"Okay, we're going to need the help of two strong fighters." Leon said seriously and gave his men the command to head for the entrance to the Lotus Area.

Leon was confident that they would win this battle, and the stronger their team was, the fewer casualties they would have. Leon valued his men and didn't want to lose them, especially his family members.

The entrance to the Lotus District was in the center of the five Districts and looked like a huge gateway overgrown with thick vines like tree roots. In front of the entrance stood the elders of the Fallen Lotus Family and their allies. However, Felix could not be seen.

Carlos stood at the front, and since Felix was absent, he decided to take the lead. The other elders didn't mind, they knew that Carlos could do the job and were fully confident that Felix knew what he was doing. Felix had never once failed them before. It was only because of Felix's willfulness and controversial decisions that the Fallen Lotus Family had become so influential.

"Leon! I ask you for the last time to change your mind! Together we can control the development of the blood lotuses! We don't need to fight. Only if the major families unite will Virfal grow and develop. We must take the chance we have been given." Carlos uttered.

Many people agreed with his words. They did not want to fight Leon because they knew what it could lead to. In their opinion, any sacrifice in this situation was pointless and unreasonable.

"Carlos, that's enough. You know very well that I won't change my mind. We must eliminate the extra bloody lotuses and clear the main flower. If you don't want to fight, then join us or stay out of the way, or else we have to do it." Leon said stiffly and headed for the gate.

Carlos and the elders didn't bother him. The atmosphere was tense, but no one would fight in the city. The Fallen Lotus Family and the Scarlet Rose Family tacitly decided that the battle would be at Ground Zero, there they would resolve their conflict.

Leon touched the roots, and a crimson flame appeared in his palm. The fire quickly consumed the roots and turned them to ash.

Leon's power was unusual and unnatural for Plants. His attribute was flame, which was extremely rare and despised by many Plants, but Leon was an exception. Despite such an attribute, other Plants respected and even praised him.

Leon pulled open the massive iron gate and stepped forward.

"Forward, today will determine the fate of this city."

"Yes!!!" The nobles exclaimed and headed after him.

'Blood...' Suddenly, the voice of the Knight of the Bloody Rose sounded in Wain's head.

'I can feel it... ahead... blood...' The knight muttered, and Wain's eyes turned red for a moment.

The scent intensified, and Wain could clearly feel it coming from the bottom of ground zero.

"Wain, are you okay?" Eva asked.

"Yeah... I just got a little distracted. Eva, I'm not sure I can protect you all the time, so be careful."

"Don't worry. I can take care of myself." Eva said seriously and headed for the gate.

'Huh, how proud, but... it might actually be dangerous.' Wain thought and followed her.

Wain didn't underestimate Eva, but he was realistic and understood that Eva wouldn't be able to fight on equal footing with Leon, Felix, or others at the limit of Second Chronicle. She still hadn't evolved a second time, and her powers were limited.

...

In the Fallen Lotus Family's manor, a massive bud blossomed within which Felix lay. He slowly opened his eyes and rose and muttered, "What a foul smell... I hope we clear Virfal of this rot today."

A ladder of lotus petals appeared in front of Felix, and he strolled toward the gate.historical

...

Leon, Carlos, Wain, Eva, and others passed through the gate and saw the hidden zone of Virfal, the Lotus District. It was a wide and very high funnel, the bottom of which was barely visible.

The funnel walls had long ago sprouted many plants and were covered with dense moss. Thin streams of water flowed out of the cracks, coming from the stream of a huge waterfall above the town.

At the bottom shone a scarlet spot. The main root and the blood lotus from which the others sprouted. The lotuses covered the entire bottom and were slowly taking over the city.

Wain took a deep breath and savored the scent. It wasn't delicious or fragrant, but Wain was ecstatic, it was the smell of strength and blood.

'I absorbed one small lotus and increased my blood purity by only a drop, but there are hundreds and even thousands of them at the bottom, and they are much bigger and brighter than the last.'

"Okay, now let's begin." Leon uttered and extended his arm forward.

His aura multiplied, and a pillar of scarlet flame erupted from it. A long, fiery trident appeared in Leon's hand, and he wore dark burning armor.

Carlos and the elders frowned but also prepared for battle and activated their a Beyonds.

"I tried to negotiate, but you left me no choice!" Carlos exclaimed and attacked.

Leon remained silent. He tensed his muscles and threw the flaming spear with all his strength. The throw was so powerful that a shockwave formed in the air, the spear, like scarlet lightning, rushing toward Carlos.

The elders and allies of the Fallen Lotus Family were horrified. They saw the aura of death emanating from the spear, and it was imminently coming towards them. They overestimated their strength, no one could defeat the strongest warrior in Virfal, Leon.

"Ah, how beautiful." Suddenly, a quiet voice and a vast lotus bud appeared in front of Carlos.

The flower opened wide into a shield that completely engulfed the scarlet spear and disintegrated into many pieces.

Everyone turned around and saw Felix strolling toward them on his way out of the petals. He was calm and relaxed. Leon's attack was not scary to him.

"Felix... I didn't expect you to decide to take part in this." Leon muttered. He was well aware that Felix only acted in exceptional cases.

"I wasn't going to, but something happened. We don't have time for war, we have to hurry. I can feel it."