Volume 12 : Chapter 10 – THE MOUSETRAP (1)

“Sachi, I’ll ask you one more time. Were you the one who did this?” the teacher asked harshly.

“…It wasn’t me.”

“You bitch! How dare you lie!” Sakura immediately jumped into the conversation, her accusation echoing through the staffroom.

“Language, Sakura.” The teacher’s voice turned stern.

“Sorry, teach. But she’s blatantly lying. Why would the three of us make this up?” Sakura said, gesturing toward her two friends.

Tama and Misaki nodded in agreement.

The teacher let out a tired sigh.

“At this point, I’m sick of the four of you. Why do you always have to create trouble?”

As usual, the teacher never listened.

She only cared about maintaining the perfect class she had envisioned. As long as the bullying stayed out of sight, she was perfectly content to sweep it under the rug rather than actually put a stop to it.

“You said there was another student present, right? Let’s call him in and ask what he saw.”

“Yes. Let’s call him. I’m sure he’ll tell the truth,” Tama said confidently.

Why was she so confident?

He had been there. He had seen exactly what happened.

This time I finally had a witness who could tell the truth.

A moment later, another student entered the classroom.

“Natsu, tell us exactly what happened,” the teacher asked.

Natsu glanced at the three girls.

Then at me.

For a brief moment, our eyes met. But then he averted his gaze.

Then he turned back to the three girls and nodded.

“That day I entered the classroom and saw Sachi holding the money. Then Sakura took the money back from her. That’s what I remember.”

The teacher frowned.

“So, as you said, the money was originally in Sachi’s hands?”

“I... I just told you what I saw,” Natsu replied, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily.

Sakura's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Tama and Misaki exchanged quiet laughs.

That wasn’t what he saw that day.

I knew it was a lie.

They knew it was a lie.

And Natsu knew it was a lie.

Yet somehow, I was still the one standing on trial.

The teacher turned her angry gaze toward me.

Natsu wouldn’t even look at me anymore.

I lowered my head.

I see, so it ends like this again.

My eyes burned, but I refused to let the tears fall.

By now I had already learned that crying wouldn't make anyone listen.

◇◇◇

“Get away from my grandfather!”

Sam suddenly charged at the self-proclaimed hero who had abandoned him on the streets, leaving him at the mercy of the vicious mob.

“Sam! What has gotten into you?” The old man cried out in alarm, grabbing the boy around the waist before he could reach his target.

But Sam twisted desperately in his grasp, swinging his little fists through the air.

“You bastard!”

“Hey! What are you doing?” my classmate snapped, stumbling backward as he tried to avoid the boy’s flailing punches. “Get away from me!”

Sam refused to listen. Even with his grandfather holding him back, he kept struggling, kicking his legs and throwing punches whenever he managed to slip free.

For someone so small, he certainly had a lot of fight in him. I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction watching him.

Get him, Sam.

I immediately felt a little guilty for cheering him on internally, but when I glanced at Nia, she was wearing an expression suspiciously similar to mine.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one enjoying the show.

“Grandfather, don't trust him!” Sam shouted, his voice trembling with anger. “He tried to sell me to bad people!”

His grandfather froze.

My classmate's expression changed. His eyes narrowed as he finally seemed to recognize the boy.

“Wait... you're that little runt who got caught stealing food.” He stepped forward and grabbed Sam by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

“Let go of me!” Sam yelled, kicking his legs furiously.

“Stop squirming! How did you get here?”

My classmate held Sam at arm's length while he continued struggling, his tiny fists still trying to reach his face.

Sam then pointed toward us. “Those good ladies saved me!”

The commotion had already drawn everyone's attention.

One by one, the people nearby turned toward us. My classmate's five companions stopped what they were doing and looked over, while Sam's grandfather stared at the scene in confusion.

Then my classmate glanced at us.

“Who are they?”

…

A few minutes later, the situation had finally calmed down.

“We're terribly sorry.” Sam's grandfather bowed deeply before my classmate; his face filled with embarrassment.

“It was my grandson's fault. I promise I'll make sure he never steals again. Please forgive him this once.”

He then placed a hand on Sam's head and pushed him down into a bow.

“Say you're sorry.”

“But he tried to sell me!” Sam protested, stubbornly raising his head.

“Sam.” His grandfather's stern voice made him reluctantly lower his head again.

“I'm sorry,” he muttered.

Although the words had left his mouth, the resentment on his face made it clear that he didn’t mean them.

His grandfather sighed before turning toward us.

“And thank you both young ladies for saving him and bringing him back to me.” His expression softened, and genuine gratitude filled his eyes. “I don't know what would have happened to him if you hadn't found him.”

Nia smiled gently.

Sam also looked up at us.

“Thank you very much!” he said, bowing properly this time. “I'll be a good boy from now on!”

“It's all right,” I replied with a small smile. “Just make sure you keep that promise.”

“I will!” Sam nodded vigorously.

“I know my grandson isn’t a bad kid,” Sam’s grandfather said quietly. “It’s my fault. If only we hadn’t run out of money after raising the reward for the quest…”

His voice faded as he lowered his gaze. Dark circles hollowed his eyes, and his clothes hung loosely from his thin frame. He looked as though he hadn’t eaten properly in days.

Perhaps seeing his grandfather reduced to such a state was what had driven Sam to take this step.

With the immediate trouble out of the way, Nia wasted no time getting to the reason we had come here in the first place.

“Regarding that quest of yours,” Nia stepped forward, her expression becoming more serious. “We came here because we want to accept your request to save your village.”

Sam's grandfather blinked in surprise. “You... want to accept the quest?”

“Yes.” Nia nodded. “That's why we're here.”

I glanced toward the other adventurer party. They were still close by.

And judging from the way they were watching us, they clearly understood that we were competing for the same quest.

We couldn't afford to sit around and wait. If we wanted the job, we needed to make our intentions clear before they could take it from us.

Nia seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

“We'd like to hear everything about your village and what happened there,” she continued. “If you're willing to entrust the quest to us, we'd like to leave as soon as possible.”

◇◇◇

“How many times do I have to tell you, Natsu?” Nozomi's voice was sharp, but she kept it low enough that only the six of them could hear. “You can't judge this world by the same rules and laws as our own!”

Natsu lowered his head, having no choice but to listen.

By then, Shou had already erected a soundproof barrier around their group, ensuring that their argument wouldn't reach the people nearby.

“What if those angry people had decided to beat that poor kid?” Nozomi continued, glaring at Natsu. “Or worse, what if they had sold him to slave traders? You can't just assume everything will work out the way it did back home!”

Natsu's shoulders sank.

“I'm sorry. Please forgive me this time.”

He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, lowering his head slightly as he looked up at Nozomi with an uneasy expression.

“I thought those people would just hand the kid over to the police, and that would be the end of it. Besides, you were the one who told me to hurry to the guild, remember?”

He gave her an awkward smile, his eyes silently pleading with her to let it slide.

Nozomi's eyebrow twitched.

“I'm just fed up with you. When are you going to learn to grow up?”

“Uh...” Before Natsu could come up with another excuse, Shou hurriedly stepped between them.

“This is bad guys. Look.” Shou said, pointing toward the other adventurers approaching the old man. “There are suddenly other adventurers interested in the quest.”

