Celine crouched behind a crumbling wall, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she watched Ariel fight for her life.
'I can't abandon her,' Celine thought, her fingers digging into her knees. 'I've burned through almost all my MP. I don't have any strength left to run. Maybe... maybe I should be the distraction instead.'
The sky overhead was dark and cracked with thunderclouds. Ash floated through the air like snow, coating the battlefield in a soft, grim powder. Rubble and twisted steel lay scattered across the broken streets, remnants of a city that once stood proud.
Ariel stood in the middle of it all, her body bruised, her breath heavy. She was fighting as hard as she could, but even that wasn't enough. Holding back more than a dozen savage-ranked Geminis was pushing her far past her limits. She had heart, but her lack of real battle experience showed with every passing second.
Ariel moved like lightning, her fists flashing as she dodged and weaved between the monsters. But even her incredible speed wasn't enough. More than a dozen Geminis—each stronger and deadlier than the last—had her surrounded. The worst were the three leading the pack:
The Scarbone– a mountain of muscle and jagged bone armor, its every step making the ground tremble.
The Reaper– a nightmare in human shape, with scythes sticking out of each of its wrists and eyes like bottomless pits.
The Giga Titan– a towering beast that blocked out the sun, its fists like wrecking balls. Each one was a nightmare on its own. Together, they were a death sentence.
Ariel couldn't afford to strike back. Each time she moved to counter, another Gemini would flank her. So she dodged and weaved, barely staying ahead of the chaos. One wrong move, and it would all be over.
The ground trembled as the Giga Titan slammed its massive foot down, sending a shockwave through the street. Ariel barely leapt away in time. The Reaper's twin scythes whistled past her face, inches from taking her head. But it was the Scarbone — the one with bone-plated fists and a roar like a demon — who finally got through.
CRACK!
A heavy fist crashed into her left side, slamming into her ribs like a wrecking ball. Pain exploded through her chest, and the force sent her flying like a ragdoll.
She smashed through a crumbling wall and landed inside a half-collapsed building — the same one Celine was supposed to be hiding in.
Celine rushed out from behind a broken pillar the moment she saw Ariel crash in. Her eyes were wide with panic. Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees and placed both hands on Ariel's chest.
A soft golden light bloomed from her palms as she cast a healing spell. Ariel's broken ribs began to mend, but not fully. The light flickered and died out.
Celine's arms dropped to her sides as she collapsed onto the dusty floor, breathing heavily. Her body was trembling, drenched in sweat. She had no strength left.
"That… that was my last healing spell," she whispered, staring up at the dull, dark sky. Her voice trembled with exhaustion.
Ariel tried to sit up, groaning as pain still shot through her chest.
The Scarbone let out a victorious roar, its jagged teeth glistening with saliva. It didn't rush. Why bother? Its prey was helpless now.
"What are you doing?!" Ariel coughed, blood trickling from her lips. "Run! I have a plan—just go!"
"We left Zane behind," Celine whispered instead, her voice breaking. "Alone with that Whisperkin. He could already be dead, for all we know. I felt so guilty… running away like that… leaving him behind. I know there's nothing I can say to make you forgive me. So I'll stay here instead. I don't have the strength to move anyway. But you… with your speed, you can still get away. So just go."
Ariel turned her head slowly and looked at her. Celine's body was trembling, her lips slightly pale. She was terrified — more than she let on. But she was trying to hide it behind a calm face.
Ariel sighed.
"I knew you abandoned my brother,"
she said, her voice soft but steady. "And I know Jasmine and the others aren't coming with reinforcements. Also, there's no way we're leaving this place alive... not unless I take all those Geminis down first."
She spat out blood, her teeth painted red.
"They've been after me from the start. Even if I tried to run, they'd chase me — and you'd die anyway. So don't worry, Celine. Even though I hate that you left my brother alone to die, I won't hold it against you."
She paused and looked away for a moment.
"Most people prioritize their survival over others. It's human nature."
'She knew... and she let us go anyway?' Celine's chest ached. 'What kind of person is she?'
"You don't understand. We tormented him," Celine admitted, the words bitter on her tongue. "Even before the world eneded. We made his life miserable." Maybe she wanted Ariel to hate her. Maybe she needed punishment.
Ariel's smile was cold. "Don't worry, Celine," she said. "The only reason my big brother was bullied is because he let it happen."
She clenched her fists as memories surged through her —dark ones.
"My father disowned him... because Zane tried to kill his younger brothers. But he failed. Because I stopped him. Because he let me. Maybe he really didn't want to kill them, maybe he wanted to be disowned. What I'm trying to say is that, my brother never fails at what he decides to do."
Celine blinked in shock. 'He... he what?'
Ariel rose to her feet slowly, her legs shaking but determined. Her long, golden hair was matted with blood and dirt.
She looked down at Celine one last time, then turned to face the battlefield again.
"You stay here," she said firmly. "I'll handle the rest."
Outside, the Scarbone and the others were closing in.
And Ariel walked toward them... one step at a time.
Broken glass crunched underfoot as Ariel steadied herself, her breath ragged, her body screaming in protest. The street around her was a warzone—shattered storefronts, overturned cars, and the eerie glow of dying streetlights flickering against the rubble.
Now. Now's the time.
She clenched her fists and activated [Protector]. A golden light burst from her skin, wrapping around her like a second layer of armor. The same light shot outward, touching Celine where she lay wounded against a crumbling wall.
