Suddenly—
a voice came from above.
"So you managed to hold on."
Darian's eyes shifted upward.
He immediately recognized the voice.
Kaelira was still hanging from the pillar.
Her claws were dug firmly into the stone as she looked down at him.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"But it took a lot out of you, didn't it?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Now I can kill you with just one blow."
Darian's expression hardened.
He slowly steadied his breathing.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
Then—
he began pulling himself upright.
His hands remained firmly wrapped around his sword.
"Don't count me out yet."
He finally stood straight.
Water continued flowing around his legs.
Darian lifted his gaze toward Kaelira.
"If you really think you're capable of killing me with one blow..."
His grip tightened around his sword.
"...then try."
Kaelira stared at him for several seconds.
Then—
she smiled.
"Think?"
Her smile widened.
"No."
"I know."
Darian's eyes narrowed.
Kaelira continued.
"Even if our fight had continued naturally..."
Her claws slowly tightened against the pillar.
"Your death was already guaranteed."
The two stared at each other.
Neither spoke.
For several moments—
the flooded hall fell strangely silent.
Then—
Kaelira chuckled.
"Heh."
"There's no need to be afraid."
Darian's expression darkened.
Kaelira tilted her head.
"I no longer have any interest in you."
Her gaze shifted away from him.
"You've become useless to me."
Darian's eyes widened slightly.
"Useless...?"
Kaelira didn't answer.
Instead—
a grin appeared on her face.
"There's no fun in killing you anymore."
"Someone else has drawn my attention."
Her claws dug deeper into the pillar.
**KRRRCH!**
Stone cracked beneath her fingers.
She twisted her body.
Her position changed instantly.
She was still hanging from the pillar—
but now she crouched against it like a beast preparing to pounce.
Mana began surging through her body.
**WHOOOOOM!**
The pressure around her suddenly intensified.
Darian's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
**BOOOOOOM!**
Kaelira disappeared.
Only cracks remained where her claws had been.
Darian stared at the empty pillar.
"...Damn it."
---
On the other side of the hall—
Ryke slowly pushed himself off the floor.
Water dripped from his clothes.
He coughed several times before finally managing to stand.
Illyria looked at him.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"You're a scared one, aren't you?"
Ryke stared at her.
Then—
he sighed.
"Yeah."
He wiped the water from his face.
"I'm not too keen on the idea of drowning to death."
Illyria calmly looked at him.
"You're one of them."
Ryke paused.
"One of them?"
Illyria glanced toward the direction where Lyriana and Pythia had flown.
"So I had no intention of attacking you."
Ryke looked at her for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Yeah."
He glanced around the flooded hall.
"I see that now."
Ryke scratched the back of his head.
"But maybe you could've told me that while I was shouting my lungs out."
He looked down at his soaked clothes.
*She's not even wet.*
Ryke stared at Illyria.
*Seriously...*
*She summoned all that water, and somehow she's not even wet.*
*That's actually surprising.*
Illyria opened her mouth.
"There wasn't time for me to—"
She suddenly stopped.
Her eyes widened.
Ryke's expression changed.
"Huh?"
A sudden presence appeared directly in front of Illyria.
**WHOOSH!**
Illyria's eyes snapped forward.
Kaelira had appeared.
Her body was low to the ground.
A wide grin stretched across her face.
Mana completely covered her claws.
And those claws—
were aimed directly at Illyria's throat.
**SHIIIIING!**
Illyria reacted instantly.
Her water mana erupted.
"!"
She immediately cancelled the attack she had been preparing.
The water surrounding her body shifted violently.
**WHOOOOM!**
A powerful burst of water struck Kaelira from the side.
**BOOOOOOM!**
Kaelira's body was thrown away.
She twisted in midair.
Her claws swept through the air.
Her body rotated once—
twice—
before she landed lightly on the flooded floor.
**SPLASH.**
She immediately straightened.
Her smile never disappeared.
Illyria stared at her.
Her expression had finally become serious.
"You suddenly launch an attack without warning..."
Her gaze lowered toward Kaelira's mana-covered claws.
"...aiming directly for the kill."
Illyria's eyes narrowed.
"What was that?"
Kaelira tilted her head.
Then—
she chuckled.
"Heh."
She slowly raised her claws.
"It's nothing complicated."
Her grin widened.
"I'm just returning the favor."
Illyria's expression hardened.
Kaelira's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"After all..."
She lowered her body slightly.
"...you just did the same thing to everyone else."
Ryke glanced over.
"Kaelira..."
The moment she heard her name—
Kaelira turned her head toward him.
Her eyes immediately narrowed.
"You dog-named bastard."
Ryke froze.
"...What?"
Kaelira stared at him with obvious annoyance.
"I see you turned tail and joined hands with your friends."
She scoffed.
"I shouldn't expect anything else from you."
Ryke simply stared at her.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
He pointed at himself.
"I don't even know who they are!"
He looked down at his completely soaked clothes.
"And can't you see I'm all soaked?"
He spread his arms.
"Do you really think I could've survived that attack if I was fighting them?"
Kaelira stared at him.
Then—
she nodded.
"Yeah."
"Exactly."
Her expression became completely serious.
"There's no way someone like you could've survived."
Ryke's face twitched.
"That was actually a compliment, right?"
He sighed.
"Yeah, but that's right, I—"
Kaelira suddenly interrupted.
"Unless you weren't attacked."
Ryke immediately pointed at her.
"Correct!"
Kaelira nodded.
"Then I'll kill you now."
Ryke's expression froze.
"...Yeah."
He paused.
Then his face slowly changed.
"Wait."
He stared at her.
"It seems like you misunderstood something."
Kaelira narrowed her eyes.
"No."
"I understand."
She pointed a claw toward him.
"You're a two-faced bastard."
Ryke's eye twitched.
"Yeah, you don't understand."
He rubbed his forehead.
"Let me explain."
Kaelira waved him off.
"Don't bother."
Her grin returned.
"Just make sure you don't die on me too quickly."
Ryke stared at her.
"You moron!"
He raised his voice.
"Will you listen to me?!"
Kaelira tilted her head.
Then—
her eyes suddenly widened slightly.
"I see now."
She glanced behind Ryke.
"With your friends behind you..."
Her grin widened.
"...you think you can silence me."
Ryke stared at her blankly.
"...I don't even know what to say to you."
He pointed toward the direction where Lyriana and Pythia had gone.
"Do you seriously think Pythia and Lyriana would leave them alone if they were enemies?"
Kaelira's expression changed.
"Lyriana?"
She glanced over.
"So she's here."
Ryke nodded.
"Yeah."
Kaelira's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Maybe they went on ahead..."
She looked toward the spatial circle.
"...to let me take care of you guys."
Ryke blinked.
"Really?"
Kaelira shrugged.
"Yeah."
"Sure."
She smiled.
"Who knows?"