The meal ended much later than any of them expected.
What had started as a simple reunion inside a village restaurant had unexpectedly turned into one of the most important moments in Crowned Era's history.
Two new officers.
Two experienced veterans.
And most importantly—
two people Rio genuinely trusted.
As the group stepped outside the restaurant, the afternoon sunlight greeted them once again.
The village of Savan remained lively despite the growing hour.
Players moved through the streets carrying supplies.
NPC merchants advertised their wares.
Children ran between market stalls.
The scent of grilled meat drifted from nearby food stands.
For a brief moment, it felt peaceful.
A rare feeling lately.
Rio adjusted the strap of her musket while looking toward Kiraya and Hinabi.
"Ready?"
Kiraya nodded.
"Ready for what exactly?"
Rio answered casually.
"We're heading to Floor Three."
The words hit like a truck.
Kiraya froze.
Hinabi froze.
Even the NPC merchant nearby almost looked surprised.
"...What?"
Kiraya stared.
Rio blinked.
"What?"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT?"
Kiraya pointed directly at her.
"We literally joined ten minutes ago!"
Rio nodded.
"Yeah."
"And now you're going to Floor Three!?"
"Yeah."
"THAT'S NOT A NORMAL RESPONSE!"
Ryota immediately nodded.
"She's got a point."
Rio tilted her head.
"I thought it was."
"No."
"It isn't."
"At all."
Hinabi rubbed her forehead.
"I feel like I've joined a guild run by lunatics."
Ryota immediately raised his hand.
"Welcome to Crowned Era."
Rio kicked him.
Again.
After several seconds of recovering from the shock, Kiraya finally sighed.
"Alright."
She pointed at Rio.
"Explain."
Rio immediately shook her head.
"No."
Kiraya blinked.
"What?"
Rio pointed behind herself.
"Too many people."
Kiraya followed her gaze.
Silla.
Ramos.
The Doctor.
Versoza.
Assassins.
Floor Two.
Everything that had happened.
It was a lot.
Way too much for a quick explanation in the middle of a village.
"...Fair."
Kiraya finally admitted.
Hinabi nodded.
"We'll hear it later."
The group began moving through the village streets.
Naturally—
they formed positions without even discussing it.
Kiraya and Hinabi walked in front.
Both had leadership experience.
Both knew how to scout routes and identify potential problems.
Behind them walked Rio and Silla.
The purple-haired girl now wore a cloak with the hood pulled low.
Most of her face remained hidden.
Only a few strands of shortened purple-dyed hair peeked out beneath the fabric.
Meanwhile—
Ryota remained at the rear.
His hand rested near his weapon.
His eyes continuously scanned rooftops.
Windows.
Alleys.
Crowds.
Anywhere someone could be watching.
It was subtle.
But Kiraya noticed immediately.
For someone who normally acted like a carefree idiot—
Ryota became surprisingly reliable when protecting people.
As they walked, Kiraya eventually glanced toward Silla.
The young NPC looked nervous.
Almost frightened.
She kept her head lowered.
Avoiding attention.
Trying not to be noticed.
Kiraya frowned slightly.
Then looked at Rio.
"Can I ask something?"
Rio nodded.
"Sure."
Kiraya gestured toward Silla.
"Why is she hiding?"
Silla visibly stiffened.
Rio immediately noticed.
"It's alright."
She spoke gently.
"Kiraya's one of us."
Silla slowly relaxed.
Then Rio explained everything.
The raid.
Ramos.
The kidnappings.
The village.
The Doctor.
The assassins.
The tracker.
The pursuit.
Everything.
The further Rio explained—
the more serious Kiraya and Hinabi became.
By the time she finished—
both women were silent.
Kiraya's expression darkened.
Hinabi's eyes narrowed.
Neither liked what they had just heard.
Not one bit.
Finally—
Kiraya looked directly at Silla.
The former vice-captain smiled softly.
"You don't have to worry."
Silla looked up.
"We'll protect you too."
The sincerity in her voice immediately surprised the young girl.
Kiraya wasn't saying it because Rio recruited her.
She genuinely meant it.
Hinabi nodded beside her.
"You're safe with us."
Then she glanced toward Rio.
A small smile appeared.
