The Statues of the Northern Kings stood frozen in the eastern sector of Everiven, facing the dark open sea. The seven ten-meter-tall granite statues depicted past rulers holding large swords, their stone robes now covered with a fresh layer of snow.

  The place was deserted. The sea wind blew unhindered, roaring fiercely, carrying ice crystals that pierced the skin like fine needles.

  Kars stood under the shadow of the Third King, leaning against the cold stone plinth. He tried to light his hand-rolled cigarette for the third time, but the sea wind kept extinguishing the flame of his lighter with consistent mockery.

  He truly hated this; pretending to be a cigarette addict made his lungs suffer many times over.

  "Fuck," Kars muttered, his voice almost swallowed by the crashing waves below the cliff.

  He gave up on a conventional lighter. He snapped his fingers. A tiny purple micro-plasma spark ignited at the tip of his cigarette. The tobacco finally caught fire, sending up thin blue smoke that was immediately shredded by the wind.

  "Smoking in a cultural heritage area is a level two offense, Mr. Kars."

  The voice came from behind the feet of the Fourth King's statue. A woman's voice, trying to sound authoritative, yet a faint tremor of alcohol undermined her formality.

  Kars didn’t turn. He exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke, letting it merge with his freezing breath.

  "And escaping the royal guards in the middle of your own engagement party is a level one betrayal, Princess," Kars replied flatly.

  The figure stepped out of the shadows—Princess Elodie de Valois of the Kingdom of Vsnava.

  She no longer looked like the fragile porcelain doll that Prince Arlen had introduced on the palace balcony earlier. Her small crown had disappeared somewhere. Her pale blonde hair, which had been intricately styled earlier, now flowed freely, tousled by the strong wind. Her makeup had slightly smudged around her eyes.

  In her hand, she did not hold a feather fan. She held the neck of a bottle of red wine that was half empty.

  "Fuck with betrayal," Elodie said harshly. Her usually graceful and melodious Vsnava accent now sounded sharp. She took a swig directly from the bottle, red liquid dripping a little on her chin, which she wiped away with the back of her hand clad in a white lace glove.

  "If I have to smile at one more old Duke staring at my chest while talking about wheat taxes, I’ll stab his eyes out with a cake fork."

  Kars chuckled. "You haven’t changed, Elo. Still as wild as when you burned down that sugar factory two years ago."

  Elodie walked closer, her steps a bit careless but still carrying the firmness of a soldier. She stopped in front of the stone stair statue, then did something surprising. She bent down, grabbed the hem of her expensive, pastel silk dress, and tore it up to her knees, revealing practical leather boots hidden beneath.

  "Much better," Elodie sighed, tossing the silk worth hundreds of gold coins to the ground. She sat on the cold stone steps beside Kars. "You look pathetic too, Kars. Your eyes look like a raccoon’s."

  "Lack of sleep," Kars replied tersely, taking the bottle of wine that Elodie offered.

  "You have a new student, the Ashart girl," Elodie sneered sideways. "I saw her. She looks like a wild cat forced to wear a diamond collar. I like her. At least she’s not a whiny princess."

  Kars glanced at Elodie. “How do you know?”

  “I have eyes everywhere.”

  Kars took a sip of the wine. It tasted sour and cheap—clearly stolen wine from the servants’ kitchen, not the main party wine. "You’re trapped, Elo. Arlen doesn’t joke around. He didn’t gather you three to choose a wife. He gathered pawns."

  “I know,” Elodie stared at the dark sea. “My father already signed the preliminary contract. Vsnava needs access to Asnaven’s port. I was sold for a dock.”

  The girl produced something from behind her tight corset. A sleek silver metal hilt with an intricate hand guard. She pressed its base.

  A very thin, flexible rapier blade extended outward. The metal gleamed silver under the moonlight, humming softly with magical resonance.

  "I will not marry him, Kars," whispered Elodie, twirling the rapier with the grace of a seasoned duelist. "I would rather die on the battlefield than slowly die in the golden cage of the palace. You know that. That's why we're friends."

  Suddenly, the sound of waves crashing below the cliff disappeared. The roar of the wind ceased entirely. Even the rustle of Elodie's dress vanished.

  An absolute silence fell upon them. An unnatural silence. The air pressure changed drastically, making their ears ring painfully.

  "Vacuum," whispered Kars. His eyes narrowed sharply. His battle instinct flared up instantly.

  From behind the shadows of seven king statues, through the gaps of the granite pillars, figures began to emerge. They did not walk; they hovered ten centimeters above the ground, propelled by a muted wind current. Six of them. They wore dull white robes that blended with the night mist. Their faces were completely covered by masks that hissed softly. On the left side of their chests, there was a golden sun pin with two vertical lines beside it.

  Unit Hunters II of the Golden Angels Order.

  "Long time no see, Fallen Star," their leader's voice echoed through the speaker mechanism in his mask. His voice was metallic, distorted, inhuman. "And Princess of Vsnava. A touching reunion."

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  "You," hissed Kars. A purple aura began to seep from his skin. "I thought Stealix had turned you into maggot food."

  "We adapt," replied the Hunter Leader. He was large-bodied, wearing gauntlets channeled with high-pressure wind currents. "Target confirmed: Fallen Star. Priority: Elimination. Witness: Elodie de Valois. Status: Collateral Damage."