Nozomi followed his gaze. Her expression immediately turned grim.

“Well, thanks to a certain idiot, we might just lose the quest.”

“Just let it go this time, please.” Natsu winced.

Athys, the goddess of Water contracted with Natsu, gently intervened. “I think he's repented enough, Nozomi.”

Nozomi sighed and rubbed her temples. “Don’t tell me you have forgotten why this quest is so important.”

“Why exactly?” Natsu rubbed his cheeks, expressing a clear lack of understanding.

“We need this quest if we're going to go undercover. We've already checked every available request. This is the only one that can take us close enough to the Black Torch. There is also a possibility their spy could be here even now.” Shou explained.

At the mention of their real objective, Natsu's expression suddenly changed.

“Right. The heretics.”

He shot to his feet with a determined look in his eyes.

Nozomi's eyes widened as she immediately recognized that look. “What are you planning now?”

But Natsu was already making his way toward the old man. He glanced back at her with a cheerful grin and a wink.

“Just watch me.”

“Idiot! Come back!”

Nozomi knew from experience that whenever Natsu said those words, things never ended well.

…

But it was too late.

Natsu had already made up his mind.

He walked straight toward Sam’s grandfather, stopping in front of him with a confident smile.

“Trust me, old man. The six of us are strong enough to save your village.”

Natsu gestured toward himself and his companions before casting a dismissive glance at us.

“You don't need a bunch of weak girls risking their lives for you.”

“Excuse me?” Nia's smile disappeared. “You shouldn't judge someone by their appearance.”

“I'm not.” Natsu folded his arms, completely unfazed. “I just know I'm the strongest person here.”

I couldn't help but narrow my eyes.

He's certainly confident.

But unfortunately, he wasn't entirely wrong. I could feel the magical energy radiating from him. It was considerably stronger than Nia's.

And the difference became even more apparent when I sensed the divine energy flowing through his body.

So that's the power of his contract with Athys.

Athys wasn't an ordinary goddess. She was one of the most powerful gods to have reincarnated into this world.

Natsu's confidence suddenly made a lot more sense.

However...

“Strength isn't the only thing this village needs.” Nia stepped forward, refusing to back down. “I heard there's been an outbreak of disease in the village.”

Nia then gestured toward me.

“In that case, they definitely need a healer. And our party already has the most radiant, holy, and powerful healer.”

“Huh...”

I froze when Nia suddenly pointed at me with that embarrassing introduction.

“Yeah.” I forced myself to nod. “I'm a priest. I can heal them.”

I couldn't let Nia lose face now. More importantly, I'd already promised Sam that I would help his village. There was no way I could back out.

Natsu raised an eyebrow and gestured toward Athys as though presenting their secret weapon.

“Then we too have the most blessed healer under the heavens.” Natsu gave me a confident look, as though the two of us were competing. “And she’s an A-rank, too. I doubt your healer is strong enough to match ours.”

Well, of course, he had no reason to back down. Three of his companions are gods, after all. Their divine magic should be powerful enough to heal any ailment.

Still, I wasn't going to let that intimidate me. Before I could respond, a small voice interrupted us.

“Nooo!” Sam stuck out his tongue at Natsu. “Grandfather! I know these ladies can help us. We don't need their help!”

His grandfather's face twisted with confusion.

“But...”

He looked from Natsu to us, clearly unsure of what to do. After all, had gone from receiving no group of adventurers for days to suddenly having two parties fighting over his quest.

And judging from the looks on both sides... neither of us seemed willing to back down.

“Excuse me, sir.” My female classmate suddenly stepped into the argument, addressing Sam's grandfather. “Regardless of what has happened, we were the first party to offer our services. You had practically agreed to hire us before these two even arrived.”

She had a point. A rather strong one, too.

“But the boy asked us to help him as well,” Nia immediately countered.

My classmate turned toward us.

“Even if the boy asked you to help, the actual quest was issued by his grandfather. He's the quest giver, not the child.”

She paused before adding, “I'm sorry, but I don't think we can simply let this quest slip out of our hands. It would reflect badly on our reputation. We had already decided to accept this request before you arrived.”

She was right. There wasn't really any rule that said Sam's request took priority over his grandfather's, which left us in a rather awkward position.

Personally, I wasn't particularly concerned about the quest itself. Even if we failed to get it through the guild, I could simply travel to the village on my own and help them.

But these people...

They were making this far more complicated than it needed to be. And the more I watched them, the stronger my suspicions became.

They know something.

There was no other explanation for how adamantly they were fighting for this particular quest. Could they have reached the same conclusion we had?

Perhaps they had discovered something similar to what we found after investigating the Black Torch’s hideout.

That wouldn't be surprising.

If they had been tracking the Black Torch for a long time, they could have already connected some of the clues we had only recently uncovered.

So, what exactly are they after?

While I was lost in thought, the argument somehow escalated into something I never expected. A tug-of-war.

Sam grabbed one of his grandfather’s arms while Natsu seized the other, and when the old man struggled against them, Nia quickly jumped in to help Sam hold him back.

“Leave my grandpa.”

“Come with us, sir!”

“No, you're coming with us!”

“Wait! Please stop!” the poor old man begged, clearly distressed as he was pulled back and forth between them.

His frail body was already trembling from the strain, and his face had turned pale.

Then—

BOOOOM!

An explosion of dust erupted between them.

“Khoo…Khooo…”

Everyone staggered backward as a thick cloud swallowed the area.

And through the swirling cloud, a massive figure emerged, carrying Sam’s grandfather safely away from both sides.

A huge, muscular man wearing a long green coat bearing the Adventurer's Guild emblem over his shoulders. His chest was completely bare beneath it, revealing a heavily built physique covered in scars and muscles.

“That's enough!” His booming voice shook the room. “I am Orgol, the guild master of this branch.”

He put the old man back on his feet before turning toward us.

“I simply couldn't stand by and watch one of our clients being harassed by adventurers inside my own guild.” His expression hardened. “Especially when two big adventurer parties are involved.”

He glanced between the two groups, his eyes shifting toward Natsu's group.

“If I'm not mistaken, you're the Blue Crest adventurers from the Kingdom of Aquarion.”

Then he turned towards Nia.

“And you miss are from the Sierra Clan from the western side of the continent.”

The atmosphere immediately changed. Both sides backed away from each other.

I narrowed my eyes.

During the brief chaos, I'd analyzed the magic Orgol had used.  There was more to it than simply creating a cloud of dust.

The dust seemed to interfere with the perception of anyone caught inside it. Those few seconds were enough for him to slip between Nia and Natsu and pull Sam’s grandfather away without either of them realizing exactly what had happened.

Nia, meanwhile, looked at the opposing party with a mix of apprehension and newfound interest.

“Blue Crest...” She muttered.

“You know them?” I whispered, leaning closer to her.

“Yes. They’re one of the most famous adventurer parties in the region. They’re currently ranked A, but they’ve already completed several S-rank missions. At this point, it’s only a matter of time before they’re promoted to S rank.”

So, they're that good?

But then Natsu suddenly looked toward Orgol.

“Wait... did I hear you correctly?” He pointed at Nia and me. “Are those two really from the Sierra Clan?”

His expression was filled with disbelief.

“Hey! Aren’t they supposed to be the new rising adventurer clan from the west?”

