Chapter 167: Three Days Of Light

Reinhard ignored the rewards for now. They could wait until the immediate threat was dealt with.

He turned toward the restrained A-Ranks. "We’re done talking about why. Tell me exactly how you’re going to do it."

The prisoners exchanged glances before one of them sighed. "The bombs have already been distributed throughout Marvello."

"How many?" Reinhard asked.

"Enough that destroying one location won’t stop the operation."

"That’s not a number."

The man smiled faintly but offered no further details. Maki stepped closer, her attention fixed on him. "Where are they positioned?"

"Major streets, festival districts, transportation routes, gathering points, and important buildings. We’ve also covered several locations where emergency responders will naturally concentrate once the attacks begin."

Yuna’s expression hardened. "You’re targeting the emergency response system, too."

"Of course."

Reinhard studied the map on the table. The locations weren’t random. They were spread across Marvello to maximize casualties while creating chaos between districts, making it harder for emergency services to coordinate their response.

But something still didn’t fit.

He tapped the map with one finger. "These aren’t positioned like someone trying to destroy Marvello."

"Not entirely," the prisoner replied.

"Then what are they for?"

"They’re there to create the conditions."

Reinhard understood immediately. The bombs weren’t the Black Moon itself. They were the beginning of the process.

Fear, pain, resentment, desperation, and people crying for help. Those were the same conditions Emily had described when she explained the previous Black Moon Incident.

His gaze returned to the prisoner. "And the Space Singularity?"

"Already positioned."

"Where?"

"Near the center of the city."

Reinhard’s expression grew serious. "So the bombs create the suffering, and the Singularity uses that suffering as part of the process."

The A-Rank nodded. "Now you’re understanding."

Maki looked at the map again. "Then the Singularity isn’t the source of the Black Moon. The suffering is."

"The suffering is the key," the prisoner confirmed.

Emily remained silent as the words settled over her. She had explained these conditions to her family the night before, when they were discussing an incident that had happened years ago. Now those same conditions were being deliberately assembled in another city.

Reinhard slowly turned toward her. "Full moon."

Emily met his gaze.

"Singularity," he continued.

Maki followed his reasoning. "One hour."

Emily’s expression tightened. "Suffering."

"Pain, resentment, desperation, people crying for help," Maki added.

Reinhard nodded. "The key. And then the portal."

For a moment, nobody spoke. What Emily had explained the previous night was no longer merely history. It was a blueprint.

The Baal Family was recreating the exact conditions that had produced the Black Moon before.

Lily looked down at the map. "Why Marvello?"

"People," the prisoner answered.

"That’s not an explanation."

"The Lights Festival has been running for three days. Thousands of people have gathered throughout the city. Families, tourists, Awakeners, merchants, performers, emergency workers. The crowds are concentrated in the exact areas where our devices have been positioned."

Lily’s expression changed as she looked toward Maki. "The festival isn’t just convenient. It’s part of the plan."

Maki nodded. "They chose Marvello because the festival would gather enough people in one place."

"And the bombs make sure those people suffer," Reinhard said.

"Yes."

Lily looked uncomfortable.

Only a few hours earlier, the festival had seemed like a harmless celebration filled with lights, food, music, and people enjoying themselves. Now they understood what Baal had seen in those same crowds: a city full of people, gathered together in the perfect conditions for an experiment.

Reinhard returned his attention to the prisoner. "Where does the portal appear?"

The man smiled. "Above Marvello."

"Where?"

"The center."

The answer changed the atmosphere in the room. Reinhard stared at the map, imagining the Black Moon appearing above the heart of the city.

"If it appears there, the entire city will be beneath it."

"That’s the idea."

Lily swallowed. "They’re using the entire city as a laboratory."

"Now you’re beginning to understand," the prisoner replied.

Reinhard considered the consequences. There would be no safe district simply because it was farther from the original experiment. The entire city would be exposed, and thousands of people wouldn’t merely witness the process. Their suffering would become part of it.

He looked up. "Can we stop it after the bombs activate?"

The prisoner hesitated, and Reinhard caught the brief change in his expression.

