The sky above Hokuryu City cracked open without warning.
A gate formed midair — glowing white.
Hunters nearby sighed in relief.
"White dungeon. Easy."
But inside the Hunter Association building, four figures stood quietly in front of the monitoring screen.
The Armageddon Squad.
Hyezi Hazeyara stood slightly behind the others, hands in her coat pockets. Calm. Expression unreadable.
On her chest —
E-Rank.
The lowest.
Nahira Shirahane tilted her head. "White dungeon? That's almost boring."
Ruku snorted. "You say that every time."
Heru Shirogami folded his arms, ever composed. "Stay focused. Even white dungeons can shift."
Zakeru Hoshizaki stood beside Hyezi.
Silent.
Lightning faintly flickered around his fingertips, not aggressively — more like a quiet habit.
He glanced at her badge.
Not with pity.
Not with doubt.
Just awareness.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
Hyezi gave a small shrug. "It's just another dungeon."
He nodded once.
"If it changes… stay near me."
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't loud.
It was simple.
And that's what made it steady.
The moment they stepped through the gate—
The air felt wrong.
The white glow behind them sealed shut.
The walls shifted.
White stone darkened.
Blue.
Then orange.
Heru's expression sharpened.
"…It's evolving."
The color deepened again.
Purple mist began crawling across the floor.
Nahira inhaled slowly. "You've got to be kidding."
A Purple Dungeon.
Only ten percent of hunters survive those.
Ruku grinned nervously. "Well… this just got interesting."
Heru turned calm and tactical immediately.
"Formation as usual. We don't panic. We move together."
Zakeru stepped slightly closer to Hyezi — subtle enough that only she noticed.
"Don't fall behind," he murmured.
She almost smiled.
"Worried?"
"A little," he admitted honestly.
The first wave of shadow beasts descended from the walls.
Heru moved first — precise and controlled.
Nahira's magic flowed like silver light.
Ruku darted between enemies.
Zakeru didn't explode recklessly.
He moved in smooth bursts of lightning, protecting openings, redirecting attacks.
Hyezi fought too.
She wasn't useless.
She just wasn't strong enough.
Her blade clashed against a shadow beast — her arms shook.
Another came from the side.
She blocked, barely.
Then—
The ground beneath her cracked.
Purple light swallowed her whole.
"Hyezi!" Nahira shouted.
Zakeru moved instantly — but the floor sealed before he could grab her.
Silence.
Heru's jaw tightened, but he didn't lose control.
"We find her. Now."
Zakeru stared at the sealed crack for half a second too long.
Then he closed his fist.
"…She's still alive."
It wasn't hope.
It was certainty.
Deep Below
Hyezi hit the ground hard.
Silence surrounded her.
Not purple.
Not blue.
Crimson.
A massive chamber stretched before her.
A throne made of dark crystal stood at its center.
A voice echoed.
"You are the weakest."
She stood slowly.
"…I know."
"No aura. No blessing. No rank."
Her E-rank badge glinted faintly.
"I know."
The chamber trembled.
"And yet… you walked into a Purple Dungeon without fear."
She looked up.
"I wasn't alone."
Silence.
Then—
"Do you desire power?"
Her heartbeat echoed in the chamber.
She thought of Heru's calm leadership.
Nahira's playful strength.
Ruku's fearless charge.
And Zakeru—
Quiet.
Always nearby.
Always steady.
She clenched her fists.
"I don't want to stand behind them anymore."
Crimson energy surged from the ground.
It wrapped around her arms.
Not violently.
But like something recognizing its owner.
The E-rank badge cracked.
The dungeon above trembled violently.
Upper Floor
Nahira stumbled.
"The mana— it changed!"
Purple walls began streaking with red veins.
Ruku stared upward. "That's not purple anymore."
Heru's eyes widened slightly.
"…It's shifting to Red."
Zakeru felt it before he saw it.
A pulse.
Familiar.
Alive.
He stepped forward slowly.
"Hyezi…"
The dungeon roared.
An announcement echoed inside their minds:
Dungeon Evolution Detected.
Purple Dungeon → Red Variant.
Escape Probability: 0%.
The walls darkened completely.
Crimson light flooded the space.
Deep Below
Hyezi opened her eyes.
They glowed faint red now.
Not wild.
Not cruel.
Controlled.
The voice whispered one last time:
"You will not escape this dungeon."
She lifted her blade, crimson aura flowing around it.
"I don't plan to."
Above—
The sky outside Hokuryu City slowly began to turn red.
And the world would soon learn a name it never expected from an E-Rank hunter.
The Bloody Lady.