“Yeah, I heard they are strong and even have access to that special healing potion.”

“I heard about those miraculous healing potions too. I want one too.”

“But what are they doing here so far from their home base?”

I felt the weight of dozens of eyes settle on us.

Wait.

I blinked.

What?

My adventurer clan had already become famous?

I glanced at Nia. She didn't seem particularly surprised.

When did that happen?

Before I could ask, Orgol spoke again.

“I know the Blue Crest is active in this region, but I can't understand why members of the Sierra Clan would travel this far east.” His eyes settled on Nia. “Especially when one of them is the clan's vice master herself.”

Orgol deliberately moved around Nia, as if sizing her up.

“Are you not the one they call the Perfectionist?”

Nia's expression twitched slightly.

Orgol then looked at me.

“And is your partner also a member of the Sierra Clan?”

The guild master slowly walked around me, examining.

“Yes, she is,” Nia said.

“Ok, if you say so…” Orgol nodded, a faint curious expression lurking on his face.

His knowledge of the adventurer groups, their movements, information about their members, and even their powers was almost unsettling.

Fortunately, it seemed my identity was still unknown to him.

That's good.

But I couldn't help being impressed by something else.

I didn't realize Nia had become this famous in the adventuring world.

The Perfectionist, huh? How did she get such a cool title while I’m stuck with White Queen?

Another wave of gasps had already swept through the crowd.

“That’s the Perfectionist Killer.”

“Yeah, everyone has heard of her. But why do they call her that?”

“You really don’t know? Have you been living under a rock?”

“They say she can kill almost any monster in a single strike by finding its weak point. And that’s not even the impressive part.”

“What do you mean?”

“Almost a hundred percent of the monsters she hunts can be salvaged for processing. Their hides, horns, bones, magic stones... practically everything can be sold. That means maximum profit.”

“Oh, so she’s really that good.”

Whispers spread throughout the guild as more and more adventurers began talking about Nia.

I glanced at her again. For someone who was usually so calm, she suddenly looked rather uncomfortable with the attention.

I already knew she had worked as an assassin before, so precision and the ability to identify an enemy's weak point came naturally to her. Still, it was nice to see how well she had adapted to her new life as an adventurer.

Good job, Nia.

I wanted to congratulate her for making a name for herself, but unfortunately, this wasn’t exactly the right time.

The atmosphere inside the guild had grown far too tense. Two prominent adventurer groups were competing for the same quest, and neither side seemed willing to back down.

So... what now?

As if he had read my thoughts, Guild Master Orgol cleared his throat.

“Well, I have a proposition that should solve this problem.”

Everyone immediately turned toward him.

“You see, to prevent conflicts like this from breaking out inside my guild, I’ve established a special rule.”

He folded his arms across his massive chest before continuing.

“Whenever two or more adventurers have a dispute, they can settle it through a game.”

“A game?” Natsu repeated.

“Yes, and the winner takes all.”

“So, the one who wins takes the quest.” Shou, one of my other classmates, put it simply.

The guild fell silent.

Everyone looked at Orgol, then at the opposing party, as though trying to gauge what they would decide.

“So,” Orgol said with a grin, “what do you say? Are you two parties ready to settle this with a game?”

The other party exchanged glances among themselves. Nia, too, fell silent as she considered the proposal.

This wasn’t just about taking a quest anymore. Our reputation was on the line.

If the Sierra Clan were to lose publicly to another adventurer party, word could spread quickly. And as the clan’s vice leader, Nia couldn’t afford to take that lightly.

The same went for the other party as well.

But me?

My eyes were already sparkling.

A game.

Who cared about the consequences? Well, I suppose it could affect the sales of healing potions to some extent if my clan loses face.

But the entire reason to come out of the academy was to take a break. I mean… one of the reasons. Right, we are on a secret mission.

I stepped forward without a second thought.

“I want to play.”

After all, for the sake of this mission, we can’t afford to lose this quest.

Everyone turned toward me. Even Nia looked surprised.

Orgol burst into laughter.

“Oh? I didn’t expect the little birdie to be the first one to volunteer!” He grinned broadly.

Well, it was still better than the other two options I had: either taking them all down in a fight or losing the opportunity to take the quest altogether.

Nia stepped forward right after me, her earlier hesitation already gone.

“The Sierra clan agrees to the game.” She then looked at me with a nod, “And we are going to win.”

The crowd burst into cheers.

Isn’t she taking the reputation thing a little too seriously?

“Well, that’s one party in,” Orgol said. He turned toward the team, then suddenly raised a finger. “Oh, and I almost forgot to mention something important. The person who breaks the egg first will receive a special prize: a Pearl of the Deep Sea King.”

I don’t know what that means, but winning a prize added an extra charm to the game.

“Count us in too.”

Natsu’s female companion stepped forward before Orgol could say another word. Nozomi’s eyes were practically shining at the mention of the pearl.

She pulled back the sleeve covering her hand and raised it with absolute confidence.

“Listen up, guys. That pearl is coming home with me. So, give it everything you’ve got, and don’t you all dare screw this up.”

Nozomi turned toward her team, an almost fiery determination burning in her eyes. Her sudden enthusiasm for the pearl was almost terrifying.

Natsu and the other members of Blue Crest exchanged glances. After a brief moment, they all nodded.

“Yeah. We’ll play.”

Their decision was unanimous.

“Excellent!” Orgol clapped his hands together excitedly. “Then let’s begin the Eggbreaker Festival.”

◇◇◇

A few hours later, we found ourselves standing in the middle of the town.

By then, the streets had been transformed completely.

Half of the town had been cleared out for the event, with ropes and temporary barriers blocking off the streets. There was no sign of any living beings in the vicinity. All of the townfolks had evacuated to the adventurer’s guild hall.

Apparently, the game was a long-standing local tradition that had grown into one of the town's biggest forms of entertainment. Adventurers came to participate, while the townspeople gathered to watch.

The game also attracted a large number of tourists, making it vital to the town’s economy.

And this time, we were the main attraction.

The rules were similar to a game of capture the flag, with one rather important difference.

There was no flag. Instead, each team had an egg.

And the objective was to break the opposing team's egg.

…

“Alright, I’ve already explained the rules, so I’ll keep this brief,” Orgol announced, sweeping his gaze over both teams.

“Each team must protect their own egg while attempting to break the opposing team’s egg. The match will continue for three hours.”

His expression then became noticeably more serious.

“And one more thing,” Orgol said, his voice turning firm. “No killing. If your opponent surrenders, you stop attacking immediately. The surrendered opponent will then be out of the game.”

Orgol narrowed his eyes.

“If things escalate to the point where I have to intervene personally, the aggressor will be disqualified on the spot. Now, get ready to take your positions!”

Orgol casually raised one hand and began circling his finger.

A moment later, the ground beneath our feet stirred.

Fwoosh!

A cloud of dust suddenly erupted beneath us, swirling into a thick platform that lifted Nia and me several meters into the air.

“W-Whoa!”

Orgol flicked his finger toward the entrance. The massive doors of the Adventurer's Guild swung open.

“Off you go!”

The dust cloud shot forward.

“Waaaaah!”

Before I could even react, Nia and I were propelled through the doorway, hovering above the street as the cloud carried us toward our starting position.

