Chapter 44: A Fighter from the Past?

At the beginning of a journey that seemed calm in the depths of the East,

the road stretched endlessly ahead as Y walked side by side with Scarlet.

Scarlet moved a few steps ahead, then stopped and turned to face him.

Scarlet: “What’s your goal this time?”

Y: “Are you interested?”

Scarlet: “Yes. We’ve been traveling together for several days now.”

Y: “Then why did you join me on this journey?”

Scarlet: “A lot of interesting things seem to happen around you, so I decided to come along.”

Y: “I have a feeling there’s another reason.”

Scarlet smiled faintly.

Scarlet: “You’re right. But I don’t think you need to know it.”

Then she added,

Scarlet: “So, what’s the purpose of this trip?”

Y: “To find any information about the Black Knight.”

Scarlet paused, as if the name had awakened an old memory.

Scarlet: “The Black Knight… I haven’t heard that name in a long time.

He was quite famous among the dragons.”

Y: “Among dragons? Not humans?”

Scarlet: “That’s right.

There were rumors about an immortal human who challenged dragons in combat.

I never saw him myself, though.”

Y: “How did they describe him?”

Scarlet: “All I heard was this—an immortal human who fought dragons.”

A brief silence followed.

Scarlet: “Why are you looking for information about him?”

Y: “Not for myself.

Rin is searching for her sister, but there’s very little evidence about her whereabouts.

At some point, there’s a connection between a lost family, Rin’s sister, and the Black Knight.”

Scarlet: “I see. There’s a village nearby. We might find information there.”

Y: “Sounds like a good plan.”

Scarlet hesitated, then spoke again.

Scarlet: “Do you remember the letter I gave you?”

Y: “Yes. What about it?”

Scarlet: “You said it was from an old friend, right?

Tell me…

If everyone you loved had died, and there was only one way to save them—

but at the cost of never seeing them again…

what would you do?”

Y exhaled softly.

Y: “That’s a difficult question.”

Scarlet: “I expected you’d save them without hesitation.”

Y: “I don’t have an answer.

Sacrificing yourself to save everyone is heroic…

but I’d rather save myself and everyone else.”

Y: “Still, I can imagine how desperate that person must have been.

That’s why I try not to end up facing such a decision.”

Scarlet: “Desperation…

Don’t you get tired of all this?

Thinking, traveling, fighting, planning?”

Y: “I am tired.

But exhaustion is better than helplessness or regret.”

Scarlet studied him for a moment.

Scarlet: “Do you rest properly?”

Y: “Yes. I have people who remind me to.”

Scarlet: “That’s good.”

Suddenly, both of them stopped at the same time.

Scarlet: “There’s a sound in the distance.”

Y: “Let’s check it.”

Scarlet: “How about a race?”

Y: “Fine by me.”

They stood side by side.

Scarlet: “Ready… go.”

They burst forward at incredible speed, weaving through trees, leaping over rocks, until a massive cave came into view.

In front of the cave lay the corpses of large goblins, and a young man was still fighting.

In the next instant, a small girl burst out of the cave screaming—

a huge goblin with an axe charging after her.

At the same moment, Y and Scarlet moved.

In a flash, the goblin was finished.

Scarlet rushed to the girl.

Scarlet: “Are you alright?”

Girl: “Yes.”

The young man approached—a well-built youth with balanced movements, his appearance reflecting the simple life of a villager. His eyes carried curiosity and caution, his features marked by honesty and respect.

Lawrence: “Thank you for the help.”

Scarlet smiled lightly.

Scarlet: “No… you did most of the work.”

The young man froze for a moment, then stared at her in shock.

Lawrence: “Are you… Scarlet?”

She smiled as if she had known him for years.

Scarlet: “You look familiar…”

Lawrence: “I’m Lawrence.”

Scarlet: “Little Lawrence… how are you?”

He smiled shyly, shrugging.

Lawrence: “I’m not little anymore, as you can see.”

Y leaned against a tree, placing his weapon beside him, quietly observing.

Scarlet: “You’ve gotten much stronger since the last time.”

Lawrence: “And you… haven’t changed at all.”

He glanced anxiously toward the cave.

Lawrence: “Is your sister still inside?”

Scarlet: “No time to waste.

Y, take care of the girl.

Lawrence, support me.”

The girl looked at Y nervously.

Girl: “Will they be okay?”

Y: “She’s an S-rank hunter. Don’t worry.

