Journey tensed up and asked cautiously,  
“Why is the Empire here?”

“That’s a foolish question.”

A knight stepped forward, pushing aside the man with the crooked grin.

“There is no place where the Black Sun of the great Arka Empire cannot reach, not even the infamous Demon Continent.”

His armor was notably different from the other knights, and his commanding tone indicated his high rank.  
The fact that he alone had stepped forward among so many knights was already proof of his extraordinary status.  
The knight commander, who led the squad, squinted his eyes.

“I’ve heard that a criminal is hiding here. Who are you?”

“…A criminal?”

“You are the ones sheltering the criminal. Blind to the glory of the Empire, you are nothing more than misguided fools.”

“Is that so?”

The knight commander shrugged exaggeratedly at the man’s words.

“That’s unfortunate. However, the Empire is merciful. If you repent and reflect on your mistakes now, we will overlook minor offenses. I’d prefer not to strike down those who once fought alongside us.”

“…What’s he talking about? ‘Fought alongside’? I’ve never sided with the Empire.”

“I think he’s referring to the war with Grasis. The Liberi mercenaries hired by the Empire were also part of that war.”

“Ah, I see…”

Pine and Journey whispered to each other, sneaking glances at the knights, trying not to appear too obvious.  
Even though they pretended otherwise, it was clear the overwhelming presence of the knights had them on edge.

There were far more players than knights, but not all of them were on Journey’s side.  
Even if Yuki’s proposal for a truce with the Outlaws succeeded, it didn’t mean they would suddenly become allies.  
And even if they were on the same side, opposing the Empire was an entirely different matter.

In fact, quite a few players had already begun to quietly slip away from the battlefield, intimidated by the knights.

“What should we do?” Journey asked.

“The obvious thing,” Yuki grinned.

“We fight, of course.”

“…Yuki, aren’t you with the Outlaws?”

“Why would that matter when something more exciting has come up? I was curious about how strong knights are anyway. Perfect timing.”

“You crazy woman!”

Pine hastily restrained Yuki, who was about to charge forward, sword drawn.

“If you do that, we’ll all die!”

“This is the perfect chance for you to experience the thrill of battle.”

“No way, you lunatic!”

Pine thought to himself, **This girl was clearly born in the wrong era… or the wrong world.**  
As he struggled to hold her back, that was all he could think.

“Logically speaking, retreating would be the smart thing to do…”

“Retreat?”

“…”

They had no chance.  
On one side were elite knights who had undergone professional training. On the other, a disorganized group without a proper leader.  
The Empire’s knights weren’t likely to be weak, and no one doubted their strength.

Journey bit her lip.  
She had always prided herself on being a trailblazer, but was there really a need to fight the Empire, risking not only the players but also drawing enmity from them?

Memories of the past few days flashed through her mind.  
The days when she had struggled up the mountain, bringing food to Kana after being saved by her.  
She had promised to repay Kana’s kindness, but Kana’s indifferent attitude had only made Journey feel more frustrated.

But when Kana had taught her how to wield a sword and shared her name, the impact on Journey had been profound.  
She had realized something.

“I’ll fight.”

She had thought she was the one taming a fox, but in truth, it was she who had been tamed.  
Some might say it was silly to form such a bond over something so small, but to her, it wasn’t small at all.

After all, since her time in the hospital long ago, she had craved such connections.  
And besides, there was another reason.

“This is all because of me. That means it’s my responsibility. That’s what it means to be an adult.”

“Oh, very cool,” Yuki chimed in.

“Journey…” Pine looked at her with a complicated expression.

“I won’t ask you to help, Pine. You’ve already done more than enough.”

“I’ll gladly fight with you,” Yuki said.

“Thanks, Yuki.”

Though she was a bit strange, Yuki was the highest-level player and the most experienced fighter on their side. There was no better ally.

“Damn it…”

Pine scratched his head in frustration.

