The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

”Jane, what is wrong?” Kaden asked, walking toward Jane, who wore a calm expression as she studied the Star Map.

She had been having so much fun this past week since she could finally fight and help her friends rather than being the only one who couldn’t.

Kaden was even grateful that this happened while they found themselves in a place where battles broke out every few days. She would get her fair share of battles before leaving this place, that is, if they could ever leave.

Jane remained quiet for a few minutes before turning to Kaden and saying,

”Something is wrong with the tides. I can’t get a good read on them, but something very bad is coming from the south and heading this way.”

As the Star Map’s owner, she could interpret what the stars saw, and right now, they were witnessing a very dangerous tide approaching, the kind they knew Kaden and his people couldn’t handle.

They had been warned, but Kaden didn’t seem to have any plans to escape. He looked at the part of the Star Map that Jane had pointed to and studied it for a few minutes before asking a question that sent Jane into deep thought.

”See if the tide is moving in a straight line or all over the place.”

Jane studied it for a few more minutes before answering...

”Straight line.”

”I see. If it were moving all over the place, I would have said it was a natural occurrence. But since it is moving in a straight line, I am certain something or someone is chasing someone.

If my deduction is correct, then we have to find out who they are, and maybe we can get some answers from them. My map is leading me to where I have to go. However, we are here for Pickle Berry’s family, so we have to find answers, and this might just be our chance to do that.”

Jane would have argued had it not been for who was involved. She wanted Pickle Berry’s family found, so despite the greater risk, she knew Kaden was right.

”Fine, but we have to plan how we will approach this. We can’t just march headfirst into such a tide. The stars aren’t dumb to have warned me, you know.”

Kaden smiled and nodded.

’Icon, do your thing. Assess the tide and the direction it is moving, then plan some contingencies that would help us fall back if things don’t end well.’

Icon went to work, and after some back-and-forth lasting 30 minutes, a solid plan was formed.

Kaden first turned to Franklina. ”There is a chance the risk we are about to face will be even greater, so if you want, you can wait inside the bead.”

”I will be fine.” Franklina didn’t elaborate.

She simply stated how she felt, and Kaden nodded. He was already aware that she was obsessed with the Allied Forces that had defeated the previous Elemental Empress, so maybe she wanted to help find them rather than just record the events.

”Then let’s go, and please, we should all be on high alert. At the first sign of danger, I am teleporting all of you into the bead.”

They nodded and soon left, heading toward the approaching danger rather than running away from it.

Along the way, they encountered several beasts, which they killed, growing stronger as they advanced.

***

[5 days later]

General Nura looked at the surging tide still following them and the battered bodies of her teammates and gritted her teeth. Blood seeped from the corner of her lips as they pressed forward.

It had already been five days since they started running from the Six-Tails Elder Mantis.

One would say running should be the easiest thing they could do. After all, their focus should only be on getting away from their attacker.

However, when locked in battle against someone whose understanding of the Space and Ice Laws was so advanced and deeply rooted in its environment, merely running would not cut it.

Two days into their escape, they were ambushed by hordes of Ice Sea Mantises, resulting in many of them sustaining grave injuries.

But just when they managed to repel the horde, the next obstacle came in the form of being trapped inside an ice domain where space had been sealed. This time, they had to fight the Six-Tails Elder Mantis, which, as it turned out, was a terrible idea.

Even General Nura sustained grave injuries that, since then, had undermined her performance.

They managed to escape, but since then, it had been one skirmish after another. By the fifth day, two of her teammates had lost the ability to fight.

They had already entered the Western Region of the Three Elemental Sea, but they weren’t having a good time at all. If anything, the Six-Tails Elder Mantis seemed even more determined to kill them.

”General Nura, escape and leave us. We are slowing you down,” Auren said, looking back at General Nura, who had become pale, her body littered with injuries, part of her armor shredded, revealing pale, soft skin while still maintaining her graceful charm.

”Shut up and keep running, Auren. I promised to bring you all home, and that is exactly what I will do.”

General Nura created a wall of water, attempting to block ten ice projectiles. Seven were stopped, and two were shattered by her swift attack, but one struck her shoulder, sending her flying.

Luckily, Auren didn’t obey her command and kept his attention on her. He swiftly caught her and continued escaping.

---

Kaden and his team stood atop a massive mountain of ice somewhere near the border of the Core Level in the Western Region, watching the surging tide approaching from a far distance.

Deep down, they knew whatever was coming was dangerous.

However, they could clearly make out five people being chased by the tide.

They had yet to see the Six-Tails Elder Mantis itself, but they had already spotted General Nura and her team.

”Jane, can you teleport them?” Kaden asked, but Jane shook her head.

”The tide is too strong and strange. It keeps changing every microsecond, so locking onto them is extremely difficult. I need at least two seconds to establish a lock before I can teleport them.”

Kaden nodded and turned to his four Primordial Flame Spirits.

”In that case, what do you say we buy her those two seconds?”

”Finally.”

Void jumped down from the icy mountain and transformed into a massive red phoenix. Nirvana transformed into a gigantic orange dragon, while Fury assumed the form of a majestic white dragon.

Qilin also shifted into his beast form, and Kaden mounted his back.

”I am not sure we can fight whatever is coming, so the moment Jane teleports them, everyone runs.”

They all nodded, and Kaden motioned for Qilin to move.

---

Auren held General Nura in his arms, doing his best to flee at full speed.

However, he was devastated to realize that the only thing that had allowed them to remain moderately safe from the Six-Tails Elder Mantis was General Nura.

Now that she was seriously injured, nothing stood between them and the relentless Elder anymore.

He cursed his own weakness and forced himself to move even faster.

Just then, he saw crimson flames rise into the sky, followed by orange and white flames.

Before he could recover from his shock, the fourth flame appeared as a red-and-black qilin.

Seated upon its back was a face he knew he would never forget.

’A Human Demigod...’