And I’ll go in if she takes too long.”

Girl: “This is my first time seeing an S-rank hunter…”

Y: “Tell me—what happened?”

Girl: “My sister and I were gathering ingredients like we always do.

Then a group of goblins attacked us.

They caught us… but I escaped after biting one of them.”

Y: “Good job running away.

Does that mean your village is nearby?”

Girl: “Yes. It’s close.”

A calm voice interrupted them.

Voice: “Looks like you don’t need any help.”

Y turned.

A man stood at a short distance—

as if he had been there all along, or had arrived without being noticed.

A dark hat shadowed part of his face,

his coat dusted more by travel than battle.

His stance was relaxed, steady, one hand near his weapon—

not threatening, just habitual.

They exchanged glances for a few seconds.

No hostility. No interest.

The man lit a cigarette.

Man: “The villagers paid me to save the girl.”

He tossed a pouch of coins to her.

Y: “You could’ve taken her back to the village.”

Man: “I prefer finishing the job properly,

not stealing someone else’s achievement.”

At that moment, Scarlet emerged from the cave with the second girl.

Y: “How was it?”

Scarlet: “Very easy.”

Then she noticed the man.

Scarlet: “Diablo?”

Lawrence (shocked): “Diablo… the most dangerous bounty hunter?!”

The man smiled faintly.

Diablo: “Is that Scarlet?”

Y smiled lightly.

Y: “So you’re Diablo.”

Scarlet: “What are you doing here?”

Diablo: “A lot of people are after me,

so I went somewhere quiet.

Lately, the world’s become rather lively.”

He glanced around.

Diablo: “By the way… where’s your father? I don’t see him.”

Scarlet: “He’s in Mond.”

Diablo: “Mond…

That kingdom’s name comes up a lot these days.”

He looked back at her.

Diablo: “So, what are you doing here?”

Scarlet: “I’m traveling with him.”

(She gestures toward Y.)

Diablo: “And who might you be?”

Y: “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Y.”

Diablo: “Interesting name. Don’t think I’ve heard it before.”

Y: “I’m fairly new.”

Diablo looked at Scarlet.

Diablo: “Strange seeing you with someone other than your father.”

Y: “I have a question for you, Diablo.

Who put the bounty on your head?”

Diablo: “And why do you care?”

Y: “I plan to destroy the black market entirely.”

Diablo chuckled.

Diablo: “What an ambitious goal.

I support it.

See you around.”

Y: “What do you think of Mond, Diablo?”

Diablo: “What kind of question is that?”

Scarlet: “You usually look for information that might become a threat to you, don’t you?”

Diablo sighed, slowly drawing his weapon.

Diablo: “Recently, I found a team from Mond.

A vampire, a fox spirit, two knights, and a girl.

They said they were searching for information about an ancient family.

Does that sound familiar?”

Y: “Yes. That’s our team.”

Diablo raised his weapon and aimed it at Y.

Diablo: “Then tell me—what’s your objective?”

Y: “You won’t hit me from this distance.”

Diablo: “Want to bet?”

The girls hid behind Scarlet.

Lawrence: “What’s going on? Are they enemies?”

Scarlet: “Diablo, you’re scaring the girls.”

Diablo: “Tell me—who is this man?”

Y: “You don’t trust anyone, do you?

How about a simple challenge?”

Y stood and stepped closer.

Y: “You get one shot.

If you hit me, Scarlet will tell you everything.

If you lose… you tell me everything.”

Diablo: “Getting this close?

Are you underestimating me?”

Y: “On the contrary. I trust my abilities.”

Diablo: “Trying to provoke me?”

Y: “Provoke? You raised your weapon first.

How about an exchange of information—question for question?”

Diablo smiled.

Diablo: “That was your goal from the start, wasn’t it?”

Y: “I’m good at using opportunities.”

Diablo: “So am I.”

Diablo: “You get one shot.”

His eyes flashed.

Diablo: “You asked for this.”

He fired.

Y dodged.

Y: “Let’s go to the village and talk calmly.”

He turned to the girls.

Y: “Take us to your village.”

The sisters led Y toward the village,

while Diablo remained silent behind them.

Scarlet: “You look shocked.”

Diablo: “I saw it…

He was about to dodge to the right,

but mid-movement, he changed direction.

That man is worth hunting.”

Scarlet smiled.

Scarlet: “I’m afraid you might end up being the prey.”

Then she added calmly,

Scarlet: “If you want to know more…

let’s go to the village.”

