The devastated village still carried the scent of dust and damp earth.
Arou, Emi, Nova, and Shion moved cautiously, scanning their surroundings. The quiet morning felt like a brief chance to breathe—but tension lingered heavily in the air.
Suddenly—
A shadow appeared atop a half-collapsed roof.
Akari leapt down lightly, landing with ease. She looked at the four heroes with a bright, casual smile.
"Good morning," she said. "Looks like you had a busy day yesterday."
Shi emerged on the opposite side, a massive scythe resting in her right hand. Her movements were slow, deliberate—yet the air around her felt unbearably heavy.
"Four heroes," Shi said flatly. "You're stronger than I expected."
Arou stared at them, eyes sharp. "So you're our enemies. There's no turning back now."
Nova stepped beside him, focusing on Akari and Shi. "We predict their movements. No openings—no matter how small."
Shion adjusted his stance, resting his sniper rifle against his shoulder. His gaze was steady.
"I'll cover from a distance. Don't let them attack at the same time."
Akari casually swung her arm, her steps light—but incredibly fast.
She moved first.
In an instant, she lunged toward Nova like a shadow. Nova blocked the strike, but the impact still pushed him back slightly.
Shi turned her gaze to Arou.
Then—
She swung her scythe horizontally.
Dust and broken wood burst into the air, forcing the heroes to reposition. Every movement she made was slow… yet filled with terrifying power, as if she were waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a killing blow.
Emi stepped forward, focusing her energy.
She blocked one of Akari's strikes, then countered with a swift kick.
Akari paused for a split second—then smiled again, as if she was enjoying every second of the fight.
Arou adjusted his distance, watching both Akari and Shi.
"We need to split them. Focus on one first—then the other."
Nova nodded. "Got it. I'll hold Akari. Arou, back Emi up against Shi."
From afar, Shion aimed carefully—but didn't fire.
Not yet.
He was waiting.
Counting every movement. Measuring every second.
The battle escalated rapidly.
Every strike… every step… felt like a deadly dance.
The four heroes fought in sync, protecting one another and combining their strengths—while the two villains proved they were far from ordinary opponents.
Dust swirled. Debris shifted.
The sound of impact echoed through the village, as if chaos itself had come alive once more—controlled, yet on the edge of breaking.
This was only the beginning.
And one thing was already clear—
The real battle would be far harder than they had imagined.
---
Arou fixed his gaze on Akari.
His body tensed, sword in hand, ready to strike her neck.
Akari met his eyes, her bright smile unchanged—almost inviting the attack.
Then—
A blur cut between them.
Arou's blade stopped mid-air—just inches from Akari's neck.
Airi.
Her gaze was cold. Controlled.
With a swift motion, she deflected Arou's strike. Energy rippled along her blade, stirring the dust around them into a slow spiral.
"Enough," Airi said calmly. "No one needs to die right now."
Before Arou could react—
Another presence emerged.
Lumina.
She stepped forward slowly, a faint smile on her lips. A subtle energy surrounded her, making the heroes' movements feel heavier—slower, as if something unseen was holding them back.
Akari glanced at them casually. "You showed up sooner than I expected."
Arou lowered his sword slightly. "Why interfere?" His voice was firm.
Airi looked straight at him. "This game isn't just about you and Akari. We exist to maintain balance."
Lumina added softly, "End this fight for now. Acting recklessly will cost everyone."
The heroes remained on guard.
They could feel it—
These two were on an entirely different level.
Akari simply smiled.
Shi stood quietly, her scythe ready to move at any moment.
And then—
The sky cracked.
A blinding light pierced through the village.
A tall figure slowly descended, his aura so overwhelming that dust was blown away and the ground trembled beneath him.
Zata.
"Enough."
His voice echoed—calm, yet filled with absolute power. Everyone froze.
"This fight is too small for me. I am here to observe… and to restore balance."
Arou, Emi, Nova, and Shion stared at him.
The sheer energy radiating from his presence made it clear—
This was no human. No monster.
Airi and Lumina stood behind the heroes, their expressions signaling one thing:
This time… everyone was facing something far beyond themselves.
Akari stepped back slightly.
Shi halted her motion.
Even they understood—
Zata was not something to take lightly.
The ruined village bore witness.
The next battle was no longer heroes versus villains.
Everyone now stood under Zata's gaze.
Arou clenched his fists, staring at him.
"This time… there's no turning back."
Zata smiled faintly.
Energy swirled around him.
This—
Was the beginning of a new phase.
---
"This time," Arou said firmly, "we work together. Whatever differences we have—they don't matter now."
Emi nodded.
Nova and Shion steadied themselves.
Even Akari and Shi adjusted their stances, their focus now fully on Zata.
But before anything could begin—
Zata moved.
His speed was unimaginable.
In an instant—
He appeared in front of Emi.
No one could react.
No one could see it clearly.
His strike landed with perfect precision.
Emi's head was severed instantly.
Silence.
Everything froze.
Heroes. Villains.
None of them could comprehend what had just happened.
Zata looked at them calmly.
"I used only 0.001% of my power," he said softly, his voice echoing through the air. "And that was merely to minimize the damage here."
He paused.
"Imagine what would happen… if I used it all."
Arou gripped his sword tightly. His body trembled. Tears began to fall.
Nova stared, pale and speechless.
Shion's breath caught—his sniper slipping slightly from his hands in shock.
Even the villains were shaken.
Akari stared at Emi's fallen body.
Shi's scythe stopped mid-motion.
Airi and Lumina exchanged glances—
Realizing that Zata's power far exceeded anything they had imagined.
The ruins trembled again.
The wind swirled, carrying an overwhelming aura of destruction.
"This… is only 0.001%?" Akari whispered, her voice barely audible.
Zata smiled faintly.
"Now you understand the scale of the danger you face. Everything you thought you could control… is nothing but an illusion."
Fear gripped both heroes and villains alike.
They understood now—
Facing Zata wasn't just a battle of strength.
It was facing an existence capable of destroying everything… with barely any effort.
Arou lowered his head, looking at Emi—
Then raised his gaze toward Zata, eyes burning.
"If that's what you can do with 0.001%… then I won't let you do it again."
Zata simply smiled.
The air around him began to swirl once more.
The true battle—
Had only just begun.