The ruined streets of Rasul Village had become a battlefield.
Smoke drifted through the shattered buildings.
Blood painted the dirt roads crimson.
Broken walls collapsed beneath the force of continuous combat while Phantom Menace fought desperately against two monsters they completely underestimated.
CLANG
Sugolith's dagger collided violently against Crimson Bloodmoon.
Shockwaves erupted outward.
Rio's white hair danced beneath the desert wind while her glowing blue eyes remained completely focused on the mercenary leader in front of her.
Sugolith gritted his teeth.
"...You're seriously annoying."
Rio answered calmly—
"You're still alive."
Then she vanished.
Sugolith's eyes widened instantly.
Chronos Eye.
The world slowed.
Rio appeared above him immediately.
[Sword Skill: Moonlight Melody]
A massive crimson slash exploded downward toward Sugolith.
BOOOOOOM
The ground split apart violently.
Sugolith barely rolled aside in time as the energy wave carved directly through an entire ruined building behind him.
Stone exploded into the air.
Dust consumed the battlefield.
Rio landed lightly within the debris.
Then suddenly—
gunfire erupted from the rooftops.
BANG
BANG
BANG
Rio calmly raised her sword.
CLANG
CLANG
CLANG
The bullets deflected harmlessly away.
Then—
[Sword Skill: Butterfly Dance]
Four glowing blue butterflies materialized around her instantly.
The nearby mercenaries froze slightly.
"...What the hell are those?"
The butterflies scattered.
Like hunting spirits.
The first butterfly struck a rooftop sniper directly in the chest.
The second curved through the air and pierced another mercenary through the shoulder.
The third spiraled behind Sugolith.
The fourth flew upward toward another hidden gunman.
Then—
Chronos Eye activated.
The marked targets slowed instantly.
Their movements became sluggish.
Heavy.
Almost frozen.
Rio moved immediately.
Her crimson blade flashed once.
Then twice.
Then again.
Bodies collapsed across the battlefield before the mercenaries could even react.
Sugolith blocked another slash desperately.
CLANG
His arms trembled from the impact.
"...Monster."
Rio's expression remained calm.
"You're the one attacking civilians."
Meanwhile—
Ryota fought in the center of the ruined village.
The battlefield around him looked completely different from Rio's elegant destruction.
It was chaos.
Pure overwhelming force.
A mercenary rushed toward him with dual daggers.
Ryota blocked both strikes.
Then activated Scalular Impact.
BOOM
The mercenary flew backward through a broken cart violently.
Another enemy fired a rifle directly toward his face.
Ryota tilted aside.
The bullet grazed past him.
Then he stepped forward.
His fist connected against the mercenary's chest—
BOOOOOOM
The impact launched the player completely through a building wall.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Ryota breathed heavily.
He was improving rapidly.
Every battle pushed Scalular Impact further.
Every fight made him stronger.
Then suddenly—
three mercenaries attacked him simultaneously from different directions.
Ryota's eyes sharpened.
"...Alright."
Light suddenly erupted around him.
[Skill Activated: Radiance Crusade]
Golden energy exploded outward violently.
Dozens of glowing light projectiles materialized around Ryota like floating spears.
The surrounding mercenaries widened their eyes.
"...WHAT IS THAT?!"
Ryota clenched his fist.
Then combined it.
Scalular Impact.
The force around the light projectiles distorted violently.
Compressed.
Strengthened.
The air itself trembled.
Ryota swung his arm forward.
"GO."
The barrage erupted.
BOOOOOOOOM
Golden explosions consumed the battlefield instantly.
The enhanced light blasts tore through walls, debris, and mercenaries simultaneously.
Several players were obliterated instantly.
Others were launched violently through ruined buildings.
The entire street exploded beneath the overwhelming force.
Sugolith saw it happen from across the battlefield.
And his expression darkened immediately.
"...Are you kidding me?"
Rio smiled faintly.
"You picked the wrong guild."
Far away from the village—
within the rigid rocky mountains east of Rasul—
Sayanaki sprinted across narrow cliff paths while Ramos followed desperately behind her carrying the unconscious Silla.
The desert wind screamed violently around the canyon walls.
Behind them—
several Phantom Menace assassins continued chasing.
Skoll and Hati moved beside Sayanaki like shadows.
One assassin suddenly leaped from above.
The wolves reacted instantly.
ROOOOOOAR
Skoll slammed directly into the assassin midair.
The man screamed as both of them tumbled directly off the cliff edge.
His scream echoed downward endlessly before suddenly stopping.
Ramos paled instantly.
"...Oh my god..."
Sayanaki didn't even look back.
"Keep moving."
