A hushed murmur of concern rippled through the hall as the attendees processed the weighty revelation just delivered by the head of the council.

Tension and apprehension hung heavy in the air, as the gravity of one of their own betraying their trust began to sink in amongst the gathering.

Despite the worried expressions of the crowd, both Mako and the regent remained unfazed by the news, displaying a remarkable calmness in the meeting hall.

As murmurs began to intensify, the council head swiftly intervened, requesting order from the crowd. Gradually, the hall fell into a hushed silence, allowing the council head to resume her speech. However, just as she began to speak, Nebareo, patriarch of the esteemed Deity family, caught her attention by waving his hand amidst the gathering.

It was clear to her that he had something urgent to share with the crowd.

COUNCIL HEAD: "Honorable Sir! You may proceed with what you have to say with the rest of us," the she urged him.

NEBAREO: "Thank you, council head for granting me this opportunity! However, what I want to share relates to what you said earlier. It relates to the Scale Shield!" Nebareo blurted out.

Hearing his words, the council head simply encouraged him to continue.

NEBAREO: "A few days ago, at a family meeting held within my terrain, a young member of my family mentioned something about what the late Kozak Lateman said.
".... According to that member, the Scale Shield leader's words were stressed this way - 'The Netherworld Will Avenge Me!'..."

As Nebareo made his statement, a wave of confusion and suspicion swept through the crowd, with fixated gazes of annoyance directed toward the Netherworld's regent, who remained unfazed in her seat. The atmosphere was tense as everyone understood the gravity of the situation.

Despite being aware of the Netherworld's treacherous and notorious ways, everyone was left in a state of shock upon hearing Nebareo's accusations.

If what he had said was true, then it would become clear to everyone that the Netherworld was the culprit behind the Scale Shield's terror three months ago.

However, the fact remained that the Netherworld was a powerful and formidable force. Despite their vulnerability in Central Continental City, it was unlikely that any action would be taken against them.

At best, the city could only provide support for the TRIBE to retaliate against the Netherworld outside its territory.

Mako, infuriated by Nebareo's allegations, prepared launch a verbal counter-attack. However, the regent, with a slight nod of her head, gestured to her emissary and advised him against reacting defensively. She assured him that there was no need for such a reaction.

Heeding the regent's words, Mako suddenly regained his composure and retreated back to his seat, suppressing his anger.

Afterward, the council head inquired of Nebareo whether he possessed any evidence to support the assertion made by the deceased Scale Shield leader.

COUNCIL HEAD: "Sir, if you wouldn't mind, do you have concrete evidence of this allegation?"

NEBAREO: "Regrettably no! Just my words! However, we all know what the Netherworld is capable of. This is something that suits their mechanisms and notorious-"

Nebareo's speech dwindled to a halt as a council representative abruptly burst into the chamber, hurrying through one of the entrances.

Without delay, the representative approached the council head and whispered into her ear. Following this, a technological gadget was handed over to the council head by the representative, before departing the hall.

The council head wore a solemn expression as she addressed the crowd once more, preparing to deliver a candid speech.

COUNCIL HEAD: "Galehold is under attack by unknown forces from the Outland! Their strongholds have been breached and they are calling upon our intervention!"

The news sent shockwaves through the crowd, their confusion palpable as they struggled to comprehend the Outlanders' audacity in directly challenging one of the elemental tribes.

Meanwhile, the regent couldn't help but conceal a dark and sinister giggle beneath her breath which betrayed the malevolent glee she felt at the unfolding spectacle. She and Mako observed the confused expressions on the faces of the crowd, which had erupted into an uproar of shock and bewilderment.

REGENT: "Alas! The fun has finally begun," she muttered under her breath.

******

~The Symphony of Dawn, Galehold~
Grail Savage led a formidable force of 1,040 armies from the Netherworld into Galehold. Among them were 1,000 capable warriors at the foundation realm's hierarchy, with the remaining troops consisting of skilled brawlers at the saint realm's hierarchy.

The formidable walls of Galehold had been breached, and the Galocians were already suffering losses, despite their superior numbers and ranks.

