The battlefield never recovered.
The moment the first Allure appeared, the entire flow of combat had collapsed. What had once been a desperate fight for survival had become something far worse.
A hunt.
The ruined chamber was covered in shattered stone and blackened scorch marks from previous attacks. Cracks stretched across the floor like spiderwebs, and broken pillars leaned at dangerous angles around the battlefield. The air itself felt heavy from the overwhelming pressure radiating from the enemies.
Above the battlefield, two Allures hovered effortlessly.
Watching.
Smiling.
Waiting.
Their expressions carried the same amusement as predators staring down wounded prey.
Then they moved.
Kiraya reacted instantly.
Years of combat experience took over before conscious thought could even catch up. Her shield snapped upward while her sword followed immediately after.
CLANG!
The first strike crashed into her defense.
Her eyes widened.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Even for her.
The impact exploded through her arm and shoulder, forcing her backward. Her boots carved deep trenches through the broken stone floor as she struggled to maintain balance.
Before she could recover—
The second Allure attacked.
No hesitation.
No pause.
No opening.
A sweeping slash came from the side.
CRACK!
Kiraya twisted at the last possible second. Her shield intercepted most of the attack, but not all of it.
The force still punched through her defense.
"...Tch—!"
Pain shot through her arm.
She slid across the battlefield, barely managing to stay upright.
Behind her, the situation was even worse.
Elias remained standing, but only technically.
His body refused to cooperate.
His mana reserves had been completely drained.
Every breath felt heavy.
Every muscle screamed from exhaustion.
His legs trembled beneath him.
Nearby, Fayzan knelt on one knee.
The flames that normally surrounded him were gone.
Extinguished.
His breathing was uneven and ragged.
The fight had already taken everything he had.
They were still present.
Still conscious.
But no longer capable of fighting.
That left only one person standing between them and death.
Kiraya.
The two Allures immediately recognized it.
Their smiles widened.
One tilted her head slightly.
"Oh?"
Her voice dripped with amusement.
"You're the only one left?"
The second laughed softly.
"How unfortunate."
Then they attacked again.
Faster.
Sharper.
Relentless.
Kiraya blocked.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Steel rang endlessly throughout the chamber.
Each collision sent sparks flying across the darkness.
Each impact shook her body.
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The longer the fight continued, the more obvious it became.
The Allures weren't trying to kill her.
Not yet.
They were playing with her.
Every strike arrived with deliberate hesitation.
Every opening looked almost intentionally obvious.
Every movement carried mockery hidden beneath perfection.
"You're slow."
One disappeared before reappearing several meters away.
"Is this really all you've got?"
Kiraya gritted her teeth.
"...Shut up."
Flames reignited weakly around her sword.
She lunged forward.
But the Allures simply stepped aside.
Dodging effortlessly.
Smiling the entire time.
"Pathetic."
One vanished again.
This time she appeared directly behind Kiraya.
SLASH!
A blade sliced across her shoulder.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Not a killing blow.
Not even a serious wound.
A deliberate cut.
Measured.
Calculated.
The realization made Kiraya's stomach twist.
They weren't trying to end the fight.
They were breaking her.
Little by little.
Meanwhile, several meters away—
Rio lay motionless on the ground.
Her breathing was faint.
Weak.
Barely noticeable.
The system window floating before her continued flashing warnings.
1% HP.
0.8%.
0.6%.
Her vision blurred.
Darkness slowly crept across the edges of her sight.
The battlefield felt distant.
Muted.
Like she was sinking beneath deep water.
"...So this is..."
Her fingers twitched weakly.
Nothing else responded.
Her body refused to move.
Refused to listen.
"...Not yet..."
Then—
A voice reached her.
Faint.
Distant.
But unmistakably real.
"You're not going to end it all here... are you?"
Rio's fading consciousness stirred.
"...Who..."
Another voice followed.
"The journey hasn't even started yet."
The darkness around her shifted.
A third voice emerged.
Calm.
Filled with regret.
"You're the last hope at stopping my past mistakes."
A pause followed.
Then a whisper.
Sharp.
Determined.
"We can't let her win again."
"Not this time."
Rio's eyes trembled.
"...Saros...?"
Silence answered her.
Then another voice appeared.
Different.
Much rougher.
Colder.
A low growl echoed through the darkness.
Ancient.
Familiar.
Rio's breath caught.
"...That sound..."
She knew it.
She remembered it.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The growling voice spoke again.
"Tch."
"I hate this."
A pause followed.
Then a frustrated snarl.
"That white-haired idiot killed me."
Another growl.
"And then that stupid goddess turned me into her weapon."
The darkness trembled.
"You think I'm going to cooperate with either of you?"
The first voice laughed softly.
"Yes."
A pause.
"You're not going to let Allure defeat the person who defeated you, are you?"
Silence.
Then a much deeper growl echoed throughout the void.