"Maybe," the man finally answered.

"Wrong answer."

The A-Rank’s smile faded. "Once enough of the conditions are fulfilled, destroying the bombs won’t matter."

Maki immediately understood. "They’re not something we can simply disarm after activation."

"No."

"Then we have to stop the conditions from being completed."

The prisoner remained silent, confirming her conclusion.

Reinhard turned toward the others. "We need to stop the process before it reaches the point of no return."

"Then we need to know the exact window," Yuna said.

Reinhard faced the prisoner again. "How long does the Singularity have to strike the moon?"

"One hour."

Maki narrowed her eyes. "So if the Singularity remains active for an hour while the city is suffering..."

"The Black Moon appears," Emily finished quietly.

Reinhard nodded. The pieces finally fit together. They weren’t facing a mysterious attack with an unknown timetable. They had a sequence to interrupt: the bombs had to create enough suffering, the Singularity had to strike the moon, and the process had to continue for one hour. Once the conditions were fulfilled, the portal would open and the Black Moon would appear above Marvello.

There was only one question left.

"When?"

The prisoner smiled. "Now."

The room fell silent.

Not tomorrow. Not after another period of preparation. The operation was already underway, and the Lights Festival had provided Baal with three days of crowds leading directly into the night they needed.

Reinhard stared at the map before slowly shaking his head. "So you picked a festival, filled a city with people, planted bombs throughout it, positioned a Space Singularity, and decided now was the perfect time to summon a phenomenon that could erase the entire city."

The prisoner nodded. "Yes."

Reinhard considered that for a moment. "You people really hate normal hobbies."

Lily covered her mouth, but a small laugh escaped before she could stop it. Emily gave Reinhard a look. "Reinhard."

He shrugged. "I’m stressed."

Even Maki’s lips twitched, though the brief amusement quickly faded. The prisoner looked confused by their reaction, but Reinhard’s expression returned to seriousness.

"You know the location," the A-Rank said, looking around the room. "You know the conditions. You know the timing."

His gaze settled on Reinhard, and his smile widened.

"But knowing doesn’t mean you can stop it."

Reinhard studied him. The prisoner was far too confident. He knew the Ashcrofts had uncovered the plan, yet he still believed they were already too late. That meant something had changed.

Before Reinhard could ask another question, a phone vibrated.

Everyone turned toward Maki. She pulled out her device, but before she could answer the incoming communication, the signal disappeared.

Frowning, she tried again. Nothing.

Yuna immediately checked her own device. "No signal."

Reinhard took out his phone and found the same problem. He looked at the screen, his expression tightening. "That isn’t normal."

Another communication device went silent, followed by another. The room grew quieter as everyone realized the failures weren’t isolated.

Maki opened the emergency network she had access to. Several channels were already reporting failures.

"That’s strange," she murmured.

Yuna stepped closer. "What happened?"

Maki scanned the screen. "Multiple communication systems are going offline."

"From where?" Reinhard asked.

Her face paled. "Marvello."

The name hung in the room as Maki checked again. Several emergency channels were no longer responding, and the few remaining connections were becoming increasingly unstable.

Then a single communication line opened.

Static filled the room, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Marvello—"

The transmission cut off.

Maki immediately tried to reconnect, but nothing came through. Another emergency channel appeared, lasted a few seconds, and disappeared. Then another followed the same pattern.

Yuna’s expression hardened. "Marvello has stopped responding."

Reinhard stood. The interrogation was over.

"We move now."

Lily began gathering what she needed while Maki shut down her device and prepared the emergency equipment. Yuna tried another communication channel, hoping to contact Aurelius security before the remaining connections disappeared.

Emily stepped beside Reinhard. He glanced at her. "Ready?"

She nodded. "Always."

They started toward the exit, but one of the captured A-Ranks suddenly began laughing.

The sound echoed through the room, making everyone stop. Reinhard slowly turned around to find the prisoner smiling as he looked toward the windows.

"What’s funny?" Reinhard asked.

The A-Rank didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his smile widened as he gazed at the sky beyond the glass.

"You should see the sky."