Azul’s eyelids suddenly twitched.
"Azul! Azul! Are you awake?!" Roxanna shouted desperately. She even slapped his cheeks several times, trying to wake him up.
Azul blinked a few times before letting out a soft groan. His cheeks still stung from the slaps. "I’m awake. I’m awake!" he said a little louder so Roxanna would know he was really conscious.
Roxanna raised her hand again, ready to slap him one more time, but she stopped herself at the last second. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could.
"I’m sorry..." she whispered.
Azul gently rubbed her back. He wanted to stay like that a little longer, and he could tell Roxanna felt the same, but there wasn’t any time.
"We have to stop Zeir and Calen from reaching Sybill," Roxanna said as she quickly pulled away. "I have two healing injections for them. As long as we can make them feel pain and inject them with this medicine, they’ll be fine."
Azul didn’t ask any questions because he already understood what Roxanna wanted. Taking the two injections from her hands, he nodded. "I’ll—"
"Get them." Sybill’s cold voice suddenly interrupted him.
Azul and Roxanna’s eyes widened as the Devourers, who had been standing still just moments ago, suddenly rushed toward them.
They all pointed their weapons at the two of them, and since they were under Sybill’s control, they had absolutely no restraint.
They crashed into each other without slowing down, ignoring the pain as they kept pushing forward. The only thing left in their minds was capturing Azul and Roxanna.
"Azul, you have to stay in pain the whole time," Roxanna reminded him. "As long as you’re hurting, Sybill’s harp won’t be able to control you."
"That won’t be a problem," Azul replied, tightening his grip on the Wind Piercing Spear. His gaze sharpened as he faced the wave of enemies. "I’ll protect you. Go to Zeir and Calen."
The moment Roxanna rushed past him, Azul swam forward and swung the Wind Piercing Spear with all his strength.
A fierce blast of wind surged through the seawater, sending the front line of Devourers flying backward. Some crashed into broken stone pillars, while others slammed into their own allies, slowing the entire group.
"Go!" Azul shouted without looking back.
Roxanna didn’t hesitate. She swam forward as fast as she could, slipping through the gaps between the Devourers while Azul stayed behind to keep them away from her.
Every time a Devourer tried to chase after her, Azul’s spear cut through the water and forced them back. More enemies kept closing in from every direction, but he refused to let a single one get past him.
A few moments later, Roxanna spotted Zeir and Calen. "Zeir! Calen!"
The two men slowly turned toward her. Their eyes were empty and there was no warmth in them.
They didn’t even look like they recognized Roxanna anymore.
Without saying a single word, both of them charged straight at her.
Zeir flicked his wrists, sending his chained blades slicing through the water like deadly serpents. At the same time, Calen pushed off the seabed and rushed toward her, raising the Titan Splitter Axe high above his head before bringing it down with terrifying force.
Roxanna’s eyes widened, and she quickly swam to the side.
Boom!
The massive axe slammed into the rocky seabed, sending deep cracks through the stone as sand and broken coral exploded into the surrounding water.
Before the cloud of sand had even settled, Zeir’s chains shot toward her again.
Roxanna twisted her body at the very last second, and the blades barely missed her face.
Her heart dropped the moment she realized they were truly trying to kill her.
"Zeir! Calen!" she cried again, desperately hoping they could still hear her.
Azura, who was still in her arms, suddenly burst into tears. The frightened baby’s cries echoed through the water, making it even harder for Roxanna to dodge the relentless attacks while protecting her.
[System! Isn’t there anything I can use to keep Azura safe while I’m fighting?!]
[Searching the system shop...] Pinky replied almost immediately.
A transparent screen appeared in front of Roxanna, listing several items one after another, but then her eyes landed on one item.
[Emergency Sanctuary Capsule: 120,000 SP]
She didn’t even bother looking at the others. [Buy it!]
[Are you sure? This purchase will cost 120,000 SP.]
[Yes!] Roxanna answered without a second thought.
[Purchased 1x Emergency Sanctuary Capsule: 120,000 SP]
[Remaining Spirit Points (SP): 305,950]
A silver capsule, about the size of her palm, instantly appeared in her hand.
[Emergency Sanctuary Capsule: A one-time-use shelter designed for emergency situations. Once activated, it will create a hidden sanctuary that cannot be detected or damaged by enemies. The capsule will remain active for twenty-four hours, and only the user can open or dismiss it.]
Roxanna’s eyes lit up because this was exactly what she needed.
Without wasting another second, she pressed the button on top of the capsule.
Click.
The capsule suddenly unfolded in her hand before releasing countless streams of soft blue light. The lights quickly expanded into a small transparent dome just large enough for a baby.
The dome slowly drifted through the seawater before settling gently on the seabed.
Its surface shimmered for a brief moment, then it completely disappeared and only Roxanna could still see its faint outline.
She quickly placed the crying Azura inside the sanctuary and the moment the baby entered, the dome quietly sealed itself.
Azura blinked in confusion before looking around with her watery blue eyes. She was completely separated from the battle outside. The violent currents, the explosions, and the terrifying sounds all faded away, leaving only a calm and peaceful silence inside the sanctuary.
Roxanna gently touched the invisible barrier one last time. "Stay here, Azura," she whispered with a relieved smile. "Mommy will come back for you."
A moment later, Calen suddenly threw the Titan Splitter Axe at Roxanna. She quickly swam to the side, barely avoiding the spinning weapon. At the same time, she tossed the Emergency Sanctuary Capsule far away from the battlefield so it wouldn’t be caught in the fight.
[System, can I buy a weapon too?] Roxanna asked urgently.