Chapter 13: Not a Game Anymore (2)

Chai had already agreed.

Raiden and Alicia responded almost simultaneously.

“You have my full trust. Proceed. Use me as you see fit.”

Raiden’s voice was steady, even as he shielded Moon with his massive frame, fighting beside her at the front.

“I agree! Please—save my life! Get me out of this hell!”

Even through telepathy, Alicia’s fear bled through.

But at least this time ..

She didn’t stammer.

Ethan was mildly surprised at how easily they had accepted.

It made him wonder what kind of bond the previous owner of this body had shared with them.

But—

Despite their agreement—

The most crucial piece of all refused.

“No.”

Moon’s voice cut through the link—cold and sharp.

It struck Ethan like a blade, drawing an involuntary frown across his face.

“You fought him before… and you lost. We all believed you were dead. And now you stand there with only one arm—what exactly do you hope to accomplish?”

Moon’s flaming blade clashed against the Ember Hunter’s massive greatsword, the impact unleashing violent shockwaves that stirred spirals of wind across the battlefield.

“Run. You have no place in this fight.”

Her tone was final—unyielding.

From that alone, Ethan learned something crucial.

So… the previous owner of this body had died fighting the Ember Hunter.

And this monster ..

Was the one who severed his arm.

“That only makes me want to kill the bastard more.”

Ethan gritted his teeth, then projected his voice into all of their minds once more.

“Run? To where? Is there anywhere to run?”

His tone shifted—harder, sharper.

“At this rate, you will all die. And once you fall, the Ember Hunter will come for me next. It won’t matter how far I run—he’ll sense me instantly.”

“Whether you like it or not… in this moment, our fates are bound together.”

His brows tightened. His expression hardened.

And then he roared into their minds—

“So stop being stubborn and follow my orders!!”

His voice struck like thunder.

For a brief second ..

No one could respond.

Yet even then—

Moon showed no sign of yielding.

That was when Raiden, still fighting beside her, intervened.

“Moon… you know better than anyone that Ethan is the best among us.”

The human bulwark spoke with unwavering seriousness.

“If he says he can save us, I believe him.”

Raiden pressed firmly in Ethan’s support.

But the bearer of the flaming sword resisted to the very end.

Deep down, even Raiden was confused. Moon was usually the wisest among them.

Why was she resisting this so fiercely?

“Moon! Please! Don’t let all our lives be wasted!”

Raiden’s plea finally cracked her icy composure.

“…Fine. I agree.”

Ethan exhaled slowly.

“But understand this well—if I see that you’re about to fail, I will withdraw and act as I see fit.”

Despite the warning ..

Ethan smiled.

“That’s fine. That’s enough for me.”

Then he turned his focus to Raiden.

“I appreciate your help.”

“No problem… So? What’s the plan?”

This—

Was where everything began.

“First, we restructure our formation.”

Ethan gestured for both of them to move.

“Moon, from now on, you shift to support. You’re no longer the primary combatant. Raiden, you stay close to her and reinforce her however you can.”

“Chai, cease fire for now. Wait for my signal.”

His orders left them bewildered.

If everyone shifted to support ..

Who would face the Ember Hunter head-on?

Moon had been holding him back so far. That alone had bought them time.

If she withdrew—

The end would come swiftly.

But Ethan saw something they did not.

“The one who will take the role of primary combatant…”

He turned.

“…is you, Alicia.”

“What?!!”

Alicia was the first to scream—before anyone else could react.

“Impossible, impossible, impossible!!! I’m not going near that thing!!”

“You don’t have a choice if you want to live. How long do you plan to keep hiding? If we all die, you’ll be next.”

“And if he doesn’t kill you—then I will. So get up and fight for your life!”

Ethan’s furious shout echoed through her mind.

Alicia jumped in place, terror written all over her face.

She truly was naïve .. so fragile that even a raised voice shook her.

“B-But—!”

“No ’but.’ Move now, damn coward, or I’ll drag you there myself!!”

Tears welled in her eyes.

She squeezed them shut.

After a moment of frantic hesitation ..

She gripped her katana and began running toward the battlefield.

“I-I’m coming! Just stop shouting in my head!”

She ran like a flustered fool.

A timid, harmless girl who had no place on a battlefield.

Even the other members of the Heart clan questioned Ethan’s intent.

But Ethan remained certain.

“Despite her cowardice… she’s not an ordinary girl.”

He smiled faintly.

“I’ve never seen anyone run that fast.”

Clumsy posture.

Terrified expression.

And yet—

The speed at which Alicia crossed the battlefield was anything but ordinary.

Within mere seconds, she stood before the Ember Hunter.

Raiden and Moon immediately leapt aside, clearing space for her.

The Ember Hunter shifted his focus toward her at once.

His colossal blade descended from above in a merciless arc.

Alicia looked impossibly small before him.

One clean strike—

Would split her vertically in half.

But it didn’t.

At the very last moment ..

Alicia raised her katana to meet the blow.

The Ember Hunter’s greatsword far outweighed the slender katana.

Meeting that strike head-on should have shattered her blade instantly.

But Alicia did not attempt to block.

Instead, she let the Ember Hunter’s greatsword slide along the slender edge of her katana—using the boss’s own overwhelming strength against him.

Sparks burst violently from the grinding steel.

With breathtaking finesse, Alicia guided the massive blade past her body. It struck the ground beside her, leaving the Ember Hunter momentarily exposed.

She stepped in.

And struck.

Slash—!!!

Before the stunned eyes of everyone ..

Except Ethan.

Alicia carved into the Ember Hunter’s right flank, drawing real, tangible damage from the towering beast.

“I-I’m sorry!” she cried, terror still written across her face—fear utterly at odds with the flawless madness of her movements.

The Ember Hunter recovered swiftly and retaliated.

But Alicia flowed around his strikes with uncanny grace, her body bending and slipping through the air with unnatural agility.

She struck again.

And again.

“Her performance is far better than I expected,” Ethan murmured, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his expression. “She isn’t called the greatest sword talent of her generation for nothing.”

Alicia Heart.

Who would believe that such a cowardly girl possessed the greatest natural talent with the blade among her peers?

Her Dexterity and Arcane stats were exceptionally high, allowing her to move with astonishing speed and fluidity.

“She’s landed that many hits in such a short span—despite his defense…” Moon muttered under her breath, genuine surprise evident on her face.

Moon was the strongest among them.

And yet—

Alicia was outperforming her.

Not because she was stronger.

But because she was the worst possible matchup for a slow, power-based monster like the Ember Hunter.

Realizing this, both Moon and Raiden began supporting Alicia whenever opportunity arose.

Moon reinforced her attacks with additional magical fire.

Raiden fortified their defense, intercepting the strikes too heavy for the girls to endure.

“Any moment now…” Ethan whispered, watching intently.

And he did not have to wait long.

Slash—!!!

Alicia landed another strike.

But this one—

Was different.

The instant her blade cut into him, blood erupted violently from every wound across the Ember Hunter’s body.

He began hemorrhaging heavily.

His health bar plummeted—from half to nearly a quarter in a heartbeat.

“Bleed effect,” Ethan said with restrained excitement. “Once Alicia stacks enough hits, the next strike detonates with massive accumulated damage. And he’s weak to bleed.”

The result?

Devastating damage.

But Ethan’s satisfaction faded just as quickly.

His expression sharpened.

“The hard part begins now.”

The Ember Hunter’s behavior shifted.

The brute force he had relied upon thus far suddenly ignited into a dark crimson aura—ominous and oppressive.

Everyone felt it.

That cursed surge of power.

“It’s starting… Phase Two.”

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