The air turned cold.
Tension filled the ruined battlefield.
Dozens of hunters stood facing one person.
Lyra.
"…Last chance," one of them said.
"Step aside."
Lyra didn't move.
"…No."
Silence.
Then—
"Capture both."
WUSH!!
They moved at once.
Fast.
Precise.
Lyra reacted instantly.
CLANG!!
Steel met steel.
She blocked the first strike—
Then twisted her body.
SLASH!!
A clean counter.
One hunter fell.
"…She's serious!"
"Don't hold back!"
Magic activated.
Weapons glowed.
Lyra's eyes sharpened.
"…Come."
BOOM!!
The ground cracked as she pushed forward.
She moved like a storm.
Fast.
Efficient.
Deadly.
But—
They were many.
CRACK!!
A spell grazed her shoulder.
Blood.
"Tch…"
Another attack came—
She blocked—
But was pushed back.
"…Too many…"
Her breathing grew heavier.
Still—
She didn't move aside.
Behind her—
Arka remained unconscious.
"…I won't let you take him."
Her grip tightened.
Even if—
It meant fighting everyone.
Behind Her
A faint sound.
"…gh…"
Lyra froze.
"…Arka?"
Slowly—
His fingers moved.
Then—
His eyes opened.
Dark.
Quiet.
Different.
"…Where…"
He sat up slowly.
The world felt—
Distant.
[System Online]
New windows appeared.
[New Function Acquired]Adaptive Evolution
Arka stared at it.
"…So you changed again…"
His gaze lifted.
And locked—
Onto the battlefield.
Lyra.
Fighting.
Bleeding.
Alone.
Silence.
Then—
Arka stood.
Unsteady—
But rising.
"…You shouldn't have done that."
His voice—
Calm.
Too calm.
A hunter noticed him.
"…He's awake—!"
Too late.
WUSH!!
Arka vanished.
And appeared—
Right in front of them.
BOOM!!!
A single strike.
Three hunters were sent flying.
Silence.
Everyone froze.
"…Impossible…"
Lyra stared at him.
"…Arka…"
Something was off.
His aura—
Wasn't wild anymore.
It was—
Controlled.
Cold.
"…Move back."
He didn't look at her.
"…I'll handle this."
Silence.
Then—
Slowly—
Lyra stepped back.
Trust.
The hunters tightened their formation.
"…New orders."
"Terminate."
Arka exhaled slowly.
"…Too late."
[Adaptive Evolution – Activated]
His aura spread.
Not explosive.
But absolute.
The space itself—
Felt like it belonged to him.
"…Now I understand."
His eyes sharpened.
"…how to fight properly."
WUSH!!
He moved.
Faster than before.
Cleaner.
Every step—
Precise.
SLASH!! CRACK!! THUD!!
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
One by one—
They fell.
Not like before—
Not a massacre.
But a demonstration.
Of superiority.
Within seconds—
It was over.
Silence returned.
Only Arka stood.
Unshaken.
Lyra stared at him.
"…You changed."
Arka glanced at her.
"…Yeah."
A brief pause.
"…I did."
But in his eyes—
Something was missing.
Emotion.
Or maybe—
He was just hiding it.
Above the Sky
Inside the aircraft—
The observers watched everything.
"…Update the report."
A pause.
"…Threat level increased."
Another silence.
Then—
"…Global Priority Target."
And just like that—
Arka was no longer just being hunted.
He had become—
A target—
For the entire world.
🔥 END OF CHAPTER 17