The remaining intruders looked at the lifeless body of their comrade, horrified by the brutal display. They hesitated for a moment, but finally, one of them, a tall, skinny man, spoke up, stammering, "I-I saw a man t-taking a girl with him. She was unconscious, and he was dragging her towards the south."
Mira looked at him, her eyes narrowed, assessing the truth in his words. However, the next moment, she flashed toward him and stomped on his windpipe before kicking his head like a soccer ball, causing it to explode.
"I said," Mira paused and looked at the rest of the intruders, the killing intent leaking out of her body increasing, "No lying."
The remaining men froze, not expecting Mira to be able to gauge whether they were telling the truth or not.
Three seconds quickly went by, but nobody spoke. They had already accepted their fate.
Mira wouldn't let them live even if they told her, so why should they say anything?
A glint passed through Mira's eyes, and she willed the ice vines to dig into their skin and wrap around their bones.
"Urgh!"
"W-What?! What are you doing?!"
"AHHHH!"
Then, without warning, she started plucking out their bones, one by one.
"I guess you need a bit of motivation," Mira muttered.
The intruders screamed in agony as their bodies were literally ripped apart from the inside out. The ice vines had also wiggled their way into other parts of their body to create even more pain so they would not die easily.
"T-The m-mountains!" One of them screamed unconsciously, "T-The mountains to the north! T-There's a secret bunker!"
"H-He's right! That… AHHHH!! T-That's where Sect Master Cyrus told us to bring her!"
Mira nodded as she ascertained they were telling the truth. Then, she clenched her fist, ripping out the rest of their bones and killing them on the spot.
"To the north, huh?" Mira walked over to the footprints she saw and noticed that one set was much smaller than the other. She couldn't be sure, but she guessed that one of those was Hana's.
Dominique didn't have the hiding skills Hana did; if anyone could escape their detection, it would be her. As for why Hana followed after him even after he captured Dominique…
Mira didn't know, but the only logical conclusion was that she wanted to save her friend somehow.
At least, that's what Mira wanted to believe, as that cooled her head off enough for her to stay rational.
"Huuu~" Mira took in a deep breath, "Let's go, Rhydian. Follow after those tracks. Should we run out of footprints to follow, just keep heading north and be sure to keep an eye out for Hana and/or Dominique. Leave the other wolves in this valley. We don't have time to waste."
Rhydian nodded and swooped down and picked her up. She then communicated with the Star-Horned Wolves, telling them to stay here before jumping into the sky and flying north.
As they flew, Mira's thoughts raced. Why did Sue Ming want to capture Dominique now? Isn't this a little too fast? The god did things much slower and more meticulously, wanting Mira to fall into a state of happiness before ripping it all apart.
However, Sue Ming didn't seem to care about that and just wanted to take everything away from her as quickly as possible.
Mira's eyes turned cold, and she couldn't help but fear for Maria's safety.
'Stay safe out there, Maria. If anything happens to you, I'll drop everything and run to your location.' She rubbed the ring on her finger, calming her down a bit.
As they continued north, Mira couldn't help but glance at the horizon where the Battle Maiden Sect was still embroiled in a fierce battle with the Unorthodox Faction. She wanted nothing more than to dive head-first into battle, killing everyone in her path, but she knew she had to prioritize finding Dominique and Hana.
Aelina was still in the Sect, or she should be, and there was no way she would take this act of violence lying down.
As they flew further away from the battle, Mira stopped watching and returned her focus to finding Hana and Dominique. She extended her Soul Sense, and a mental image of the terrain appeared in her mind, where she processed and took everything in, hoping to find one of them.
However, the farther they went, the more her heart clenched, and her anxiety grew. She had seen countless battlefields, faced numerous enemies, and endured countless injuries. But the thought of losing Dominique made her feel something she hadn't experienced in a long time, bringing back unwanted memories.
Rhydian soared across the sky, her wings cutting through the air with ease.
Mira's keen eyes scanned the ground, searching for any sign of the girls or the man who had taken them.
Despite her worry, she couldn't help but marvel at the breathtaking landscape that unfolded below them, a testament to the world's beauty amidst the chaos that threatened to consume it.
