The desert wind howled softly through the ruined streets of Rasul Village.
Ash drifted through the air like black snow.
Broken houses lined the empty roads while burned rice fields stretched endlessly beyond the village walls.
The silence felt unnatural.
Heavy.
Dead.
Sayanaki slowly stepped forward.
Her crimson eyes remained locked toward one of the ruined homes near the center of the village.
"...We're not alone."
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Ryota immediately grabbed the handle of his sword.
Ramos visibly stiffened.
Rio calmly raised her musket toward the damaged house wall.
The barrel pointed directly toward the source of the sound.
Sayanaki's hand slowly rested against Fenrir's Fang.
The legendary dagger emitted a faint crimson glow beneath the sunlight.
Then she spoke calmly.
"Whoever's behind the wall..."
Her voice echoed quietly across the abandoned village.
"...come out."
Silence.
Nothing moved.
The wind continued blowing through the empty streets.
Sayanaki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Last warning."
Still—
no response.
Ryota quietly whispered—
"...Maybe nobody's there?"
Sayanaki immediately answered.
"Someone is breathing."
Ramos paled instantly.
The next moment—
Sayanaki activated Fenrir's Fang.
A massive crimson magic circle erupted beneath her feet.
Dark energy exploded outward violently.
Then—
ROOOOOOOAR
Two gigantic spectral wolves burst from the magic formation.
Skoll.
And Hati.
Their glowing crimson eyes immediately locked onto the ruined house.
The wolves moved instantly.
CRASH
The wall exploded apart as both beasts smashed through the wooden structure violently.
A scream echoed from inside.
Then moments later—
the wolves emerged dragging someone across the dirt ground.
Ryota's eyes widened.
"...Wait—!"
The wolves threw the person directly in front of Sayanaki.
It was a girl.
Young.
Probably around their age.
Orange hair covered in dirt and dust.
Bright blue eyes barely open from exhaustion.
Her body was covered in cuts and bruises.
She wore ragged torn clothing stained with dried blood and mud.
Heavy metal cuffs restrained both her wrists.
And another iron restraint wrapped tightly around her neck.
She looked half-starved.
Like she hadn't eaten properly in days.
Ryota froze completely.
"...She's just a girl..."
Ramos suddenly stepped forward in shock.
"...Silla?"
The girl weakly lifted her head.
Her blue eyes widened slightly.
"...R...Ramos...?"
Ramos looked like his entire world had stopped.
"...No way..."
His voice trembled.
"...Silla..."
Rio glanced toward him immediately.
"You know her?"
Ramos nodded rapidly.
"She's..."
His breathing became shaky.
"...the village chief's daughter."
Silence hit the group instantly.
Sayanaki slowly looked down toward the girl again.
The wolves growled softly beside her.
But this time—
her expression slightly changed.
Not softer.
But quieter.
She deactivated Fenrir's Fang.
The crimson magic instantly disappeared.
Skoll and Hati dissolved into dark particles before vanishing completely.
Silla weakly collapsed onto the dirt ground the moment the wolves disappeared.
She looked completely exhausted.
Ryota immediately crouched beside her.
"...She's burning up."
Rio knelt beside the girl carefully.
Her eyes scanned the restraints.
"...These cuffs are item suppressors."
Sayanaki crossed her arms.
"Slave restraints."
Ramos clenched his fists tightly.
"...Those bastards..."
Silla weakly grabbed Ramos' sleeve.
"...Everyone..."
Tears formed in her eyes.
"...They're gone..."
Before anyone could respond—
BANG
BANG
BANG
Gunfire suddenly erupted from all directions.
Rio reacted instantly.
CLANG
A bullet ricocheted off her saber as she moved in front of Silla.
Ryota immediately drew his sword.
Sayanaki vanished.
Multiple bullets slammed into nearby walls and shattered windows violently.
Wood exploded apart around them.
Ramos panicked.
"W-WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"
"AMBUSH!" Ryota shouted.
More gunfire erupted from surrounding rooftops.
The ruined village instantly transformed into a battlefield.
Rio fired her musket upward immediately.
BANG
One sniper barely avoided the shot before disappearing behind a rooftop.
Sayanaki suddenly reappeared beside Ramos and Silla.
Her dagger moved instantly—
CLANG
CLANG
CLANG
Three bullets were deflected away from the unconscious girl.
Ryota blocked another incoming rifle shot with his blade.
The impact nearly pushed him backward.
"...They're everywhere!"
Figures slowly emerged from the surrounding buildings.
Players.
At least twelve of them.
All wore black desert combat coats reinforced with light armor plating.
Their guild emblem resembled a distorted phantom skull surrounded by chains.
Rifles.
Daggers.
Crossbows.
Every single one of them looked experienced.
Dangerous.
