The silence after Rigel's battle lingered, thick and heavy, like fog that refused to lift.
The air still hummed faintly from the distortion of his telekinesis, and dust drifted lazily through the air as if time itself had slowed.
Lys hadn't moved an inch. The soft white glow of her barrier dimmed as she lowered her hand, her eyes calm, almost bored.
Rigel looked back at her, his tone casual. "We're done here."
But Den… hadn't accepted that.
The Captain of the Red Band straightened, veins bulging across his neck and arms. His golden eyes narrowed with something between desperation and cold fury.
"Done?" he repeated, voice low, trembling. "You think it ends because you say so?"
Rigel arched a brow, but Lys didn't respond. She simply turned her head slightly, her gaze flicking toward Den for the first time.
That single look made Den's heartbeat stutter. His instincts screamed, something primal within him warning him not to move.
And yet… pride demanded he strike, it's now or never.
His jaw tightened. He growled under his breath, drawing a rune across the blade of his sword with his thumb. The crimson sigil flared to life instantly.
"[Bloodseal of Dominion]," he intoned.
The ground beneath him cracked as red energy surged from the runes engraved across his armor. The very air distorted, bending around his form.
Jack stumbled back. "That's—! That's his full enchantment!"
Even Nod, half-conscious and bleeding out, managed to turn his head, his voice a hoarse whisper.
"Den…"
But the Captain ignored him.
Dozens of runic circles appeared beneath Den's feet, swirling with scarlet light. His armor tightened, plates shifting and interlocking, his sword vibrating as if alive.
And then he moved.
To the human eye, it looked like teleportation. A blur of color, a burst of wind, and suddenly Den was behind Lys, his hand outstretched, ready to seize her throat.
He didn't even blink.
But then, his entire body stopped.
Not slowed. Not restrained. Stopped.
The air froze around him. His pupils dilated, his veins went rigid. His muscles refused to respond, his limbs hanging mid-motion like a marionette with its strings cut.
"What—"
His voice caught in his throat. He couldn't even finish the word.
Lys didn't even turn to look at him. Her right hand, which had been idly brushing the fur of one of the wolf pups, moved slightly, barely enough to be called a gesture.
A shimmer passed through the air.
Den's body twisted violently, invisible force wrapping around him like an iron band. His armor creaked, metal plates screeching in protest as he was hurled sideways like a ragdoll.
He crashed into the dirt beside Nod, the ground cracking beneath the impact. The crater swallowed both men in dust and stone.
Den groaned, coughing blood. His eyes darted toward Lys in horror. "What… kind of magic… is that…?"
He tried to move, but his limbs refused to obey. It was as if gravity itself had turned against him.
Lys finally looked down at him, almost gentle.
Her eyes carried no anger, no arrogance. Only quiet certainty.
Siora's boots crunched against the dirt as she stepped forward. The air shimmered faintly around her form, telekinetic energy rippling like heat haze.
She stopped beside the crater, gazing down at Den. "You actually thought of attacking Lady Lys?"
Her tone was casual, even teasing but her eyes were sharp enough to cut steel.
Den forced a pained chuckle, spitting blood. "So she really is your leader… no wonder she's strong."
Siora tilted her head slightly, smiling faintly. "Oh, she is." She took one step closer, shadows dancing across her armor. "But I alone am enough to put your face in the dirt."
Den's jaw clenched. "You think… I'll just lie here and listen to your arrogance?"
He slammed his hand into the dirt. A shockwave of runic light burst outward, shattering the earth.
"[Augment Form]. [Vital Conversion]. [Bladeflow Surge]!"
The runes engraved into his armor flared one by one, flooding his body with crimson mana. His wounds sealed partially, his breathing steadied. The ground beneath him split open as he rose to his feet, towering and monstrous in his fury.
From his sword, dozens of smaller runes projected into the air, hovering around the blade, spinning rapidly. Each glowed with destructive power.
Rigel whistled softly, leaning on his sword. "Huh. Those are different from the guy that I fought."
Siora's expression didn't change. "Cute trick."
Den snarled. "You'll eat those words."
He swung.
The sword released a barrage of crimson arcs, each one tearing through the ground like a storm of blades. The air howled as his attacks carved through trees, soil, and stone.
But Siora didn't move at first. Her eyes glowed faintly blue.
Then, she stepped forward.
The first wave of energy hit her and shattered against invisible force.
Den's eyes widened. "What—"
Siora's telekinesis shimmered around her body, forming a translucent layer of distortion that made her armor gleam unnaturally bright. Each movement left ripples in the air.
