I froze when Zeref finally stepped out of the fire haze.
The countdown numbers glowed faintly above us, ticking away second by second, but my brain forgot how to count.
Because wow.
The flames curling around his arm lit up his face, sharp and severe, shadows dancing across those ridiculously perfect cheekbones. His eyes burned like molten gold, and every step he took made the world feel smaller.
My mouth went dry.
"Oh no," I whispered, clutching Leonhart's sword tighter. "He's… exactly my type."
Zeref's smirk deepened, like he'd just heard me. The flames roared higher, licking the air with heat. "Finally decided to stop running?" His voice was velvet dipped in fire.
I squealed internally. He talks like a villain prince!
But before I could completely melt into a puddle, a sharp voice cut across the battlefield.
"…Wait a damn second."
I turned, blinking as Kael stepped forward, mask pulled down just enough for me to see the sheer offense in his expression. His dark hair shifted with the wind, his daggers gleaming under the collapsing sky.
"Didn't you just call me hot?" His tone was razor-sharp, tinged with disbelief.
Oh. Oh no.
I did. I absolutely did. Out loud. Earlier.
Heat rushed up my face. "I...uh..I mean...you're both hot?"
Kael's glare sharpened. Zeref tilted his head like a cat finding a new toy.
Oh god.
I was officially being treated like I'd just been caught cheating… on two guys I wasn't even dating.
The guild halls watching this through their projections were probably losing their collective minds.
Leonhart, ranked 2, making googly eyes at the two deadliest men alive instead of fighting them.
And honestly? Not inaccurate.
I stole a glance at the countdown. 3 hours, 57 minutes. If I could just delay this… stall them long enough…
But Zeref wasn't having it.
"Enough games." His flames surged into a blazing inferno, sparks exploding in the air as he advanced. His eyes gleamed like a predator finally cornering prey. "You stole my flags. You'll burn for it."
That should've terrified me.
Instead, my brain short-circuited.
"Oh no. He's even hotter when he's angry."
Kael audibly groaned. "Unbelievable."
The heat hit me full force, the ground under Leonhart's armored boots scorching, the sky above splitting with fiery cracks. I raised my sword, heart hammering, and forced myself into focus.
Time to shine.
I pulled up Leonhart's buffs, one after another stacking on my body until I felt like a walking tank. Agility, boosted. Defense, reinforced. Health regen, ticking.
The familiar hum of power surged through me, filling every vein with raw, unyielding energy.
Zeref hurled a blazing meteor. The ground erupted in a shockwave as it slammed down, fire swallowing the field.
I slashed forward, auto-cast kicking in. Leonhart's blade shimmered, cutting through the flames like it was water. Sparks flew.
For once, I wasn't gagging. I wasn't screaming. I wasn't puking at the gore.
I was fighting.
My blade connected with his fire, dispersing it into bursts of heat that singed the sky. Another meteor fell, blocked. Fireballs rained, parried, countered.
Every swing, every clash, I held my ground.
And then Kael struck.
He blurred into existence beside me, daggers flashing, shadows twisting around his frame like living things. His blade grazed my armor, a whisper of death.
I twisted, auto-thrust stabbing upward, sparks flying as our weapons collided.
His mask had fallen further down now, revealing the sharp angles of his jaw, the piercing focus in his eyes.
My stomach flipped. Okay, maybe he's my type too.
"Pick one," Kael snarled through clenched teeth, pushing back against my blade. "Or I'll carve you into pieces."
"Don't give him the chance," Zeref growled, flames circling tighter, trapping us in a fiery ring.
I screamed, not out of fear, but fury.
"YOU THINK I'M JUST GONNA STAY RANK TWO FOREVER?!" My voice cracked across the battlefield, echoing. "YOU THINK I'M A JOKE?!"
The words ripped from me like fire.
All those nights in guild chat. All those times these so-called top players mocked Leonhart. Called me a button masher, a joke avatar, a discount knight.
Not anymore.
Not when I had the power in my hands, my auto-cast burning like destiny itself.
I spun, golden light flooding my blade. The ground trembled as the nuclear sunbeam gathered again, my sword humming with unbearable energy.
"This..." I roared, face flushed, eyes blazing. "...IS MY RANK ONE MOMENT!"
Kael darted back, his daggers raised. Zeref braced, fire shields swirling.
The light exploded from my sword, tearing through their combined defenses, crashing against the fiery sky with the sound of thunder.
The map itself seemed to groan, collapsing faster under the strain. The countdown flickered: 03:45:39.
My chest heaved, Leonhart's armor glowing from the sheer force of my attack.
I grinned, manic, breathless, exhilarated.
"Get ready, boys," I panted, raising my sword again. "Because by the time this timer hits zero…"
I locked eyes with both of them, Zeref burning, Kael shadowing.
"…Leonhart will be number one."
And maybe, just maybe, I'll also survive not dying from how ridiculously good-looking my enemies are.