Behind us, the other six adventurers were carried in a separate direction. While they moved toward the right side of the match field, our cloud veered left.

And that brings us to the current situation.

Nia and I stood in the middle of a deserted street. Directly in front of us was a small stone altar, and resting on top of it was our most important objective.

A pearl-blue egg.

It was almost as big as a normal chicken egg, its smooth surface shimmering faintly under the sunlight.

Nia folded her arms and stared at it thoughtfully.

“So, all we have to do is protect this egg while somehow reaching theirs and breaking it,” she murmured.

The rules sounded simple enough. But there was an obvious problem.

Our team had only two members. The opposing team had six.

Nia seemed to realize the same thing.

“This is going to be difficult,” she said, her brows knitting together. “Our smaller numbers put us at a huge disadvantage. We can’t come up with any elaborate strategies either, and our options are limited.”

She paced a few steps around the altar, thinking.

“If we both stay here, they'll have at least three people attacking us. If we both go after their egg, there will be no one to guard it. And if they come from all three sides...” Nia looked, examining the three streets in front of us.

When she turned around, she found me staring at her. Her eyes widened slightly.

“Sorry, Alicia,” she said quickly.

“Hm?” I looked puzzled at her.

“I didn't mean to say that we'll lose.” She clenched her fists. “I should be able to handle them. I'll find their egg and break it before they can do the same to ours.”

Her voice carried a surprising amount of determination.

“There is no way I'm letting us lose. And you don't have to worry about the clan losing the quest.”

I smiled.

“Umu. I trust you.”

Nia blinked, surprised.

“Since you're the vice leader, I'll let you take the lead,” I said.

Her eyes widened slightly before a determined smile appeared on her face.

“Alright, I will do my best.”

She glanced again toward the empty streets ahead.

“I don't think we have enough people for complicated strategies. So, we'll keep it simple.”

She pointed toward the direction where the opposing team had disappeared.

“I'll take the offensive position. Intercept the incoming enemy and then locate their egg and destroy it.”

Then she pointed toward our altar.

“You should stay here and defend ours.”

I nodded.

“Sounds good to me.”

Nia gave me a firm nod in return. “Then it's settled.”

BWAAAAAAM!

A loud blare suddenly thundered through the streets. That must be the signal for the match to start.

“All right. I’ll take my leave and finish this as soon as possible.”

“Be careful, Nia. And show them what you’ve got,” I said, giving her an encouraging nod.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make that idiot eat his own words for calling us weak.”

With that, Nia took off, leaving me alone to guard the blue egg.

◇◇◇

“Alright, guys. Here's the plan.” Nozomi stood in the middle of the street and clapped her hands together, drawing everyone's attention.

Far above her, a small familiar circled overhead. Its eyes glowed faintly as it surveyed the field from above, mapping every street and alleyway below.

A moment later, a translucent hologram appeared before them.

It displayed the layout of the town, including the streets, buildings, and the two starting positions marked on opposite sides.

“Athys, Themis, and I will stay here and protect our egg,” Nozomi explained, pointing toward their starting position. “Meanwhile, Natsu, Shou, and Uranus will head straight towards the enemy and destroy their egg.”

She traced a finger across the holographic map.

“We have a six-to-two numerical advantage, so this should be an easy win.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Natsu said with a grin.

Nozomi nodded, but her expression remained thoughtful. She lowered her hand and rested her chin against it, staring at the hologram.

“Except...”

The sudden change in her tone caught everyone's attention.

“Is something worrying you, Nozomi?” Themis asked. “Is it that new famous adventurer everyone was talking about?”

Nozomi didn't answer immediately.

“She looked strong, and her magic was especially refined throughout her body almost to an impossible degree,” Athys said.

“Really?” Natsu scoffed. “I didn't think she was anything special.”

He raised one hand, and a surge of magical energy suddenly erupted from his palm, swirling around his arm like a miniature storm.

“See? I've got way more magic power than her.” He grinned proudly as the others watched the display.

Uranus sighed.

“Magic power isn't everything.” Uranus folded his arms and continued. “Strength isn't simply about who possesses the most energy. Training, experience, technique, and how efficiently you can use what you have all matter.”

His gaze shifted toward Shou.

“Wouldn't you agree?”

Shou had been quietly listening to the conversation.

“Yeah.” He narrowed his eyes as he recalled the movements of the girl they had encountered earlier. “I watched her movements carefully. Her footwork was precise, and her breathing barely changed even while she was moving. I am sure she's a powerful and experienced swordswoman.”

His hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his own weapon.

“I'd like to fight her.”

“If you say so.” Natsu laughed. “Then we'll just be a little more careful around her.”

“There is something else. Did you guys forget about the masked girl? I can't shake the feeling that something is off about her.”

Nozomi finally spoke up, after realizing that no one around her felt the same.

“Don't you think it's strange that she wears a mask as if she were trying to hide her identity? And every time our gazes were about to meet, she would avert her eyes. Did she know us somehow?”

Natsu scratched the back of his head.

"Isn't she just a priestess?" He chuckled. "Maybe she's one of those overly devoted priestesses who think showing their face is somehow impure."

“I didn't sense anything particularly unusual from her either. She definitely possessed a decent amount of light magic, but that was about it.” Athys said.

“Then what exactly did you find strange about her, Nozomi?” Themis asked. “Like she could be hiding her real strength or she could be connected to the Black Torch?”

“No.” Nozomi immediately shook her head. “If that were the case, my divination magic should have warned me.”

She paused before continuing.

“Besides, according to the information I gathered, the Sierra Clan's healer is an elf. They don't have a registered priestess among their members.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“And yet, the vice leader of the Sierra Clan treated that masked girl almost as an equal. More importantly, she was the first one to volunteer for this game.”

“Now that you mention it... that is strange,” Themis said.

Uranus shrugged.

“Or maybe they're just friends.” He cracked his knuckles with a grin. “Either way, who cares? All I care about is breaking through their defenses, reaching their egg, and smashing it.”

He slammed one fist into his open palm.

“Let's win this thing!” Athys said, cheering everyone.

Natsu grinned.

“Now that's something I can agree with.”

For a moment, Nozomi considered saying more. But ultimately, she kept her doubts to herself.

Perhaps she was being overly cautious. After all, they had six people against two. There was no reason they should lose.

BWAAAAAAM!

A deep blare echoed through the streets.

Everyone immediately looked up. The match had begun.

“All right!” Uranus smashed his fists together with a grin. “It’s showtime!”

…

“Hey, isn’t this a little too easy? Don’t tell me they got scared and ran away.”

Natsu laughed as he strode alone into enemy territory.

The rules of the match were simple. Two magical eggs had been placed at opposite ends of the battlefield, with each team starting beside their own egg. The objective was to cross into enemy territory, break their opponent’s egg, and claim victory.

With his teammates entering the enemy territory through different routes, Natsu had decided to take the direct way. And so far, no one had stopped him.

He had already crossed nearly half the distance when his footsteps suddenly slowed.

His smile faded.

Someone was there. He could barely sense their presence, but he was sure of it.

Natsu stopped in the middle of the road and narrowed his eyes.

A moment later, a figure emerged from behind one of the nearby buildings.

Nia walked calmly into the center of the road until she stood directly in his path. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, and without saying a word, she slowly drew the blade from its scabbard.