The mountains to the north were a sight to behold. Towering peaks rose from the ground, their jagged, snow-capped summits reaching for the heavens. Steep cliffs plummeted into lush valleys, where rivers snaked through the landscape, weaving an intricate tapestry of water and life.
Suddenly, Mira spotted a flash of movement below them, causing her heart to skip a beat.
"Over there!" She pointed out to Rhydian.
Rhydian caught on to the position Mira pointed to and descended rapidly, her wings creating a thunderous roar as they sliced through the wind.
As they neared the ground, Mira saw a small, hunched figure making its way through the rocky terrain.
It was Hana, her body battered and bruised, her clothes torn and dirty. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but her determination shone through as she pushed herself forward, refusing to give up.
"Hana!" Mira shouted, her heart swelling with relief as Rhydian landed beside the girl.
Hana looked up, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw Mira and Rhydian. "M-Mira!" she stammered, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.
Mira rushed to Hana's side, grabbing her shoulders as she looked her dead in the eyes. "Are you okay? Where's Dominique?"
Hana clung to Mira, tears streaming down her face as she choked out her story. She told Mira about the man who had taken Dominique and how she had tried to follow them, hoping to find a way to save her friend.
"I... I couldn't do anything, Mira," Hana sobbed, her body wracked with guilt and shame. "I... I'm so weak... and useless… J-Just like I was when my mother…"
Mira wasn't sure what to say. She was never good at consoling people, much less kids, so she just let Hana embrace her while giving the girl a few pats on the back.
"It's fine, Hana. You might not be strong, but you certainly aren't useless. Thanks to your efforts, I should have an easier time finding Dominique. All you have to do is point me in the direction they left in, and we should be able to catch up to them soon." Mira said, for both Hana and herself.
They stayed like that for a moment, Mira comforting Hana as the girl's sobs subsided. When Hana had calmed down, Mira wiped the tears from her face and lifted her onto Rhydian's back. "We'll find her, Hana. I promise."
"Mmhm." Hana nodded, releasing a small smile, happy she had someone to rely on.
As Rhydian flew through the sky, Hana pointed in the direction she last saw Dominique before she was forced to stop running due to exhaustion.
"...I believe they went that way, Mira." She said hesitantly.
"So, you're not sure?" Mira asked, but they followed the direction she pointed in anyways.
Hana paused for a moment, then shook her head.
"I-I'm sorry. They traveled too fast; I couldn't keep up with them."
Mira gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Hana. This is more than enough." Afterward, she turned away, the smile disappearing from her face. From here on out, she couldn't have any distractions.
The sun cast an eerie red glow over the landscape as they traveled deeper into the mountains. The air grew colder, and a sense of foreboding seemed to envelop them as they ventured farther from the Battle Maiden Sect.
As they continued in the direction Hana pointed, Mira began to sense a faint trace of the man's aura. It was weak and nearly undetectable, but it was there.
"Rhydian, we're on the right track. Keep going." She commanded, and Rhydian increased her speed, soaring across the skies with renewed vigor.
The terrain grew more treacherous as they ventured deeper into the mountains. Narrow paths wound precariously along steep cliffs, and massive boulders lay scattered across the landscape, remnants of ancient landslides.
As the sun disappeared behind the towering mountains, Mira spotted a hidden gateway nestled between two towering cliffs. It was barely visible, and Mira could tell it was the entrance to the secret bunker the intruders had mentioned.
Nobody was protecting it, and the whole place looked like it hadn't been used in years, but Mira sensed something unusual about it.
'Is this the place?' Mira couldn't think of any other location a hidden bunker might be, nor did she have the time to search for another one.
"Rhydian, land there," Mira ordered, pointing at the entrance.
Rhydian complied, and they landed near the entrance, the sound of their arrival echoing through the valley.
Mira turned to Hana, her eyes serious. "Stay here with Rhydian, Hana. She'll protect you while I'm gone. I'll go in and find Dominique."
Hana hesitated, clearly torn between wanting to help and understanding that she wouldn't be useful even if she could help. Finally, she nodded, her expression resolute. "Be careful, Mira."
Mira nodded and walked into the gateway that looked more like an ancient cave house than a bunker.
