@Raydnt This chapter is more like a prologue to the upcoming arc. The wrapped up from the previous arc probably will explain later when the main party arrive in this desert country.
Editor : "So, how are you going to depict madness and creepiness in this series? If you do something similar like in Soul Eater, I'll reject it."
Author : "Yes."
They should just throw Marika into that fight and be done with it.
Can't they see how that spoiled-little-girl shivering in front of Marika? And now Dariel is bleeding, I can't imagine what kind of hell will Marika let loose...😅