At the time when Lilian was strolling down the street, claiming herself as Letter’s guardian…
In the vast wasteland a short distance away from the tourist city of Erifi—
“So, does anyone have any additional reports?”
A group of about a dozen or so members stood under the command of their team leader, a woman, as they prepared for what could be called “one big score.”
After waiting roughly ten seconds and confirming that there were no further reports, the woman finally gave the order to commence the operation.
Then, just as planned, numerous teleportation magic circles spread out toward the coordinates she had delivered the previous day.
Not long after, soft footsteps touched down on the outskirts of the city.
Their target: the casino.
The key, as always, was time.
‘Wow… Even the entrance is on a whole other level this time.’
The plan was simple—storm the casino, take everything valuable from the vault, and escape.
If anything, it was clean and straightforward.
***
The youngest member, who was supposed to be waiting in advance, was nowhere to be seen for some reason.
However, since they had already confirmed the presence of the rare resources and stacks of gold bars used in the organization’s “trade,” it wasn’t a major issue.
With a few exchanged hand signals, they rushed in at once—thus beginning the so-called “hunt.”
The sharp yet sickening sound of flesh being pierced filled the air, blending with the terrified screams of casino patrons.
“Nobody move if you don’t want to die!”
“Now, now. Excuse us for just a moment~!”
In an instant, chaos spread throughout the casino.
The guards tried to resist, but the invaders had been too meticulous in their preparations, and the power gap was overwhelming.
In the end, the security team was completely neutralized.
Though their breathing continued, they were rendered utterly powerless, bound tightly with ropes that left them incapable of any movement.
One by one, they were dragged and thrown into a corner of the casino.
Not long after—
Crash!
A satisfying smirk formed on the woman’s lips as she finally unlocked the vault’s seal.
At the same time—Boom!—a deeper section of the facility exploded, revealing yet another hidden vault, discovered by one of her teammates.
“This is pretty lucrative. Guess they weren’t lying about the scale of this place.”
“Looks like we won’t have to worry about money for a while.”
A man with an eyepatch spoke, clearly relieved.
Today’s haul was incomparable to all their earnings from the past few weeks combined.
By the time they slipped out through the casino’s back exit, right on schedule—
***
Boom!
The ground beneath them trembled.
No, not just the ground—the entire surrounding area shook violently.
The members’ eyes widened, instinctively mirroring the intensity of the tremor.
“What the hell is this?”
“Did an earthquake just hit?!”
“I don’t know! Just run first and figure it out later—”
“L-Leader! My mana isn’t gathering! The scrolls aren’t working either!”
“What?”
Their faces instantly paled.
Before their eyes, the ground slowly began to split—not in the usual way, but as if something deep beneath the earth was trying to force its way out.
A deep, creaking noise followed, like thick metal being crushed and pushed upward.
Then, a massive cloud of dust erupted as something finally emerged—
Towering spires, wrapped in semi-transparent chains.
***
A suffocating dust storm filled the air.
The members, still struggling to grasp the situation, stood frozen in confusion.
[The barrier is complete, Young Master. Please, enjoy yourself.]
[Hmph. You think they’ll be entertaining?]
A strange voice echoed from beyond the dust cloud, drawing all eyes toward its source.
A sudden, inexplicable chill crawled down their spines.
Even their pupils stiffened as they sensed the sheer density of mana emanating from beyond the haze.
It was a presence so overwhelming that even their boss would barely be able to compare.
No—perhaps even that was an understatement.
Shiver.
“Something’s coming…!”
A shadow approached with light, unhurried steps, causing their breath to catch in their throats.
Then, emerging from the settling dust—
Blue hair, fluttering in the cool spring breeze.
And—
Boom.
A colossal axe, so massive that it seemed almost grotesquely oversized.
The weapon, clearly absurd in weight, struck the ground once more, sending tremors rippling through the earth.
“You guys… are you Mad Bear?”
A voice asked, inquiring about their organization’s name.
A pair of razor-sharp eyes.
Countless scars engraved across muscular arms and legs.
Every aspect of the figure radiated overwhelming, terrifying pressure.
Something was definitely wrong—so wrong that they didn’t even need confirmation to know it.
