Hearing Arezo's words, the adventurers' spirits seemed to revive. The fear that had been squeezing their throats moments ago was replaced by a trembling courage—one born more from desperation than confidence.
Four adventurers who looked so alike they were almost indistinguishable stepped forward simultaneously. Each drew twin short swords from their sheaths and held them in front of their chests; the blades glinted in the firelight.
"The Guildmaster's right…"
"Let's show him the power of our guild…"
"It's been a while since we've had entertainment like this…"
"I'm sure he'll keep us well amused…"
A bit further away, another adventurer yanked his sword free from its sheath. Grinding his teeth, anger laced with fear, he shouted at Lioran.
"I'll avenge Commander Siko! I'll break your arms myself, You piece of shit!"
Two more adventurers stepped into the fray—one swung his battle axe, the weapon cutting through the air with a heavy whoosh, while the other lowered his spear and aimed its tip directly at Lioran. Their faces were flushed.
"You want to turn us into your dogs?"
"You'll have to go through our corpses first!"
Further back, the same black-haired girl who had been sitting beside the Guildmaster earlier stepped forward silently. She raised her bow and nocked two arrows at once. Her fingers tightened on the string, the arrows ready to be released.
"We'll show you… that you made a big mistake coming here."
Beside her, a massive man stepped forward—so tall his shadow fell over several people. He stood well over two meters tall, muscles bulging beneath his clothes. He pounded his enormous fists together; the sound echoed through the hall like stone striking stone.
"I didn't want to hurt anyone…"
He tilted his neck slightly and stared at Lioran.
"But I think I have no choice now."
Four other female adventurers, who until this moment had fear clinging to them like a shadow, gradually found their courage as the others' spirits began to revive. Hesitation still lingered on their faces, but they no longer stepped back.
A white-haired girl stepped forward. She extended her hand toward Lioran, and suddenly several sharp shards of ice formed before her palm; their edges glinted in the firelight, ready to launch. A crooked smile curled on her lips.
"It's been a long time since I've felt this way."
Beside her stood a brown-haired girl. She too extended her hand, and large chunks of stone materialized in the air with a dull rumble. Her breath had quickened, but she was smiling.
"I don't know what this feeling is… but I want to fight to the end and not give up…"
A few steps back, the girl who had collapsed in terror and vomited earlier was now watching the scene. She clenched her teeth tightly and murmured inwardly.
'Damn it… why am I the only one so scared of this monster…?'
She took a deep breath, struggled to her feet, and extended her magical staff toward Lioran. Her voice trembled with rage.
"You damn monster… I'll curse you myself… so your whole body itches endlessly and you never have a moment's peace… you hear me, you bastard?"
The white-haired girl, seeing this, let out a short, mocking laugh.
"Oho? Weren't you the one throwing up from fear just a moment ago? What happened—suddenly got brave?"
The cloaked girl turned her head toward her, a mix of embarrassment and anger flashing across her face, and shouted,
"You bitch! Shut your mouth, or I swear I'll curse you so everyone you meet ends up insulting you!"
At that moment, the last girl in the group—who had still been sitting on the floor in fear just minutes ago—felt a strange surge of courage in her chest as she saw the others stand. She slowly rose to her feet. Her voice trembled, but her resolve was firm.
"I… I…" She held her hands before her chest. "I'll heal you all. So fight with confidence…"
She fixed her gaze on Lioran.
"And make this bad person pay for what he did to Siko."
Seeing her stand, trembling smiles appeared on the adventurers' faces. Murmurs turned into shouts, and several cried out at once.
"Yeah…"
"We'll make that damn bastard pay!"
But beneath those shouts, their trembling hands and uneven heartbeats were still there—just hidden beneath the noise.
Everyone was ready for battle…
Or at least, they convinced themselves they were.
Siko lay on the ground, his arms broken and hanging limp. His body trembled from pain, and each breath felt like a blade stabbing into his chest. Through half-lidded eyes filled with terror, he stared at the adventurers preparing to attack.
His lips barely moved as a muffled groan escaped his throat.
"Fools…"
His voice was so weak it seemed each word took a piece of his life with it.
"This isn't the time to play heroes… if you attack that merciless monster… you'll all regret ever being born…"
But his warning was lost amidst the clash of weapons and the hollow shouts of courage.
"They turned out more interesting than I thought they would… didn't they?"
Anahita materialized from Lioran's body with a laugh, floating beside him, slightly above the ground.
"Didn't I tell you not to come out until I called you?"
Lioran shot her a cold glance, and Anahita pouted, crossing her arms.
"You're really a heartless bastard… Well, I've already apologized several times. Just forget about it already. Anyway, what's important right now is these wild ones." She tilted her head slightly. "Don't you think they'll make good underlings?"
Lioran averted his gaze from her and swept it over the adventurers.
"Yeah… they might make decent dogs. But first, for what they've done, they need to be taught some manners."
Then, without any rush, he took a calm step toward them.
At that moment, breaths were held in chests.
Hands tightened around weapons, trembling; legs that moments ago were full of bravado now retreated on their own.
A heavy silence, like the shadow of death itself, fell over the guild.
'Don't tell me… you're going to use that aura…?'
Anahita asked in surprise, and Lioran answered without turning back.
"Yeah. I don't want to waste too much time here… I have to hurry, but I wanted to test it anyway."
At the same time, his voice rose—growing heavier with each calm step toward the adventurers:
"You say I'm a bad person? Just because I broke one of you fools' arms?"
He paused, his gaze sliding over each of them.
"Then what are you…? You who broke the arms of thousands of innocent people. People who begged in front of you, and you enjoyed their pain. You took their money and laughed at their pleas. So, are you good people? No…"
He took another step. The sound of his boot striking the floor landed like a hammer.
"You're nothing more than petty, weak people who bully those weaker than yourselves… And today, I'll be that hero who turns you fools into his dogs—and shows you the right path."
Arezo's face twisted—along with the other adventurers'.
Not out of ignorance—but because the truth, like a thorn lodged in their throats, was choking them.
They knew most of what Lioran said wasn't a lie… and that hurt more than any insult.
Arezo ground her teeth tightly.
The sound was swallowed by the heavy silence of the hall, but anger burned in her eyes.
"Shut your mouth… What do you know about us to talk about us like that?"
She took a step forward.
Her fists clenched, and faint flames flickered around her fingers.
And then—
She shouted—loud, harsh, commanding:
"Everyone! Get ready to attack!"
Her eyes locked onto Lioran—the man who still approached calmly, without the slightest hurry, as if the battlefield meant nothing to him at all.
"We'll attack together… and we'll make this bastard pay."
"Yeah!!"
The adventurers' shouts filled the hall as Lioran's cold gaze swept over them…
All the adventurers stared at Lioran with determination in their eyes.
Arezo stepped forward and shouted,
"Get ready to attack—!"
"Three…"
Auras flared. Spells formed. Weapons rose.
"Two…"
Breaths caught in their throats. Muscles tensed. The ground beneath their feet seemed to harden.
"O—"
And in that exact moment—
Lioran's cold voice, deep and merciless, cut through everything.
"Silence…"