“Alright, I’ll fight too.”

“Are you sure? This could put you at odds with the Empire.”

“It’s better than losing my viewers. I might as well record the whole thing and milk the views.”

As a streamer, Pine’s livelihood depended on public sentiment.  
While he couldn’t let himself be completely controlled by his viewers, he couldn’t ignore them either.  
Right now, his chat was being flooded with comments like “coward” and “run,” which only fueled his frustration.

It wasn’t surprising when Pine, riled up by the comments, finally shouted,  
“Who’s a coward? The only coward I know is instant ramen!”

“Ugh… so cringe…”

“Shut up!”

“Looks like you’ve chosen not to repent,” the knight commander observed.  
Despite the trio of streamers openly defying him, he didn’t appear angry.  
It was as if he found their defiance amusing, knowing it would amount to nothing.

“Fools who refuse to see the glory of the Black Sun. Even when given a chance to repent, they kick it away.”

“I don’t know how glorious your Black Sun is, but I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Ignorance of the Black Sun’s glory is, in itself, a sin.”

Such arrogance.  
But it also demonstrated the Empire’s power.  
There was nowhere in the Ardina continent that could escape the Empire’s reach.

“And those who defend criminals are no different from criminals themselves. As a knight, it is my duty to uphold justice.”

“You keep calling someone a criminal. Who are you talking about?”

“Are you feigning ignorance?”

The knight commander frowned.

“The last sword of Grasis, the Red Reaper. The monster who slaughtered countless imperial citizens.”

“…Are you talking about Kana?”

“Yes, that was the name.”

The commander’s mention of Kana stirred memories of the player who could easily massacre anyone who approached.  
Though Journey had suspected Kana was no ordinary person, it was clear the Empire had a much deeper understanding of her significance.

“Old-timers tremble at the very mention of her name. They say if you speak it aloud, the Reaper will come.”

*Boom.*  
A heavy footstep echoed, sending a wave of dust into the air.  
A powerful shock reverberated through the atmosphere.

“Yet it’s just a name earned during the war. What can she do alone? Isn’t it laughable how they cower in fear?”

The knight commander extended his arm.  
His black cloak fluttered dramatically behind his silver armor.

“Today, we will hunt this monster. We will sever her head and show it to the world. The creature you all feared is nothing but this. We will cleanse the old, decayed order and claim our rightful place. For a better Empire! For the glory of the Black Sun!”

“For the glory of the Black Sun!” the knights echoed in unison.

*Thud!*  
A hundred knights slammed their swords down with perfect precision.  
Even Yuki, who had been brimming with excitement, stepped back in cautious anticipation at the sheer force of their display.

“I’ll give you one last chance. Step aside now, and this will be forgotten.”

*Clang!*

“Is that so?”

In response, swords, bows, and staves were drawn.  
Those who had wanted to flee had already done so, and the remaining players were determined to fight.

Their numbers had dwindled significantly.  
Some of the Outlaws had even shifted sides, discreetly aligning themselves with the knights, likely hoping to gain some favor or scraps from the battle.

“And they say apostles never die? Well then, watch closely and burn this sight into your soul.”

*Shing!*

“Witness the glory of the Empire!”

The knights all drew their swords simultaneously.  
The tension was palpable.

While the knights maintained calm expressions, the so-called “Kana Corps” looked visibly tense, their faces rigid with fear.  
They couldn’t make the first move; instead, they kept a close eye on the knights, waiting for any sign of action.

But not everyone was frozen in place.

“Hah… I can’t take it anymore…!”

“Hey, you crazy woman!”

Yuki, who had been fidgeting impatiently as if she were about to explode, finally snapped.  
She grabbed her massive sword and charged first.  
Her move was the signal for the knights to form their battle lines and begin their own charge.

“Journey, get back!”

“Y-Yes!”

Knowing full well that Journey was not a capable fighter, Pine quickly sent her to the back.  
The players had gathered to support Journey, and even though she could respawn, her death could still demoralize the group.

