The wind of the ruined realm howled low between collapsed skyscrapers.
Jake didn't blink.
His finger hovered in mid-air as the translucent blue screen floated before him.
Tap.
Swipe.
Confirm.
A small notification blinked at the top:
The light from the screen reflected faintly in his crimson eye.
Tudor's instincts screamed.
Whatever he's doing—stop him.
He lunged.
Concrete shattered beneath his feet as he burst forward at full speed, fist cocked back to erase Jake's skull—
And space tore open.
A black circular rift unfolded between them.
Tudor tried to halt mid-sprint.
He couldn't.
Momentum carried him forward.
"—SHI—!"
He vanished into the portal.
Jake calmly lowered his hand.
Looked at Dravers—half-conscious, blood staining her lips.
" How did you know I'll come ? "
" just a hunch " she smiles
Then he stepped into the portal.
It sealed.
The Dyriad Realm
Wind.
Snow.
Ruins stretching endlessly beneath a bruised violet sky.
Tudor staggered forward onto cracked asphalt.
"What the hell is this place?!"
His voice echoed strangely.
The air felt heavy.
Wrong.
Jake stepped out behind him.
Boots touching ground softly.
"This…" Jake said calmly, shadows licking at his feet,
"is my world."
Tudor turned.
Jake's voice didn't rise.
"It's also your grave."
There was no rage in it.
No arrogance.
Just certainty.
That frightened Tudor more than shouting would have.
Behind Jake—
Darkness moved.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
Inside a collapsed high-rise, dozens of glowing eyes flickered open.
Yellow.
Purple.
Red.
The Goblin King stepped out first.
White hair flowing behind him.
Rusty greatsword dragging across concrete with a metallic screech.
Beside him—
The Killer Rabbit.
Humanoid.
Tall.
Lean.
One eye milky and blind.
The other glowing blood-red.
A red scarf fluttered around its neck.
Twin crimson daggers spun between its fingers with eerie elegance.
It tilted its head slowly at Tudor.
Twenty goblins marched forward in formation.
Clubs resting on shoulders.
Breathing heavy.
Then—
Wings thundered above.
Demon bats descended from broken rooftops.
Twenty of them.
And their leader.
Larger.
Dragon-like wings stretched wide.
Purple energy pulsing through cracked veins across its body.
They landed around Tudor.
Encircling him.
Tudor took one step back.
He had faced large animals, beasts.
He had hunted them.
He had crushed them.
But this?
They weren't wild.
They were monster's.
They were organized.
They were waiting.
And they were staring at him.
"What… are those things?" Tudor muttered.
His heart pounded harder.
Then—
CLING.
His own system forced itself open in front of his face.
WARNING
Exhaustion Level: 85%
Physical Output Declining
Recommend Immediate Rest
His jaw tightened.
"…Tch."
Jake's eye glowed brighter.
"Bring me his head."
The lower goblins didn't hesitate.
They charged.
Clubs raised.
War cries shrill and savage.
Tudor roared back and swung his arm—
BOOM!
The first goblin exploded backward, skull crushed instantly.
Two more leaped onto his back—
He spun violently, smashing them into the ground like toys.
CRACK.
Bones snapped.
Green blood sprayed.
But more were already climbing.
Clinging.
Swinging.
Clubs striking ribs.
Knees.
Neck.
Tudor smashed one into another.
Kicked one clean across the ruined street.
Yet—
They didn't hesitate.
They didn't fear him.
They attacked like soldiers.
Above—
The bats screeched and dove.
Claws raked across Tudor's shoulders.
One latched onto his arm.
Another bit into his side.
Tudor ripped one in half midair.
Green and purple blood splattered across the snow.
"YOU THINK THIS IS ENOUGH?!" Tudor bellowed.
His muscles flexed.
Veins glowed.
He burst outward in a shockwave that sent five goblins flying at once.
But—
He was breathing heavier now.
Each motion cost more than it should.
The Goblin King stepped forward.
Greatsword lifting.
The Killer Rabbit vanished.
Gone.
Tudor barely turned—
Two red daggers carved across his back.
Blood sprayed.
He snarled and spun—
The rabbit was already gone again.
Reappearing atop a broken pillar.
Tilting its head.
Mocking.
Tudor's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
I'm being worn down.
That realization was poison.