Shing!

The edge of the sword gleamed beneath the sunlight as Nia lowered herself slightly into a stance, her black eyes fixed unwaveringly on Natsu.

“From this point on,” she announced coldly, “you won’t be taking a single step.”

Natsu swallowed.  For just a moment, an unfamiliar chill ran through his body.

Under that intense gaze, every nerve in his body froze, and he couldn't help but feel like prey staring into the eyes of a predator.

Natsu’s fingers tightened around his sword.

“As if…”

It didn't take long for Natsu to shake off the intimidation with his aura. He raised his own sword, its blue blade shimmering with magical energy. It was a magic sword imbued with his strongest elemental affinity, water.

“Don’t blame me if you get hurt.”

Natsu suddenly kicked off the ground.

BOOM!

Water exploded beneath his feet as he accelerated, his body propelled forward by a burst of magical force. In an instant, the distance between them disappeared.

He brought his sword crashing down with tremendous force.

CLANG!

But instead of meeting his blade head-on, Nia subtly shifted her sword. Her blade caught Natsu’s attack at an angle.

The moment the swords collided, hers slid smoothly along his, redirecting the force of his strike rather than resisting it.

Screeeech!

A shower of sparks erupted between them.

Natsu’s eyes widened.

“Oh no… her next slash will…”

Natsu instantly realized what had happened. His attack had been parried, and his blade was forced off course. His balance shifted with it, leaving his body open for a counterattack.

‘No good. If she strikes now, I won't be able to defend myself!’ Natsu thought to himself.

Without wasting a second, he thrust his foot down. A jet of water burst from beneath his sole.

FWOOOSH!

The sudden propulsion sent him skidding backward, creating several meters of distance between them.

Nia didn't even flinch. As though she had expected him to retreat, she simply returned to her original stance and silently waited for him.

Natsu stared at her as he felt his hands grow cold.

That single exchange had been enough to make him realize just how dangerous she was. Nia wasn't simply skilled. She knew exactly how to use her opponent's strength against them.

“I see. They weren't joking when they said you were a good swordswoman.” Natsu tightened his grip and raised his sword again.  “But being good with a sword isn't enough to take me down.”

Natsu’s magical aura suddenly surged, and this time it was not just his sword.

Blue light enveloped his body as his magic coursed through his muscles and sharpened his senses. His breathing steadied, his vision became clearer, and even the slightest movement around him seemed to slow.

“Blue Crest Sword Technique: [Current Waltz]!”

The moment he finished speaking, Natsu vanished from where he stood.

He shot forward in a blur.

His sword swept horizontally toward Nia's neck, the blade traveling parallel to the ground with enough force to cleave through bone.

Nia's eyes sharpened.

At the last possible instant, she dropped her body low.

WHOOSH!

The blade passed over her head, cutting through empty air.

Nia immediately looked up at him.

“Are you trying to kill me?”

It was the first time she had spoken since the battle began.

Natsu turned toward her with a confident smile.

“You still look fine to me. Looks like that still wasn't enough.”

But Nia didn't stop there. Still crouched low, she swung her leg in a sweeping kick aimed at Natsu's feet.

SWOOSH!

Yet just as Nia began the motion, her footing suddenly slipped. Her leg slid across the ground, throwing off her balance and forcing her to abandon the attack.

Nia glanced down.

The stone beneath her feet was covered in a thin layer of water. The water from his earlier attacks had spread across the battlefield, quietly turning the ground beneath them slick.

“You see, water is kind of my domain.” Natsu smiled.

Nia tried to regain her balance, but Natsu was already above her.

He leapt high into the air, twisting his body as he snapped his wrist. In one fluid motion, the sword followed his movement, sweeping into a clean vertical strike as he brought the blade crashing down.

“Now let's finish this!”

THUCK!

The sword slammed into the ground. Dust and droplets of water exploded outward.

Natsu's eyes widened. The tip of his blade had struck nothing but stone.

“Where did she go?”

He quickly pulled his sword free and activated his enhanced senses.

A cold shiver crawled down the back of his neck as he sensed a presence behind him.

Natsu immediately threw himself forward.

SHING!

A blade flashed through the space where his head had been a moment earlier. Several strands of his hair drifted through the air.

Natsu landed, rolled across the wet ground, and sprang back to his feet.

His heart pounded as he slowly turned around.

Nia stood behind him. Dark shadows curled around her feet and rose along her body like smoke before gradually dispersing into the air. Her expression remained as calm as ever.

“Who is trying to kill whom you said?” Natsu joked.

“You see…” She raised her sword toward him. “…shadows are kind of my domain.”

As soon as Natsu had leapt into the air, a large dark shadow formed beneath him. In the split second before his sword could reach Nia, she dropped her body into the shadow and vanished.

The next instant, she emerged from another patch of darkness behind Natsu, her blade already swinging toward his back.

However, Natsu had somehow anticipated it. He quickly leapt backward, avoiding the fatal strike by a hair’s breadth.

The bright sunlight flooded the streets, leaving Nia with barely any shadows she could use. Without any cover or darkness nearby, she had almost no room to maneuver. This had been the only opportunity she could find to use her shadow magic.

“Amazing,” Natsu said, his expression shifting from surprise to admiration. “So that's what you did.”

“Where are your friends?” Nia asked. “Maybe you should call them for help?”

“Who knows?” Natsu scoffed. “They might be attacking your base right about now.”

“If that's the case, then I don't have anything to worry about.” Nia's confidence remained completely unshaken.

Natsu's eyebrow twitched.

“How arrogant.” He tightened his grip around his sword. “Fine. Let me put you in your place. Let's see if you're able to block my next move.”

Natsu suddenly bent low.

He pulled his sword behind him, his body coiling like a spring as magical energy began gathering around the blade. The air itself seemed to grow heavier as the water around his feet began swirling faster and faster.

“Blue Crescent Sword Technique: [Breaking Shore]!”

BOOOOM!

A massive torrent of water erupted around his sword.

The rushing current twisted into a violent spiral, forming a miniature maelstrom that wrapped around the blade like a rotating tornado. With every rotation, the water pulled at the surrounding air, dragging everything nearby toward its center.

Natsu shot forward like a cannonball.

Nia's eyes narrowed.

“I can't dodge that.”

The violent current surrounding the sword was creating a powerful suction force. Even if she tried to move away, the spiraling water would drag her back into its path.

Her fingers loosened around her sword.

“If I can't avoid it…” She brought the blade forward. “…then I'll cut it apart.”

Her expression changed. For the first time, the calmness in her eyes sharpened into something deadly.

“Phantom Blade Art: Throatless.”

Nia had decided to end the match with this strike.

She lowered her breathing and waited for the perfect moment.

Natsu's attack rapidly approached.

Ten meters… Five… Three.

The instant he entered her attack range, Nia drew in a deep breath. Her heartbeat seemed to accelerate, pounding against her chest.

Then she opened her eyes. Everything around her slowed to a crawl.

She could see every movement of the water, down to each droplet spiraling around Natsu's blade. Within that slowed world, she traced a clear line in the shadows from the tip of her sword to Natsu's neck.

It was the perfect killing line.

Of course, she had no intention of actually striking his neck.

At the final moment, she tilted her blade flat, intending to strike the back of Natsu's neck and knock him unconscious.

