Going to Bergavil.

I climbed onto the wagon and looked around at everyone. The silence was overwhelming. I took a deep breath.

"From now on, we cannot fail. If Bergavil is a mistake, there may not be a second chance," I said.

Everyone looked at me. Even Margarida, who rarely let her guard down, gave a short, serious nod.

Ryn took the lead, steering the wagon off the beaten track, leading us down a narrow path only a trained eye would notice. Kalea vanished into the darkness just ahead, using her stealth to clear the way. The creaking of the wagon seemed too loud, as if betraying our presence.

As we moved forward, with each step the horses took, I felt my heart pound. The night's chill was nothing compared to the weight we carried: secrets, revenge, and a destiny that could change everything.

Windy , who was beside me.

"From now on, Araya , your every decision could determine who comes back alive and who doesn't," Windy whispered softly.

I looked ahead, into the darkness of the road that led us to Bergavil .

— So be it, then. — I replied.

And so, without looking back, we left the Zairos ' house and set off towards the unknown.

The wagon followed the narrow trail, surrounded by trees that cast twisted shadows in the dim moonlight. The wind blew low, as if the forest itself were trying to warn us that we shouldn't be there. Kalea , always ahead, gave quick hand signals indicating that the path was clear.

But the tension didn't ease. My fingers drummed on the hilt of my sword, as if my own intuition was screaming at me not to let my guard down.

Suddenly, the sound of the horses stopped. Ryn pulled hard on the reins, bringing the wagon to a halt. Everyone looked ahead. Kalea emerged from the darkness, her expression grave.

“Something’s wrong…” Kalea whispered.

The silence of the forest was broken by a strange noise, like the dry snap of twigs breaking, but repeated in a rhythmic rhythm. It was the sound of footsteps. Heavy. Multiple.

From within the forest, three enormous figures emerged, wearing worn black armor and wielding long spears. But the most frightening thing wasn't their size: it was the fact that they had no eyes. Just in the dark, empty cavities.

—Undead guardians… — Frederica murmured, almost choking on the words.

—They shouldn't be here… — Frederica continued muttering.

The guardians blocked the road, striking their spears in unison. The sound echoed like muffled thunder, and the earth seemed to tremble slightly.

Windy raised her hand, the wind swirling around her.

— If we fight here, we'll draw too much attention — he said Windy .

“There’s no choice,” I replied, clenching my fists.

“They already sensed us,” I continued .

Ayano drew her bow, the arrow already wrapped in magical energy, but Yukiko screamed.

"Wait! These guardians were created to protect ancient seals… why would they appear on the road to Bergavil ?" Yukiko shouted.

Margarida, pale, completed.

— Unless someone wants us to miss it, — said Margarida.

The guardians advanced, and the tension exploded into combat. The entire forest seemed to awaken with the clash of weapons, Windy 's piercing wind , and the metallic clash of my swords against the undead spears.

In the back of my mind, a certainty grew: this was no random encounter. Someone was watching us, pulling the strings of fate.

The forest grew even darker as the three Guardians advanced. Their every step sounded like a war drum, and their spears glowed with dark energy.

I rushed forward with both my swords, activating Minotaur Strength . The impact of my blow cracked one of the Guardians' shields, but the wretch didn't flinch. I quickly activated Venom Slime , spraying a green liquid across the blades. One of the creatures retreated, its body corroding, but the other two pressed me down.

Ryn raised his hands, using Transform to transform into the form of a massive tiger. He leaped at the leftmost Guardian, knocking him to the ground and ripping through the black metal with his claws. The roar echoed like thunder, inspiring us all.

Meanwhile, Kalea disappeared into the shadows. Using Stealth , she appeared behind a Guardian and plunged a dagger into the gap in its armor. The creature let out a dry grunt, staggering.

“Attack together!” Kalea shouted, leading the rest of us.

Windy stomped his foot on the ground, conjuring sharp rocks that flew like arrows at the enemies.