A regal yet heavy stride followed, unshaken and unwavering.
The members instinctively took a step back.
Noticing their reaction, the figure’s gaze subtly curved, forming a faint yet unmistakably menacing smirk.
“What, are you scared? If you’re already like this, it’s going to be no fun…”
Slowly, the axe that had been embedded in the ground rose back into its master’s grasp.
With murderous intent filling the air, the only thing the others could move were their eyes.
Then, amidst the focused stares locked on a single point, came the sound of heavy footsteps breaking into a run.
“D-Damn it…!!”
“You think we can take him alone?!!”
The shouts of the organization’s members, clutching their weapons in desperation, mixed into the chaos.
But the result of the clash was nothing short of a one-sided massacre.
In an instant, weapons that met the axe shattered with a clang, breaking into pieces.
Before the despair could even settle on their faces, the enormous axe swung again.
After that, the only sounds that followed were those of things being destroyed.
It was only after the very last resistance had been crushed that a frail voice broke the silence.
“Are you finished?”
“Well… more or less.”
That was all the conversation they exchanged.
The girl, who had watched the massacre unfold, said nothing more and instead began sorting out the lifeless bodies and the loot separately.
Of the dozen or so members, the only one left breathing was their team leader—a woman.
‘Damn it, damn it, damn it…!’
‘Where had it all gone wrong?’
She had no idea who this man was or why he had suddenly appeared before them.
The sheer unfairness of it all made her want to scream.
And yet, she didn’t dare utter a word—because she already knew that one wrong sentence could cost her life.
So, she remained silent, her face twisted in frustration, forced to witness the worst-case scenario unfolding before her.
‘How much time had passed since then?’
***
“It’s done, Young Master.”
The girl, having just finished handling the cleanup, finally spoke up.
At that, the man turned to her, asking if he could leave now.
“Considering I waited for days, they were a bit underwhelming. I need to stretch my body a bit.”
“Are you going to harass innocent monsters again?”
“Innocent monsters, guilty monsters—does it matter? Anyway, you go deal with that fat woman.”
The girl’s sigh that followed was as good as permission.
With that settled, the man hefted his axe and walked past the battered woman.
But then—
[The princess… has been located… zzzt… If you’re done… regroup at this location…]
“…Huh?”
The man, who had shown zero interest in the woman until now, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A small communication stone had been taken from her.
For a moment, he listened to the transmission meant for the woman and her subordinates.
A smirk spread across his face.
Almost immediately after, he adjusted his grip on the axe and turned to the girl behind him.
“Lilian is in this city. And she’s with some brats.”
“…You must not.”
“What do you think I’m going to do?”
“Whatever it is, you must not.”
“Ah, sorry, Sharné.”
That wasn’t a question.
It was a statement.
Amused by the feeling that something interesting was about to unfold, the man let out a chuckle before kicking off the ground and dashing away.
***
It took him less than a minute to find two familiar faces—one he recognized, and one he didn’t.
Then, almost simultaneously, he raised his axe.
“It’s been a while, Princess!!”
“…Atar?!”
Lilian instantly recognized him.
And just like that, he lunged at her, eager to fight.
All because she had never properly fought him in the past.
To Lilian, it was an absurd and idiotic reason—one she neither understood nor wanted to try understanding.
So, her first instinct was to hide Letter and her friend.
But—
“…Ifrit.”
Play with him.
As soon as Letter muttered those words, the copper-skinned girl kicked off the ground.
A sound like roaring flames erupted.
Her long hair had already caught fire.
Then, with a fierce shout, she charged at the man.
“Let’s play!!”
“A… a Spirit King?!”
That was all the man could say in response to the girl’s true identity, revealed in an instant.
He kept glancing at the girl beside Lilian, frowning at the sight of her.
Fwoosh!!
“Y-You gotta be kidding me!!”
But first, he had to deal with the flames engulfing the area.
The battle-crazed warrior, who had been thrilled at the chance to fight Lilian, was now in a state of panic.
“Wait, wait—her master is who?!”
“Isn’t it obvious just by looking?”
“Mm… she does look like him…”
“Did I say you could lower your hands? Keep them up.”
“…Judging by that glare, I guess it’s true.”