Jake hadn't moved.
He simply watched.
Evaluating.
Learning.
Adapting.
"Fight," Jake said softly.
"Show me how kings die."
The Goblin King roared and charged.
Greatsword swung down like a falling tower.
Tudor blocked with both arms—
BOOOOOOM!!!
The impact cratered the ground beneath them.
Shockwaves rippled outward.
Bats spiraled above.
Goblins regrouped.
The Killer Rabbit vanished again—
And Tudor realized something horrifying.
This wasn't a duel.
This wasn't a fair fight.
This was execution by exhaustion.
Jake stepped forward at last.
Shadow mist coiling around his arms.
His crimson eye burning like a star in the ruined night.
Tudor's breath came heavy now.
His fists clenched.
For the first time—
The King felt hunted.
The last lower goblin's skull caved in with a wet crack.
Its body collapsed into the ruined asphalt.
A demon bat shrieked mid-air—
—then Tudor tore it in half.
Blood sprayed across broken concrete.
Silence followed.
Twenty goblins.
Twenty demon bats.
Gone.
The heat of battle still hung in the air.
Tudor stood in the center of corpses, chest rising and falling harder now. His arms felt heavier than they should. His breathing wasn't smooth anymore.
A faint mechanical chime rang in his mind.
Exhaustion Level: 90%
Muscle Efficiency: 63%
Neural Response Delay: Increasing
Immediate Rest Recommended
His jaw tightened.
"Shut up…"
He wiped blood from his cheek.
He had won that exchange.
Technically.
But it didn't feel like victory.
Because they were still standing there.
The Goblin King rested his blade on his shoulder.
The Killer Rabbit tilted its head slightly, one blind eye pale and empty, the other glowing red with quiet hunger.
The Bat Leader perched above, wings folded, watching like a general evaluating a dying soldier.
And Jake…
Jake hadn't moved.
Not once.
Arms relaxed at his sides.
Crimson eyes steady.
Not impressed.
Not threatened.
Observing.
Tudor felt something crawl up his spine.
"They were fodder," Tudor growled. "If that's your army, then this world isn't as impressive as you made it sound."
No response.
Jake's gaze shifted slightly.
The Goblin King stepped forward.
The sound of his blade dragging across concrete echoed unnaturally loud.
The Killer Rabbit vanished.
Not fast.
Just… gone.
Tudor's pupils snapped left.
Nothing.
Right.
Nothing.
Behind—
CLANG!
He barely blocked in time as twin red daggers scraped across his forearm.
Even that simple motion sent a sting through his muscles.
Too heavy.
His body felt too heavy.
The Bat Leader dropped from above, sonic shriek blasting the air.
Tudor countered with a punch—
BOOM!
The shockwave ripped through a half-collapsed building.
But when he straightened up, his breathing hitched.
His arms trembled.
Not visibly.
But he felt it.
And so did Jake.
The system flickered again.
92%
Critical Fatigue Approaching
Cognitive Delay: 0.4 seconds
That.
That was dangerous.
A 0.4 second delay in a realm like this?
Might as well be death.
Tudor's eyes shifted to Jake.
"You're not even fighting."
Jake finally spoke.
"Why would I?"
Calm.
Certain.
"You're already dying."
The words weren't loud.
But they landed heavier than any punch.
The Goblin King charged.
The Killer Rabbit reappeared mid-air.
The Bat Leader dove.
Three directions.
Three elite monsters.
And Tudor's system pulsed red.
94%
His vision blurred for half a heartbeat.
And in this realm—
Half a heartbeat was enough.
The King's blade carved across his ribs.
The Rabbit's dagger punctured his thigh.
The Bat Leader's claws ripped across his back.
Tudor roared, blasting them back with brute force.
But when the dust settled—
He was breathing like a man who had run for miles.
And Jake?
Still untouched.
Still watching.
Still certain.
The realm felt closer now.
Like walls were shrinking.
Like gravity was slowly increasing.
Tudor understood something terrifying.
Jake never intended to fight first.
He was letting the realm do it.
Letting exhaustion become the executioner.
And now…
Only the King Goblin, the Killer Rabbit, and the Bat Leader remained.
The real monsters.
Tudor's exhaustion ticked upward again.
95%
The warning tone no longer felt like advice.
It felt like a countdown.
