"Kai follows orders."
"That's fair."
The three quickly departed.
---
The streets of Yggdrasil were already changing.
Citizens hurried indoors.
Shopkeepers closed their stalls.
Guards rushed toward the eastern districts.
Rumors spread faster than wildfire.
Monster attack.
Demon attack.
Cultists.
Nobody knew the truth.
Everyone had a different story.
The only thing they agreed on was that something was wrong.
Very wrong.
As they descended toward the lower districts, smoke became visible.
Black smoke.
Thick smoke.
The kind produced by burning buildings.
Kai's pace quickened.
---
By the time they arrived, chaos had already consumed the district.
Several structures burned.
Guards fought desperately to control crowds.
Civilians fled through the streets.
The smell of smoke and blood filled the air.
Kai immediately spotted bodies.
Not many.
But enough.
Too many.
Akshay cursed under his breath.
"What happened?"
A captain rushed toward him.
"Explosions."
"Explosions?"
The man nodded.
"Multiple."
"Almost simultaneous."
Kai looked around.
The damage seemed oddly localized.
Specific buildings.
Specific locations.
Not random destruction.
Targeted.
Someone had planned this.
---
Akshay appeared to reach the same conclusion.
His expression hardened.
"Who was hit?"