After a harrowing battle.
Stelle finally returned safely to Okhema with Anaxa and Sersis's Core Flames.
Beneath Okhema's towering, colossal city gates.
Castorice's taut nerves finally relaxed. She placed one hand over her chest, let out a long breath, and sighed.
"Phew... That was a dangerously close escape."
"But luckily, we made it safely to Okhema in the end."
Stelle had not fully recovered yet.
Supporting her still-aching head, she nevertheless planted her hands on her hips at the sight of the magnificent Holy City and shouted with full force, "Okhema, your Baseball Bat Hero is back!"
Yet this time, no one responded to Stelle's bizarre line.
Trianne also held her throbbing head, her little face scrunched into a frown.
Every opening of the Gate of Hundred Worlds drained an enormous amount of her strength.
By now, she was utterly exhausted and had no choice but to return and rest first.
Before them, the survivors of the Grove of Epiphany had already retreated to Okhema.
But the warriors who had stayed behind to defend the Grove of Epiphany and buy time for the main force's retreat had remained forever upon that blood-soaked battlefield.
Before going to see Aglaea.
Anaxa had taken the initiative to propose visiting the families of those who had perished in the Black Tide disaster.
Just after they had finished consoling those grieving people.
Stelle and the others received a message from Aglaea.
Stelle pulled out her phone and opened it, only to find a rather formal message from Aglaea's account:
Trailblazer and companions: I have learned the full circumstances concerning the Tree Court, and am deeply grateful for your efforts, beyond what words can convey. However, the state of affairs is troubled, and many complications have arisen in the Holy City of late. Burdened by trivial