"What's going on? What's going on!?"

  "I have no idea!"

  Ireets, all the merfolk residents were fleeing in panid even members of other races from out of town were no exception.

  In their pce were soldiers in well-crafted armor, crowding the streets. At the ter of them all was a chariot, proudly dispyed.

  "Hahaha! Did you see that? Everyone is fleeing because of me!"

  A robust merman sat atop the chariot, relishing the fearful gnces from the civilians.

  "General, no, I should say, Your Majesty, the future King of the Merfolk, don't fet about me once you asd to the throne."

  "Hmph, of course. Once I bee king, you'll be my queen. Sorry for being sh just now."

  Beside the merman general, a female mermaid who had previously pushed her way in at the opportune moment fawned over him.

  "Please calm down a bit. As a general, you should still sider your image in front of the troops."

  "...Fine, fine."

  The merman general impatiently respoo his adjutant's advice. In a good mood, he didn't press the issue further.

  "All troops, adva double speed!"

  With this and, the army, inally walking at a normal pace, doubled their speed. They didn't simply swim upwards to their destination because the city rotected by a barrier; ihe water behaved more like air, making swimming akin to flying, all to avoid chaos.

  In no time, the accelerated army arrived at the pace gates.

  "Olden, it's time to show yourself!"

  The merman general used a megaphone, shouting for the Merfolk King to e out.

  "...I didn't expect you to finally go down this path... If you go baow, I might spare you."

  On the pa, the Merfolk King slowly emerged.

  "Hmph! You've been the King of the Merfolk for so long, it's time for the younger geion to take over!"

  The merman general poio the army below him.

  "This is proof that so many are willing to follow me, proving my excellence. How many have remained loyal to you from start to finish?"

  "Numbers aren't the point. Why don't you try ing at me?"

  "Hey! Get back! ...Damn it! Attack!"

  Seeing the Merfolk King walk away without looking back, the merman general panicked and immediately ordered an invasion of the pace.

  "What's going on? Why is there no one here?"

  The pace was eerily empty, devoid not only of guards but also of attendants.

  "Search everywhere, don't let anyone escape!"

  "Wait, General, don't be hasty!"

  "Why shouldn't I be? I must! We 't let Olden escape!"

  "...!"

  ...

  The merman general's army spread out, dug a thh search.

  But after a siderable amount of time, there was no sign of anyone.

  "Have we found them!?"

  "I'm sorry, no matter how hard we search, we 't find anyone."

  "Damn it!"

  The merman general angrily cut off unication.

  "...What do we do now?"

  "What else we do? We're just foot soldiers. Do you think we..."

  Bang!

  Suddenly, heavy walls dropped from above in the corridor, separating the soldiers.

  "What's happening?"

  Before the soldiers could uand the situation, a group of guards in different uniforms burst out from the walls' murals in the corridor.

  "You're surrounded. Drop your ons and surrender!"

  "...Are you kidding us?"

  About ten guards rushed out, far outnumbered by the soldiers, causing the soldiers tradually.

  "Attack!"

  A soldier shouted, and all soldiers charged towards the guards who rushed out.

  "Ahh!" "No!"

  Just as the front-line soldiers were about to reach the guards, cries of paied.

  Looking back, almost all the soldiers behind had fallen, leaving only a few still holding their clubs.

  However, those clubs were stained with blood.

  "What... Did you really betray us!?"

  "Isn't it you who betrayed us?"

  The soldier holding the club removed his disguise, revealing the insignia of the royal guard, the same as those on the guards oher side.

  "In the end, you're just a bunixed-up people who have been forcibly biogether, g any real military discipline."

  "What..."

  The merman general's army was vast, but upon iigation, the Merfolk King discovered that most of them had not received proper training.

  Exploiting this, they had hidden among the soldiers, causing the merman general to panic, scattering his vast army. Seizing the opportunity, some of them infiltrated disguised among the troops.

  Wheime was right, the guards stationed in various parts of the pace would activate the meisms to isote the scattered soldiers and then easily defeat the army in a coorditack from the outside.

  These strategies were devised in sultatioweeheia and the Merfolk King and were implemented urgently after modifying the pace.

  "Third squad, operation successful."

  "Fifth squad, operation successful."

  Through the exclusive unicatiowork of the royal guards, reports of successful operations came from various squads.

  As expected, the merman general, who still waited at the entranaturally looked fused.

  "What's going on..."

  At some point, it had lost all tact with the other scattered soldiers.

  "Adjutant! Where are you? Give me a report!"

  "General, it seems that after our forces scattered, they were systematically eliminated by the lurking royal guards."

  "Damn it! How could you mess this up!"

  "..."

  "I did warn you. Are you bming me now?"

  But before they could decide on their move, a chilling presence swept over them.

  "What... is this..."

  At the same time, a girl with long golden hair, interspersed with strands of deep red, and wearing a tattered crimson dress with bandages c her body, appeared slowly.

  "You... Could it be... You defeated the Camity... Why are you still here!?"

  However, Yverantheia remained silent, advang directly towards the merman general.

  "Don't e any closer!"

  Terrified, the merman general didn't hesitate to throunch at Yverantheia.

  Bang!

  But in the instant, the merman general colpsed to the ground.

  Yverantheia was now fifth-level, empowered by various abilities gained from defeating monsters, far surpassing the fourth-level merman general.

  "So, as I said, if you had returned earlier, I might have spared you."

  The Merfolk King emerged from hiding.

  "Now that your rebellion is established, there's no way to redeem yourselves."

  This was another part of the pn: to provoke the merman general into rebellion, thereby providing justification for their direct a against him.

  "General!"

  A female mermaid in a bright red dress ran out, ed for the fallen merman general.

  "..."

  Watg this se, Yverantheia felt a bit disgusted.

  Though she knew different races had different standards of beauty, she found it hard to accept.

  "What a joke!"

  Suddenly, an angry voice drew everyone's attention.

  ShoujoDirector