“If we survive this, I’ll confess to her.”

“Don’t raise a death flag! Focus!”

Mana coated the players’ weapons, and the knights followed suit, enveloping their swords and shields in mana.  
While the players’ mana fluctuated and wavered, the knights’ mana remained perfectly steady and controlled.  
The difference in power was clear.

“Argh!”

One of the swordsmen charged forward but was cut down by a

 single swipe from a knight’s shield, unable to even recover his sword before he died.

“Haa!”

*Whoosh!*

Yuki’s greatsword flew toward the knight who had just slain the swordsman.  
The knight hesitated for a moment, debating whether to block with his sword, but ultimately raised his shield instead.

“Grr…!”

The weight of Yuki’s strike forced a groan from the knight.  
She wasn’t like the others.  
He could feel it in that single exchange.

“Oh… this sensation of my blood boiling… I love it!”

Yuki grinned, and with a powerful step, she lunged again.  
She twisted her body, spinning to deliver another devastating blow with her greatsword.  
The combination of mana-enhanced strength and centrifugal force made her attack even faster and deadlier.

Once again, the knight couldn’t meet her sword with his own.  
He took a step back, but Yuki closed the distance again, forcing him to retreat further.

The knight commander clicked his tongue in frustration as he watched his subordinate being overwhelmed by a mere apostle.

“Tch. How pathetic.”

He made a mental note to make the knight run a hundred laps around the training ground when they returned.

The commander raised his sword.

*Shiver!*

In that instant, Yuki felt a chilling sensation down her spine.  
It was as if someone had poured ice water over her.  
She hurriedly withdrew her sword and leaped backward.

*Swish!*

“...!”

A blade of energy sliced through the air where Yuki had just been standing.

“Ahhh!”

“What the hell was that?!”

“It’s a sword energy attack! Dodge!”

Everything in the path of the sword energy was cut in half.  
A player grabbed their severed arm and screamed, while another vanished into a burst of light without even having the chance to cry out.

The sight of their fallen comrades caused Journey’s eyes to tremble.

“They’re strong…”

Yuki gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the pain in her back from her sudden retreat.  
She had thought that constant fighting had made her stronger, but instinctively, she knew the commander was out of her league.

If this were a raid boss bound by the system’s rules, she might have had a chance. But this wasn’t a raid. This was war.  
And in war, the weak don’t survive.

Even after unleashing that devastating attack, the commander showed no signs of fatigue. He raised his sword again, mana gathering around him.  
When that mana fully charged, another strike would follow.

Yuki’s eyes widened as she realized something.  
The commander wasn’t looking at her.

“Get out of the way!”

The commander’s gaze was fixed on Journey.

Yuki’s warning came too late.  
The commander’s arm had already descended, sending a wave of sword energy toward Journey.

*Swish!*

“...!”

The enormous wave of energy tore through the air.  
Journey’s wide eyes reflected the oncoming attack.

**‘There’s no way I can dodge this—’**

Time seemed to slow down as Journey faced her impending death.  
She could clearly see the sword energy flying toward her.  
But even though time stretched out, Journey herself remained bound within it.

Feeling death draw near, Journey closed her eyes.  
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds…

“...?”

She had squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain, but none came.

**‘Did I die so fast I couldn’t even feel it…?’**

Maybe that would’ve been better.  
But what if she opened her eyes, only to be sliced in half?

Trembling, Journey cautiously opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was pink.  
Soft, cherry blossom pink hair gently swayed in the breeze, and a sweet scent enveloped Journey.

Next, she noticed a small figure, at least two heads shorter than herself, dressed in a worn black cape.  
The girl stood confidently in front of Journey, holding a sword that looked like it could break at any moment.

It was a face Journey had longed to see, yet had never actually laid eyes on before.  
But she instinctively knew who the girl was.

“Kana…!”