Throughout this unfolding scenario, Sirius remained motionless, his countenance an unyielding mask, apparently unaffected by the situation. To the untrained observer, it might seem that he was in complete control of his emotions, an epitome of calm.

But to those who knew Sirius well, they knew that he was enraged to the core.

Suddenly, an overwhelming and oppressive aura, surpassing the intensity of Darius's outburst, descended upon the entire vicinity, brushing aside Darius's aura like an insignificant breeze.

With an air of calculated indifference, Sirius spoke, his voice maintaining a calm, measured tone, almost conversational. However, his words resonated through every corner of the area, heard by all.

"We're currently chasing two fugitives that escaped our grasp. We've locked down the entire sector and are currently searching every single inch of the sector,"

Sirius locked eyes with Darius, his gaze penetrating to the core, and asked, "Do you intend to resist?"

As soon as those words dropped, the air around Sirius seemed to change, and the weight of the air in the area quadrupled.

Simultaneously, every member of the Shadowguard encircling the area, who had thus far remained motionless, placed a firm hand on their sword hilts, their movements in perfect sync.

Each of them unleashed their thick master-rank auras with a collective and resounding show of force

The message was clear: resist and die.

Every single one of the Vermore family guards immediately felt chills down their spines. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and their hands holding their weapons trembled as they all struggled to remain standing.

Darius's eyebrows knitted in a deep frown. 'He's serious,' he realized.

Who in the human domain didn't know about the 2nd star of the Ravenstein? In his generation, Sirius was second only to Avalon. He was a monster among monsters in the grandmaster rank.

Darius knew, despite them being in the same rank, he couldn't hold a candle to Sirius.

Darius then suddenly noticed an oddity. Normally, with the Ravensteins acting so brazenly, the Sentinel Guardians should have at least shown their faces by now, but not a single one of them was in the area.

He instinctively knew; they weren't planning on interfering.

Darius gritted his teeth hard. This embarrassment... it would not be forgotten.

"Lower your weapons and comply," Darius abruptly commanded, fixing his gaze on his guards.

Every member of the Vermore family present, despite the intimidation brought by Sirius and his elite unit, cast astonished looks his way. Who within the Vermore family didn't know Darius's character?

He was the type of person who wouldn't hesitate to extinguish an entire lineage should they dare show him disrespect. They were shocked he took this blatant act of disrespect and let it go.

Yet, as they observed the bone-chilling expression carved onto Darius's countenance, each of them promptly stiffened.

Their swords returned to their scabbards, and they withdrew, though their gazes still emanated cold, piercing looks directed at the Ravensteins.

Sirius completely ignored all of this. To be honest, he was hoping they'd resist. He had come here himself because he knew how proud the Vermore family were, and he knew they might want to resist.

He needed someone to vent the intense anger he was currently feeling.

"Carry out the search," he ordered, and with that command, the Shadowguard promptly vanished, diligently scouring every corner of the estate.

They were thorough, each making use of artifacts that could detect any fluctuations of mana, searching for signs of hidden runes or compartments that someone might be hiding in.

After a few minutes, they searched every single inch of the estate but couldn't find a thing.

As abruptly as they had arrived, the Ravensteins departed without a single word, leaving Darius seething with fury.

All over the human domain, the same thing played out, with the Ravensteins checking every mansion, searching for Alvis and Ronad. None of the tier two families had the guts to refuse.

***

After several hours, deep into the night, a solitary figure descended a grand staircase.

As he advanced, the wall mounted lights on either side flickered to life sequentially, casting their soft illumination upon his path.

After a few seconds, he reached an inconspicuous looking wall. It appeared ordinary, making one wonder why the man didn't simply turn left and continue moving.

Suddenly, the man bit into his index finger, the bite carrying such force that it could cut through steel. This action revealed the extraordinary toughness of his skin. With a drop of blood on his finger, he placed it on the wall.

Instantly, the wall radiated a brilliant emerald glow. Beginning from the center, the luminance swirled and expanded, giving rise to a substantial, round portal.

Without hesitation, the man stepped into the portal, finding himself in an expansive realm with a grassy expanse beneath his feet. The wind whispered, carrying with it the sweet scent of grass. It was evident that this was no ordinary realm.

Positioned at the clearing's heart stood an unassuming, moderately-sized building. The man approached and entered through the front door. He was immediately greeted with hearty laughter and a thick killing intent emanating from the room.

Unruffled, as if accustomed to this, the man entered.

Within the room, two men were present. The first, completely devoid of hair, featured a bald head, devoid of eyebrows and body hair.

His green eyes sparkled as he leisurely savored a bag of chips, each crisp bite accompanied by the satisfying crunch before he broke into boisterous laughter.

"Hahahahahaha!" There was no mistaking it; this was Ronad.

The second man, cloaked in a traditional Chinese robe, boasted a mane of jet-black hair. A 10cm stump occupied the space where his left hand should have been, and the stump was clearly in the process of healing.

His eyes remained shut as he took deep, controlled breaths, indicating that he was making a concerted effort to restrain an urge to attack the hairless monkey a few meters away from him. This man was unmistakably Alvis.

They both turned their gazes toward the man who had just entered, none showing any surprise as if they were expecting him.

And then Ronad spoke, "Ah, finally you're here... Darius."