———

A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the village.

The village appeared at a bend in the road—

houses standing close to one another without feeling crowded, built of wood and stone, their slanted roofs designed to shield them from rain and cold.

Its dirt paths branched irregularly, as though the settlement had grown naturally over time rather than following any deliberate plan.

A group of villagers had gathered near the roadside gate, waiting anxiously for good news about the children’s return.

The two girls rushed forward and threw themselves into the arms of an elderly man.

“We’re back, Lawrence!” they cried.

The old man turned to Diablo and said,

“Thank you.”

Diablo replied calmly,

“Thank these two instead—not me. And the payment is with the girl.”

The old man then turned toward them.

“Thank you… truly.”

Lawrence looked between them, puzzled.

“Did you recognize her? This is Scarlet—Scarlet.”

Scarlet smiled faintly.

“It’s been a long time, Elder.”

The old man nodded slowly.

“Scarlet… it really has been a long time.”

Lawrence studied her more closely.

“You haven’t changed at all. And who is the person with you?”

Scarlet gestured toward Y.

“His name is Y. We’re friends.”

Y inclined his head politely.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Lawrence stepped forward with a warm smile.

“Please—come to my home.”

——

Lawrence opened the door to his house, and Y, Scarlet, and Diablo stepped inside.

The house was extremely modest, devoid of anything remarkable.

Lawrence said with a simple smile,

“Make yourselves at home.”

Y and Diablo sat facing each other. Diablo placed his weapon on the table, and with the same calm demeanor, Y set his own weapon down as well.

Noticing the tension in the air, Lawrence said,

“It seems things are a bit tense between you two.”

Scarlet reassured him,

“Don’t worry. Everything’s fine.”

Diablo asked bluntly, curiosity clear in his voice,

“How did you do it?”

Y replied calmly,

“Why do you look so surprised?

I’m certain I’m not the first person to dodge your shot… at least.”

Diablo said,

“That’s true. But why did you change the direction of your dodge?”

Y answered,

“You have sharp eyes.

But… a question for a question.”

He then turned to Scarlet and asked,

“Scarlet, do you know the nature of Diablo’s magic?”

She replied,

“No. But his accuracy is exceptionally high.”

Y said thoughtfully,

“High accuracy…

I’ll tell you, though I doubt the answer will satisfy you.”

He continued evenly,

“I started moving naturally the moment you fired,

but I noticed the bullet was aimed precisely at where I was about to go.

So… I changed direction.”

Diablo said,

“I’ve heard that explanation many times.

What about your magic?”

Y answered without hesitation,

“I don’t have any magic.”

Diablo scoffed,

“Do you really expect me to believe that?”

Y replied indifferently,

“Honestly, I don’t care whether you do or not.”

Diablo said seriously,

“There’s a way to uncover the truth.

A magical contract.

Anyone who lies… dies.

On the condition that each of us answers three questions.”

Y said,

“Agreed.”

He tossed one of his weapons to Scarlet and kept the other.

Both he and Diablo extended their hands, and a magic circle appeared, confirming the contract.

Diablo asked directly,

“What is your magic?”

Y repeated calmly,

“I don’t have any magic.”

Diablo thought to himself in disbelief:

No magic… yet he activated a contract with me?

And he threw one of his weapons away before the contract… could that be related?

He raised his gaze to Y and asked,

“What is your goal?”

Y replied,

“Be more specific, or I’ll answer in general terms.”

Diablo said,

“No need to change the question.”

Y answered honestly,

“To enter the Abyss and kill Soldan.

That is my goal.”

Diablo repeated in shock,

“Enter the Abyss… and kill Soldan…”

He then turned to Scarlet.

She whispered with a faint smile,

“I told you… you walked straight into a trap.”

Y said,

“My turn.”

He asked,

“Who placed the bounty on our heads?”

After a brief silence, Diablo answered,

“I expected that…

So you’re the cause of all this chaos.”

Y asked,

“Was the fire the reason?”

Diablo replied,

“Yes.

There were rumors about a family involved in suspicious dealings,

then many of its members vanished suddenly.

It seems that abandoned castle was a secret laboratory.”

Y said,

“Yes… there were indeed strange experiments.”

Then he added,

“One last question… would you like to join us?”

Diablo answered coldly,

“I have no desire to join anyone.”

Y said,

“That’s all my questions.”

Diablo frowned, surprised,

“Why didn’t you ask about my magic?”