"Blazing gale!" Windy raised his hands, mixing wind and stone in a devastating blast that ripped off the helmet of one of the Guardians, revealing only an empty skull.

Margarida, even though she was trembling, lifted a magic sphere.

—I… I can help! — shouted Margarida.

The sphere exploded in a blinding light, momentarily blinding the Guardians and opening a gap for us.

Yukiko ran up to me, her hands glowing gold.

"Holy Healing!" Yukiko quickly sealed a deep cut on my arm. Without her, I would have passed out right there.

But her expression was hard, as if she had only done it out of obligation.

Ayano , on the other hand, was the most deadly. Her bow glowed with Mira's energy.

— That's my target. — he said. Ayano .

She fired three arrows in quick succession, each piercing a Guardian in the chest. The monsters staggered, but remained standing, as if nothing could stop them.

Finally, Frederica , her eyes wide behind her glasses, activated her Total Assessment.

"Their core is in their chest, right in the center! Forget the heads, you'll just waste time!" he said. Frederica .

Frederica 's instructions , everyone coordinated their attacks. I teleported behind one of the Guardians, plunging both my swords into the center of his chest. He fell with a crash.

Ryn , still in tiger form, held another by the waist while Kalea plunged her daggers straight into the revealed core, destroying it.

The last Guardian charged at Margarida, but Ayano fired an arrow that blew his chest to pieces, ending the fight.

Silence returned to the forest, broken only by our heavy breathing. The Guardians' bodies crumbled into black dust, as if they had never existed.

I took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

—That wasn't normal… someone sent them. — I said.

Frederica was pale.

“And whoever controls Guardians of that level… must be above even common nobles.” he whispered. Frederica .

Everyone looked at each other. The road to Bergavil now seemed much more dangerous than we had imagined.

After the Guardians dissolved into black dust, everyone was too exhausted to continue their journey. Ryn found a nearby clearing, sheltered by tall trees, and decided it would be our camp for the night.

The fire was lit with difficulty. The flickering flames illuminated the tense faces, revealing the weight of the battle.

Ayano sharpened her arrows in silence.

"Guardians don't just show up for no reason. That means someone's tracking us," he muttered. Ayano .

Margarida crossed her arms, staring into the fire.

"And they're not just ordinary nobles. My father used to talk about Guardians as secret weapons, used only when the kingdom wanted to show supremacy," said Margarida.

Frederica , still pale, adjusted her glasses.

—If that's true, then it's not just Bergavil who's at risk. We're all marked. — he said. Frederica .

When everyone fell silent, Yukiko broke the tension.

—I saw something strange during the fight… the Guardians seemed to hesitate when Araya attacked. As if they recognized you. — he said Yukiko .

I turned to her, surprised.

—Recognize… me? — I asked.

Windy tilted her head thoughtfully.

"That might mean they've been programmed, somehow, to know who you are," Windy said .

Kalea , who rarely opened up, spoke in a low tone.

Araya 's fate has been tied to these monsters from the beginning. — he said Kalea .

Her words hung in the air, leaving a chill greater than the night wind.

As the hours passed, everyone lay down to rest. But the atmosphere was tense. At the slightest snap of a twig, hands went to their weapons.

I lay awake longer, staring at the dying fire, thinking about what Yukiko said.

If even soulless creatures recognized me… then perhaps my role in this world was even greater, and more dangerous, than I could have imagined.

Araya couldn't sleep. Yukiko 's words about the Guardians recognizing him wouldn't leave his mind. He got up and looked around: everyone was asleep. Except one. Frederica wasn't at camp.

He walked away slowly, walking through the trees until he heard a whisper. Behind a rock, Frederica sat alone, murmuring Margarida's name softly, as if confessing feelings she'd tried to hide.

— “Margarida… go on… just one more kiss…” — Frederica whispered , imagining Margarida giving her a kiss.

Araya 's heart raced. He approached silently, until Frederica noticed him and jumped.

— A- Araya ?! — Frederica's eyes widened, clearly shaken.

