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The ruins of Nerathis trembled as the enormous Ruin Guardian charged forward.
Its gigantic stone body moved with terrifying speed despite its size. Ancient runes carved into its armor glowed with a pale blue light, illuminating the dark underwater ruins.
The creature's massive arm swung down.
CRASH!
The impact shattered the stone road where Izumi had been standing a moment earlier.
Izumi barely dodged, pushing himself backward through the water.
"That thing is insane!" he shouted.
Mira flipped gracefully over a broken pillar nearby, landing on the side of a ruined wall.
"Told you this place would be fun."
Her golden eyes gleamed as shadow magic gathered around her body.
Dark mist wrapped around her two short daggers, and thin lines of crimson blood magic flickered across the blades.
Dianara raised her staff, her expression calm but focused.
"Stop joking around."
Blue water mana surged around her.
"We need to control the battlefield."
She slammed the bottom of her staff into the ground.
"Hydro Binding!"
Streams of pressurized water shot upward like chains, wrapping around the Ruin Guardian's legs.
For a moment, the giant creature slowed.
"Now!" Dianara shouted.
Izumi reacted instantly.
Cold mana surged through his body as he raised his hand.
The forbidden training from Lord Alba awakened within him.
The temperature around him dropped sharply.
"Frozen Lance!"
Three sharp spears of ice formed in front of him and shot forward at incredible speed.
CRACK!
The ice spears struck the glowing cracks in the Guardian's armor.
One of them shattered instantly.
But the other two pierced deeper, spreading frost across the creature's body.
The Ruin Guardian roared in anger.
The sound echoed through the ruins like thunder.
Mira vanished into the shadows again.
A second later—
SLASH!
She appeared above the creature's shoulder, striking rapidly with both daggers.
Blood magic flared.
Shadow energy exploded outward.
But the stone armor still resisted most of the damage.
Mira clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Hard as a mountain."
Suddenly—
A wave of dark energy erupted nearby.
Izumi turned just in time to see Kareth raising his hand.
The Architect agent's eyes glowed faintly with sinister mana.
"Void Burst."
A sphere of black energy shot forward and slammed into the Ruin Guardian's chest.
BOOM.
The explosion pushed the giant creature backward several meters.
Izumi stared.
"You're helping us?"
Kareth laughed softly.
"Oh no."
His gaze was cold.
"I'm simply removing an obstacle."
The Ruin Guardian roared again, now enraged by attacks from both sides.
Its glowing eyes burned brighter.
Ancient magic surged through its body.
The ground beneath the ruins began cracking.
Dianara realized what was happening first.
"Everyone move!"
The Guardian slammed both hands into the ocean floor.
A massive shockwave erupted outward.
Stone buildings collapsed.
Ancient statues shattered.
Izumi was thrown backward by the force of the impact.
He crashed into a broken pillar.
Pain shot through his shoulder.
"Damn…"
Mira landed beside him moments later.
"That thing's getting angry."
Kareth stood calmly across the battlefield.
His armor floated gently in the water currents as he watched the chaos.
Then he looked toward the deeper ruins.
"Interesting…"
Izumi followed his gaze.
Far away, between two collapsed towers—
Someone was running.
The fragment bearer.
The glowing fragment in their hand illuminated the dark streets of the ruined city.
"They're trying to escape," Dianara said.
Mira stretched her neck slightly.
"Can't blame them."
The Ruin Guardian suddenly turned.
Its glowing eyes locked onto the running figure.
The creature roared again.
Then it began moving toward the fragment bearer.
Izumi realized the danger instantly.
"If that thing catches them—"
Kareth smiled.
"Yes."
"Everything will end very quickly."
Mira's ears twitched.
"No way."
She pushed herself forward.
"I'm not letting the fragment get crushed by a giant rock monster."
Izumi and Dianara followed immediately.
The battlefield shifted.
Now everyone was racing toward the center of Nerathis.
The fragment bearer kept running through the broken streets.
They were fast.
But the Ruin Guardian was faster.
The giant creature smashed through ruined buildings, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
"Stop!" Izumi shouted.
But the figure didn't look back.
Suddenly—
The fragment in their hand flared with brilliant light.
A powerful pulse of ancient magic spread across the ruins.
The Ruin Guardian froze.
Its glowing eyes flickered.
For the first time since it appeared—
The monster stopped moving.
Everyone stared in shock.
The fragment bearer slowly turned around.
The glowing fragment hovered above their palm.
Ancient energy flowed through the ruins like a heartbeat.
Dianara whispered in disbelief.
"…The fragment is controlling the Guardian."
Kareth's smile widened.
"So that's how it works."
His eyes gleamed with greed.
"The fragment bearer has authority over the city's ancient magic."
The mysterious figure looked toward them.
Their face was still hidden by shadows and drifting hair.
But their voice finally echoed through the ruins.
"…Stay away."
It was a young voice.
Not an enemy.
But not an ally either.
The Ruin Guardian slowly stepped back, obeying the fragment's command.
The battlefield fell silent.
For a brief moment—
It seemed the conflict had ended.
Then Kareth raised his hand again.
Dark mana gathered around him.
His voice became cold.
"Unfortunately…"
Black energy spiraled around his arm.
"…I need that fragment."
He launched forward like a shadow.
The real battle had just begun.
Kareth moved like a shadow.
Dark mana exploded around his body as he dashed across the ruined street toward the fragment bearer.