Y replied,

“I prefer discovering that myself.

But I do have one more question.”

Diablo said,

“Didn’t you say you were finished?”

Y smiled,

“A question for a question.

As long as the contract stands… the questions continue.”

Diablo said,

“What is it?”

Y asked,

“What is my current standing with the black market?”

Diablo understood immediately and replied,

“Very well.

Right now… you’re nothing but a ghost.

You don’t exist.

Most have given up trying to find you.

Information—or the lack of it—is the main reason.”

Y smiled faintly,

“Thank you. That’s all.”

The magic circle faded as the two stood up.

Diablo headed for the door, lit a cigarette, and said before leaving,

“If we ever meet again… don’t expect to walk away unscathed.”

Y replied calmly,

“I wish you good luck.”

Diablo left the house.

Y exhaled softly,

“That was an interesting encounter.”

Scarlet said,

“Even without lying, he didn’t get any useful information.”

Y replied,

“On the contrary… he learned exactly what I wanted him to.”

She asked,

“You mean his magic?”

Y explained,

“First, he learned that I’m the one being targeted—and that I’m connected to Mond.

Second, that I have no magic… which doesn’t mean I don’t use magic.

Third, that I’m not targeting him.”

Scarlet said,

“That’s dangerous information for him.

So what did you gain?”

Y answered,

“I learned what kind of person he is.”

She asked,

“And your opinion of him?”

Y replied,

“He’s a good man.”

Scarlet said,

“But we still didn’t get anything about the Black Knight.”

Y smiled,

“That’s fine.

Thanks to Diablo… we found a new lead.

We can move on now.”

Scarlet said,

“I have a request.”

Y replied,

“I’m listening.”

She said,

“It looks like the village is struggling to defend itself.”

Y understood immediately,

“You want me to help them?”

She answered,

“Yes.”

Y said,

“I’ll consider it after speaking with the village chief.”

Lawrence exclaimed excitedly,

“This is your chance, Lawrence!”

Then he turned to Y,

“Scarlet told me you might be able to help us.”

Scarlet added,

“That’s right.

Solving problems is his specialty.”

Y glanced at her, saw her smile, then said,

“That depends on the nature of the problem.”

Lawrence said hesitantly,

“We rely on ourselves for protection,

but recently… some of our people have gone missing.”

Y asked with interest,

“Did you request help from hunters?”

Lawrence replied,

“Yes, but most refused due to the low reward.

One team accepted without payment… but they’ve been missing for a week.”

Y said,

“Alright.

I want a map of where they disappeared.”

Lawrence said,

“I’ll bring it immediately.

We also have some money—”

Y cut him off,

“I don’t need money.

We’re leaving now.”

He stepped outside.

Scarlet picked up her armor and said,

“Let’s go.”

———

Lawrence said,

“This is the place.”

It was an empty clearing, surrounded by trees on all sides.

Dim light filtered through the branches above, casting faint shadows across the ground.

The silence was unsettling.

Scarlet said confidently,

“Leave the search to me.”

She stepped forward and released her aura.

It merged with the air around her, and moments later, crimson lightning branched outward in every direction.

Y, watching closely, said,

“An efficient search method… I might use it myself someday.”

After a few moments, Scarlet opened her eyes.

“I found something. Follow me.”

They all moved swiftly through the forest.

Suddenly, Scarlet shouted,

“Careful—hidden magic!”

Everyone stopped at once.

Before them, a dark opening appeared between the rocks—

a strange cave, standing out unnaturally in the middle of the forest.

Lawrence said,

“Let’s go in.”

Y stopped him sharply.

“Wait… this is a trap.”

Lawrence raised an eyebrow, doubtful.

“A trap? It looks like a normal cave.”

Scarlet picked up a small stone and tossed it inside.

They waited…

but no sound came back.

Y asked calmly,

“What do you think, Scarlet?”

She studied it carefully.

“It looks like a teleportation gate.”

Lawrence said,

“That explains why people disappeared…

but the problem is—where does it lead?”

Y replied,

“Only one way to find out.”

And together, they stepped inside at the same time.

———

The moment they stepped through the gate,

all sound vanished completely.

A cold current passed through their bodies, as if the air itself had turned liquid.

Then—brief darkness.

When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a vast, freezing space.

Metallic walls stretched around them, coated in thick layers of ice.

Dim lights hung from the ceiling, flickering weakly, as though they hadn’t been turned off in years.