The Symphony of Dawn was widely regarded as the smallest region within the TRIBE, with a population of just over 5,000 wind users, of which only 500 were ranked above the foundation realm's hierarchy. In comparison, the Galocians boasted 1,500 soldiers and guardian recruits, with 1,400 of them at the foundation realm and a hundred at the saint realm's echelons.

Unfortunately for the Galocian armies, Grail's one thousand soldiers were superhumans who wielded various elemental attributes. There were some who wielded either lightning, earth, wind, fire, or ice abilities. With these combinations, the savage wind's army proved to be a formidable adversary for the Galocians.

As the battle between the Outlanders and the Galocians raged on, Grail stood calmly, gazing at the surroundings of his childhood home.

It had been so long since his banishment that he last set foot in the Symphony of Dawn, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia amidst the chaos of war.

Ever since his expulsion from the city, he harbored deep resentment toward the Symphony of Dawn. His desire for revenge drove him to go to extreme lengths to acquire power. However, despite the immense power he had gained, his ambition only grew stronger, and he became determined to conquer Galehold and enslave its residents.

However, Grail knew that his ultimate goal of taking over the city had to wait. His top priority was to retrieve the sacred wind stone from the Galocians' grasp. With fierce determination, he commanded his army to hold off the Galocians while leading a group of forty disguised Nether Guards to the 'Symphony Dome,' a distinguished temple where the sacred stone was protected by Galocian monks.

Upon arriving at the Symphony Dome, Grail was immediately met with fierce resistance from an impenetrable shield surrounding the temple. But his renowned mastery over the element of wind granted him the authority to unravel the temple's defenses. With a menacing surge of wind energy, he unleashed a powerful air blast that obliterated the dome, allowing him and the Nether Guards to enter the temple unopposed.

Yet, as the dome shattered, a group of Galocian monks quickly rushed out from the temple and surrounded Grail, determined to prevent him from advancing any further. With a disdainful smirk, the Outlander advised them not to stand in his way, for he would stop at nothing to obtain the sacred wind stone.

GRAIL: "Monks of the Symphony Dome, heed me! Withdraw or face the wrath of the Savage Wind!" Grail warned with an imposing tone.

But contrary to Grail's expectations, the Galocian monks refused to yield and charged at him with full force. But before he could even retaliate, the Nether Guards sprang into action, engaging the monks in a fierce battle.

With the Nether guards holding off the monks, Grail was able to advance deeper into the temple, determined to retrieve the Origin's fragment at any cost.

He strode deeper into the temple, his confidence unshaken as he made his way through the winding corridors. Finally, he arrived at the main chamber, and there it was - the sacred wind stone, floating atop a concrete pillar. His eyes glittered with avarice, a malevolent grin spreading across his face as he gazed upon his prize.

But as Grail took a single step closer to claim the sacred stone, he was suddenly ambushed by two ferocious wind torrents hurtling toward him from opposite directions. His senses immediately heightened, and he reacted with agility, summoning a revolving Windshield around himself just in time to deflect the surprise attack and protect himself from harm.

As the wind torrents dissipated, Grail cautiously dispelled his Windshield but remained on high alert. With a stern expression, he scanned the shadows of the corridor, prepared for any further surprise attacks.

However, much to the savage wind's dismay, three silhouettes slowly emerged from the darkness - two in front, and one in the back. Grail's somber expression turned to one of surprise as he recognized the steady figures approaching him.

The first two individuals who emerged from the shadows weren't his call for alarm. But as his eyes focused on the third figure lurking behind them, his expression twisted with unease. This individual was a Wind Master at the Pillar realm's hierarchy - the current ruler of Galehold and the strongest Galocian in the Symphony of Dawn. He was known as Lord Lanzors, and his mere presence filled the temple with an aura of power that was both daunting and exhilarating.

Grail knew that facing Lord would be no easy task. He steeled himself for the confrontation to come, knowing that his success or failure hinged on this very moment. The tension in the room was palpable as the opposing figures stood, facing each other with silent animosity.

With a piercing stare and a cracked tone, Lord finally broke the tensed silence.

LORD: "Hello Grail of the Savage Wind! It has been decades, hasn't it? But tell me, how would you like to die?"