Becky took a step forward and raised her hammer. "Hey, Back off, losers," she growled

  "Hey, look, they brought some babies with them!" one hybrid sneered, pointing at the trio of sisters. "One of them looks like she's already ready to cry," another chimed iuring towards Runebelle, who maintained her somber look.

  "We're not babies!" Roselle retorted defiantly. Risebelle's eyes narrowed while sing their adversaries. "These guys are annoying," she muttered under her breath. Runebelle, though visibly affected by their ents, remained with her eyes downcast.

  Becky stepped forward with her hammer raised threateningly. "You think you're tough? We’re armed and ready to fight!"

  Roselle's assive and imposing, gleamed in the purple light of the underground. Risebelle's medium-sized on hummed with tent power, poised to strike. Runebelle, despite her mencholy demeanor, held her small on with fidence.

  The leader of the hybrids, taken aback by their readiness, exged a wary gh his panions before they all had their faces ge to smirks. "You're asking for trouble, little girls," he warned. "This is our territory."

  Becky smirked. "Then step aside, Or you’ll get smashed!"

  "You should've left the babies at home," thle leader taunted with malice. "It's your fault what happens to them now!"

  The menag group charged forward, some of them hurling magical energy at the group.

  Sybil used her sword to slice through the ining magical energy with precision, releasing a powerful burst of wind that dissipated the attacks. Becky brought her hammer crashing down onto the ground, causing the earth itself to respond to her and. Sybil, utilizing a newly formed earth ptform by Becky, leaped into the air, the earth magic remaining eliminated a portion of their attackers.

  One of the men, however, had formed bdes of energy around his hands. He lu Sybil with deadly i. Before he could strike, Alden stepped in, his eyes glowing with a holy light.

  “Holy Magic: Great Cross!”

  With a swift motion, he summoned a radiant cross in front of him, which acted as a barrier, repelling the attacker backward.

  But Alden's holy magic didn't stop there. The cross he had summoned rose into the air, desding upon the fallen attacker with a divine force, finishing him off. It was the first time Alden had shown his holy magic.

  Roselle stood in awe. "Alden, that was amazing!" she excimed with stars in her gaze. "I didn't know you had that kind of power!"

  Risebelle nodded approvingly. "Everyone's doing their part," she aowledged with a hint of respe her tone.

  Runebelle, maintaining her saze, observed quietly, though her mouth opened ep slightly.

  Meanwhile, the main adversary unleashed a bubbling energy around himself, sending strange, slow-moving projectiles toward the group. The energy bubbles homed in oargets, but Alden, qui his feet, summoned a flurry of rivaling crosses that darted across the area, These holy crosses intercepted aralized the energy bubbles, proteg the group from harm.

  The main adversary's anger and frustration were evident as he looked at the group, his arrogance crumbling in the face of their resilience.

  “H-How?! You’re all so weak in yic levels. You shouldn’t be able to beat my crew!”

  "Well, it seems like even I could have hahis group,” Lisa remarked with a smirk.

  Lirieved a sleek and powerful gun with intricate magical properties. She aimed it at the main adversary and fired. The gunshot echoed through the underground, and the man immediately felt a surge of elemental forces c through his body.

  Fire, wind, water, aricity swirled around him. The water acted as a ductor for the electricity, intensifying the shock he experiehe bined magical onsught left him incapacitated, and he crumpled to the ground, unscious.

  Lina holstered her gun with a satisfied grin. "See? Not too shabby, right?" She turo the group fidently. "Now, let's keep moving. We're not out of the woods yet."

  The group pressed on through the underground, navigating the byrinthine passageways that seemed to lead deeper into the unknown. Strange beings, some with grotesque appearances and others with uling abilities, tio roam the underground. They entered bizarre sights and sounds at every turn.

  Lina, leading the way, guided them through the winding tunnels with her knowledge of this hidden world.

  "So, who wants to take bets on what weird creature we'll run into ?" Becky said.

  Sybil gnced around nervously at the strange surroundings. "Let's just hope it's not something that wants to eat us," she murmured.

  Alden decided to approach Lisa who was moving in the front of the group. "Lina, I have to wonder, do you fear Kintovar? My brother Bob has always been terrified of her, and he's not alone in that..."

  Lina g Alden. "Fear is an iing thing," she mused. "Kintovar did leave her mark on the Eastern city years ago, and it's the only side of her that the people on the surface, including your brother, know. But the real Kintovar, what's in her mind, her motivations... that's a mystery."

  Alden nodded, abs her words. "So, now that another Kintovar has shown up, do you see it as a bad thing?"

  Lina smiled. "Not necessarily," she replied. "I see it as an opportunity. Opportuo unravel mysteries, uncover secrets, and maybe even ge the course of history. Who knows what we might discover about this Kintovar and what drives her as?"

  The group finally reached the crossroads in the eerie underground. Lina took a moment to assess their options. The path ahead had barely any light and was shrouded in an eerie ambiahat matched the rest of the underground; however, to their left, there was something different—a vivid, intense red gloierced through the darkness.

  Lina turo the group. "Our way forward is straight ahead," she began but turo the left path with a curious look. "But that red light... it's not something I've seen before down here."

