The battlefield didn't breathe.
It waited.
Ash drifted slowly through the air, remnants of Fayzan's flames mixing with the metallic scent of blood. The ground was scarred—cracked, burned, shattered.
And at the center of it all—
Rio stood.
Still.
Silent.
Untouched.
"…Tch."
The tension snapped.
The girl with the shield name is Kiraya and the girl with the green cloak name is Mizuki.
Kiraya moved first.
Her boots dug into the earth as she stepped forward, shield raised, sword angled—
Her instincts screamed one thing:
Attack.
Two targets.
Magumo.
And—
That girl.
Her eyes flickered toward Rio.
White hair.
Saber.
Calm.
Danger.
Kiraya's grip tightened.
She shifted her stance—
Preparing to engage both—
"DON'T!"
Fayzan's voice tore across the battlefield.
"Don't attack her!"
Kiraya froze mid-step.
Her eyes flicked toward him.
"…What?"
Fayzan's chest rose and fell heavily.
Exhausted.
Burned.
Bruised.
But his gaze—
Sharp.
Serious.
"…Not her."
A pause.
"…Anyone but her."
Silence.
Kiraya looked back at Rio.
Really looked this time.
The stillness.
The pressure.
That invisible weight in the air—
She's dangerous
"…Tch."
She clicked her tongue.
Then nodded once.
"…Got it."
Target locked.
Magumo.
She moved.
A burst of speed.
Her shield came first—
BANG
It slammed into Magumo's torso, forcing him back a step.
Before he could recover—
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Strike]
Her blade ignited.
Flames wrapped around steel—
Then released.
A blazing arc surged forward.
Magumo's eyes sharpened.
[Warrior Skill: Earth Temple]
He struck the ground.
BOOM
Stone erupted upward—
A thick wall forming instantly.
The flames crashed against it—
Exploding outward in sparks and heat.
Kiraya didn't stop.
She pushed forward—
But she wasn't alone.
Mizuki moved beside her.
Silent.
Precise.
Her hand raised slightly.
[Mage Skill: Freezing Echo]
The air dropped.
Frost spread rapidly—
Across the ground.
Cracking.
Creeping.
Magumo's second attempt to raise more walls—
Failed.
The ground froze solid.
Only one wall remained.
Kiraya smiled.
"…Got you."
She dashed forward—
Shield first—
CRACK
The frozen wall shattered under the impact.
Fragments scattering.
Her sword followed—
A direct strike toward Magumo—
But—
She stopped.
Instinct.
Her body reacted before her mind could process it.
She looked up.
Above her—
Arrows.
Dozens.
No—
Hundreds.
Descending.
"…Tch—!"
She twisted her stance.
[Sword Skill: Lionheart Strike]
Flames erupted again—
A sweeping arc.
The arrows burned mid-air—
Ash scattering like black snow.
Silence followed.
Then—
Kiraya looked up.
And saw them.
Forty players.
Standing along the ridge.
Bows drawn.
Weapons ready.
Burning Pride.
Magumo laughed.
"…Took you long enough."
Kiraya's expression hardened.
"…Great."
Mizuki stepped back slightly.
"…We're surrounded."
"Kiraya let's regroup"
They retreated—
Back toward Fayzan.
Towards Rio.
Formation tightened.
Ayame continued healing behind them—
Her mana nearly gone—
Sumi barely holding on.
Odion stepped forward—
Sword drawn.
Fayzan steadied himself—
Flames flickering again.
Kiraya raised her shield—
Covering their rear.
Mizuki prepared another spell—
Quiet.
Focused.
And Rio—
Still hadn't moved.
The circle closed again.
Burning Pride members surrounded them from all directions.
This time—
More.
Stronger.
Confident.
The battlefield fell silent.
Magumo smirked.
"…Thought you won?"
He spread his arms slightly.
"…Look again."
A pause.
"…The rest of Burning Pride is here."
Cheers erupted.
Voices rising in unison.
Confidence.
Arrogance.
Numbers.
And then—
It happened.
No sound.
No movement.
No warning.
Just—
A motion no one saw.
Rio's arm shifted.
Barely.
Her blade—
Tilted.
Upward.
—Shhk.
Silence.
Magumo blinked.
"…What—"
His voice broke.
Something felt—
Wrong.
Then—
His arm fell.
Clean.
Severed.
Blood erupted—
"AAAAAAAGH—!"
His scream tore through the battlefield.
Players froze.
Eyes widened.
"…What just happened—?!"
"…Did anyone see that—?!"
Even Kiraya—
Stood still.
"…No way…"
Mizuki's voice was barely a whisper.
"…She didn't even move…"
Fayzan clenched his jaw.
He knew.
But even knowing—
Didn't make it easier to accept.
Rio stood there.
Same position.
Same posture.
As if nothing had happened.
Magumo dropped to one knee—
Clutching the space where his arm once was.
"…You…!"
Rage.
Pain.
Disbelief.
Burning Pride members stepped forward—
Weapons raised—
Ready to attack.
And then—
The air shifted again.
But this time—
It wasn't Rio.
Two figures appeared.
Not running.
Not jumping.
Just—
There.
One—
Stepped forward.
A man.
Presence steady.
Eyes calm.
Authority radiating naturally from him.
ELEO's Leader.
Elias
Beside him—
Flames danced.
Not from the environment—
But from her.
Crimson-orange hair flowed like fire.
Her outfit shimmered with ember-like patterns.
Her gaze—
Sharp.
Burning.
Burning Pride's Vice Leader.
Hinabi.