The water itself seemed to twist around him.
His target was clear.
The glowing fragment hovering in the stranger's hand.
But someone moved first.
"Not happening."
Mira appeared directly in his path.
Her body emerged from a pool of shadow between the broken stones.
Both of her short daggers flashed.
SLASH.
Kareth barely blocked the attack with a barrier of dark energy.
The impact pushed him backward.
"Impressive," he said calmly.
Mira grinned.
Her cat ears flicked slightly as crimson energy crawled across her daggers.
"You're not getting past me that easily."
Shadow mana and blood magic mixed around her blades, creating a faint red mist in the water.
Kareth studied her carefully.
"A Paladin… using blood magic."
"How unusual."
Mira shrugged.
"Rules are boring."
She vanished again.
A second later—
Three slashes struck Kareth from different directions.
But the Architect agent reacted instantly.
Dark mana exploded outward.
BOOM.
The shockwave forced Mira back.
She landed lightly on a broken statue.
"Okay," she admitted.
"You're strong."
Kareth smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
Meanwhile—
Izumi and Dianara reached the fragment bearer.
Up close, they could finally see them clearly.
The mysterious figure was a young boy, maybe a little younger than Izumi.
His clothes were torn from running through the ruins.
Silver-blue hair floated around his face in the ocean currents.
And the glowing fragment hovered above his trembling hand.
He looked terrified.
Izumi lowered his sword slightly.
"Hey… relax."
"We're not here to hurt you."
The boy looked at them nervously.
"You're not with that man?"
Dianara shook her head.
"No."
"We're trying to protect the fragments."
The boy glanced at the glowing object in his hand.
"I didn't mean to take it…"
"It just… came to me."
Dianara immediately understood.
"The fragment chose you."
She stepped closer.
"What's your name?"
"…Lior," the boy replied quietly.
Before anyone could say more—
Kareth's voice echoed behind them.
"Touching."
Everyone turned.
Mira slid backward across the battlefield, landing near Izumi.
"Tch."
"Guy doesn't stay down."
Kareth stood calmly again.
Not a single scratch on his armor.
His eyes now focused entirely on Lior.
"The fragment bearer."
He slowly began walking toward them.
"You are far more valuable than I expected."
Izumi stepped in front of Lior.
"You're not getting him."
Kareth laughed softly.
"You misunderstand the situation."
Dark mana gathered around his hand again.
"You are children."
His power surged violently.
"And I am an agent of the Architect."
The ocean currents twisted around him as his magic expanded.
The ruins shook again.
Even the Ruin Guardian shifted uneasily.
Kareth raised his hand toward Lior.
"Hand over the fragment."
Lior stepped back.
"I… can't."
The fragment suddenly shined brighter.
Ancient symbols appeared in the water around him.
Kareth's smile widened.
"So it responds to fear."
His voice turned colder.
"Then allow me to give you more."
He raised his hand—
But suddenly the ground beneath the ruins began trembling again.
Stronger than before.
Dianara's eyes widened.
"No…"
The ancient runes across the ruins began glowing.
Not just the Ruin Guardian.
Entire buildings and statues lit up with ancient magic.
Izumi felt the pressure instantly.
"What's happening?"
Dianara looked toward the center of the city.
Her voice became tense.
"The fragment isn't just controlling the Guardian."
"It's activating something."
Deep beneath the ruins—
A deep rumbling sound echoed through Nerathis.
Like a giant awakening from sleep.
Even Kareth frowned slightly now.
"…Interesting."
The ocean floor cracked open in several places.
Ancient pillars slowly rose from the ground.
Huge glowing structures began emerging from the buried city.
Lior stared at the fragment in shock.
"I didn't do this!"
But the fragment pulsed again.
The ruins of Nerathis were reacting to its presence.
Dianara whispered in disbelief.
"This city…"
"…was never destroyed."
She looked around the awakening ruins.
"It was sealed."
Izumi frowned.
"Sealed?"
"For what?"
Before she could answer—
The Ruin Guardian suddenly dropped to one knee.
Not in defeat.
But in submission.
Ancient light spread through the streets.
And something massive moved far beneath the ruins.
A deep, echoing sound vibrated through the entire city.
Kareth's expression changed.
For the first time—
He looked serious.
"…So that's the secret of Nerathis."
He slowly stepped backward.
"This is far bigger than I expected."
Mira frowned.
"You're leaving?"
Kareth chuckled softly.
"Oh no."
His eyes moved toward the deeper parts of the ruins.
"I'm simply adjusting my strategy."
Dark mana gathered beneath his feet.
A portal of swirling darkness began opening behind him.
"But don't worry."
His smile returned.
"The Architect will be very interested in this discovery."
His body slowly disappeared into the portal.
"And next time…"
His voice echoed through the ruins.
"…I won't come alone."
The portal closed.
Silence returned to the battlefield.
But the ruins of Nerathis continued glowing.
The ancient city had begun waking up.
Izumi looked around nervously.
"Something tells me this mission just got a lot worse."
Mira sighed.
"Yeah."
She glanced toward the deeper ruins.
"Way worse."
Dianara looked at Lior and the glowing fragment.
Her voice became serious.
"The entire city is reacting to the fragment."
"If we don't understand what's happening here…"
She looked toward the rising structures of Nerathis.
"…this place could become a disaster."
Far below them—
Hidden beneath the deepest ruins—
Something ancient opened its eyes.