The battlefield didn't slow.
It only shifted.
The moment Veylan appeared, everything changed. The chaotic clashes between paladins and Oblivion members lost their center—as if the entire fight had been waiting for this moment.
Veylan didn't move at first.
His gaze remained locked on Leon.
But his voice cut through the battlefield.
"Proceed."
Calm.
Cold.
"Secure the Saintess."
The Oblivion members responded instantly.
Their movements sharpened, coordinated as several of them broke away from the main fight, redirecting their focus.
Toward Reina.
Leon clicked his tongue.
"…Straight to the point, huh."
Then he glanced sideways.
At Rio.
A grin spread across his face.
The ice cream in his hand vanished.
"Oi."
Rio looked at him.
"Get Reina," Leon said casually, as if they weren't standing in the middle of a war. "And get as far away from here as you can."
Rio frowned.
"…What?"
Leon's grin widened slightly.
"But make sure you watch it."
"…Watch what?"
Leon didn't answer.
"You'll understand."
Then he stepped forward.
And spoke loudly.
"Hey."
The air stilled.
"Dumbass."
Every Oblivion member paused for a fraction of a second.
Veylan's gaze shifted slightly.
Leon stretched his shoulders.
"Are you seriously going to ignore me?"
Then it hit.
Leon's aura exploded outward.
Not violently.
But overwhelmingly.
Golden light spread across the sky, crushing into Veylan's presence as the two forces collided mid-air.
The pressure was suffocating.
Rio's breath hitched.
"Haaah—!"
His body felt heavy.
His chest tightened.
Even standing there became difficult.
"…Move," Leon said calmly.
That snapped Rio out of it.
"Shit—!"
He turned immediately.
Through the chaos, he saw her.
Reina.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward, cutting through the battlefield. His movements were rough but decisive, weaving past clashing fighters as explosions lit the sky around him.
"Saintess—!"
He didn't slow.
Didn't hesitate.
He grabbed her wrist.
"We're leaving."
Lightning surged.
His body blurred forward, accelerating instantly as electricity wrapped around his legs. The air cracked beneath him as he forced distance between them and the main battlefield.
Behind him—voices. Movement.
They were being followed.
Rio glanced back.
Several Oblivion members were already closing in.
"Tch—!"
He stopped abruptly.
Turned.
Raised his blade.
"Frost—Bind."
The air dropped instantly.
A wave of freezing energy spread outward as ice surged across the air itself, forming jagged structures mid-air. The pursuing enemies faltered as their movements slowed, their footing disrupted.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was enough.
Rio didn't wait.
He grabbed Reina again and pushed forward, lightning bursting beneath his feet as he created distance once more.
Far behind them, the battlefield continued.
Paladins intercepted the remaining attackers, forcing them into direct combat, buying time.
Rio didn't stop until the noise faded.
Until the pressure lessened.
Until they were far enough.
"Haaah…"
He finally slowed, breathing heavily.
His body ached.
His control strained.
But he held it.
He turned.
"…You okay?"
Reina stood steady.
Unshaken.
"…Yes."
Her voice was calm as ever.
No panic.
No fear.
Rio exhaled.
"…Good."
Then the sky broke.
A sound tore through the air.
Not an explosion.
Something deeper.
Rio looked up.
And froze.
High above, Leon and Veylan stood facing each other.
Opposite ends of the sky.
Leon raised his hand.
And from nothing, a blade appeared.
Golden.
Radiant.
Power pulsing through it like a heartbeat.
Victoria.
Across from him, Veylan drew his own weapon.
A black blade wrapped in crackling lightning, arcs of energy dancing along its edge.
They both smiled.
Not wide.
Not exaggerated.
Just enough.
Then they moved.
The sky shattered.
Space cracked under the force of their clash, the impact rippling outward as if reality itself had been struck. Light and darkness collided, lightning tearing through the air as the shockwave spread across the horizon.
Rio's eyes widened.
"T-this…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"…This is the power of an SS- rank…?"
The sheer scale was overwhelming.
Then he felt it.
Presences.
Close.
Rio's body tensed instantly.
"…Shit."
He turned.
Two men stood before him.
Both calm.
Watching.
Not overwhelming.
Not like before.
But still strong.
"…C-rank," Rio muttered under his breath.
Six months.
That was all he had.
