In the pitch-black Abyss
"Ann, everything's been properly arranged," said a blonde-haired woman dressed in red softly, floating in front of Ann.
"Are all the fifteen nodes we set up in the north complete?" Ann's back was facing the woman as she played with a dagger with a black handle that glowed with a faint silver light. An indiscernible red light flashed across the dagger occasionally.
"It's complete. Each of the fifteen nodes will be guarded by a Demigod," the woman replied hurriedly.
Ann turned around, frowning.
"It's too bad that you're the only one under my wing that I can use, Mura and the others left too soon… They couldn't even wait for my reappearance."
"Even with your mighty abilities, milady, there's no way you could have saved them. That's the inevitability of time…" The woman's expression had a hint of melancholy as well.