One player slowly stepped forward from the center.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Scar across his nose.
A massive rifle rested against his shoulder casually.
His brown hair swayed beneath the desert wind as he looked toward the group with visible amusement.
Then he smiled.
"...Well now."
"So this is where our missing cargo ended up."
Ramos immediately turned pale.
"...No..."
Rio's eyes narrowed.
The man pointed his rifle toward Silla casually.
"Hand over the girl."
Then toward Ramos.
"And the farmer."
Sayanaki's crimson eyes sharpened instantly.
The man smirked wider.
"Allow me to introduce ourselves."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"Mercenary Guild..."
"...Phantom Menace."
Ryota frowned immediately.
"...That sounds evil on purpose."
"Because we are."
The man laughed.
Then pointed toward himself proudly.
"My name is Sugolith."
"I'm the Guild's Expediation Party Leader and the last name you will ever hear"
His men slowly surrounded the ruined street.
Weapons raised.
Rio quietly counted their positions.
Seven rooftops.
Four flank positions.
One rear sniper.
Professional formation.
Sayanaki noticed it too.
Sugolith casually adjusted the rifle on his shoulder.
"We were hired to retrieve those two."
His eyes shifted toward Silla.
"And trust me..."
"...our employer pays very well."
Rio's voice became colder.
"...The Doctor."
Sugolith smiled immediately.
"So you do know him."
That confirmed it.
Ryota tightened his grip on his sword.
"...You're kidnapping civilians?"
Sugolith shrugged casually.
"Money is money."
Silla weakly trembled on the ground.
Ramos immediately stepped in front of her protectively despite clearly being terrified.
Sugolith laughed loudly seeing it.
"...Wow."
"The farmer actually grew a spine."
His expression suddenly darkened.
"Unfortunately..."
Every mercenary raised their weapons simultaneously.
"...if you don't hand them over—"
CLICK
Rifles loaded.
Crossbows tightened.
Mana rounds glowed.
Sugolith smiled coldly.
"...we'll kill all of you."
The desert wind howled violently through the destroyed village.
And for the first time since arriving in Versoza—
Rio slowly smiled.
The desert wind screamed through the ruined streets of Rasul Village.
Broken houses rattled beneath the pressure of the rising tension while Phantom Menace slowly surrounded the group from every direction.
Rifles aimed downward from rooftops.
Daggers glimmered between ruined alleyways.
Crossbows tightened.
And directly in the center of it all—
Sugolith smiled coldly.
"...We'll kill all of you."
Silence.
Then—
Rio smiled.
Not nervously.
Not arrogantly.
Calmly.
Like his threat genuinely didn't matter.
Sugolith's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then suddenly—
BANG
BANG
BANG
BANG
Rio fired four shots instantly.
The muzzle flashes illuminated the ruined street like lightning.
The mercenaries reacted immediately.
Two jumped backward off the rooftops.
One rolled behind a broken wall.
Another barely twisted his head aside as the bullet scraped across his cheek.
The four shots missed by centimeters—
but the pressure alone forced Phantom Menace to retreat several steps.
Sugolith clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"...Tch."
Rio calmly spun the musket once before lowering it slightly.
Her blue eyes locked directly onto Sugolith.
"Unfortunately for you..."
She took one slow step forward.
"...if you want them—"
CRIMSON LIGHT erupted around her hand.
A massive magic circle appeared beneath her feet.
Then—
Crimson Bloodmoon materialized instantly.
The red blade glowed violently beneath the sunlight.
"...you have to go through us."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Even Phantom Menace's members visibly stiffened.
Sugolith stared at the sword for a brief moment.
Then sighed in annoyance.
"...This is your last chance."
His voice became colder now.
"Hand them over."
"They aren't your problem."
"So why bother with all this trouble?"
The ruined village became quiet.
Rio's expression never changed.
Not even slightly.
She calmly rested Crimson Bloodmoon against her shoulder.
Completely unfazed by the threat surrounding them.
Then answered quietly—
"Unfortunately for you..."
Her eyes sharpened.
"...this is our problem."
Ramos froze.
Silla weakly looked upward from Ramos' arms.
Even Ryota blinked slightly.
Then Rio pointed her sword toward Sugolith directly.
"Starting now..."
Her voice echoed across the ruined streets.
"...I, Rio—"
"...Leader of Crowned Era—"
The crimson aura around her blade intensified.
"...officially declare Ramos and Silla members of our guild."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ramos' eyes widened completely.
"...W-What?"
Silla weakly stared at Rio in disbelief.
Sugolith slowly frowned.
Rio's gaze remained cold.
"If you want them..."
She raised Crimson Bloodmoon fully.
"...you go through us."
The air exploded.
CLANG
Sugolith instantly appeared in front of Rio.