From nothing to D+.
Not enough.
"Haaah…"
He exhaled slowly.
Then raised his sword.
Nocturne Veil.
Lightning crackled along the blade.
Ice formed along its edge.
The two elements merged.
Unstable.
But controlled.
His grip tightened.
Rio locked eyes with them.
Two opponents.
One with a scythe resting loosely over his shoulder, his stance relaxed, almost lazy—but his eyes were sharp, predatory.
The other stood slightly behind.
A mage.
Calm. Focused. Already calculating.
"…Tch," Rio exhaled.
Bad matchup.
Close-range pressure and long-range support.
The scythe user moved first.
A sudden shift.
No warning.
Just—
Gone.
Rio reacted instantly.
Steel met steel as the curved blade crashed into his own. The force traveled straight through his arms, his footing nearly breaking under the impact.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Heh," the man grinned. "You're not bad."
Rio didn't respond.
He pushed forward.
"Frost Severance."
A single motion.
Clean.
Precise.
His blade cut through the air—
And the world around it froze.
A sharp arc of frost followed the swing, slicing forward with a chilling edge that bit into everything in its path.
The scythe user's grin widened as he twisted his body, barely avoiding the full force of the strike, though frost still crept along his arm.
"Close."
Rio stepped in.
Didn't stop.
Didn't give space.
"Too slow," the man whispered—
Heat.
Rio's eyes widened.
"…Shit."
From his side—
A blazing sphere of fire tore through the air.
Too close.
Too fast.
It hit.
The explosion swallowed him whole.
His body was thrown across the ground, crashing hard as the impact knocked the air from his lungs.
"…Guh—!"
Pain flared instantly.
Sharp.
Burning.
He rolled, barely stopping himself before forcing his body upright.
Blood.
His vision blurred slightly.
His arm trembled.
"…I forgot about the mage…"
A mistake.
A stupid one.
The mage raised his hand again, already forming another spell.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
Rio clicked his tongue.
"…Not happening."
Lightning burst beneath his feet.
He vanished.
Reappearing closer in a flash, his blade cutting toward the mage—but the scythe user intercepted instantly, their weapons clashing again with a loud crack.
"Eyes on me," the man grinned.
Rio adjusted.
Quickly.
This wasn't about winning clean.
This was survival.
Positioning.
Timing.
He stepped back.
Then forward again.
Clash.
Break.
Clash.
Break.
Each movement was deliberate now.
Controlled.
Another fire spell flew past him, grazing his side this time. He winced but didn't stop, using the momentum to reposition.
Closer.
Closer.
The mage shifted.
The scythe user advanced.
Perfect.
Rio's breathing slowed.
Despite the pain.
Despite the pressure.
His mind cleared.
"…Got you."
He smiled.
Both of them paused.
Just slightly.
"Crazy kid," the scythe user muttered.
Rio lowered his stance.
His grip tightened around his sword.
Nocturne Veil trembled slightly—
Not from instability.
From buildup.
This was it.
A technique Ogram had drilled into him relentlessly.
Not power.
Not speed.
But timing.
"Absolute Convergence."
Lightning surged.
Frost followed.
Two forces—
Opposites.
Violent.
Unstable.
Forced together.
The blade couldn't contain it completely.
Cracks of energy spilled out, distorting the air around him as the ground beneath his feet froze and shattered at the same time.
The scythe user's expression changed.
"…What the hell—"
Too late.
Rio moved.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Just—
Precise.
The blade cut forward.
And everything collided.
A violent burst of ice and lightning erupted outward, consuming the space between them. Frost locked movement while lightning tore through it, the combined force exploding in a controlled radius.
The impact hit both opponents directly.
The mage's spell collapsed instantly.
The scythe user was thrown back, his footing completely broken as frost spread across his body, lightning cracking through the ice.
Silence.
For a second—
Nothing moved.
Rio stood there, breathing heavily.
His arm trembled.
His vision blurred again.
"…Haaah…"
The smoke cleared slowly.
The mage—
Was down.
The scythe user—
Still stood.
Barely.
Cracks of ice covered his body, faint sparks still running through him as he looked up.
"…Heh…"
A weak laugh.
"…Now this is interesting…"
Rio tightened his grip again.
His body screamed.
His mana was dropping fast.
But he didn't step back.
Not this time.