And Jake finally took one slow step forward.
The air shifted.
Not slowly.
Not gradually.
It snapped.
Tudor's head tilted back—
—and he laughed.
Not the confident chuckle from before.
Not the amused grin of a man enjoying combat.
This was wild.
Unhinged.
A laugh dragged from the depths of someone who had just decided to burn everything.
"I never…" he muttered between breaths, shoulders trembling, "…thought a B-rank would force me to use this."
His eyes widened.
Veins along his neck pulsed gold.
"FULL RUSH."
The ground exploded outward.
A shockwave ripped through the Dyriad Realm like a bomb detonating underground. Corpses of goblins were flung into the air. Concrete shattered. The Bat Leader was forced higher into the sky.
And Tudor—
Tudor began to glow.
Not flame.
Not aura.
Pressure.
He was pulsing yellow, like a living star choking on its own collapse.
The King Goblin dug his blade into the earth to keep from sliding back.
The Killer Rabbit skidded across broken stone, daggers carving sparks.
Jake's coat fluttered violently—
And his smile disappeared.
He had seen this once before.
That C-rank.
The desperate amplification.
The body forcing output beyond comfort.
The suicidal climb.
Tudor's system flickered violently.
Hidden Skill Activated: FULL RUSH
Output Efficiency Compromised by Fatigue
Stabilizing…
Exhaustion Level Reduced: 84%
The reduction wasn't recovery.
It was forced stabilization.
Like jump-starting a dying engine.
Tudor lowered his head slowly.
His eyes were glowing now.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
Yellow light leaked from the corners.
"You think exhaustion kills me?" he whispered.
His foot shifted—
—and he vanished.
Not fast.
Gone.
The Goblin King reacted first—
Too slow.
Tudor appeared in front of him and drove a fist into his chest.
The impact didn't make a boom.
It made a vacuum implosion.
The Goblin King was launched across the realm, tearing through three ruined structures before disappearing into dust.
The Killer Rabbit lunged from the side—
SWING—
Tudor caught both daggers mid-air.
Crushed them.
Then grabbed the Rabbit by the throat and slammed it through the ground so violently that cracks spider-webbed for miles.
The Bat Leader dove—
Tudor leaped higher.
Higher than before.
He grabbed the bat mid-flight and hurled it downward like a meteor.
The impact carved a crater into the realm floor.
Jake didn't move.
But his eyes sharpened.
This wasn't desperation.
This was controlled madness.
Tudor landed slowly.
The yellow aura pulsed outward in rhythmic waves.
Every pulse made the air heavier.
Every pulse rattled the ruined buildings.
His breathing had stabilized.
His muscles no longer trembled.
Full Rush had patched the cracks.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
He rolled his neck.
Cracked it.
Then looked at Jake.
"You should've killed me earlier."
The realm trembled slightly.
Jake's crimson eyes narrowed.
He remembered the C-rank.
He remembered how unstable that power became when pushed too far.
And Tudor…
Tudor wasn't unstable.
He was experienced.
He understood how to ride the brink without falling.
That made him far more dangerous.
Tudor stepped forward.
The ground depressed beneath his foot.
"You brought me into your world."
Another step.
The pressure increased.
"Now fight me yourself."
The aura surged brighter.
The sky of the Dyriad Realm dimmed slightly, reacting to the foreign surge.
Tudor grinned.
"Or I'll tear it apart until you do."
And for the first time since entering his realm—
Jake felt something close to anticipation.
Jake's lips curved.
Slow.
Certain.
"My comrades," he said softly, almost amused, "would say different."
His crimson gaze shifted.
Not at Tudor.
Past him.
That single glance made Tudor's instincts scream.
He turned—
—and froze.
Behind him stood the three he had personally crushed moments ago.
The King Goblin, armor cracked but eyes blazing emerald fury.
The Killer Rabbit, red scarf torn and fluttering like a battle flag, one blind eye closed, the other glowing blood-red.
The Bat Leader, wings extended wide, its massive frame silhouetted against the fractured skyline.
They were furious.
Tudor's grin widened.
The Killer Rabbit vanished.
No warning.
No wind-up.
Just a red streak slicing across broken ground.
Tudor had already anticipated it—
His fist snapped forward toward the Rabbit's skull—
—but just before impact—
SWISH—
The King Goblin grabbed the Rabbit's scarf mid-dash and yanked it backward with brutal precision.