“Do it now, while I have her attention!”

Nia's eyes widened.

“What?”

Mid-charge, Natsu suddenly changed his stance. Instead of continuing his attack, he rose sharply and locked his blade against Nia's sword.

CLANG!

The force of the impact sent a tremor through Nia's arms.

Natsu grinned.

“I've got you.”

Nia's pupils narrowed. She quickly realized Natsu had deliberately pinned her down.

But why?

Then Nia felt it. A chill ran down her spine.

It was a sensation she had developed over years of training, an instinct that warned her whenever danger approached.

And this time, the danger wasn't coming from just one direction.

It was coming from above.

With her blade still locked against Natsu's, Nia looked upward.

Two figures appeared above her. One hovered directly overhead, while the other closed in from her right. They raised their weapons and channeled magic into them.

“So that's your plan. A three-way pincer.”

“Surprised?” Natsu grinned. “This should be enough to take you down.”

He tightened his grip on his sword, keeping Nia's blade locked against his own and denying her the chance to dodge.

The two figures launched their weapons simultaneously.

WHOOSH!

Two magically enhanced projectiles hurtled toward her from above. Each one carried enough force to punch a hole straight through the ground.

This time, Nia was truly trapped.

Natsu had her locked from the front. Two inbound projectiles were closing in from above. And the open street offered nowhere to hide.

Natsu’s team was smart enough to analyse Nia’s abilities first with his one-on-one battle. And concluded that within the current environment, Nia was at her weakest when her shadows were fewer and limited in this open space under the sun.

“You shouldn’t feel too sorry, since it took the three of us to defeat you.” Natsu laughed as he waited for the inevitable.

But then, Nia’s lips lifted into a faint smile, so subtle that Natsu almost wondered if he had imagined it.

“You’ve made one mistake.”

Natsu's expression stiffened. “What?”

Her smile slowly widened into an ominous grin.

“Assuming that I need a shadow…”

Suddenly, Nia's shadow beneath her feet began to shift.

“Phantom Blade Art: Shadowless.”

The next moment, her shadow completely disappeared from beneath her feet.

Instead of remaining on the ground, the darkness crawled up her body, merging with her as though it were being absorbed into her flesh.

Her muscles tensed as the shadow magic reinforced her body, doubling her strength.

Nia suddenly kicked off the ground and pushed herself backward, putting distance between them while keeping her guard up against Natsu’s attack.

The force of the jump sent her high into the air. Her body tilted backward until she was completely upside down.

Still in midair, Nia extended one hand.

SHK!

A strand of shadow shot from her palm and latched onto one of the incoming weapons.

It was a polearm.

Nia twisted her body and pulled, stretching the shadow taut. Using the weapon's own momentum, she swung it around herself like a pendulum, redirecting its trajectory straight toward the second projectile.

CLANG!

The two weapons collided in midair. The polearm struck the sword and knocked it off course.

Then, without releasing her grip, Nia continued the swing, sending the polearm sweeping around her in a wide arc before suddenly letting go.

WHOOSH!

The weapon shot back toward its original owner.

“Whoa!”

Uranus barely managed to throw himself aside. The polearm flew past his face and buried itself in the ground behind him, leaving a thin line of blood across his cheek.

He touched the wound with his fingers and stared at the smear of red.

“Unbelievable, she used my own weapon to deflect the other one and then threw it right back at me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone pull off a stunt like that, not even in the Divine Realm. I knew I made the right choice by reincarnating in the mortal plane. This is getting exciting.”

Meanwhile, Nia twisted through the air and landed behind Natsu. Before he could turn around, she drove her foot into his back.

THUD!

“Gah!”

Natsu stumbled forward several steps as Nia landed lightly behind him and immediately turned toward the three men.

Shou descended from above and landed opposite Natsu, his sword already drawn and his stance prepared.

“What are you?” he asked, his eyes narrowed with genuine curiosity. “With skills like that, are you even human?”

Uranus slipped his knuckle guards over his fists before joining his friends on the ground.

“What a monster.” He grinned, looking more excited than frightened.

Natsu recovered from the kick and turned around. He studied Nia for a moment before tightening his grip on his sword.

“I know this is probably unfair…” He stepped forward. “But I guess we'll have to take you on three versus one.”

The three men spread out, with Natsu positioning himself directly in front of Nia, Shou moving to her left, and Uranus taking the right. Within seconds, they had surrounded her from three directions.

Nia glanced between them before smiling.

“I'll be sure not to be too rough with you three.”

The obvious taunt earned no reaction from Natsu or Shou.

Uranus, however, grinned.

“Oh?” His eyes lit up as he tightened his fists. “You shouldn't say things like that. Now I really want to hit you.”

Uranus crossed the distance in an instant, his fist shooting straight toward Nia's face.

She raised her sword just in time.

BOOM!

The blow slammed into her blade with tremendous force, cracking the ground beneath her feet. Rather than resist the attack head-on, Nia angled her sword and turned her wrist the moment his fist made contact.

Uranus's arm was redirected past her shoulder, and Nia stepped aside, allowing his momentum to carry him forward.

“What?” Uranus stumbled.

Nia's sword was already moving.

CLANG!

Uranus brought up his other arm just in time to protect himself.

Grinning, Uranus unleashed a barrage of punches, each blow striking with enough force to tear holes in the ground.

Yet Nia's sword seemed to be everywhere.

Whenever Uranus increased the force behind his strikes, Nia simply adjusted the angle of her blade and turned that strength against him. A slight turn of her wrist sent one punch past her shoulder, while a simple step to the side caused another to skim harmlessly past her ribs.

The stronger his punches became, the easier they were for her to deflect.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Uranus's expression slowly changed.

This was absurd.

He was putting everything he had into his attacks, yet Nia wasn't overpowering him. She was making his own strength work against him.

Nia's eyes remained calm, and her body barely moved. This was exactly the kind of opponent she had been trained to fight. As an assassin, brute strength had never been her forte. She relied instead on speed, precision, and agility.

There had been times when her missions forced her to confront heavily armored knights and bodyguards as huge as giant orcs, whose single sword strike or fist could pulp a man where he stood.

Against opponents like that, matching strength with strength was suicide.

There were also situations where using magic was equally dangerous. A sudden surge of magical energy could reveal her position to an enemy.

So, Nia had learned another way to survive.

Instead of trying to overpower the enemy, she rendered their strength useless.

Over the years, that principle had been drilled so deeply into her body that she no longer needed to consciously think about it. Her sword moved almost entirely on instinct.

“She isn't giving us an opening.” Shou and Natsu could only clench their teeth and watch.

Having no choice, Natsu rushed in from the front while Shou attacked from the opposite side.

Nia's eyes flicked between them.

She ducked under Natsu’s sword and turned as Shou’s blade swung toward her. She leaned back, letting the sword pass just above her face, then quickly drove her heel into Shou’s stomach.

Shou staggered backward.

Natsu took advantage of the opening and swung again, but Nia slipped beneath his blade, stepped inside his guard, and struck his wrist with the flat of her sword.

“Damn!” Natsu recoiled.

“That’s for calling us weak,” Nia said.

“So, you're holding grudges now. I take my words back for calling you weak, but I wasn’t wrong when I said the same about your teammate. Isn’t she just holding you back? She must be a coward to abandon her companion to fight alone like this. I have an offer for you. Why don’t you leave her and join our party?” Natsu said.