  Becky stepped closer to the left path. "What do you think it is?" she asked.

  Sybil reached out to stop Becky.

  "Becky, we should stick to the pn," she cautioned. "We don't know what's over there, and it could be dangerous."

  Lina nodded in agreement with Sybil. "She's right," she said. "We have a purpose here, and it's not to iigate every strange sight. Let's stay on trad head forward."

  Alden raised a hand to his and thought about it for a while, "Could it be? “His gaze remained fixed oh to the left, drawn to the intense red glow. It was something alluring which tugged at his curiosity.

  Lina g Alden, her brow furrowing with . "Alden," she said cautiously. "we have a mission, remember? We 't afford to get sidetracked."

  Becky, however, took several more steps toward the mysterilow."It could be something important. We should at least take a quick loht?"

  Lina, aware of the group's curiosity, relented. "Alright, one minute," she agreed, her tone.

  Becky took off towards the left path. She grabbed Sybil's hand in her excitement. "Thanks, Lina! It'll only take a minute," she called back over her shoulder.

  Wait, Becky, sloe don't know what's over there," Sybil cautioned, but Becky's eagerness pulled her along.

  Lina watched them go with frustration. She pced her hands on her waist, exhaling heavily. "They e to my , stay at my pce, and now when we need focus, they act like a couple of brats," she muttered under her breath.

  Alden stepped closer to Lina. "They're just curious," he said gently. "We'll keep an eye ohey won't stray too far."

  Lina sighed, noddiantly. "Alright, but they better not get us into trouble," she replied firmly.

  While Becky and Sybil ventured further into the darkened path, the intense red glow illumiheir way. It casted shadows all along the walls. The silence was broken by the distant sound of people talking in hushed tones but distinct.

  Becky strained her ears to hear with a piqued curiousity. "Hey Syb, did ya hear that?" she whispered.

  Sybil nodded while getting on her guard. "Yeah, sounds like two other people are down here as well. Let’s be careful.

  Guided by the mysterious red ligh, they tinued dowh. Soon they came across steps to a room.Becky and Sybil cautiously ehe room. Their eyes widened i the sight before them. The chamber was grand and imposing, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and symbols. At the far end of the room stood an enormous magical door, radiating the intense red glow that had drawo this location.

  Excitement coursed through their veins. The pair moved closer to iigate, but ohey approached the magical door, the room suddenly lit up with a surge of magical energy. It was as if the very air had e alive with power. Right after this occurred, someone spoke frht hem.

  Panig, Becky and Sybil quickly darted behind massive pilrs that lihe chamber. Their hearts pounded with ay. From their hidden vantage point, they straio see who else was in the room other than them.

  When Becky and Sybil peered out from behind the pilr, their eyes widened in amazement and surprise. Standing before them was a man with striking blue hair, sungsses perched stylishly on his nose, and a distinctive mohawk hairstyle that added ara yer of cool to his appeara was her than the Night Dj wanted for his bounty from the picture.

  He wore a casual shirt and a jacket that seemed ordinary at first gnce, but the aura of intense magical energy that surrounded him was anything but ordinary.

  Becky couldn't tain her excitemen. Her eyes widened, and she whispered to Sybil, "Oh my gosh, that's the Night DJ! He's even hotter in person! I-I got to get over there and--"

  Sybil grabbed Becky's arm with . "Becky, wait! We don't know why he's here or what's going on. We o stay hidden and quiet.”

  "But Syb I just want to say hi or… et his autograph or something!"

  Sybil sighed, gng nervously at DJ. DJ meanwhile calmly put his hands in his pockets. Soon, another person spoke from within the room with an echo filled with anger.

  "You have some nerve ing back here after I humiliated you in bat the st time. You filthy bastard."

  Both Becky and Sybil turheir attention to the source of the voice. There, standing in imposing holy armor with medium-length yellow hair casg just below his shoulders, was a man who exuded an aura hteous authority.

  "I am Roy, the Guardian of this Gate and the Guardian of Jay. You would do well to remember your p the presence of a protector of the realm."

  Dj respoo Roy's with a nont retort. "Ah, Roy, still holding onto that little victory, are you? Well, times have ged, and so have I."

  He chuckled lightly. "I'm not here for Jay this time, Roy. I've got my sights set on something... bigger, you might say."

  Roy formed his sword and shield out of magic upon hearing the words of the man before him with disdain"You may have gotten just a tad stronger, Dj," Roy decred with seriousness. "But you still uimate the significe of this pce. Stepping onto Jay's Domain is a crime in itself, and I won't allow it, no matter your reasons are!"

  Dj, raised an eyebrow and tered, "e on, Roy, let's be realistic here. You 't cim a pce as a 'Domain' if just anyone just walk right in. You should be more careful with your words."

  Dj raised his fists with a smile pying on his lips. He didn't bother to draw the sword that was sheathed to his side.

  "Ynorance will be your downfall,” Roy decred with a shout, “DJ!”

  Roy surged forward with his sword and shield glowing with magical energy. He closed the distaween them rather quickly, but Dj did not flinch. What was his pn?