Tudor's punch tore through empty air.
The Goblin rotated his body in the same motion—
—and drove his massive blade sideways into Tudor's ribs.
CRAAAACK.
The strike didn't break bone—
—but it sent Tudor skidding across the terrain, boots carving trenches through stone.
Before he stabilized—
The Bat Leader descended from above.
A sonic shriek detonated downward.
Tudor crossed his arms—
BOOM.
The ground beneath him cratered.
Dust erupted.
Out of the smoke—
The Rabbit reappeared low.
Twin reconstructed daggers flashed.
Slashes carved across Tudor's thigh and shoulder.
Not deep.
But precise.
The King Goblin followed instantly, shield bash to the sternum.
The Bat Leader folded its wings and slammed into Tudor's back like a living battering ram.
Tudor was launched forward—
—and the Rabbit met him mid-flight with a spinning kick to the jaw.
The coordination was flawless.
No hesitation.
No overlap.
Every attack flowed into the next like gears in a perfect machine.
Tudor landed on one knee—
—and laughed.
"Now this," he growled, wiping blood from his lip, "is better."
He surged upward.
Full Rush pulsed violently.
Yellow aura exploded outward, forcing the Bat Leader back.
He spun and caught the Rabbit by the ankle mid-air—
SLAM—
—but the King Goblin was already there, blade crashing down on Tudor's wrist, forcing him to release.
The Rabbit flipped, landed on the Goblin's shoulder, launched again.
Aerial cross slash.
The Bat Leader dove from above simultaneously.
Tudor blocked one—
Dodged another—
Took a blade across the back—
Elbowed the Goblin in the jaw—
Kicked the Rabbit through a pillar—
Grabbed the Bat Leader's wing and hurled it into rubble—
—but the moment he overcommitted—
The Goblin blade-slammed his exposed flank again.
He staggered.
For the first time—
He was being overwhelmed.
Not by raw power.
But by unity.
They protected each other.
When one attacked, another covered the blind spot.
When one retreated, another intercepted.
When Tudor tried to isolate one—
The other two forced him to reposition.
It wasn't chaos.
It was formation.
Tudor's grin sharpened.
"You're learning," he muttered.
He ducked under the Rabbit's slash—
Headbutted the Goblin—
Backhanded the Bat Leader—
Took a claw across his chest—
And laughed louder.
Blood was starting to mark him now.
His breathing was heavier.
Full Rush flickered slightly.
Exhaustion creeping.
84% wouldn't stay there forever.
And through all of it—
Jake moved.
Not attacking.
Not speaking.
He walked slowly along the perimeter.
Like a predator circling prey already trapped.
Crimson eyes unblinking.
Watching.
Measuring.
Waiting.
Tudor felt it.
Even while blocking the Goblin's blade—
Even while parrying the Rabbit's daggers—
Even while dodging the Bat Leader's dive—
He felt those eyes.
Cold.
Certain.
Tudor smashed the Rabbit into the ground—
Kicked the Goblin backward—
Uppercut the Bat Leader into the air—
—and stood in the center of the chaos, chest rising.
His gaze flicked to Jake.
"You're waiting for something," Tudor said, breathing hard.
Jake didn't answer.
He simply continued walking.
The generals regrouped instantly around Tudor again.
Formation re-established.
Dust swirling.
The battle dragged on.
Steel rang.
Claws tore.
Shrieks split the air.
And then—
Something inside Tudor snapped.
"ENOUGH!!!"
His roar tore through the Dyriad Realm like a thunderclap.
Full Rush flared violently—yellow aura exploding outward in unstable waves. The ground cracked. Rubble lifted. The air itself trembled.
He stopped dodging.
Stopped calculating.
Stopped caring.
The Killer Rabbit dashed in—
Tudor didn't evade.
He let the dagger carve across his ribs—
—and drove his fist straight through the Rabbit's torso.
The impact detonated outward.
The scarf fluttered once… then fell still.
The Bat Leader descended—
Tudor leapt upward through its sonic shriek, enduring the tearing pressure, grabbed both wings—
—and ripped them apart midair.
The King Goblin charged last
Sword glowing.
Tudor screamed as the blade split his shoulder—
—but he stepped into it.