"Especially with Rio around."
Silla followed her gaze.
Rio awkwardly scratched her cheek.
"You're making me sound more impressive than I am."
"Because you are."
Kiraya answered immediately.
The response earned a laugh from everyone.
Even Silla smiled.
A small smile.
But a real one.
And for someone who had spent weeks being hunted—
that was enough.
The group continued through Savan's streets.
Eventually leaving the busier district behind.
The crowds slowly thinned.
Buildings became sparse.
The roads became quieter.
The atmosphere became calmer.
As they walked—
Kiraya suddenly remembered something.
"Actually."
Rio glanced over.
"What?"
Kiraya looked thoughtful.
"There was something strange that happened on Floor One."
Rio immediately became interested.
"Strange how?"
Kiraya folded her arms.
"I saw a girl."
Rio blinked.
"Okay?"
Kiraya continued.
"A girl who looked exactly like you."
Rio froze.
"...What?"
Hinabi immediately nodded.
"I saw her too."
Now Rio was interested.
Very interested.
Kiraya continued.
"At first I thought it was you."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Kiraya scratched her cheek.
"It wasn't just similar."
"I genuinely thought it was you."
Rio remained silent.
Waiting.
Kiraya continued.
"Same white hair."
"Same face."
"Same body build."
"Same expression."
"Same stubborn look."
Rio immediately frowned.
"I don't have a stubborn look."
Everyone looked at her.
Rio looked away.
"...Never mind."
Kiraya laughed.
Then continued.
"The only real difference was her eyes."
Rio raised an eyebrow.
"What color?"
"Violet."
Rio froze.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Kiraya didn't notice.
Hinabi didn't notice.
Only Ryota did.
And the moment he noticed—
a huge grin appeared on his face.
"Oh."
Rio immediately knew that tone.
"Don't."
Ryota ignored her.
A terrible mistake.
A catastrophic mistake.
One capable of destroying worlds.
Or at least Rio's peace.
He looked at Kiraya.
Then Hinabi.
Then back at Rio.
And smiled.
"Maybe her sister finally started playing."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Kiraya froze.
Hinabi froze.
Silla looked confused.
Rio immediately covered her face.
"...Ryota."
"What?"
"Why."
Ryota looked proud of himself.
"I think it's a valid theory."
Kiraya slowly pointed at Rio.
"Wait."
"You have a sister?"
Hinabi looked equally shocked.
"You never mentioned that."
Rio sighed.
A very long sigh.
The sigh of someone whose embarrassing secrets were being exposed against her will.
"Yes."
Kiraya blinked.
"Seriously?"
Rio nodded.
"Seriously."
Hinabi looked intrigued.
"You have a younger sister?"
Rio nodded again.
"But I don't remember her playing the game"
"If she did she would have told me about it"
Kiraya immediately stepped closer.
The curiosity in her eyes had reached dangerous levels.
"A younger sister."
"That looks exactly like you."
"With violet eyes."
Rio immediately knew where this was going.
And she hated it.
"Oh no."
Kiraya smiled.
"Oh yes."
Hinabi smiled too.
And suddenly—
both women looked far more interested in Rio's family than Floor Three.
Meanwhile—
behind them—
Silla quietly giggled.
For the first time in days.
And somehow—
that made the entire walk feel lighter.
The road leading out of Savan stretched toward the endless orange horizon.
The afternoon sun bathed the dunes in gold while warm winds swept across the sands.
Their group moved steadily through the outskirts of the village.
Kiraya and Hinabi remained at the front.
Silla walked near the center beside Rio, her hood pulled low over her head.
Ryota stayed several steps behind everyone, occasionally glancing toward rooftops, windows, and distant hills.
Old habits died hard.
Especially when assassins were involved.
The conversation naturally drifted back toward the mysterious girl Kiraya had mentioned.
Rio folded her arms.
"Tell me more."
Kiraya smiled.
"I knew you'd ask."
Hinabi chuckled.
"She looked genuinely interested."
Rio ignored the comment.
"What exactly was she like?"
Kiraya thought for a moment.
"Well..."
"We first saw her near one of the beginner hunting areas."
"The Forest Boars."
Rio nodded.
A common training zone.
Nothing unusual there.