Y said thoughtfully,

“This is an old research facility.”

Lawrence looked around and said,

“It really does seem massive.”

Scarlet asked,

“Should we split up to search?”

Lawrence shook his head.

“I wouldn’t recommend it. The team that disappeared had an S-rank hunter with them.”

Y said calmly,

“Yeah… we don’t know what’s waiting for us here.”

Lawrence asked,

“Can you use your technique here?”

Scarlet replied,

“You mean spreading my aura? Good idea.”

Without hesitation, she released her aura once again, trying to sense the surroundings—

but moments later, she frowned.

“I can’t… these walls are anti-magic.”

Y said,

“Then we’ll do it the old way. Follow me.”

Lawrence asked uneasily,

“Do you know the way?”

Y replied in his usual flat tone,

“No… but we’ll get lost until we do.”

Lawrence muttered,

“Is this really part of the plan?”

Scarlet smiled lightly and tapped him on the head.

“Respecting Y means respecting me.”

Lawrence lowered his head slightly.

“Sorry…”

———

Time passed as they moved through the branching metallic corridors.

Scarlet said,

“This place is like a maze.”

Lawrence hesitated before saying,

“I don’t want to doubt you, but I think we’re heading in the wrong direction.”

Y replied calmly,

“I know.”

Lawrence raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“You know? Then why are we here?”

Scarlet smiled lightly.

“You want to understand this place, don’t you?”

Y nodded.

“Yes. I originally intended to explore it alone, but as Lawrence said, splitting up here would be a mistake.”

Lawrence added,

“You know I’m on a search mission for missing people.”

Y replied,

“Discovery is part of the search, isn’t it?”

At that moment, a massive iron door appeared before them at the end of the corridor, standing alone as it cut through the silence.

Y approached slowly and reached out to open it.

The sound of worn metal hinges tore through the stillness, and a freezing gust surged out—like the breath of a forgotten world.

Dim light spilled across the snow-covered floor, revealing a vast chamber.

At its center stood a colossal mass of ice, rising like a frozen mountain all the way to the stone ceiling.

Behind it—

a massive metallic gate.

Before anyone could move, the ceiling shook violently.

A sharp screech echoed from above, followed by screams—

then several bodies crashed down amid a cloud of dust and flying debris.

Lawrence raised his arm to shield his face as the chamber trembled from the impact.

When the dust settled, five figures became visible.

Five hunters—

the ones who had disappeared days ago.

The first to rise was a man with sharp features, dark eyes, and a scarf wrapped around his neck.

He picked up his metallic spear with a steady hand and an oddly calm gaze.

In a voice carrying the weight of command, he said,

“Everyone alright?”

Beside him, Diego stared at a small device emitting faint smoke, then forced a smile.

“See? Nothing dangerous happened.”

Marina, short blue hair and a torn scarf, snapped angrily,

“Nothing dangerous?! We almost died because of you, Diego!”

Javier, a massive man in a long coat, laughed as he brushed dust from his shoulders.

“That’s what happens when you let a curious fool mess with ancient technology.”

Lucia—the quiet girl with black hair and ash-gray eyes—silently examined her injured arm, saying nothing.

Lawrence stepped forward cautiously.

“You’re… the hunters who went missing?”

The leader looked at him.

“You’re from the village? What are you doing here?”

“We came looking for you,” Lawrence replied.

The man smiled faintly.

“Our apologies for the trouble… but this place isn’t what it seems. Things here are complicated.”

Scarlet, who had been observing the surroundings with sharp eyes, spoke up,

“Well, this is unexpected…”

Lawrence turned to her.

“Unexpected?”

She pointed toward a corner.

“Look at that man over there… doesn’t he look familiar?”

Everyone turned.

When they saw Y standing there calmly, the leader’s eyes widened.

He muttered,

“That silver hair… the twin blades on his back…”

Then he spoke clearly,

“Y… I didn’t expect to meet you here again, Carlos.”

Y smiled faintly, his voice steady as ever.

“Neither did I, Snip.”

Marina raised an eyebrow.

“Snip? Who’s that?”

Javier laughed.

“His name’s Y—he’s from our world too. He used to train with Carlos from time to time.”

The moment didn’t last.

Suddenly, the doors slammed shut violently.

Cracks spread across the frozen mountain, filling the chamber with a thunderous roar.

The ice began melting rapidly, revealing a massive shadow writhing within.

With a deafening explosion, the ice shattered into flying shards.