Grabbed the Goblin by the skull.
And headbutted.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The fourth caved the skull in.
Silence.
The aura flickered.
Tudor stood alone.
Surrounded by corpses.
His chest heaved violently.
Yellow light sputtered around him like a dying star.
His screen forced itself open in front of his vision.
Exhaustion Rate: 98% Immediate Rest Required Motor Function Failure Imminent
His eyes trembled.
Sweat poured down his face in heavy streams.
His arms felt like stone.
His legs shook.
For a moment—
He nearly collapsed.
But he forced himself upright.
Forced his fists up.
Across the battlefield—
Jake stood still.
Not a scratch on him.
Just watching.
His gaze shifted slowly to the fallen King Goblin.
Then to the Killer Rabbit.
His expression didn't change.
But something darker moved behind his eyes.
"I worked hard for that," he said quietly.
Not angry.
Not loud.
He lifted his gaze back to Tudor.
Tudor dragged in a ragged breath and raised his fists higher, though his arms quivered violently.
"You think…" Tudor coughed, blood touching his lips, "…that changes anything?"
Jake didn't respond.
He began walking forward.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Boots over broken stone.
Tudor's vision blurred slightly.
98%.
His body screamed at him to shut down.
But pride held it together with fraying threads.
"You…" Tudor forced a grin despite trembling lips. "You're finally stepping in."
Jake stopped a few meters away.
The crimson in his eyes deepened.
Behind him, the broken skyline of the Dyriad Realm loomed like a graveyard of giants.
Black mist began to rise out of Jake's body .
Not explosively.
It poured outward.
Like ink spilling into water.
Cold.
Heavy.
Certain.
Tudor swallowed.
For the first time since stepping into this realm—
Fear crawled up his spine.
His instincts screamed louder than his system warnings.
98%.
One wrong movement.
One heavy exchange.
And his body would fail.
But retreat wasn't an option.
Not here.
Not in front of this kid.
Tudor tightened his fists.
Jake lifted his chin slightly.
"Good," Jake murmured.
" What's the point of killing you when you don't have any fighting spirit left "
Jake stepped forward—
—but before his foot touched the ground—
He vanished.
Not fast.
Not blurred.
Gone.
Like he had never been there.
Ba dum.
Ba dum.
Tudor's heartbeat echoed louder than the wind.
The Dyriad Realm felt too big.
Too empty.
Too quiet.
His eyes darted left.
Right.
Behind.
Nothing.
"Where are you?!!!"
His voice cracked.
A shadow slid across the broken wall behind him.
He spun—
Nothing.
Another shadow flickered to his right—
He whipped around—
Still nothing.
His breathing became ragged.
Ba dum. Ba dum. BA DUM.
"SHOW YOURSELF!!!"
His voice tore through the ruined skyline.
"FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, YOU COWARD!!!"
Silence answered.
Then—
Something warm rolled down his cheek.
Tudor blinked.
Another drop followed.
He didn't realize he was crying.
Tears fell without permission.
His throat tightened.
His chest burned.
His hands trembled violently.
What… what is this feeling?
He had fought S-ranks.
He had crushed cities.
He had laughed in the face of death.
So why—
Why did it feel like death was laughing at him now?
His mind raced.
Am I… going to die?
Like this?
To a B-rank?
How did it become this?
Snot ran from his nose. His vision blurred.
"Damn you, kid!!! SHOW YOURSELF!!!"
His voice cracked at the end.
And then—
Soft.
Calm.
Right beside his ear.
"Why?"
"I'm right here."
Tudor's pupils shrank.
Jake stood inches in front of him.
No aura flare.
No dramatic entrance.
Just there.
Crimson eyes glowing in the darkness.
A shadow dagger rested at Tudor's throat.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
Tudor couldn't move.
His exhaustion screamed at 98%.
His body refused to obey.
His mind froze.
Their eyes locked.
Jake's were empty.
Not angry.
Not excited.
Certain.
Very slowly—
Jake pushed the dagger forward.
The tip pierced skin.
A thin line of red formed.
Tudor's breath hitched.
The blade sank deeper.
Warm blood spilled down his neck.
Dripped.
Splattered against the broken stone below.
Tudor's hands lifted weakly—
But they stopped halfway.
He didn't have the strength.
He didn't have the will.