Eventually—
Ramos spotted something ahead.
"A cave!"
A narrow opening sat hidden between jagged canyon rocks.
Sayanaki immediately rushed toward it.
The inside was surprisingly dry.
Dark.
Hidden.
Safe enough temporarily.
Sayanaki finally stopped moving.
Then looked toward Ramos.
"Set her down."
Ramos carefully lowered Silla onto the cave floor.
Her breathing remained weak.
The wounds on her body looked worse now.
Sayanaki immediately opened her inventory.
Several items dropped onto the ground.
Food.
Bandages.
Water.
Medicine.
And a steel dagger.
She pointed toward Silla.
"Perform first aid."
Ramos blinked.
"...What?"
"Treat her wounds."
Then Sayanaki tossed the dagger toward him.
"Remove the cuffs."
Ramos caught it awkwardly.
Then immediately froze after realizing what she meant.
"...W-WAIT."
He looked completely panicked now.
"You want me to remove her clothes?!"
His face turned completely red.
"She's unconscious!"
Sayanaki stared at him blankly.
"...Are you stupid?"
Ramos panicked harder.
"N-NO THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN—"
Sayanaki sighed deeply.
Then pointed toward Silla coldly.
"She's injured."
"Wet."
"Exhausted."
"And wearing slave restraints."
She opened her inventory again and dropped folded female clothes onto the ground.
"Use the dagger."
"Remove the cuffs."
"Change her clothes."
"Treat the wounds."
Ramos looked like he was dying internally from embarrassment.
Sayanaki crossed her arms.
Then spoke slowly.
"Stop being a coward for once."
Ramos froze.
Sayanaki's crimson eyes locked directly onto him.
"Would you rather stand there embarrassed about changing an unconscious woman's clothes..."
"...and watch her die?"
Silence.
Her voice became colder.
"Or be a man and save her?"
Ramos looked down immediately.
His fists tightened.
"...You're right."
His voice became quieter.
"...I'm sorry."
For the first time in a while—
Sayanaki smiled faintly.
A very small smile.
"Good."
Then she slowly turned toward the cave entrance.
"Stay here."
She grabbed Fenrir's Fang.
"...I'll be back."
The moment she stepped outside—
the atmosphere changed instantly.
The canyon ahead was surrounded.
Twelve Phantom Menace assassins stood across the rocky cliffs.
Weapons drawn.
Bloodied.
Exhausted.
Skoll and Hati stood near the cliff edge growling viciously while surrounded from all sides.
One assassin laughed nervously.
"...Finally found the bitch."
Another pointed toward the cave.
"Boss wants the civilians alive."
Sayanaki slowly walked forward.
Her crimson hair swayed beneath the sunset winds.
Then—
she drew Fenrir's Fang.
Dark energy erupted outward.
Everyone froze slightly.
Sayanaki's eyes slowly lifted toward them.
And for the first time since the chase began—
she looked genuinely angry.
"...I'm in a bad mood because of you idiots."
The assassins immediately stiffened.
Sayanaki smiled.
A terrifying smile.
"Pardon me..."
Her voice echoed softly across the canyon.
"...but none of you are walking out of here alive."
Silence.
Then her smile widened further.
"You'll all die a gruesome death."
Back at Rasul Village—
Sugolith finally realized the battle was lost.
Half his men were already dead.
Ryota alone had wiped out multiple squads.
Rio still hadn't even looked tired.
And Sayanaki had completely escaped.
Sugolith blocked another strike from Rio desperately.
CLANG
Then immediately jumped backward.
"...RETREAT!"
The remaining Phantom Menace members froze.
Sugolith shouted again.
"NOW!"
The surviving mercenaries immediately began retreating through the ruined village.
Rio didn't chase them.
She simply watched calmly.
Then—
a notification appeared before her eyes.
[Sayanaki: We got out. Enemy has been neutralized. I'll send our location.]
Rio smiled slightly.
"...Good."
Sugolith noticed the expression immediately.
And for some reason—
that smile scared him more than the fighting did.
Meanwhile—
far within the rocky canyon—
the setting sun painted the cliffs crimson.
Blood covered the stone ground.
Bodies littered the canyon floor.
Some were missing heads.
Others had been stabbed repeatedly to the point they were barely recognizable.
Weapons were scattered everywhere.
The canyon looked like a slaughterhouse.
And sitting calmly atop a large rock—
was Sayanaki.
She quietly petted Skoll beside her while watching the sunset peacefully.
Hati rested nearby covered in blood.
The desert wind blew softly through her crimson hair.
And beneath the orange evening sky—
the assassin simply sat there silently.
As if the massacre surrounding her was completely normal.