The town had grown noticeably quieter as night settled over the settlement.
Lanterns swayed gently from wooden posts, their warm light stretching across the streets in long golden bands. Players still moved through the town, but the bustling energy of the evening had faded. Most adventurers had either returned from hunting grounds or gathered inside taverns and guild halls to rest.
Near one of the quieter streets, Ayame remained kneeling beside Odion.
Her hands glowed with pale emerald light as healing magic flowed continuously into his battered body. Sweat trickled down her forehead, and her breathing had become uneven from prolonged spellcasting. The amount of mana she had consumed was enormous, but she refused to stop.
Odion's condition was still critical.
His armor was shattered in multiple places, deep wounds covered his body, and his HP bar remained dangerously low despite her efforts.
"Almost..." Ayame whispered quietly, focusing every ounce of concentration into the spell. "Just a little more..."
Odion forced out a weak laugh that quickly turned into a painful cough.
"You need to stop," he said through clenched teeth. "You'll run out of mana before I recover."
Ayame shook her head immediately.
"I'm fine."
The lie was obvious.
Her hands trembled from exhaustion, and the magical glow surrounding them flickered inconsistently. Her mana reserves were nearly depleted.
Neither of them noticed the danger until it was already too late.
The atmosphere changed.
It was subtle at first—a faint disturbance in the air, a slight shift that barely registered.
Ayame's eyes widened.
Someone was nearby.
Before she could react, dark figures dropped from the rooftops surrounding them.
Eight of them.
They moved with practiced precision.
Black clothing concealed their bodies, masks hid their faces, and each carried weapons designed for silent kills.
Assassins.
Ayame immediately tried to stand, but a pair of hands seized her arms before she could move.
"Ah!"
Another attacker grabbed her shoulder and forced her down.
Odion's eyes widened in horror.
"No!"
Ignoring the pain tearing through his body, he tried to rise.
His legs gave out instantly.
He collapsed to one knee before forcing himself forward again.
"Damn it!"
He lunged toward them.
A dagger slammed into the wooden street directly in front of him.
The blade buried itself deep into the wood.
A warning.
The assassin who had thrown it stared down at him coldly.
"Stay down."
Odion clenched his fists.
"Let her go!"
Nobody responded.
Ayame struggled desperately against her captors.
"Stop!"
One of the assassins stepped forward and slowly raised a dagger.
The tip stopped inches from her throat.
"Don't resist."
Fear flashed across her face.
She was exhausted.
Outnumbered.
Completely helpless.
Eight assassins surrounded her.
There was no way to escape.
Her voice trembled.
"Help..."
The dagger moved closer.
"Someone..."
Her eyes squeezed shut.
"Please..."
Crack.
The sound echoed unexpectedly through the street.
The assassin holding the dagger froze.
"What?"
Crack.
The blade shattered.
Fragments of metal fell to the ground.
Then another weapon broke.
And another.
And another.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Within seconds, every weapon held by the assassins exploded into fragments.
Shock spread across their faces.
Confusion followed immediately afterward.
"What did—"
The assassin never finished speaking.
One after another, their bodies collapsed.
Eight figures dropped lifelessly onto the street.
Not dead.
Unconscious.
Every single one.
Silence returned.
Ayame stared blankly.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"What... just happened?"
Odion looked equally stunned.
His eyes widened as he slowly lifted his head.
"No way..."
Someone was standing nearby.
Not hidden.
Not attempting to conceal their presence.
And yet neither of them had noticed them arrive.
The pressure radiating from that individual was overwhelming.
Whoever had intervened had done so effortlessly.
Far away, the situation on the High Plains had become even more chaotic.
The battlefield was burning.
Fire spread across shattered earth as Fayzan and Magumo continued their brutal clash.
Their fists collided again and again, each impact sending shockwaves across the plains.
A punch met a block.
A kick was intercepted.
A counterattack followed immediately.
Neither side gave ground willingly.
Fayzan's flames had become wild.
The controlled precision he displayed earlier was gone.
Rage fueled every movement.
His attacks grew faster.
More aggressive.
More desperate.
Magumo noticed immediately.
A grin spread across his face.
"Your attacks are getting sloppy."
Fayzan ignored him and pressed forward.
Another exchange shook the battlefield.
Ayame.
The thought never left his mind.
Every second wasted here was another second she remained vulnerable.
Magumo stepped forward and delivered a heavy punch.
Fayzan blocked it, but the impact sent him sliding backward across the dirt.
Dust exploded beneath his boots.
"You're in a hurry," Magumo observed casually.
Fayzan steadied himself.
Flames erupted around his body.
"Move."
Magumo smiled.
"Make me."
The next instant, Fayzan activated Blazing Dash.
Fire exploded beneath his feet.
He vanished.
A blazing streak crossed the battlefield.
Magumo reacted immediately and intercepted him.
The collision rang out like thunder.
The force shattered the ground beneath them.
For a moment, they remained locked against one another.
Then something unexpected happened.
A metallic sound echoed across the battlefield.
Clink.
Both men glanced downward.
A broken dagger landed between them.
Then another.
Clink.
Another followed.
And another.
Broken weapons scattered across the dirt.
Magumo's smile faltered.
Fayzan immediately noticed.
Then a calm voice spoke from behind them.
"Your people dropped these."
Both men turned.
Rio stood several meters away.
Her white hair shifted gently in the wind.
Her expression remained completely calm.
In her hand rested another shattered dagger.
She casually released it.
The broken weapon hit the ground with a soft metallic sound.
"I thought I'd return them."
Silence settled over the battlefield.
For the first time since arriving, Magumo looked genuinely surprised.
Fayzan stared.
"You..."
Rio ignored him.
Her gaze remained fixed on Magumo.
"Eight assassins."
She took a step forward.
"Poor coordination."
Another step.
"Worse execution."
The calmness in her voice somehow made her words hit harder.
Magumo narrowed his eyes.
"Where's the healer?"
"Alive."
Rio's answer came immediately.
Then her gaze hardened slightly.
"Unlike your men's chances of completing their mission."
A tense silence followed.
Fayzan released a quiet breath.
Relief washed through him.
Ayame was safe.
Magumo slowly chuckled.
"So you're the one."
Rio didn't respond.
She didn't need to.
The confidence in her posture spoke for itself.
Magumo cracked his neck and examined her more carefully.
His attention shifted between Rio and Fayzan.
The situation had changed.
What had been a carefully controlled battle was becoming something else entirely.
"Interesting," he said.
Rio stopped beside Fayzan.
The flames surrounding the guild leader reflected in her silver eyes.
Magumo looked at both of them and smiled.
"Looks like things just got complicated."
Rio's expression never changed.
"No."
Her voice was quiet.
Certain.
"It got simpler."
The statement settled heavily across the battlefield.
Fayzan's flames surged higher.
Stronger.
Sharper.
This time he wasn't fighting alone.
Magumo understood that immediately.
The confidence he had displayed throughout the encounter had begun to crack.
Because the situation had shifted beyond his expectations.
His assassins had failed.
His diversion had failed.
His carefully planned operation had failed.
And now he stood facing not one dangerous opponent—
but two.
For the first time that night, Magumo realized something important.
This battle was no longer proceeding according to his plan.
And that realization was the first genuine mistake he had made.