"You can't tell anyone about this!" Frederica pleaded desperately.

Araya crossed her arms, smirking.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. But... what if I told you I could put you side by side with Margarida?" I told her.

Frederica froze, her lips trembling.

—A -Are you … serious? — Frederica perked up.

Araya leaned in, her sharp gaze shining in the night.

"I don't joke about things like that. The question is, what would you do to win that chance?" I told her.

Frederica 's silence said more than any answer.

Frederica was still red-faced, biting her lip at the words I had said.

"Margarida is mine, and I can take her into my arms whenever I want. If you want to be by her side, you'll have to serve me." My voice cut through the night like a blade.

I took a step forward, looking directly into her eyes.

— I know you love women, especially Margarida… but I might be the first man you'll ever like. — I continued speaking.

She stood still, breathing rapidly, unable to formulate an immediate response.

Suddenly, my expression hardened and my tone changed.

“You can think about it later,” I told her.

Frederica blinked, confused. Before she could speak, I shouted into the darkness.

— WHO'S THERE?! — I shouted.

Frederica stood up with a start, rolling her shoulders as if to hide her weakness. It was then that we saw a female silhouette standing before us, motionless. The moon illuminated only the edges of her body, enough to show that she was no simple traveler.

“Who are you?” I growled, already assuming a fighting stance.

Without responding, the woman advanced with absurd speed. My fists tried to strike her, but she dodged them with a cool elegance, as if she were dancing. Each blow cut only air.

“Use all your strength now, or you’ll regret it,” she said, her voice low and firm, almost teasing.

A smile escaped my lips, adrenaline burning through my veins.

"So that's what you want? Well, you'll get it." I replied to her.

Minotaur Strength , and the ground shook beneath my feet as I charged forward, ready to see how far this intruder could resist.

Minotaur Strength and charged forward, the ground cracking beneath my feet. My sword sliced diagonally through the air, but the woman dodged it by a hair's breadth. Her eyes glowed in the darkness, reflecting the moonlight, a cold, almost inhuman glow.

"You're fast, but you still hesitate," she said, spinning around and kicking me in the chest. I was thrown against a tree, but I managed to plant the blade in the ground to break my fall.

“Hesitating isn’t the same as losing,” I replied, spitting blood and smiling.

I rushed in again, this time alternating sword strikes with blasts of Poison Slime , trying to force her into the open. The woman blocked and dodged with superhuman agility, as if she knew my moves before I even made them.

Frederica , terrified, screamed behind the rock.

" Araya , watch out! She's no ordinary fighter!" Frederica shouted.

The woman just laughed, sliding sideways and swiping her hand through the air. A gust of sharp wind came out of nowhere, tearing a furrow in the ground.

“Skills… you have them too,” I said, gritting my teeth.

Slime Slow , spreading the blue aura across the ground. The air around the woman seemed to weigh down, her movements slowing for fractions of a second, but still, she held on.

"Interesting. You know how to use the environment to your advantage," she commented, even though she was captivated by the effect.

—But it's not enough to stop me, — she continued.

She lunged forward with punches so fast that even with my increased strength, I could only block instinctively. With each blow, my arms trembled.

It was then that I used Teleport , disappearing in front of her and appearing behind her. My sword cut straight through… but only hit an illusion of wind.

“Who the hell are you?!” I yelled, panting.

She appeared again a few meters ahead, her black hair flying.

“I’m just testing whether you really are the ‘Copy Hero,’” she said .

My heart beat faster.

— So you know who I am… — I said.

She tilted her head, as if measuring my words.

"And I know more than you think. But if you want answers… you'll have to defeat me," she said.

I gathered all my energy. I combined Minotaur Strength and Venom Slime , teleporting right in front of her. With a roar, I slammed into the ground, unleashing a wave that shattered the surrounding trees. The woman was forced back, sliding across the ground until her back was against a rock.

For a moment, I thought I'd won. But she just smiled, getting up without a visible scratch.