Kiraya continued.
"At first I thought it was you."
"You already said that."
"No, I mean I genuinely thought it was you."
Kiraya pointed at Rio.
"The resemblance was ridiculous."
"Same white hair long but a slight difference on hairstyle."
"Same face but purple eyes instead of blue."
"Same sword like weapon, only hers was a katana"
"Same serious expression."
Rio frowned.
"I don't always look serious."
"Yes you do."
"Yes you do."
Both Kiraya and Hinabi answered simultaneously.
Rio immediately looked away.
"...Never mind."
Ryota laughed.
Silla quietly giggled beneath her hood.
Kiraya continued.
"The difference wasn't appearance."
"It was personality."
Rio looked curious.
"What do you mean?"
Kiraya smiled.
"She was stubborn."
Rio blinked.
Hinabi burst out laughing.
Kiraya continued.
"Very stubborn."
"She kept trying the same attack over and over."
Rio immediately became interested.
"What attack?"
"Lightning."
That answer made Rio pause.
Kiraya nodded.
"She had some kind of lightning sword."
"And a lightning skill."
"Every time she used it..."
Hinabi covered her mouth.
Trying not to laugh.
Kiraya continued.
"It missed."
Rio blinked.
"...Missed?"
Hinabi nodded.
"Repeatedly."
"Painfully repeatedly."
Kiraya laughed.
"You know what the funny part was?"
"What?"
"She almost never hit her actual target."
Rio stared.
"...Then what did she hit?"
Both women looked at each other.
Then simultaneously answered.
"Birds."
Silence.
Rio stared.
Ryota stared.
Silla stared.
"...Birds?"
Kiraya nodded.
"Birds."
Hinabi crossed her arms.
"I've never seen someone hit so many birds by accident."
Rio looked genuinely confused.
"How?"
"I don't know."
"None of us know."
Kiraya laughed.
"The boar would be right in front of her."
"Then somehow a bird several meters away would get hit instead."
Ryota immediately started laughing.
Rio rubbed her forehead.
Why did that sound familiar?
Far too familiar.
Kiraya continued.
"There was one attack."
"A huge lightning slash."
"It completely missed the monster."
Rio looked concerned.
"What did it hit?"
"A tree."
"Okay."
"The tree fell."
"...Okay."
"The tree crushed another bird."
Rio immediately covered her face.
Silla nearly fell over trying not to laugh.
Even Rio couldn't deny it anymore.
That sounded exactly like Akari.
Way too much like Akari.
Kiraya noticed Rio's reaction.
"...Wait."
"You know someone like that?"
Rio sighed.
"I might."
"I remember when we were kids, my little sister was not really into sports that involves hitting something"
"She could not hit anything with a ball even if the target was right in front of her"
Kiraya and Hinabi exchanged looks.
Then continued.
"The girl wasn't alone."
Rio immediately looked up.
That got her attention.
"Who was with her?"
Kiraya smiled.
"A pink-haired girl."
Rio froze.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Kiraya continued.
"Very cheerful."
"Very energetic."
"Very talkative."
"Honestly she was smiling the entire time."
Rio's eyes widened slightly.
Hinabi nodded.
"She looked like a rookie tamer."
Rio remained silent.
Kiraya continued.
"She had a slime."
"A blue one."
"A tiny thing."
"Honestly I think she just picked the cutest monster she could find."
Ryota slowly turned toward Rio.
Rio slowly turned toward Ryota.
Both of them already knew.
There weren't many possibilities anymore.
Ryota finally spoke.
"Wait."
Rio sighed.
"What."
"Does your sister have any friends?"
Rio immediately answered.
"One."
Kiraya looked interested.
"Only one?"
Rio nodded.
"Her best friend."
"A pink-haired girl."
Silence.
The group stopped walking.
Kiraya slowly looked at Hinabi.
Hinabi slowly looked at Kiraya.
Both slowly turned toward Rio.
Rio stared back.
Nobody said anything.
Then—
"Oh."
"OH."
Rio sighed.
"Yeah."
Kiraya pointed dramatically.
"IT'S HER."
Rio rubbed her temples.
"It probably is."
Hinabi laughed.
"That's definitely your sister."
Rio wasn't convinced yet.