"...Fine."
The answer came reluctantly.
Only barely.
"Only because I hate losing even more."
The pressure around Rio shifted.
The voice continued.
"And that annoying angel..."
A sharp snarl interrupted the sentence.
"With the stupidest laugh."
Rio's eyes widened.
The Silver Werewolf.
It was him.
The legendary beast.
The creature whose power had once shaken entire battlefields.
The werewolf growled one final time.
"So listen carefully."
His voice lowered.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
"I'll cooperate."
A pause.
"Just this once."
The darkness shattered.
"And I'll lend your champion my power."
Everything stopped.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
A violent pulse exploded from Rio's body.
Black energy erupted outward in every direction.
Wild.
Unstable.
Hungry.
The shockwave blasted across the battlefield.
Kiraya staggered backward.
Elias lifted his head.
Fayzan's eyes widened.
Even the Allures froze.
"...What?"
The black aura spiraled violently around Rio's body.
It devoured light.
Consumed shadows.
Twisted the atmosphere itself.
Then it changed.
The blackness shifted.
Deepened.
Refined.
Crimson.
A dark crimson so intense it swallowed everything around it.
The entire chamber drowned beneath that color.
Pressure descended upon the battlefield.
Ancient.
Predatory.
Unbearably heavy.
Rio's body slowly lifted from the ground.
Her eyes opened.
One remained blue.
The other burned crimson red.
Not fully human.
Not entirely something else.
But undeniably different.
The ground beneath her cracked.
Stone shattered apart.
Not from impact.
Not from force.
Simply from her presence.
Above her, the two Allures stopped smiling.
For the first time since entering the battlefield—
They looked serious.
Alert.
One narrowed her eyes.
"...Oh?"
The other stared.
"...Now that's new."
Rio said nothing.
The aura around her stabilized.
Sharp.
Controlled.
Dominant.
A predator had awakened.
Then a system notification appeared.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
Mythic Weapon: Crimson Bloodmoon has leveled up.
Current Level: 5
Another notification followed immediately.
New Skill Unlocked: Bloodmoon's Resonance
Rio glanced at the description.
A state awakened upon receiving a fatal strike.
A resonance between wielder and weapon.
Enter Bloodmoon Resonance State.
All physical attributes increased by 500%.
Skill usage disabled.
Duration: 300 seconds.
Cooldown: 170 hours.
Rio closed the window immediately.
No hesitation.
No fear.
No doubt.
Because she understood something instantly.
This wasn't a buff.
It was a choice.
And she had already made it.
The battlefield resumed.
The Allure pinning Ryota turned toward the sudden pressure.
Too late.
Rio was already standing beside her.
No sound.
No warning.
No visible movement.
Only presence.
The Allure's eyes widened.
"...Wha—"
She never finished.
A crimson flash appeared.
Then disappeared.
Silence followed.
Ryota fell free.
The Allure remained standing.
For half a second.
Then both arms slid from her body.
Her head followed.
Her corpse collapsed.
Dead.
Instantly.
Ryota stared.
His brain refused to process what had just happened.
"...What...?"
Rio was already gone.
When he blinked—
She stood beside Elias and Fayzan.
Holding him steady.
As if she had always been there.
"You're alive."
Her voice remained calm.
Cold.
Controlled.
She placed a potion into his hand.
His final healing potion.
"...Drink."
Then she vanished again.
The second Allure remained pinned beneath debris near Elias and Fayzan.
Still smiling.
Still mocking them.
Until she looked up.
Fear appeared immediately.
For the first time.
"—!"
Rio's blade descended.
One strike.
Clean.
Perfect.
The head separated from the body.
The smile disappeared forever.
Above them, the remaining Allures froze.
"...Impossible."
Their voices overlapped.
For the first time—
Uncertainty entered their expressions.
Then Rio appeared behind them.
No acceleration.
No movement.
No transition.
She was simply there.
Her leg moved.
CRASH!
One Allure plummeted toward the ground like a meteor.
She smashed through stone.
The impact shattered the battlefield beneath her.
At the exact same moment—
BANG!
Rio fired her musket.
The second Allure took the shot directly through the torso.
The force launched her backward through the air.
Her balance vanished instantly.
"...You—?!"
She never finished.
Rio disappeared.
Then reappeared beside the fallen Allure.
Before the creature could rise—
SLASH!
One strike.
One death.
Absolute.
Final.
The last remaining Allure hovered motionless above the battlefield.
No laughter.
No smile.
No mockery.
Only disbelief.
Only fear.
"...What..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"...What are you?"
Below her, Rio slowly lowered Crimson Bloodmoon.
Crimson energy flowed across her skin like living veins.
One blue eye.
One red eye.
Her gaze locked onto the final enemy.
Cold.
Silent.
Predatory.
She never answered.
She didn't need to.
Because for the very first time—
Allure was afraid.