Sarios let out a fierce cry, his voice echoing through the streets.
"RAAAHHH!!"
His boots tore across the ground as he charged forward, sword raised high with both hands. Dust scattered behind him like a storm.
The masked man tilted his head slightly, watching with a lazy, almost entertained smirk beneath the black, cracked mask.
"Oh?" he murmured, amused. "Still got some fight in you… even when it's hopeless?"
Sarios brought his sword down with a roar, swinging with everything he had—left, right, again and again—his strikes fast and relentless, fueled by resolve.
But the masked man didn't flinch.
With one hand—just one hand—he raised his jagged black dagger and parried each blow.
Sparks flew, metal shrieked against metal.
Clang! Clang! CLANG!
Each strike was caught, redirected, or brushed aside like a game. His right arm barely moved, blocking with ease, while his left hand twirled the other dagger playfully, spinning it between his fingers as if bored.
Step by step, the masked man moved backward—not forced, but strolling, as though humoring a child.
"Ahahahaha!" he burst out laughing, voice laced with mockery. "This is what passes for a hero these days?"
Sarios clenched his jaw, sweat flicking off his brow as he forced another heavy swing—one that was again parried with frightening calm.
Behind them, the city square was silent, gripped by fear.
And Dila watched—frozen, helpless—as one of the kingdom's finest warriors was being toyed with like prey.
Suddenly—in a blur of motion—the masked man spun on his heel.
CRACK!!
A devastating roundhouse kick slammed square into Sarios's chest. The impact rang out like thunder, the metal of his armor bending with a sickening groan before it finally cracked. The force of the blow sent him flying through the marketplace.
CRASH!
One stall exploded into splinters.
THUD!
He smashed through another—wood, crates, and fruit scattering like confetti.
WHAM!
A final cart shattered as he tumbled through it, metal grinding against stone until—
SKREEEE—THUD.
He skidded to a halt, body slumped on the cracked pavement, sparks trailing from the gouges left by his armor.
Sarios coughed—harsh and wet.
"Ack…!"
Blood splattered onto the ground.
His hand trembled as it moved to his chest, fingers brushing over the crushed metal.
The front plate of his armor was caved in, warped and twisted where the kick had landed.
He blinked in disbelief.
That armor had withstood ogres, wyverns, siege magic—but not this.
Across the ruined market, the masked man strolled forward—slow, deliberate, grinning beneath the fractured mask.
He casually twirled one dagger in his right hand… then the other in his left… over and over in a dizzying pattern, like a dance of death.
His laughter echoed now—low, gleeful, savage.
"Hahahaha… still gripping your sword? Impressive…"
He tilted his head. "But pointless."
Sarios, kneeling with one knee to the ground, kept his sword firm in hand—but his shoulders were hunched, breathing heavy, blood running down from his lips. His vision blurred slightly, but his fingers refused to let go of the blade.
Only the slow, mocking rhythm of those twin daggers filled the air—twirling… twirling… as death crept closer.
From across the wrecked market square, a desperate voice pierced the tension.
"SARIOS!! NO—PLEASE RETREAT!!"
Stella's cry rang out, full of panic and pain. Her boots skidded on the stone as she ran toward the battlefield, arms trembling, eyes wide with horror. She stopped short just beyond the cratered stalls, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Please don't fight a battle you can't win… your life—your life is worth more than this!"
The cracked-mask man turned his head slowly, gaze locking onto her.
And then he laughed.
Low at first, then rising into a chilling, manic crescendo.
"AHAHAHAHA… ohhh? So this one's precious to you, Hero?"
He licked his lips under the mask. "Should I kill her next? You know, just to test if she screams louder than you?"
Sarios's eyes flared open, his breath sharp.
"NO!!" he roared, slamming his sword into the ground to push himself up.
"This fight is between YOU AND ME—leave her out of it!"
He was panting, pain wracking his body, but his voice was unshaken.
Even if he could barely stand—his spirit hadn't wavered.
"Didn't I tell you to RUN, Stella?!" he shouted again, a mix of command and plea in his voice.
Stella stepped forward, tears now spilling from her eyes. Her hands clenched over her chest, her heart pounding with helplessness.
"I… I CAN'T!" she sobbed.
"Please… just flee with me, Sarios—we'll find another way… we'll get stronger together and defeat this demon!"
The masked man twirled his daggers again, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"Escape? Together?"
He slowly raised one dagger to point directly at her.
"You think the two of you can run from me? You think fate will just let you go?"
He stepped forward, his miasma curling like black fire around his limbs.
"There is… no escaping my wrath."
He laughed again—louder, darker. It echoed like a curse hanging over the air.
Stella was frozen.
Sarios tightened his grip.
And somewhere, not far from them, Dila stood—watching it all unfold, the weight of choice pressing against her heart.
Dila's fingers still trembled as she watched the chaos unfold—the cracked-mask man laughing like a monster, Sarios struggling to stand, and Stella sobbing in pure panic.
Her heart pounded.
Her breath shook.
Her wand… clenched so tight her knuckles turned pale.
Something inside her snapped.
Her jaw tightened. Her blue eyes glinted with cold fire.
In her mind, she barked the order.
"Nari. Where can I get herbs or reagents nearby? Anything. I need a buff. Fast."
☆ ■•••• Scanning… ☆
☆ There's an abandoned stall two blocks east—raw alchemy roots, powdered reagents. The vendor's fled. You're alone there. ☆
Dila didn't hesitate. She turned sharply, cloak whipping behind her as she sprinted across the pavement. Her footsteps echoed in the emptied streets, the chaos now far behind her, swallowed by smoke and screams.
The air smelled like dust, blood… and ozone.
She rounded the corner and skidded to a halt.
The alchemy vendor's stall was halfway overturned, baskets of herbs spilling across the table, bottles clinking where they rolled.
No one in sight.
Dila moved without speaking.
She shoved her hand across the table, sweeping Rageblossom into her bag. Then Mistroot. Powdered sulfur. Ash bark. Beast blood extract. Crystal shards—blue and red. She didn't even count. She just took everything she could grab.
☆ M-Master… that's theft. ☆
"I'll apologize later," she said coldly, already uncorking two vials and pouring them into a beaker. "If there's a later."
With shaking hands, she mashed the Rageblossom petals into the liquid, crushed the fire crystal shard with the heel of her boot, and scraped it in.
The liquid hissed, turned orange, then deep red.
She didn't wait.
She popped the stopper and downed it in one gulp.
A violent heat surged through her chest. Her muscles stiffened. Her heart raced like it would rip out of her ribs.
Her eyes widened, glowing faintly.
☆ Adrenaline Surge active. Casting focus and agility increased. Defense buff… partial. But Master—this is unstable! ☆
"I don't care."
Dila took off again, sprinting toward the battle.
Back toward the masked monster.
Back into the fire.