But honestly?
The evidence was becoming ridiculous.
Lightning powers matching her personality.
White hair.
Violet eyes.
Bad aim.
Pink-haired best friend.
A slime.
At this point it would be stranger if it wasn't Akari.
The game Evermount character creation system scans your actual features.
You can slightly change the hair color but the eyes and body figure don't lie.
Kiraya looked curious.
"Wouldn't she tell you?"
Rio frowned.
"That's the weird part."
Everyone looked at her.
Rio continued.
"If Akari got the game..."
"She would've told me."
Kiraya nodded.
That seemed reasonable.
Rio continued.
"Especially because the game isn't cheap."
That surprised both women.
Rio rarely talked about real life.
The fact she brought it up at all caught their attention.
She looked toward the horizon.
"Honestly..."
"My family isn't rich."
The atmosphere grew quieter.
Rio's voice remained calm.
"We're fine."
"We eat."
"We have a home."
"But we're not exactly living in comfort and luxury"
Kiraya listened carefully.
Rio continued.
"My mother works really hard."
"And Akari never asks for anything."
That statement carried a surprising amount of affection.
Rio smiled slightly.
"She's always been like that."
"If she wants something..."
"She usually gives up before asking."
Kiraya frowned.
Rio continued.
"Which is why I started taking Evermount seriously."
Everyone looked at her.
Rio smiled.
"I wanted to help."
The answer was simple.
Yet it carried tremendous weight.
"The money from tournaments."
"The sponsorship opportunities."
"Guild rewards."
"Everything."
"I wanted to help my family."
Kiraya stared quietly.
For some reason—
that answer felt exactly like Rio.
Not because she was powerful.
Not because she was famous.
But because she was kind.
The type of kindness that rarely announced itself.
Hinabi smiled.
"That's admirable."
Rio looked embarrassed.
"It really isn't."
"It is."
Kiraya immediately answered.
Rio didn't argue further.
After a moment she sighed.
"If this really is Akari..."
"I'll probably look for her later."
Ryota grinned.
"You mean immediately."
"Later."
"Immediately."
"Later once we reach Floor 3"
"There a teleporter we could use to travel back to Floor 1"
Everyone laughed.
The tension disappeared once more.
As they continued walking, the landscape gradually changed.
The village disappeared behind them.
The rocky terrain returned.
Large stone formations rose from the sands.
The familiar hideout area slowly came into view.
And then—
everyone stopped.
Kiraya's smile vanished.
Hinabi's expression hardened.
Silla froze.
The ground was stained red.
Blood.
A lot of blood.
Bodies were scattered across the area.
Weapons.
Armor pieces.
Broken equipment.
Signs of a violent battle.
Atop a large rock—
sat Sayanaki.
One leg hanging casually over the edge.
Her dagger rested across her lap.
She looked completely relaxed.
As if the dozens of corpses surrounding her were perfectly normal.
Beside her sat Ramos.
The poor NPC looked significantly more traumatized than before.
Rio stared at the scene.
"...What happened?"
Sayanaki looked up.
"Oh."
"Welcome back."
Rio pointed at the battlefield.
"What happened?"
Sayanaki shrugged.
"A few people came looking."
"A few?"
Ramos looked horrified.
"It was twenty-three!"
"Twenty-four."
Sayanaki corrected.
"One ran."
Ramos looked even more horrified.
Kiraya slowly stared at the mountain of corpses.
Then at Sayanaki.
Then back at the corpses.
"She's also a crazy monster."
Hinabi nodded immediately.
"Agreed."
Sayanaki smiled.
Meanwhile—
far away on Floor One—
inside a dark dungeon illuminated by glowing crystals—
Akari sneezed.
"Huh?"
Memory looked over.
"What happened?"
Akari rubbed her nose.
"No idea."
Beside her—
Bubbles the blue slime trembled in Memory's arms.
The little slime remained traumatized from the spiders they encountered earlier.
Memory hugged it tightly.
"It's okay Bubbles."
"We'll protect you."
The slime happily bounced against her chest.
Akari smiled.
Then looked deeper into the dungeon.
Neither girl realized it.
But somewhere far away—
their paths were already beginning to move toward Crowned Era.
And eventually toward Rio.