead ter of the target, making Julius fall from his seat and enjoy a nice cold bath in icy water.

  "Cooolllldddddd!" ［Julius］

  Julius' scream came soon after the spsh as he felt the real ess of the water. The chills he felt from his feet before was just the tip of the iceberg. The water was much, much colder than he had anticipated.

  Worst of all, that was still Eliza's first shot, she still had another owo go. After her would be the irls, with Amelia being the st one. With ten shots in total, Julius was also dunked iank of icy water ten times over.

  The very moment Julius' punishment was over, he looked like a wet kitten, shivering from the extremity of the cold. All his clothing was wet and his hood has now started to stito his face. Thankfully, there was a free drying magic service avaible after pying the game.

  "G-G-Grey... G-G-Good L-Luck..." ［Julius］

  "Y-Yeah..." ［Grey］

  Julius warned Grey as he headed to the drying area, all while shaking untrolbly. He was shivering so intehat even his words were stuttering. He could barely even say three words.

  After Julius, it was now time frey to undergo punishment. Just like Julius, Grey also felt the ess emanating from the icy water just with his feet alone. He now fully uood why Julius was shivering so much.

  Thankfully, Grey was an S-ranker. With his threat level being so high, it was only natural that his resistaowards natural elements rose higher. It was the only thing he relied on in such a situation.

  "Grey, tone down your power to match that of a normal person's, and no using of magic, okay?" ［Yuna］

  Hopes were shattered with Yuna's words. Despair quickly followed as soon as Grey weakened his resistances. Even before he got dunk, he could already feel how cold the water below him was.

  Spaasshhhhh

  Another set of spshes echoed towards the vast sky as Grey was dunked into the icy water 10 times just like Julius was. Not one shot from the girls missed as the shooting range was only a couple meters away.

  It was even worse for him as he toned down his power to H-rank, unlike Julius who was maintaining his strength F-rank. Grey saw life fsh before his eyes many times over over the course of a couple minutes.

  "I... I'm... N-Never... D-D-Doing th-that... Ag-g-gain..." ［Grey］

  Grey swore to the bottom of his heart. Even if Yuo beg him to do so, he would say no. If he was to ever do so, he'll just keep his power up. He doesn't want to experiehe same hell ain.

  "Dry!" ［Grey］

  There was o head towards the drying area. The urgency of the situation made him aggressively used "Dry" to save himself from the ess of the icy water. In just an instant, there were no traoisture on his clothing.

  A refreshing feeling embraced his body as he felt the gentle warmth of the sun once again. It was as if the ess he once felt was just a lie. He has never been so happy before fr himself.

  "G-Grey... Help me out t-too..." ［Julius］

  Unlike Grey who was already dry in an instant, Julius was still wet from the icy water. While the drying service was free, it was not as powerful as Grey's dry spell. Julius was still a little cold.

  "No way, e yourself. It's your fault fgesting the petition in the first pce." ［Grey］

  "Y-You cruel basta-tard..." ［Julius］

  Unfortunately for Julius, Grey did not heed his request. The tter wao get back at him, not only because of the punishment, but more so because his date with Yuna had bee pletely ruined.

  If there was anything Grey was thankful for, it was that not only him and Yuna, but the others also ehe day as well. After all, they could just reschedule a date whenever. It was different from spending their limited time with friends happily.

  "Som where are we going nー" ［Grey］

  Mater, Mistress, be careful! I detect a sudden mana spike! ［Sirius］

  Grey and Yuna's worst fear came to be with Sirius' sudden warning. There were rge traces end seriousness evident on Sirius' voice as she gave her warning, obviously worried frey and Yuna's safety.

  ""Barrier!"" ［Grey and Yuna］

  BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

  Not long after Grey and Yued a rge-scale barrier, an ear-deafening explosi throughout the whole capital, painting the sky red and bck as rge ns of smoke and fire rose from the ground.

  CHAPTER 106 END