In Huntington, though it was already late at night, the Bloodkin Mr. Bernhardt still stood on the 2nd Floor terrace of his estate with a wineglass in hand, watching black clouds visibly spread over the snow-filled clouds.
His keen senses allowed him to vaguely perceive the truth represented by those black clouds, while the faint trembling of the ground foretold that something major was about to happen. Watching the ripples in the red liquid in his glass, he closed his eyes and murmured a prayer.
In Tobesk City, the night was already deep, but Tifa and Luvia had yet to rest. Little Mia slept peacefully on the sofa beside Luvia, but just as that cracking sound spread through the Great Swamp, the cat suddenly opened her eyes.
Luvia immediately turned to look southwest. Under Tifa's puzzled gaze, she pressed a hand to her chest:
"Shade."
Although Shade had delayed and even defeated the Chosen One of Knowledge and Wisdom, when the stars reached the right positions, the Evil of Pantanal still broke free of its seal and returned to the Material World, just as Luvia of Tobesk and the Bloodkin Prophet Mr. Johnson of Huntington had foretold. And the shattering of the Great Swamp's sealing core also meant that the other Subspace Evil Creatures sealed throughout the Great Swamp would return to the Reality World as well.
Corpse Ghouls with mushrooms growing from their backs ran through the swamp, while blood-red and grayish-green vines slithered like long snakes beneath the feet of the High-Ring Arcanists fighting in the air. Centered on Pantanal Lake, firelight dyed the core of the Great Swamp red, while an invisible green barrier rose from its outskirts.
The Divine Ritual prepared by the Orthodox Church for the worst-case scenario had already begun, at least ensuring that