Daggers collided against Crimson Bloodmoon violently.
Shockwaves burst outward across the ruined street.
Ryota's eyes widened.
"...FAST—!"
Sugolith smirked while locking blades against Rio.
"So you're the guild leader."
Rio pushed him backward instantly.
"And you're annoying."
CLANG
CLANG
CLANG
Their weapons collided repeatedly at terrifying speed.
Sugolith moved like a professional assassin.
Fast.
Precise.
Lethal.
But Rio matched him effortlessly.
Every dagger strike was perfectly blocked.
Every feint countered instantly.
Meanwhile—
the rest of Phantom Menace attacked simultaneously.
"TAKE THE TARGETS!"
Mercenaries rushed from every direction.
Rooftops.
Alleys.
Broken buildings.
Bullets and blades surged toward Silla and Ramos instantly.
Ryota immediately stepped forward.
"I'll stop them!"
CLANG
He blocked a curved saber strike directly in front of Ramos.
Then kicked the attacker backward violently.
Sayanaki moved beside him instantly.
Her crimson eyes scanned the battlefield rapidly.
Too many enemies.
Too many angles.
They couldn't protect civilians while fighting freely.
Ryota realized it immediately too.
He looked toward Sayanaki.
"Get Ramos and Silla out of here."
Sayanaki glanced toward him once.
"You sure?"
Ryota grinned slightly while raising his sword.
"Rio and I can handle this."
Several mercenaries charged toward them at once.
Ryota stepped forward.
"I'll clear the path."
Sayanaki stared at him for half a second.
Then nodded once.
"...Fine."
She activated Fenrir's Fang again.
Dark crimson energy exploded outward.
ROOOOOOOAR
Skoll and Hati materialized beside her instantly.
The spectral wolves growled viciously toward the approaching mercenaries.
Sayanaki looked toward Ryota.
"Cover me."
Ryota smirked.
"Got it."
Then—
[Scalular Impact]
The air around Ryota distorted violently.
He clenched his fist.
Then punched the ground.
BOOOOOOOOM
The entire street exploded.
Dust.
Sand.
Broken stone.
Everything erupted upward into a massive shockwave.
A gigantic smokescreen instantly swallowed the battlefield.
Phantom Menace immediately lost visibility.
"What the hell?!"
"I CAN'T SEE!"
"WHERE'D THEY GO?!"
Inside the smoke—
Sayanaki moved instantly.
"Move."
She grabbed Ramos by the shoulder.
Ramos quickly lifted the unconscious Silla into his arms in a princess carry.
His movements were shaky—
but determined.
Sayanaki immediately sprinted forward.
Skoll and Hati rushed beside them like shadows.
Several mercenaries suddenly emerged through the smoke trying to intercept them.
The wolves attacked instantly.
CRUNCH
One mercenary screamed as Skoll tore directly into his shoulder.
Hati slammed another into a broken wall violently.
Sayanaki moved like a phantom between them.
Her dagger flashed once.
A mercenary collapsed immediately clutching his throat.
Ramos followed behind her desperately while carrying Silla.
The unconscious girl weakly held onto his shirt.
Meanwhile—
inside the smokescreen—
Sugolith suddenly realized what happened.
"...Tch."
His expression darkened instantly.
"THEY'RE ESCAPING!"
He immediately shouted toward his guild members.
"CHASE AFTER THEM!"
Several mercenaries turned immediately toward the smoke trail left by Sayanaki.
Then—
Ryota appeared directly in front of them.
His sword blocked the narrow ruined street completely.
The smoke swirled behind him dramatically.
His white hair moved beneath the desert wind.
And for the first time since arriving in Floor Two—
Ryota smiled confidently.
"...Sorry."
He raised his sword slowly.
"...Road's closed."
The mercenaries charged instantly.
Ryota stepped forward.
CLANG
The first saber strike collided against his blade.
Ryota redirected the force instantly using Scalular Impact.
Then countered.
BOOM
The mercenary was launched backward through an entire wall.
Another enemy attacked from behind.
Ryota spun immediately—
his elbow enhanced with compressed force.
CRACK
The mercenary flew across the street violently.
Sugolith clicked his tongue again while clashing against Rio.
"...Your newbie is annoying."
Rio calmly parried another dagger strike.
"He's improving."
Then suddenly—
Chronos Eye activated.
The world slowed instantly.
Sugolith's eyes widened slightly.
"...Oh no."
Rio disappeared.
Then reappeared directly behind him.
Crimson Bloodmoon slashed downward violently.
Sugolith barely blocked in time—
CLANG
The impact shattered the ground beneath his feet.
And deeper within the ruined village—
Sayanaki, Ramos, and Silla disappeared further into the burning remains of Rasul Village while Phantom Menace became trapped fighting Rio and Ryota instead.