Silence swallowed the battlefield whole.
Because now—
It wasn't just a fight anymore.
It was a collision.
Of leaders.
Of monsters.
And of something far more dangerous—
A variable none of them could control.
Rio.
And she still hadn't taken a single step.
The battlefield shifted.
Not with violence—
But with authority.
Elias stepped forward.
Calm.
Measured.
Beside him—
Hinabi's presence burned.
Not loudly—
But intensely.
Two leaders.
Two forces.
And suddenly—
Everything paused.
"…Explain."
Elias' voice was quiet.
But it carried.
Hinabi crossed her arms.
Her gaze swept across the battlefield.
Bodies.
Blood.
Ruins.
"…Yeah."
She added.
"…I'd like to hear that too."
"Why are you all fighting here, especially without authorization"
Kiraya stepped forward first.
"…It was an ambush."
Her voice was steady.
Professional.
Kiraya was the Vice Leader Of Eternity Lions
"…Sumi and the others were scouting the hidden dungeon."
A pause.
"…Magumo and his unit attacked first."
Silence.
Hinabi didn't respond immediately.
Instead—
She turned.
Slowly.
Her eyes landed on Magumo.
And for the first time—
There was no amusement.
No arrogance.
Only anger.
Magumo, now surrounded by eight healers, gritted his teeth.
His arm—
Restored.
"…I was following orders."
His voice was defensive.
Sharp.
"…Yohan said the hidden dungeon belongs to Burning Pride—"
THUD.
His sentence ended.
Because Hinabi'sfoot—
Connected with his face.
Hard.
Magumo was sent crashing sideways into the dirt.
Silence.
Absolute.
"…You idiot."
Her voice dropped.
Cold.
"…Did you even listen to the briefing?"
Magumo coughed.
Blood on his lips.
"…What—"
Hinabi didn't let him finish.
"…It was a joint expedition."
A pause.
"…Eternity Lions and Burning Pride."
Another.
"…Together."
The weight of her words hit harder than her kick.
Magumo's expression froze.
"…What…?"
Hinabi turned away from him.
Already done.
She walked back toward Elias.
But stopped.
Midway.
Her eyes shifted.
Rio.
Standing.
Unbothered.
No tension.
No reaction.
Even now—
With two guild leaders present—
She looked the same.
Unmoved.
Then—
Rio turned slightly.
Her hand moved.
The saber slid back into its scabbard.
A quiet—
Final sound.
Like the battle itself—
Had ended.
Hinabi watched her for a second longer.
Then turned back.
"…We'll compensate."
Her voice returned to normal.
Professional.
"…For the damages."
Elias nodded.
"…It's fine."
A pause.
"…Every guild has idiots."
His gaze shifted slightly.
Toward the scattered bodies.
"…Yours just learned the hard way."
Hinabi followed his gaze.
And this time—
She noticed.
Most of the bodies—
Were Burning Pride.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Impressive."
A quiet mutter.
Then she looked back at Elias.
"…You've got some strong members."
Elias didn't respond.
Instead—
He turned.
"…Fayzan."
Fayzan straightened slightly.
"…Yes."
"…Was it you?"
A pause.
Fayzan shook his head.
"…No."
Simple.
Honest.
Elias' gaze shifted.
"…Kiraya?"
Kiraya exhaled lightly.
"…I wish."
A faint smirk.
"…But no."
She raised her hand.
Pointing.
"…It was her."
All eyes turned.
Rio.
Walking away.
Already leaving.
Like none of this mattered.
Elias' eyes narrowed.
"…Her?"
Hinabi tilted her head slightly.
"…Seriously?"
Fayzan nodded.
"…Don't underestimate her or get on her bad side."
"She's a monster"
A pause.
"…She's a friend."
Another.
"…And she's the one who mapped the hidden dungeon."
Silence.
Even Magumo—
Who had just stood back up—
Froze.
"…That girl…?"
Shock.
Disbelief.
And then—
Rage.
Magumo's expression twisted.
"…You think you can just—"
He moved.
Fast.
A burst forward—
Blade drawn—
Target locked.
Rio.
"…DIE—!"
"RIO—WATCH OUT!"
Fayzan shouted.
But Rio—
Didn't turn.
Didn't stop.
Didn't even acknowledge him.
She kept walking.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Magumo closed in.
Blade raised.
Ready to strike.
And then—
Clang.
Everything stopped.
His sword—
Didn't move.
Didn't fall.
Didn't cut.
Because—
A hand—
Was holding it.
Bare.
Firm.
Unmoving.
Magumo's eyes widened.
"…What—"
He looked up.
White hair.
A boy.
Standing there.
Between him—
And Rio.
"…What do you think you're doing?"
Ryota's voice was calm.
But there was something beneath it.
Something heavier.
"…Attacking my girl."
Silence.
Then—
He moved.
A kick.
Simple.
Direct.
BOOM
Magumo's body launched.
Like he had been hit by a cannon.
He crashed into a nearby boulder—
And shattered it.
Stone exploded outward.
Dust filled the air.
Silence followed.
Total.
Everyone stared.
Fayzan.
Kiraya.
Mizuki.
Ayame.
Odion.
Even Elias.
Even Hinabi.
All of them—
Frozen.
"…What… the hell…"
Fayzan muttered it.
Barely audible.
His eyes locked onto Ryota.
Then slowly—
Shifted to Rio.
Still walking.
Still calm.
And—
Smiling.
Just slightly.
Fayzan exhaled.
"…The other monster…"
A pause.
"…has arrived."