On hearing those words, Nia’s expression went completely still. The remaining warmth vanished from her face, leaving it cold and unreadable. Her fingers slowly curled into fists as her eyes narrowed, their usual light replaced by a cold, dangerous glare.

“Got you.” Uranus came charging back in, his fist aimed directly at her head.

Nia whipped her sword around with one hand.

BOOM!

The impact sent a shock through Uranus’s arms, throwing him back.

Instead of focusing now on Uranus or Shou, Nia allowed herself to move with the force; she punched Natsu in his guts.

WHAM!

Then, with the same momentum snapping her legs outward.

THWACK!

Her heel slammed directly into Natsu's face.

“GAAH!”

Natsu stumbled backward, clutching his bleeding nose. He lost his balance and fell to the ground.

From there, he finally got a clear look at Nia’s face. Her dark hair partly hid her cold eyes, but it did nothing to conceal the utter disgust in her expression. The sight sent a chill down his spine.

Is she going to kill me?

The thought screamed through Natsu’s mind as his body froze, too terrified to move.

“How are we not landing a single hit on her?!” Shou intercepted Nia. “Uranus, get Natsu out.”

Their blades collided.

CLANG!

Once. Twice. Three times. In less than a single second.

Shou's expression gradually shifted from excitement to astonishment.

“Her swordsmanship is on a completely different level.”

He forced Nia's blade aside and tried to create space between them.

“I’m going to use my aural arts to defeat her!”

Natsu pushed Uranus aside and suddenly stood up, despite having just been dragged out of the battle. It seemed fear had completely messed up his brain.

“Idiot, are you planning to blow the place into smithereens? Don’t forget this is a town.” Shou shouted back.

“But…” Natsu glanced toward Uranus.

“Don’t let it get to you. She is definitely strong when it comes to skill and combat. But can’t you see she is already reaching her limit?” Uranus said.

Nia’s breathing was slowly becoming uneven with each strike; her movements were getting dull.

Nia was aware of that fact as well.

She could still evade, parry, redirect, and counter and stop her three opponents from landing a decisive blow. For now.

But not forever.

Her breathing was becoming heavier. Her movements remained precise, but each exchange demanded more from her body.

One mistake. That's all it would take.

If even one of them landed a clean hit, she would lose her momentum. Once that happened, the other two would overwhelm her.

She needed something to change. Something unexpected.

But what?

A chance.

But how?

Had she ever truly been given a chance in life?

The moment the Belladonna Organization kidnapped her and her sister, Nia had lost any hope of finding one. She had spent years trapped in that miserable existence, believing there was no way out.

Then Alicia came into her life.

She was the first person to offer Nia something she had almost forgotten existed: salvation. A chance to escape that life. A chance to protect her sister and live for something beyond survival.

And Alicia was strong. Strong enough to back up her words.

Nia had realized that from the very first blow they exchanged. She had known immediately that she never stood a chance against her.

But it was only when Alicia defeated the Seventh Zehn Master of the Belladonna organization that Nia truly understood just how powerful her savior was.

For the first time, she saw something she had never dared to dream of.

Hope.

Hope for her sister. Hope for her friends. Hope for a future beyond the life she had been forced to live.

That was why she couldn't simply let Natsu spew nonsense about Alicia.

But right now...

For a brief moment, Nia felt something she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Loneliness.

It was the same cold feeling that had followed her through countless assassination missions. Surrounded by enemies. Hunted throughout the land. With no allies. No one to trust. No one to rely on.

Just her...

And a world that wanted her dead.

But hadn't that always been her life?

This would be no different.

I have to find a way out of this myself.

Nia steadied her breathing, tightened her grip on her sword, and raised the blade once more, ready to face the darkness alone.

Then—

FWAHHHHHH!

A thunderous roar tore across the battlefield.

A massive pillar of golden light suddenly erupted into the sky, illuminating the battlefield as it climbed high above the clouds.

All four combatants froze.

Nia’s eyes widened. Natsu stiffened, while Shou instinctively lowered his sword. Even Uranus stopped in his tracks.

For several seconds, none of them said a word. Their eyes remained fixed on the enormous beam piercing the sky.

Then Nia narrowed her eyes.

Something had happened. And judging by where the light had appeared...

It had happened at her opponents’ base.

◇◇◇

The usually quiet Adventurer's Hall had been transformed into a lively festival ground.

The massive building had been specially prepared for the Egg Breaker Festival, giving the townsfolk, visiting tourists, and adventurers a place to gather and watch the matches together.

Long tables filled the hall, covered with roasted meat, freshly baked bread, bowls of steaming stew, and enough drinks to keep the crowd occupied for hours. Adventurers crowded around tables with their eyes glued to the enormous translucent projection screens overhead, while tourists cheered and shouted alongside them.

And, of course, where there was competition, there was gambling.

Coins changed hands from table to table as people placed bets on the teams they believed would emerge victorious. Some wagered a few copper coins for fun. Others had considerably more confidence in their predictions.

Above them, several enormous screens displayed the battle live. Visualization magic relayed the images captured by familiars, crystal balls, and magical observation devices called cameras positioned at the best vantage points around the battlefield.

The moment the fight intensified, the entire hall erupted.

“Whoa! The fighting's getting wild!” A young adventurer exclaimed.

“Who do you think is going to win?”

“You mean whose side I'm betting on?” another man asked with a grin. “Obviously the Blue Crest.”

“Blue Crest!”

“Same here.”

A few people raised their cups in agreement.

“Come on, look at the numbers,” a burly adventurer said confidently. “Blue Crest has the advantage in manpower and more dedicated attackers. Sierra Clan only has that one woman fighting on the front line, while the other is a priestess.”

He snorted and took a drink.

“What can the two of them possibly do against six?”

“Exactly.”

“It's practically decided already.”

“Never count your chickens before they hatch,” an older adventurer muttered from the next table as if he was speaking from experience as he chugged down a huge glass of rum in one go.

“You really think Sierra Clan can win?”

“I think you should watch the screen before you lose your money, in case you have bet on the black horse of the game.”

Everyone turned their attention back to the screen.

Nia and the leader of Blue Crest were moving so quickly that even the visualization magic struggled to keep up with them. Their weapons clashed again and again; the sharp ringing of every strike echoed through the hall's speakers.

“Whoa!”

“Look at the vice leader of Sierra Clan!”

“She's dominating him in the fight!”

“I think they are neck to neck!”

The crowd leaned closer, the moment they thought Natsu was going to get her.

Nia suddenly vanished from the screen.

“Huh?”

The hall fell silent for half a heartbeat.

“Where did she go?”

“Look behind him!”

A dozen voices shouted at once.

“She's behind him!”

The Blue Crest leader spun around just as Nia appeared at his back.

“SHOOT! DON'T DIE!”

“MY MONEYYYYYY!!!!”

The crowd erupted.

Then Natsu barely managed to avoid the strike.

“YES!”

“HE'S ALIVE!”

A man who had been clutching his chest sagged back into his chair.

“Oh, thank the gods... I thought I was about to become broke.”

The people around him burst out laughing.

But the laughter quickly faded when three more members of Blue Crest entered the battlefield.

