Brog's voice cut through the air. "Who are you?"
The woman remained silent, her hood concealing her face. But then—she spoke, her voice eerie and unwavering.
"I am eighth slave of My Lord."
Brog's eyes darkened. The words made no sense to him. Before he could press further, she whispered again:
"Bring me the God of Mischief."
Brog's brow furrowed. "There is no such person."
The air shifted. A violent pressure descended. The woman wasn't just displeased—she was furious.
Then—
A flicker of movement.
She was gone.
Brog barely had time to react before a crushing force slammed into his chest, sending him hurtling backward. He dug his heels into the ground, skidding to a halt, his muscles burning from the impact.
He looked up.
She hadn't moved. Yet he felt it—the air itself bending at her will.
Then, instinct screamed—Above!
Brog threw himself aside as a razor-thin current of air sliced down where he had just stood, splitting the ground open. A delayed burst of wind followed, howling like a predator that had just missed its prey.
"Tch. So, you control air?" Brog muttered, dusting himself off.
He raised a hand. Metallic shards in the vicinity lifted, twisting into deadly projectiles. With a flick of his wrist, they shot forward like a storm of knives.
The woman raised a single hand.
The air trembled.
The daggers froze mid-flight, hovering in place. Then—Suddenly—they shattered into dust.
Brog's eyes widened. What the F*ck—?!
Before he could finish, the air collapsed inward around him, as if a giant invisible hand had gripped the space he stood in. The pressure was immense, his ribs creaking under the weight. She was crushing him
Kuro stood frozen, the sheer pressure making him tremble.
Captain Shin sprinted forward to assist—
Then—
A gust of wind. A single instant.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
Kuro's gaze snapped toward Shin. The captain stood motionless—his body slowly tilting forward.
A gaping hole in his abdomen.
His lifeless body hit the ground.
Kuro's breath caught in his throat. Run. Run. The thought screamed in his mind, but his body refused to move.
Brog's face burned with rage. "You… bastard, How dare you."
With a roar, he stomped the ground—metallic debris surged up, forming a shield that countered the crushing force. He broke free.
Another howling gust of wind came slicing toward him.
He dodged—barely.
The attack carved through the ground, leaving a deep scar.
Then something wierd happened, she stopped, mid-air, holding her head with both her hands, then suddenly she turned her gaze to Kuro,
"You there" she said "My Lord has invited you, come with me"
Kuro's blood ran cold. "W-what?"
"I won't allow that," Brog growled.
Before he could react—she was behind him.
A shockwave cracked through the air as her hand shot toward his back.
Brog spun, reinforcing his arm with metal—
CLANG!
The impact sent a violent tremor through the battlefield, cracking the ground beneath them.
Brog wiped the blood from his lips and smirked. "Not bad."
Arthur, still rushing toward the tree, felt the shockwave. He stopped, tension tightening his face.
"Why, captain" Ariko asked, Nuel and Gilbert stood with her,
"I said retreat" Arthur's voice cold,
"But, Captain Arthur" the girl from Shin's Squad said, Arthur interjected,
"It's an order"
His squad stood in stunned silence. Arthur's jaw clenched. "Hurry up."
Then—he launched himself forward with a powerful leap.
The Battle Rages On
Brog Thrust his arms outwards, metal debris reshaped around his fists turning into metal gauntlets, "Let's see how you handle this" Brog smirked, He lunged, throwing a flurry of punches.
But Brog's Smirk faded —not even one landed
The air around her refused to let him in, as if she was encased in an impenetrable barrier.
Tch. A shield of wind.
Brog ducked to the side, trying to land a hit from her blind spot—
Useless.
She raised a hand.
An invisible force clamped around Brog's throat, lifting him into the air. His lungs burned, leaving him gasping, struggling for breath, His vision blurred. He was suffocating without even being touched.
Then—
A roar.
Arthur soared through the air; fists bared.
The woman lifted her other hand.
Arthur froze mid-air.
The force crushed him. Bones cracked under the weight.
Silence.
Then—
A trembling voice.
"Stop."
Kuro.
His voice wavered, but he forced himself to speak. "You want to take me, right? Prove your power. Kill every Withered One in this zone."
The woman tilted her head. "Withered One?"
"The green creatures," Kuro managed.
She turned her head slightly.
She let go of Brog, he fell to the ground breathing heavily, 'huff, huff'
Then—
She snapped her fingers, sending a gust of wind in every direction,
Across the Battlefield,
The Firefly Squad
Everyone was drained, the three squad members and one from Shin's unit collapsed to their knees, gasping for air, yet miraculously unscathed. Their captain, clad in white, stood as their lone shield, drenched in blood.
"Come on, only 20 more to go," he growled, teeth gritted and fists clenched. "Damn it, I'm at my limit—I can't take them all alone," he muttered, desperation etched on his face.
Suddenly, the withered ones began dropping like lifeless puppets, one after another. THUD. THUD. THUD.
His sharp gaze softened, relief flooding his features. He let his tense frame collapse to the ground, staring at the dome-shaped ceiling above. "Looks like we're saved," he murmured, his voice tinged with exhaustion and disbelief.
The Dragon Squad
Captain Yeon and the boy from Shin's squad stood back-to-back, their breaths steady despite the chaos. "Boy, when I clear a path, you run," Yeon commanded, his voice firm.
"No, Sir. I can't leave you behind—it's my captain's order," the boy replied, unwavering.
Yeon chuckled, a faint smile breaking through the tension. "You're a stubborn one," he said, reloading his guns with the last magazines. Straightening his stance, he declared, "Alright, you bastards, this is the final round."
But as he raised his weapons, something unexpected happened. The enemies collapsed in unison, their lifeless bodies hitting the ground in eerie silence. In an instant, the battlefield was still.
"Well," Yeon said, a sly grin spreading across his face, "looks like the last round's already over."
The Forbidden Zone
Squad Dragon reached the imposing gates, but an invisible force barred their way, its presence unmistakable as it shimmered faintly in the air. No amount of strength could break through, leaving them powerless before its unseen might.
Meanwhile, Squad Magnus, who had retreated earlier, found themselves in the same predicament. The Back Door was no escape; the invisible barrier surrounded the Forbidden Zone entirely, isolating it from the outside world.
Back to Brog
As the woman was distracted—Brog took his chance.
He lunged—his fist connecting squarely with her face.
But—her body barely moved.
A dull thud echoed through the battlefield.
Her hood slipped back, revealing features that sent a chill down Brog's spine.
Short black hair, wild and unkempt.
Skin, rough and cracked, as if sculpted from dried earth.
And her eyes—completely white.
No pupils. No light. No recognition of pain.
A void where a soul should be.
Brog's breath hitched. His chest tightened, an unnatural cold creeping through his limbs.
His voice, barely above a whisper, trembled.
"W-what are you?"