His lips trembled.
"So… this is…"
The dagger went through.
Clean.
Precise.
Blood poured freely now.
Jake didn't look away.
Didn't blink.
The shadow dagger dissolved into mist.
Tudor's body swayed.
His screen flickered violently in front of his eyes—
Exhaustion Rate: 100% System Failure User Vital Signs—
The screen shattered into static.
Tudor collapsed.
Thud.
Dust rose softly around his body.
The Dyriad Realm grew silent.
No wind.
No monsters.
Just the sound of blood soaking into stone.
Jake stood over him.
Watching, still.
After a moment, he looked toward the corpses of his generals.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Tudor's body lay still.
Too still.
Jake stared at it.
The silence pressed in on him.
The Dyriad Realm, once roaring with battle, now felt like a graveyard holding its breath.
His knees buckled.
He fell forward onto them.
His hands caught him—
Hands soaked in blood.
Warm.
Sticky.
Real.
He lifted them slowly, staring as they trembled uncontrollably.
"I… killed him…"
The words felt foreign.
Heavy.
A broken laugh slipped from his mouth.
He was smiling.
But his body was shaking.
"So this is what it took…"
His voice trembled.
"Two A-ranks… forty D-ranks… four B-ranks…"
His eyes drifted to the fallen King Goblin.
To the Killer Rabbit.
To the Bat Leader.
To the lower goblins and bats scattered across the ruined cityscape.
"All of that… just to kill one S-rank."
His lips stretched wider.
Not joy.
Not pride.
A cracked, unstable smile.
"And comparing him to the ones sitting at the high table…"
His jaw tightened.
"It's disrespectful to even call them S-ranks."
The gap.
The difference.
The overwhelming mountain that still stood before him.
His smile faded.
His hands shook harder.
"Can I really reach that height?"
Silence.
"I can't."
His voice broke.
"It's impossible."
His breathing grew uneven.
"I can't achieve this goal of mine… I can't reach the crown…"
Tears gathered at the corners of his crimson eyes.
"I'm never going to get that strong…"
A memory flashed.
Catherine.
Her smile.
Her helplessness.
Her death.
His fingers dug into the ground.
His body froze.
Then—
He inhaled sharply.
His trembling stopped.
"No."
His voice steadied.
"I have to."
The tears fell anyway.
"This is my punishment."
"For watching you die."
"For being helpless."
His aura began to stir.
"I have to save the countless others like us… hidden in the darkness."
His eyes hardened.
"I must become stronger."
He stood.
And the world responded.
Screen Activated
Strength +490
Speed +300
Agility +230
Intelligence +13
Stamina +380
Health +560
Screens stacked over screens.
Notifications overlapping violently.
Level Up
Level Up
Level Up
Level Up
Level Up
Level Up
XP +700
Shadow Forge Evolution — Processing
Dark Overlord Evolution — Processing
Title — Processing
Rank Increase — Processing
Rank Increased
A Rank
Jake's eyes widened.
"What?"
"All that… from killing an S-rank?"
His breathing hitched.
"So that was our strength gap…"
The power hit him.
Not gently.
Not gradually.
It crashed into him like a tidal wave.
His veins burned.
His bones felt like they were expanding.
Muscles tore and reformed.
His heart pounded like it would explode out of his chest.
"Agh—!!"
He collapsed to the ground.
His back arched violently as raw power flooded every nerve.
It wasn't pleasant growth.
It was brutal.
His screams tore through the empty realm.
The sky itself seemed to distort above him.
His shadow stretched unnaturally long.
Then—
A portal opened beneath him.
The timer in the corner of his vision blinked:
00:00:00:00
The Dyriad Realm rejected him.
Jake's body fell through.
Darkness swallowed him.
Reality.
Adrian and Dravers rushed forward as Jake's body crashed onto the ground.
"Jake!!"
Adrian dropped beside him.
Dravers knelt, checking his pulse.
"He's alive— but his body…"
His veins pulsed faintly with residual energy.
They tried to shake him awake.
"Hey! Don't die on us now, idiot—"
Then—
They felt it.
A pressure.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The air thickened.
Their instincts screamed.
Slowly—
Very slowly—
They looked up.
Five figures stood around them.
Silent.
Watching.
Their presence alone warped the air.
They were all S-ranks.