The iron wheels screamed as the train thundered through the shattered Riftlands, sparks flashing from beneath the tracks.
Inside the dim cargo bay, three mercenaries leaned against crates of illegal weapons, the rhythmic clatter of metal mixing with their laughter.
"Yo, bro," one of them said, his grin cruel. "Wanna have some fun before delivery?"
"How do you mean?" another asked, following his gaze toward the bound hostages — six girls tied in the center of the car, wrists glowing with runes.
The red-haired girl lifted her head, fury burning in her eyes.
"Don't you even dare," she hissed through clenched teeth.
The mercenaries burst into laughter.
"Hah! Listen to that," one sneered. "A little Starborn threatening us? You gonna throw sparkles at us or something?"
Their laughter echoed cruelly through the car. The girls trembled — all except the redhead, who glared daggers at them. She opened her mouth to shout again—
—and then the world erupted.
A deafening BOOM shook the entire train, the metal floor jolting violently as fire burst from the side of the car. The blast threw the mercs against the walls, shards of steel raining like glass.
"Enemy attack!" someone screamed from the front car.
Sirens blared. The mercs scrambled for their rifles, stumbling over debris. One tore open the side door, shouting into his radio.
"Front car hit! We're under fire — heavy artillery!"
Outside, gunfire filled the night — tracer rounds streaking like meteors, explosions flashing in the clouds.
The Resistance had arrived.
The red-haired girl blinked through the smoke, her ears ringing. One of the fallen mercs lay unconscious near her — a small crack glowing on his rune generator belt.
She moved quickly, twisting her wrists. The broken rune restraint flickered and released.
"Damn it… now or never," she muttered.
A faint ember flickered at her palm. With a defiant shout, she launched a fireball directly at the guard standing by the door.
The impact sent him flying backward, armor melting from the heat.
"Go!" she yelled, rushing to the others. "Now's our chance!"
The purple-haired girl hesitated only a second before nodding. Together, they tore at the glowing ropes, freeing the others one by one.
The frightened girls clung to each other, trembling but determined.
"We have to reach the back car," the redhead said. "Stay behind me. Don't stop."
The helicopter roared through the chaos, its floodlights cutting through smoke and dust.
The side gunners opened fire, sending streams of tracer rounds along the train's length.
"Targets locked— light it up!"
The explosions bloomed like orange flowers along the metal cars.
I gritted my teeth. "Watch your fire! The hostages are still inside!"
One of the gunners laughed nervously. "Relax, Ryze! We've done this a hundred times — precision strikes only!"
"Precision, my ass," I muttered, adjusting my scope.
Below, flames licked the canyon walls. The train's roof had partially collapsed, sparks showering the surrounding terrain. I scanned through the smoke — identifying mercenary heat signatures.
"Got you," I whispered.
My rifle hummed, charging a silver streak of light.
Bang!
One merc's chestplate shattered; another fell trying to return fire.
Through the comms, I heard my teammate chuckle. "Nice shot, Starlink."
"Focus," I said. "We're not done yet."
A wounded merc stumbled into a reinforced door, clutching his bleeding arm. He slammed his fist against the lock pad.
"Open up! We're under attack!"
The door hissed open, revealing a shadowed room filled with glowing runes and mechanical devices.
A lone figure sat in the corner — cloaked, motionless.
"The Resistance is here!" the merc gasped. "They're killing everyone — we need backup! You're the client's contact, right? You're supposed to assist us!"
The cloaked figure slowly raised their head.
Under the hood, two red eyes gleamed.
"…Assist you?" the voice asked softly. "How unfortunate for you."
Before the merc could react, a faint hum filled the air — and a blade of light sliced cleanly through his body.
The figure stood, brushing away the blood from their weapon.
"Orders accepted," they murmured, stepping toward the door.
"The Reaper moves."
"Enemy reinforcements incoming!"
The pilot's voice jolted me back. I steadied my scope again, sweeping over the train.
"Target zone clear. Hostages should be near the third car," I said, adjusting my position.
"Copy that," my squad leader replied. "Prepare for extraction. We're going in."
For the first time since the mission began, I allowed myself a breath of relief.
Maybe, just maybe, we could get those girls out alive.
But then—
Something shifted in the air.
A sudden pulse of wind slammed against the helicopter, rattling the frame. My instincts screamed.
"What the hell was that?" one of the soldiers shouted.
I turned my scope toward the ridge — and froze.
There, standing on a fragment of broken terrain above the canyon, was a figure in silver and black armor, a massive scythe resting on her shoulder. Her cloak fluttered violently in the wind.
"Oh, no…" one of my teammates breathed. "It's her."
"Who?" I asked, my heart tightening.
The soldier swallowed hard. "SK. The Reaper of SkyRealm."
The name hit like a cold wave.
An elite player. A world-ranked boss-killer. A monster said to have soloed entire guilds back before the Collapse.
SK lifted her head, eyes glowing beneath her helmet. Then she leapt — a blur of motion slicing through the night sky.
"Brace for impact!" the pilot screamed.
Her scythe came down in a vertical arc, slamming against the helicopter with a thunderous CLANG! Sparks erupted as energy collided with metal.
Smoke burst around us. For a heartbeat, I thought we were done — but when the haze cleared, a shimmering dome of light surrounded the chopper.
An energy shield.
My shield.
SK landed on the wreckage below, staring up in surprise. "Oh?" she said, her voice cold and amused. "A Starborn? It's been a while since I've hunted one of you."
My hands trembled slightly from the strain — I hadn't used magic in years. The power flowed through me like liquid fire, unstable but alive.
Behind me, my teammates stared in awe. "Holy hell, Ryze… I thought you cant use magic?"
"Not exactly," I said, lowering my hands and aiming my rifle again. "But close enough."
The Reaper tilted her head, amused by my defiance.
I smiled. Despite the chaos, despite the danger — there was a spark of thrill inside me.
"I never thought I'd get to face a SkyRealm player," I whispered, my finger resting gently on the trigger. "Let's see what all the legends are about."