At the village's edge, the two factions clashed violently.
Wood struck wood in rapid succession. Shouts filled the night air. What had started as a rivalry now resembled a battlefield.
At the center of it all—
Lolan and Nelly.
Lolan thrust forward.
Nelly twisted her spear sideways, deflecting the strike before pivoting into a horizontal swing toward his head.
He ducked.
He countered with a slash toward her hip—
She blocked.
Then he abruptly stopped his swing mid-motion and redirected the thrust toward her chest.
A feint.
The blow landed.
Nelly staggered back, gritting her teeth through the pain.
Lolan advanced immediately—
But it was a trap.
Nelly dropped low and swept his leg. His footing vanished. He crashed onto his back.
She stepped forward and stomped him down, spear tip hovering at his throat.
A victorious smirk curved her lips.
Lolan glared up at her.
These were not ordinary children.
All of them were Anna's students — trained from the age of seven. Discipline. Endurance. Combat drilled into their bones.
Unlike Ray's more fluid teachings, Anna's methods were strict and merciless. Body and mind hardened together.
Nelly reached for the brown fur bandana tied around Lolan's wrist.
Lolan suddenly slashed upward.
Nelly fell sideways, barely avoiding the strike.
He rolled and pinned her down, reaching for the bandana at her waist.
Panic flashed across her eyes.
She raised her palm.
Hashi surged.
Lolan blinked in confusion—
A burst of force exploded point-blank into his face.
His nose broke instantly. He was thrown backward, crashing into the dirt.
Nelly rose to her feet.
Lolan staggered up as well, blood pouring over his hand as he clutched his broken nose.
Around them, the fighting had quieted. Most of the children were bruised, exhausted, barely standing.
But Lolan and Nelly didn't break eye contact.
Lolan roared and charged his sword with Hashi.
Nelly lowered her stance, spear steady.
She thrust.
Hashi shot forward, amplifying the spear's speed.
Lolan parried and pushed through, closing distance. Nelly rotated the base of her spear downward, turning it vertically as a shield.
Lolan charged his body with Hashi and lunged forward, attempting a tackle—
But Nelly had read him.
She gathered Hashi again.
As he reached her, she released another burst directly into his shoulder.
The impact sent both of them flying backward.
They hit the ground hard.
Breathing ragged.
Hashi nearly depleted.
Sweat dripped down their faces.
Dammit… this isn't supposed to be this hard… Lolan thought bitterly.
He looked around.
Most of his group was down.
So was Nelly's.
Then—
A voice echoed from the forest.
"Man… these brats have energy."
"I think they're training."
"That's bad. Bruises lower the product's price."
"Boss won't like that."
The remaining children slowly turned.
From the darkness of the surrounding forest, a squad of men stepped forward.
Mismatched clothing. Unkempt appearances. Cruel eyes.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
These were not villagers.
These were not islanders.
These were predators.
Nelly scanned them carefully.
Their gazes were filled with impure intent.
She reacted first.
"What are you idiots doing? Get up!"
Her voice snapped through the tension. Even the most exhausted children forced themselves to stand.
Lolan frowned at the strangers.
"Who are you?"
The men ignored him, snickering.
"Relax, kids," one said mockingly. "We're good adults. Just taking you somewhere fun."
Laughter followed.
Nelly's voice cut through it.
"Battle positions!"
Even the beaten ones obeyed.
"Adil — come here."
The youngest boy in her group, barely ten, stumbled toward her.
She gripped his shoulders firmly.
"Run into the village. Find Teacher Anna. Tell her invaders are here. Understand?"
He nodded and sprinted toward the village at full speed.
The men's smiles faded.
"A brat's going to cause trouble."
"Guess we stop being gentle."
"Beat them. We'll deal with the consequences later."
Steel rang as swords were unsheathed.
The children stiffened.
Now they understood.
This wasn't a game.
Lolan moved beside Nelly.
"What's going on?" he muttered, unease creeping in.
Nelly didn't look at him.
"Idiot. They're not from our village. Not from this island. Have you ever seen clothes like that?"
Silence.
"They're outsiders," she continued coldly. "Which means they crossed the Empire's borders."
Her grip tightened on her spear.
"They're invaders."