Sarah lifted her head and glanced toward Captain Brown. Her eyes were sharp, cold—like blades drawn before battle. Brown, however, remained perfectly calm, his massive frame unshaken by her stare.
"It seems they still can't match the war hero…" he muttered, gripping his heavy axe. Resting it against the wall, he exhaled a weary sigh.
"It's been a long time since we fought, hasn't it, Sarah?"
Sarah gave no reply. Only the faint whisper of wind answered.
With a sudden stomp, Brown leapt down from the platform, his axe slamming into the ground. The earth trembled, a wall of stone erupting between them.
He kicked it forward like a projectile, sending a wave of debris toward her.
In an instant, Sarah's blade flashed—slicing through the wall in a storm of slashes. Dust exploded through the air, blinding the space.
Through the haze, Brown lunged forward, his hand reaching for her leg.
Too late—he caught her.
With a roar, he swung his arm, hurling Sarah toward the wall. She twisted midair, landing on both feet with a heavy thud, absorbing the impact before springing forward again.
Brown charged, his fist crashing toward her like a hammer. Sarah narrowly dodged, leaping upward and countering with a volley of razor-sharp wind slashes.
Grinning, Brown raised his axe and cleaved through the air, shattering the blades apart. Using the momentum, he launched himself at her—his massive weapon sweeping downward in a brutal arc.
Steel clashed. Sparks burst as Sarah caught the blow with her sword. She twisted her wrist, redirecting his strike, then flipped backward and struck his side as she landed. The impact sent Brown sprawling.
He rolled onto his back just in time to see Sarah descending, her sword aimed straight for his chest. With a quick roll, he narrowly avoided the thrust—the blade stabbing deep into the stone floor.
Brown stood, brushing dust from his shoulder, and laughed.
"Maybe you really have overpowered me. I must say—being my student, that's something to be proud of."
He stopped, grin widening.
"But you're still holding back, aren't you? You're not fighting with your full potential. Where's that *divine transcendence* of yours?"
"I am not obliged to answer you… and I will not use that power," Sarah said coldly.
"Disappointing."
Brown snapped his fingers.
A shimmering screen appeared in the air—showing the village in ruins. Corpses. The orphanage aflame.
Children—Chris, Cherry, and the others—lifeless on the ground.
"Chris… Cherry…" Sarah whispered, her voice breaking.
"My children… I'm sorry…"
Her body trembled as tears formed—but rage quickly consumed them. The air howled. Winds surged violently, carrying droplets of rain that hissed as they struck the ground. Her red hair flared to gold, her eyes turning a piercing blue.
Brown grinned, raising his axe.
"So this is the War Mode of the Divine Hero…"
Before he could finish, Sarah vanished—her kick slamming into his stomach. The impact sent him crashing through the roof and into the open sky.
Brown barely regained balance before Sarah appeared above him, descending with a radiant sword strike. He blocked it with his axe, but the force hurled him back to the ground, carving a crater upon impact.
Sarah landed lightly, her aura radiating golden fury. She raised her sword high—mana gathering like a storm.
When she swung, the world seemed to split apart.
A massive explosion of light and wind tore through the battlefield.
Brown barely escaped, battered and bleeding.
"You really tried to kill me, huh?" he laughed, voice strained. "Then let's see how far that strength can go—against all of us!"
From the shadows, four figures leapt into the fray.
Maxim, drew his rapier—thin, gleaming, and impossibly fast. He thrust forward, his strikes forming blinding streaks of silver. Sarah parried each one with swift, economical motion, her blade singing in the rain.
Too slow she whispered—and with one motion, shattered his stance, kicking him across the field.
Stynx, the reaper, emerged next—her black scythe spinning in deadly arcs. Each swing sliced the air itself, creating shockwaves. Sarah met her head-on, sword clashing against the curved blade, sparks of blue and red scattering.
"Her movements… she's reading me!" Stynx hissed, leaping back just in time to avoid a counter-blow that split the ground.
Lance stepped forward, his blue spear blazing with crackling lightning. He hurled it with a war cry, the weapon becoming a bolt of pure energy. Sarah raised her hand, and with a single swing, sliced the lightning apart—her eyes glowing fiercely.
From behind, Zenjo charged—his fists glowing with crimson aura. "Let's see you block this!"
He slammed both fists into the ground, sending up a column of energy that engulfed her.
When the smoke cleared, Sarah stood unharmed—mana swirling around her like a living storm.
With a single step, she blurred past Zenjo, striking his chestplate and sending him flying into a wall.
Maxim, Stynx, Lance, and Zenjo regrouped, forming a circle. Brown raised his axe once more, joining them.
"Together!" he barked.
Five weapons lit up in unison—axe, rapier, scythe, spear, and knuckles—each glowing with their wielder's mana color.
The air itself screamed as they attacked in perfect sync.
Sarah stood still, calm amid the chaos. Then—she moved.
A blur of golden light.
Sparks, screams, shockwaves.
She parried Maxim's thrust, deflected Lance's spear, sidestepped Zenjo's punches, and caught Stynx's scythe mid-swing—kicking her away. Brown came from behind, axe raised high, and brought it down.
*Clang!*
The ground split open beneath the impact—but Sarah stood her ground, her sword locking the blow in place.
"You can't win against me," she said coldly. "Not anymore."
Brown smirked, blood dripping from his lip.
"You're right. I can't…"
He lifted one hand and snapped his fingers again.
A projection shimmered in the air.
A little gir- unconscious.
"A-Alica…?" Sarah froze, her sword trembling.
Brown's grin widened.
"Yes. Your daughter. She's quite the bargaining chip, isn't she?"
Sarah's aura faltered. The storm died down. Her knees weakened as memories flooded in—Alica's smile, her laughter, her tiny hands gripping hers.
Her blade lowered, trembling.
"Don't… touch her…" Sarah whispered, her voice cracking.
Brown stepped forward, resting his axe on his shoulder.
"This is the end for you, War Hero."
Rain poured down harder.
Lightning flashed in the distance—illuminating Sarah's face, torn between fury and despair.