From it emerged a dragon the color of snow itself—

its eyes burning with cold blue light, like an endless night.

Carlos shouted,

“An ice dragon!”

Diego threw aside his device and pulled a gleaming twin blade from his pack, blue sparks dancing along its surface.

He hurled it toward Carlos, who caught it effortlessly and stepped beside Y.

“I’m ready,” Carlos said firmly.

Lucia stared in shock.

“A twin blade? I’ve never seen him use that before…”

Diego smirked.

“That’s because he only uses it when he fights alongside Y.”

Marina asked nervously,

“Do they need backup?”

Javier, watching calmly with his massive axe resting on his shoulder, replied,

“Let them be. They know what they’re doing.”

At that moment, Y and Carlos advanced in perfect sync.

In one fluid motion, they exchanged weapons—

Y taking the right blade, Carlos the left.

A brief nod.

A silent ritual only they understood.

The dragon roared, unleashing a massive wave of ice followed by exploding crystals.

But the two moved in flawless harmony—

two bodies following a single path, dodging the attack like shadows dancing on the edge of death.

Y struck from the right with a slashing arc,

while Carlos cut through the left in a crossing line.

Their blades intersected beneath the glow of the explosion—

a wordless declaration of absolute understanding.

The dragon roared again, the ground trembling beneath them.

It raised its head, gathering magic in its jaws, and fired a dense beam of ice.

A massive explosion followed, swallowing everything in smoke.

From within it, Y emerged with confident steps, his eyes glowing with cold resolve.

He charged straight toward the dragon’s chest, ignoring its massive tail as it swept toward him.

Suddenly, Carlos appeared—his blade blazing with roaring red flames—

and severed the dragon’s tail in a violent fiery explosion.

Y pressed forward, his weapon igniting as well, and struck the dragon’s chest directly, blasting the ice apart.

The two leapt back, exchanged a brief look and a quiet nod—

a salute between comrades who had fought countless battles together.

The dragon lifted its head once more, gathering magic amid a storm of freezing winds.

In response, Y and Carlos raised their weapons—

Y’s right blade and Carlos’s left burning with intense fire.

They shouted together and charged.

A dragon of ice unleashing frozen breath.

Two warriors of flame cutting through the storm.

When their forces collided, light exploded between them—

And then…

The dragon split in half beneath a crimson glow that melted the ice and scattered the darkness.

Lawrence whispered,

“We’re… not needed here.”

Strange whispers echoed through the chamber—

a low sound, like iron grinding against stone in deep darkness.

Everyone turned toward the massive metallic gate behind the melted ice mountain.

It began to tremble—slowly, heavily.

Black smoke poured from its cracks.

The cold air turned into something closer to death.

With each metallic groan, the gate opened wider—

Until a massive figure stepped out.

Its body emitted writhing shadows, as if darkness itself were struggling to form a man.

Its size was humanlike, but nothing about it was human.

Its left shoulder was missing.

Its single right arm stretched unnaturally long, gripping a black sword nearly as tall as itself.

The blade was wide, cracked, humming softly—

like the wailing of imprisoned souls.

The knight stepped forward and plunged his sword into the ground.

Ice froze instantly around it, cracks spreading beneath its feet like a living web of lethal cold.

Carlos whispered tensely,

“Is that… a Black Knight?”

Before anyone could answer—

The figure vanished.

A single moment passed—

Then it appeared directly in front of Carlos.

Its sword thrust forward at impossible speed, as if born from nothing.

Carlos saw the black flash coming, raised his weapon half a second too late, and gasped,

“I neglected my defense… I didn’t expect this speed!”

Before the strike could land—

Y moved.

He leapt sideways, shoved Carlos away, and raised his weapon with all his strength.

The clash was a silent explosion.

The air ripped apart.

Ice scattered like a raging storm.

Y was hurled backward, crashing into the iron wall at the far end of the chamber.

Ice shattered around him in a swirling white vortex.

“Y!” Carlos shouted.

No time.

The knight raised its sword again.

As it prepared for another strike—

Scarlet flashed behind it in a streak of red.

She descended with a powerful attack,

while Lawrence struck from the side.

The knight turned with terrifying speed, blocking the blow one-handed.

Red and blue sparks exploded through the air.

Scarlet leapt back, eyes sharp.

Carlos shouted over the clash, his voice firm and commanding:

“Lucia! Take care of Y!

The rest of you—focus with me!

This is a fight for survival!”