[System Notice]
Skill Activated: [Protector]
Effect: All allies' defenses increased by 150% for 10 minutes.
Enemy Penalty: All enemy defenses reduced by 300% for 10 minutes.
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Ariel didn't wait. She charged.
The Scarbone lumbered toward her, its jagged bone armor gleaming under the dim light. It didn't even bother to raise its guard—why would it? She was barely standing, her clothes torn, her knuckles split and bleeding.
But then her fist connected.
CRACK!
The sound echoed like a gunshot. The Scarbone's armor splintered, bone shards exploding outward as the monster was hurled backward. It crashed into the approaching Geminis, sending them sprawling like bowling pins.
The Reaper moved next—a blur of tattered robes and rusted scythe. The blade sliced through the air with a deadly whoosh, aiming straight for Ariel's throat.
She flipped backward, her back arching just in time. The scythe missed by inches. The moment her feet touched the ground, she lunged forward, her body a coiled spring. Her foot snapped up in a vicious kick—
THUD!
—directly into the Reaper's skull. The force sent the creature flying, its body smashing through the remains of a café window. Glass rained down as it crumpled behind the counter.
But there was no time to celebrate.
The Giga Titan's fist was already descending, a massive hammer of steel-plated fist aimed straight at her face. Ariel crossed her arms just in time.
BOOM!
The impact sent her skidding back, her boots carving grooves into the asphalt. But she held. With [Protector] active, the blow that should have shattered her bones only rattled her teeth.
She didn't hesitate.
Ariel dashed forward, her muscles burning. At the last second, she leaped, twisting mid-air to drive her fist into the Giga Titan's torso.
The monster staggered, its massive frame swaying before it collapsed onto the street with a ground-shaking thud.
Celine watched, her breath caught in her throat. "She's… she's actually doing it," she whispered. "If she keeps this up… we might survive." Ariel tore through the remaining Geminis in a blur of motion.
But Ariel wasn't celebrating. She panted, sweat dripping from her brow as the Geminis began to twitch. Their broken limbs knitted back together, their hollow eyes locking onto her.
'Something is off, Why aren't they attacking?' She thought.
Then, as if to answer her question—
ROOOOAR!
The Scarbone's scream split the air, so loud it made the rubble tremble. Dark energy erupted from its body, swirling like a storm. The very ground beneath it blackened, cracks spreading like spiderwebs.
[System Notice]
Scarbone has activated the skill [Insanity] (Advanced Berserk).
Effect: Strength and speed doubled. Pain receptors disabled.
Before Ariel could react—
[System Notice]
Reaper has activated [Execution].
Effect: Attack power and accuracy +200%.
[System Notice]
Giga Titan has activated [True Fist].
Effect: Next strike deals 300% damage. If dodged, target still takes 50% damage.
Ariel's blood ran cold.
The Reaper's scythe ignited, its edge glowing crimson. The Giga Titan's fists crackled with energy. The Scarbone charged, its movements now a frenzied blur.
Celine's voice was barely a whisper. "Ariel…"
Ariel swallowed.
'There's nothing else I can do at this point.'
But she planted her feet anyway.
The world spun in a haze of pain. One moment, Ariel was standing—the next, the Scarbone's fist slammed her into the ground. The impact shattered her bones with a sickening crunch, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the pavement beneath her. She didn't even have time to spit out the blood filling her mouth before the Giga Titan's massive foot crushed into her stomach, driving her deeper into the broken concrete, her enhanced defences did little to ease the damage she took. Ribs snapped. The ground trembled.
Somehow, through the agony, she rolled—just as the Reaper's left scythe whistled down, slicing into the spot where her head had been a second before. The blade buried itself in the rubble with a metallic screech that set her teeth on edge.
Gritting her teeth, Ariel tried to push herself up. Her body screamed in protest—bones broken, joints dislocated. Blood dripped from her lips as she spat onto the cracked street. Then she noticed something missing.
A cold numbness clung to her left side. Slowly, she looked down.
Her arm was gone-severed clean above the elbow, the stump gushed crimson, painting the shattered ground beneath her. She pressed her right hand against the wound, but blood seeped through her fingers, warm and relentless.
'He must have cut it off while I was rolling away, how terrifying.' She thought.
The Reaper lunged again, its tattered robes fluttering like a death flag.
Ariel didn't move.
She lowered her head slightly, her vision blurring. Somewhere behind her, Celine screamed her name—but the sound was distant, muffled, as if underwater.
'Big brother Zane… please forgive me.'
She braced for the killing blow.
But it didn't come.
Instead, the Geminis stopped. Their eyes turned, their bodies tense, as if sensing something far more dangerous than a dying girl.
Ariel forced her head up, her breath shallow.
A figure approached.
A young man in his early twenties wearing a long black coat, his messy brown hair falling past his shoulders. His sable-rose eyes gleamed under the dim light, calm yet piercing. A rosary dangled from his right hand, the beads clicking softly with each step.
He walked forward as if the monsters weren't even there.
'Who… is that? Why is he coming closer instead of running away?' Celine thought, her voice stuck in her throat. She decided to use this opportunity to help Ariel.
Ariel's vision swam. Blood loss made the world tilt, the edges darkening. But she could still hear his voice—light, almost amused.
"Jumping a little kid? How unsightly," the man said, shaking his head. "The old geezer would've hated that."