Her next step blurred.
One moment she was standing in front of Den and the next, she was behind him.
Den's instincts screamed. He swung his sword behind him in reflex.
Siora caught it, barehanded.
The blade stopped dead in her palm, the air hissing around it. Sparks cascaded as she squeezed, the metal bending under the pressure.
Den's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible—!"
Her voice was calm. "You rely too much on your sword."
Then she punched him.
The sound was like thunder.
Den flew backward, crashing through a tree, then another. The impact shattered his armor's enchantments, the runes flickering out one by one.
But he wasn't done yet.
He staggered up, growling, his eyes wild. "You think… that's enough to kill me!?"
The runes along his sword reignited, brighter than before, blood seeping from his nose and eyes. "I'll break you!"
He charged again, swinging in a wide arc. Dozens of spells triggered at once, fire, wind, kinetic blasts, lightning, all converging into one massive explosion of magic around Siora.
The blast engulfed her completely.
For a moment, the world turned white.
When the light faded, Siora stood there, unharmed. Her armor glowed faintly blue, telekinetic ripples coursing over her form like living energy.
Den froze, eyes wide. "That can't be… not even high rank A warriors could—"
She moved.
In an instant, Siora closed the distance, her hand wrapping around Den's sword arm. The next sound was a sickening crack.
Den screamed.
Siora twisted, her movements precise, deliberate, merciless. Another crack, his elbow bent the wrong way. Another, his shoulder dislocated. She moved with the grace of a dancer and the brutality of a butcher.
Den's knees buckled, his breath ragged.
Siora caught him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The impact sent a crater rippling outward, stone splintering beneath them.
Her eyes was cold.
She raised her fist and drove it into his chest. His armor shattered completely, fragments scattering across the ground.
Den gasped, blood spraying from his lips. His sword fell from his grasp, flickering out as the runes died.
Siora leaned closer, her voice a whisper that only he could hear. "You're somewhat strong, Den. But you're just a selfish puppet."
She dropped him.
Den collapsed into the dirt, barely conscious. His limbs twisted, blood pooling beneath him.
Rigel exhaled softly, scratching his cheek. "We really should spar often Siora."
Siora didn't reply. She only straightened, shaking blood from her gauntlet.
Lys looked at the fallen Captain with quiet detachment. "He'll live for a few more minutes."
Jack swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Y-you could've… just knocked him out…"
Siora glanced at him briefly. "Mercy breeds arrogance."
The forest was quiet again. The wind carried only the faint rustle of burning wood and distant howls.
Then—
A deep voice echoed from beyond the treeline.
"…So red band... your actually getting fucked up huh, Den."
Everyone froze.
The trees at the edge of the clearing began to sway, branches snapping, roots tearing from the earth. Heavy footsteps followed, each one shaking the ground.
From the darkness of the forest, shapes emerged.
Twenty giant orcs stepped into the clearing, their skin a dark, bruised green, muscles rippling beneath thick armor forged from bone and black steel. Their tusks gleamed under the faint light.
And between them walked two larger figures, heavily armored, towering over the rest. Their eyes burned a deep crimson beneath horned helmets. Each carried a massive cleaver-like weapon that looked capable of splitting a horse in half.
Behind them, hundreds of Red Band soldiers followed, reinforcements, their crimson cloaks torn and bloodstained, faces pale with fear and awe.
The center orc stopped. His armor bore golden runes that pulsed faintly with life. His presence alone was suffocating.
He looked at the carnage before him, at the corpses, at the shattered village, at Den's broken body.
A slow grin spread across his tusked face.
"Well, well," the orc rumbled, his voice like rolling thunder. "What do we have here?"
The lesser orcs chuckled darkly, gripping their weapons. The ground trembled as they spread out, forming a semicircle around the group.
Rigel sighed, brushing ash from his shoulder. "Great. More company, big company."
Siora's eyes narrowed, the faint shimmer of her telekinesis returning around her.
Lys remained calm, her fingers idly stroking one of the wolf pups. "How troublesome," she murmured.
The orc's grin widened. "Troublesome? You'll find death to be far more than that, puny humans."
He lifted his cleaver and pointed it toward Lys. "Kill the woman first."
The air grew still once more.
Siora stepped forward.
Her eyes glowed blue. The ground beneath her cracked as her telekinesis surged to life, rippling through the air like the coming of a storm.
Rigel smiled faintly. "Second wave incoming."
The orcs roared. The Red Bands raised their weapons. The night shook under the weight of the coming battle.