The convoy departed without delay.
The vehicles rose smoothly from the Church grounds, their formations locking into place as they ascended into open air. The cathedral slowly faded behind them, replaced by vast skies and drifting clouds.
Inside the transport, the atmosphere was calm.
Paladins stood at attention, their focus sharp but controlled. The Saintess sat quietly, her presence steady as ever.
Rio leaned slightly against the window, watching the world pass below.
"…So this is it," he murmured.
His first real mission.
No training.
No supervision.
Just real combat if something went wrong.
Across from him—
Leon was eating ice cream.
"…You look disappointed," Leon said casually.
Rio glanced at him.
"I thought it'd be more… intense."
Leon snorted.
"You'll regret saying that."
Rio didn't respond.
He didn't feel any danger.
Not yet.
The convoy continued forward.
Minutes passed.
The sky remained clear.
The hum of the engines steady.
Then—
Leon grinned.
"…Something interesting is coming."
Rio frowned.
"What?"
Leon didn't look at him.
He just took another bite of his ice cream.
"You'll see."
The next moment—
The vehicle shook.
Not violently.
But enough.
Rio straightened.
"…What was that?"
The paladins reacted instantly.
"Hold formation!"
Their voices sharpened.
Outside—
The sky distorted.
Lines—thin, almost invisible—spread across the air like cracks in glass. The space around them twisted unnaturally.
Then—
They appeared.
Figures stepping through the distortion like it was nothing.
One.
Then more.
Then dozens.
"ENEMY CONTACT!"
The convoy broke instantly.
Attacks rained down from all sides as Oblivion members surrounded them mid-air. Blades, magic, and projectiles tore through the formation, forcing the vehicles apart.
One transport exploded.
Another spun out of control.
Rio moved.
No hesitation.
The door slid open as combat began, and he stepped out onto the edge platform, gripping his sword tightly.
An attacker rushed him immediately.
Fast.
Precise.
Rio met the strike head-on.
Steel clashed, the impact sending a shock through his arms.
"Tch—!"
He stepped back, then forward again, forcing his way into close range. His movements weren't perfect—but they were enough.
Another enemy came from the side.
Rio ducked, twisting his body as lightning flickered along his blade. The counterstrike landed, forcing the attacker back.
The sky had turned into a battlefield.
Paladins clashed mid-air, spells exploding around them as Oblivion fighters moved with terrifying coordination.
This wasn't random.
This was planned.
Rio pushed forward again, striking down another attacker.
His breathing grew heavier.
His movements sharper.
More focused.
But something—
Felt off.
He glanced back.
Leon was still there.
Sitting.
Watching.
Eating his ice cream.
"…What the hell are you doing?" Rio muttered under his breath.
Leon didn't respond.
Didn't move.
Just… watched.
Another Oblivion member rushed Rio.
He blocked, pivoted, and struck back, forcing the man off balance before driving him away with a burst of ice.
His control held.
Barely.
The fight intensified.
More enemies.
More pressure.
Then—
A sound shattered the sky.
It wasn't an explosion.
It wasn't magic.
It was—
Impact.
Everything stopped for a split second.
Rio's body froze instinctively as he looked up.
The sky above them—
Had split.
A figure stood there.
Not descending.
Not flying.
Just—
There.
The pressure hit instantly.
Heavy.
Controlled.
Overwhelming.
Rio's breath caught.
"…What is that…"
The man wore a black knight's uniform, refined and sharp, its edges lined with faint silver patterns. His long dark hair moved slightly in the air, and his expression—
Was empty.
Cold.
Unreadable.
But his eyes—
Weren't on the battlefield.
They were on Leon.
"…Found you," the man said quietly.
The name came to Rio instantly.
Not from memory.
From instinct.
Veylan.
Right hand of a Retainer.
One of Oblivion's strongest.
The pressure alone confirmed it.
SS-rank.
The battlefield shifted.
Oblivion members pulled back slightly.
Paladins tensed.
No one interfered.
Because they understood.
This wasn't their fight.
Rio's grip tightened.
"…This is bad…"
Leon stood up.
Finally.
He tossed the ice cream stick aside.
Then—
He grinned.
"…Took you long enough."
Veylan's expression didn't change.
"You've gotten harder to find."
Leon stretched his neck slightly.
"Yeah, I try."
A brief silence passed between them.
Heavy.
Unspoken.
Then Leon smirked.
"…Where's your master?"
For the first time—
Veylan's eyes sharpened.
Just slightly.
"That's not someone you get to ask about."
Leon chuckled.
"Oh?."
A step forward.
His aura began to rise—
Not explosively.
But enough.
"I'm just wondering if he's still hiding behind his dogs."
The air tightened.
Veylan moved.
And the real battle—
Was about to begin.