The battlefield had become eerily quiet.
The clash of weapons had ceased. The cheers of Burning Pride had died away. Even the wind seemed reluctant to disturb the tension hanging over the ruined plains.
Ash drifted lazily through the air, mixing with the smell of scorched earth and blood. Cracks spread across the ground from earlier impacts, while blackened scorch marks remained as reminders of the battle that had taken place.
At the center of the devastation stood Rio.
She hadn't moved.
She hadn't spoken.
She simply stood there with her Imperial Saber resting at her side, her white hair swaying gently in the night breeze.
The sight alone was enough to make many of the surrounding players uneasy.
"Tch."
The sound broke the silence.
Kiraya stepped forward.
Her armored boots dug into the dirt as she raised her large white shield. Her sword angled slightly toward the battlefield as her instincts screamed at her to act.
Two threats stood before her.
Magumo.
And the white-haired swordswoman.
Her eyes lingered on Rio.
Danger.
That was the only word that came to mind.
Every instinct she possessed warned her to be careful.
Her grip tightened around her sword.
She shifted her stance, preparing herself for combat.
Then Fayzan's voice exploded across the battlefield.
"DON'T!"
Everyone turned.
Fayzan was breathing heavily from exhaustion, his armor scorched and damaged from his fight with Magumo. Despite that, his eyes remained sharp.
"Don't attack her."
Kiraya stopped immediately.
Her gaze shifted toward him.
"...What?"
Fayzan pointed toward Rio.
"Not her."
His expression remained deadly serious.
"Anyone but her."
The battlefield fell silent again.
Kiraya looked back at Rio.
This time she studied her carefully.
The calm posture.
The complete lack of concern.
The invisible pressure that seemed to radiate from her very existence.
For the first time, Kiraya understood why Fayzan was warning her.
This wasn't fear.
It was caution.
The kind of caution experienced warriors reserved for things capable of killing them.
"Tch."
She clicked her tongue before lowering her blade slightly.
"...Got it."
Her target changed immediately.
Magumo.
Without another word, she charged.
Her body exploded forward with incredible speed.
Her shield struck first.
BANG!
The impact slammed directly into Magumo's chest and forced him backward.
Before he could recover, flames erupted around Kiraya's sword.
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Strike]
Her blade released a blazing arc of fire that surged toward him.
Magumo reacted instantly.
[Warrior Skill: Earth Temple]
His fist struck the ground.
BOOM!
A massive stone wall erupted upward between them.
The fiery attack collided with the barrier, creating a violent explosion of sparks and heat.
Kiraya didn't stop.
She pushed forward through the smoke.
At the same moment, Mizuki moved.
The hooded girl stepped beside Kiraya without making a sound.
She raised one hand.
The temperature immediately dropped.
[Mage Skill: Freezing Echo]
Frost raced across the battlefield.
The earth froze solid beneath Magumo's feet.
Ice spread rapidly, locking the terrain in place.
When Magumo attempted to create another stone wall, the frozen ground prevented it from forming properly.
Only the original wall remained.
Kiraya grinned.
"...Got you."
She accelerated.
Shield first.
CRACK!
The frozen stone barrier shattered beneath the impact.
Ice and stone fragments scattered everywhere.
Kiraya's sword followed immediately.
A direct strike aimed straight at Magumo.
Then her instincts screamed.
She froze.
Something felt wrong.
Her head snapped upward.
The sky was filled with arrows.
Not dozens.
Hundreds.
A dark cloud descending toward them.
"Tch!"
Kiraya twisted her body.
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Strike]
Another wave of flames exploded from her blade.
The incoming arrows ignited in midair.
Wood burned.
Feathers vanished.
Ash drifted downward like black snow.
The attack had been neutralized.
For a moment.
Then Kiraya looked toward the ridge above them.
Forty players stood there.
Bows drawn.
Weapons ready.
Burning Pride reinforcements.
Magumo laughed loudly.
"Took you long enough."
Kiraya's expression darkened.
"...Great."
Beside her, Mizuki quietly stepped backward.
"We're surrounded."
"Kiraya, let's regroup."
The two immediately retreated.
They returned to Fayzan's position and tightened their formation.
Ayame remained behind them, continuing to heal the wounded despite her rapidly depleting mana.
Sumi struggled to stay standing.
Odion drew his sword and moved into position.
Fayzan steadied himself, flames flickering around his body once more.
Kiraya raised her shield to cover their flank.
Mizuki prepared another spell.
And Rio...
Still hadn't moved.
The Burning Pride forces surrounded them from every direction.
This time there were far more players.
Far more confidence.
Far more arrogance.
Magumo spread his arms.
"Thought you won?"
His grin widened.
"Look again."
He gestured toward the surrounding forces.
"The rest of Burning Pride is here."
Cheers erupted from the guild members.
Confidence surged through their ranks.
They believed victory was inevitable.
Then everything changed.
No one heard a sound.
No one saw an attack.
No one sensed movement.
Only a slight shift.
Rio's arm moved.
Barely.
Her saber tilted upward.
Shhk.
A faint sound.
Nothing more.
Magumo blinked.
"...What—"
His sentence ended abruptly.
Something felt wrong.
Then his right arm fell to the ground.
Cleanly severed.
Blood exploded from the wound.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
His scream echoed across the battlefield.
Everyone froze.
Weapons lowered.
Eyes widened.
"What happened?!"
"Did anyone see that?!"
Even Kiraya stood completely still.
"No way..."