They surrounded Nia from different directions.

“Oh, boy...”

“That's bad.”

“They're ganging up on her.”

“And Sierra Clan can't do anything about it,” another man added. “That’s the magic of difference in numbers.”

“At this point, I don't even understand why Sierra Clan agreed to this match.”

“They must've known they couldn't win.”

“Maybe they just wanted the publicity.”

“Either way, it's over.”

Several people nodded.

Then someone called out from the back.

“Guild Master! What do you think?”

The crowd turned toward the Guild Master, who had been quietly watching the battle from his seat.

He didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the screen.

“It's difficult to say,” he finally said. “Both sides have demonstrated considerable skill. Until we see the full extent of their abilities, I wouldn't know for sure.”

The burly adventurer scoffed.

“Come on, Guild Master. You know it's going to be Blue Crest.”

He pointed toward the screen.

“Just look at the situation!”

The other three Blue Crest members had surrounded Nia.

“See? It's over. She's trapped.”

“No way she is getting out of that.”

One man rubbed his hands together excitedly as he waited for the projectiles to knock her out.

The Blue Crest fighters attacked simultaneously.

Three weapons descended upon Nia from different angles.

The crowd collectively held its breath.

“She's done for!”

“There's nowhere to run!”

Then suddenly the crowd went silent for a few seconds, and once they realized what had happened—

“WOAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

The crowd went wild with what they saw on screen. And no one could believe it.

“She just deflected one projectile using another!”

“No way!”

“How did she move like that?”

“What kind of magic was that?!”

“Is even moving like that even humanly possible? I am sure not even the martial artists from Shulian mountains can pull that stunt.”

People jumped out of their seats. Drinks spilled across tables. Several adventurers slammed their hands against the table so hard that their plates rattled.

The man who had been so confident about his bet stood frozen.

His mouth hung open.

“...My money.”

“But she still has to fight the three members of Blue Crest alone.”

“You know what. I think she can do it.” Someone spoke from the crowd.

Nia stood her ground against the three Blue Crest members, facing them fiercely and without hesitation.

With each exchange of blows, the audience was going wild.

Every time one of the Blue Crest fighters thought they had cornered her, Nia slipped away. Whenever they attacked together, she found a way through their assault and counterattacked in the same motion.

The audience couldn't look away.

“Who is she?”

“She's fighting three people by herself!”

“She's not even a knight or a paladin!”

“Then how the hell is she this strong?!”

Someone near the front suddenly jumped onto his chair.

“GET THEM, GIRL!”

A few people laughed.

Then another voice joined in.

“YEAH! GET THEM!”

“Don't let them surround you!”

“Show those three what you've got!”

The cheers grew louder.

At first, only a handful of people had been shouting for Nia.

Then ten.

Then dozens.

Soon, nearly the entire hall was roaring her name.

“NIA! NIA! NIA!”

“SIERRA CLAN! GO!”

Even those who had bet on Blue Crest were now standing and shouting at the screen.

The burly adventurer who had confidently gambled all his money on the match stared at the screen in disbelief. His face had gone pale.

“...She's actually doing it.”

The crowd went insane. The sound shook the entire hall.

Nobody was talking about the odds anymore. Nobody cared about the numbers.

Nobody was calling the match boring.

They were watching something they hadn't expected to see. It was like seeing the birth of a new legend unfold.

A lone fighter standing against overwhelming odds. A woman who refused to yield even when three opponents surrounded her.

And with every attack she survived, every counter she landed, and every impossible move she pulled off, the crowd became more invested.

And now, the entire Adventurer's Hall was standing behind one woman.

“COME ON, NIA!”

“YOU'VE GOT THIS!”

“KICK THEIR ASSES!”

The cheers thundered through the hall, all cheering for Nia as she continued fighting.

In the end, without even knowing it, she wasn’t alone after all.

…

“Amazing…” The Guild Master leaned back in his chair, a faint smile spreading across his face. “I see the Northeastern Guild Master wasn’t exaggerating when he told me I’d be in for a surprise if I ever got to meet the Sierra Clan.”

He let out a quiet chuckle.

The man had gone on and on about them during the Guild Master Summit, yet he had stubbornly refused to reveal the identities of their clan leaders. The only clue he had offered was that one of them wore a white mask similar to that of the True Hero.

When pressed for answers, he had simply said that the world would see for itself when the time came.

Orgol’s eyes remained fixed on the screen, watching the battle unfold.

“I really wanted to see that masked girl in action…” he muttered, his smile fading into a thoughtful expression. “I wonder what that half-ogre saw in her. He spoke of her as though she might be the one…”

He paused, his gaze never leaving the screen.

“…the one who could finally fulfill our long-standing dream.”

Then—

“What is that golden light? Where is it coming from?”

“Huh? Why is that screen glowing?”

“What happened to the feed? I can’t see anything!”

“Just what is going on over there?”

Suddenly, a golden pillar of light erupted across every screen, soaring toward the sky. But on one of them, the light grew so intense that it completely obscured the scene it was meant to display.

“Isn’t that screen linked to the Blue Crest base?”

“What? Did something malfunction?”

“Or…”

Someone casually took another sip of his drink.

“…were they attacked?”

“Did you drink too much? Who would attack them?”

“You forget there were only two members, and their attacker is already on the field. You see that screen.”

“It must be a malfunction then.”

“Quick! Switch the visual feed to the Sierra Clan’s base!” The guild master came rushing as if he had an epiphany. For some reason, his fingers won’t stop itching.

“Just give me a second, guild master. I put it away because no one was interested in watching it.” One of the screen managers informed.

The new screen flickered before revealing the location.

“I see the egg is still there.”

“But where is the second party member of the Sierra Clan? I don’t see her.”

“It’s empty…”

A confused murmur spread through the hall.

“Wait…”

Someone slowly lowered his drink.

“Did anyone actually see that girl appear on any of the screens throughout the match in any other area?”

No one answered.

The guild master’s expression slowly changed. It shouldn’t have been possible for anyone to escape the cameras. There was not a single blind spot.

“Then…”

He stared at the empty screen.

“…where did she go?”

◇◇◇

̄\_(ツ)_/ ̄ SUPPORT ME IN MY WRITING ̄\_(ツ)_/ ̄

To everyone who is reading my novel and loves Alicia on her exciting adventures in this new fantasy world.

Thanks a lot for all your support! It really means a lot to me.

Till now I have published from volume one to volume eleven for free and I hope to continue to do so even today. I have put a lot of time and effort into creating a story that I always hope you will enjoy reading and have something to think about.

Keeping the text error free takes a lot of revisions and consumes time, but no work is ever perfect. With your support and reviews I know that I have improved a lot in my writing. I know the initial volumes sometimes could be a mess in my disastrous writing and the current writing still leaves a lot to be desired as the story proceeds and new characters keeps popping up. And I intend to take this challenge head on and improve everyday in this year as well.

You can support my writing by leaving a good review on my book on the platform you are reading.

And even now I am asking for a bit more that if you want to voluntarily support my writing then you can do it now.

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Patreon page Link - https://www.patreon.com/noelelitia

Join discord community - https://discord.com/invite/WUGFUxbpbd

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I hope that you keep enjoying my work and the next chapter too proves to be to your liking!

Happy Reading Everyone!!!