Beside her, Mizuki stared in disbelief.
"She didn't even move."
Fayzan clenched his jaw.
He knew what had happened.
Yet even knowing didn't make it easier to accept.
Rio still stood exactly where she had been.
Same posture.
Same expression.
As though nothing had occurred.
Magumo collapsed to one knee while clutching the stump where his arm had once been.
His face twisted with rage and pain.
"You...!"
Burning Pride members rushed forward.
Weapons raised.
Ready to attack.
Then another presence arrived.
Two figures appeared on the battlefield.
Not running.
Not jumping.
Simply appearing as though they had always been there.
The first was a man whose very presence commanded attention.
Calm eyes.
Steady posture.
Natural authority.
Elias.
Leader of Eternity Lions.
Beside him stood a woman whose presence felt like living fire.
Crimson-orange hair flowed behind her.
Her clothing shimmered with ember-like patterns.
Heat seemed to radiate from her very existence.
Hinabi.
Vice Leader of Burning Pride.
The battlefield became silent once again.
This was no longer a fight between guild members.
This was a meeting of leaders.
And somewhere among them stood a variable nobody could control.
Rio.
Even now, she still hadn't moved.
Elias stepped forward.
His voice was calm.
Yet everyone heard it clearly.
"Explain."
Hinabi crossed her arms.
Her eyes swept across the battlefield.
Bodies.
Blood.
Destruction.
"Yeah."
Her voice carried irritation.
"I'd like to hear that too."
She looked toward the gathered players.
"Why are you all fighting here without authorization?"
Kiraya answered first.
"It was an ambush."
Her voice remained professional.
As Vice Leader of Eternity Lions, she understood the importance of staying composed.
"Sumi and her scouting team were investigating the hidden dungeon."
She pointed toward Magumo.
"His group attacked first."
Hinabi didn't respond immediately.
Instead, she slowly turned toward Magumo.
The amusement disappeared from her face.
Only anger remained.
Magumo, now surrounded by healers restoring his arm, looked defensive.
"I was following orders."
His voice was sharp.
"Yohan said the hidden dungeon belonged to Burning Pride—"
THUD!
Hinabi's kick smashed into his face before he could finish.
Magumo crashed sideways into the dirt.
Absolute silence followed.
"You idiot."
Her voice was ice cold.
"Did you even listen during the briefing?"
Magumo coughed.
Blood stained his lips.
"What?"
"It was a joint expedition."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Eternity Lions and Burning Pride."
"Together."
The realization hit harder than the kick.
Magumo froze.
"...What?"
Hinabi ignored him and walked back toward Elias.
Halfway there, her eyes shifted toward Rio.
The white-haired swordswoman finally moved.
She slid her saber back into its scabbard.
The soft metallic sound felt final.
Like the battle itself had ended.
Hinabi watched her for a moment.
Then continued walking.
"We'll compensate Eternity Lions for the damages."
Elias nodded.
"It's fine."
A faint smile appeared.
"Every guild has idiots."
His gaze shifted toward the battlefield.
"Yours simply learned the hard way."
Hinabi followed his gaze.
Only then did she notice how many of the fallen players belonged to Burning Pride.
"...Impressive."
She muttered quietly.
Then she looked toward Elias.
"You've got some strong members."
Instead of answering, Elias turned toward Fayzan.
"Was it you?"
Fayzan immediately shook his head.
"No."
Elias looked toward Kiraya.
She laughed softly.
"I wish."
Then she pointed.
"It was her."
Everyone followed her finger.
Rio.
Already walking away.
Already leaving.
As though the battle had never mattered.
Elias narrowed his eyes.
"Her?"
Even Hinabi looked surprised.
"Seriously?"
Fayzan nodded.
"Don't underestimate her."
His expression became serious.
"And don't get on her bad side."
A brief pause.
"She's a monster."
Then his expression softened slightly.
"...But she's also a friend."
He pointed toward the distant mountains.
"She's the one who mapped the hidden dungeon."
Shock spread through the crowd.
Even Magumo froze.
"That girl?"
Then rage overtook him.
His expression twisted.
"You think you can just—"
He exploded forward.
Sword drawn.
Target locked.
"DIE!"
Fayzan's eyes widened.
"RIO! WATCH OUT!"
But Rio didn't even turn around.
She simply continued walking.
One step after another.
As if Magumo didn't exist.
Magumo closed the distance.
His sword came down.
Then—
CLANG.
The blade stopped.
A hand was holding it.
Bare-handed.
Firmly.
Magumo's eyes widened.
"What—"
He looked up.
A young man stood between him and Rio.
White hair.
Calm expression.
Unshaken.
Ryota.
His voice was quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Magumo couldn't answer.
Ryota's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Attacking my girl."
Then he moved.
One kick.
Simple.
Direct.
BOOM!
The impact launched Magumo across the battlefield like a cannonball.
His body smashed through a massive boulder.
The entire rock formation shattered into thousands of pieces.
Dust exploded into the air.
Silence followed.
Everyone stared.
Fayzan.
Kiraya.
Mizuki.
Ayame.
Odion.
Elias.
Hinabi.
Every single one of them.
Frozen.
"...What the hell..."
Fayzan barely whispered the words.
His gaze shifted from Ryota to Rio.
Rio continued walking.
Calm.
Relaxed.
And for the first time all night—
A small smile appeared on her face.
Fayzan slowly exhaled.
"The other monster..."
His eyes remained fixed on Ryota.
Then he shook his head.
"...has arrived."