  "Step back, Elo," ordered Kars, stepping forward to shield Elodie. "They're dangerous. Far more dangerous than any bandit you've faced."

  "I can't step back, idiot," whispered Elodie, standing up. Her rapier was aimed straight ahead, the tip not trembling in the slightest. "They’ve blocked the exit with walls of wind. We’re trapped inside a vacuum dome."

  The Hunter Leader dropped his hands. ATTACK.

  The battle erupted within seconds.

  Two Support-type Hunters in the backline slammed their staffs into the ground. A murky green magic circle spread beneath Kars and Elodie.

  Rune of Lead: Gravity Bind.

  It wasn’t a technique from Star Magic; it was a technique from a rune that had been modified by a grandmaster. A technique capable of mimicking the gravitational style of star magic, though not perfectly. Even so, the effect was enough to leave anyone struck completely helpless.

  "Ugh!" Kars groaned. His body suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. His knees buckled. His usual speed was locked. He was pinned to the ground.

  At the same time, two other Hunters on the left and right raised their hands. They drew the air out from a ten-meter radius around Kars.

  Wind Style: Oxygen Deprivation Field.

  Kars' lungs suddenly felt empty. Like a fish pulled out of water. He tried to call Plasma Style: Sun Burst. He visualized a mini sun explosion in his palm to sweep away his enemies. However, without oxygen, Kars couldn't concentrate. The plasma ball in his hand only flickered weakly like a wet match, then went out into smoke.

  "Damn it," Kars growled, his breath starting to race. "You guys are really serious."

  "Take him out before he adapts!" the Leader ordered.

  Two subordinate Hunters shot toward Elodie. The Hunter Leader charged straight at Kars.

  Kars had no choice. He couldn't use area attacks because Elodie was too close. He couldn't use light or plasma because of their large effects. He had to change his fighting style. From an area mage to a lone assassin.

  "Stellarbane Style: Activate."

  The explosive purple aura around Kars' body shrank. His energy was pulled inward, condensed until it clung tightly to his skin like a second layer of light armor. His eyes glowed white.

  The Hunter Leader arrived in front of him. He threw a right punch. Not an ordinary punch. The wind around his fist spun at cyclonic speed, creating an air drill that could pierce steel.

  Kars did not dodge. He caught the fist with his left hand, then exploded. The impact created a shockwave that cracked the stone floor beneath them. Snow within a five-meter radius instantly vaporized.

  Kars held the wind drill with his empty hand coated in solid Stardust. "You think your wind can pierce the Star?" Kars growled.

  He countered. A right uppercut. Fast. Solid. Heavy.

  Kars' punch struck the Hunter Leader's helmeted chin. The Leader was thrown into the air, but he twisted his body, landed on a statue wall, and slid back like a bullet.

  Meanwhile, Elodie fought for her life. Two Hunters attacked her with invisible wind swords. But Elodie was not a spoiled princess.

  "Valois Arts: Fortify!" Elodie shouted. A golden light enveloped her body. Her muscles were strengthened. Her reflexes are enhanced. She moved like a deadly ballerina.

  Her rapier deflected the wind sword. Elodie ducked as a gust of slash aimed at her neck, then performed a quick thrust. The tip of her rapier pierced one of the Hunter's thighs.

  Elodie leapt back, then threw the wine bottle in her left hand at the second Hunter's face. Glass shards and red wine momentarily blinded the enemy. Elodie took advantage of this to slash the enemy's neck. The Hunter panicked, clawing at his own neck.

  Back to Kars. Their fight was brutal. There are no ranged spells. It is a purely physical combat powered by magic (Magic-Augmented Hand-to-Hand Combat).

  The Hunter Leader was extremely powerful. He used the wind to speed up his blows and slow down his body. Kars, on the other hand, was dying. The effect of the Rune of Lead made him feel like he was moving in the mud. And Oxygen Deprivation began to eat away at his consciousness.

  The Leader's elbow hit Kars' ribs. There was a cracking sound. Kars staggered backwards, fresh blood spurting from his mouth.

  "Surrender!" shouted the Leader. He formed a giant wind hammer in his hand. "Your heart will explode if you keep moving without oxygen!"

  Kars wiped the blood from his lips. She smiled wildly, her white eyes twinkling madly. "My heart has been dead for a long time, bastard."

  Kars lunged forward. He ignored the defense. As the wind hammer came down, Kars rammed it with his shoulder. His Stellarbane light armor cracked, his shoulder bled, but he managed to get inside his opponent's guard.

  Kars grabbed the Leader's face with both hands. "Gravity Style: Gravity Impact."

  He didn't blast gravity outward. He transformed the gravity at the point of contact into a Black Vortex. The Leader's head was pulled down with impossible gravitational force, while Kars' knee rose to meet it.

  Face met knee. The shockwave shattered the feet of the Fourth King's statue behind them. Massive chunks of granite fell with a thud, nearly crushing them both.

  The Leader staggered, his mask severely dented. But he wasn't down yet. He kicked Kars in the chest with a wind kick. Kars was thrown ten meters, crashing into a stone plinth until it cracked.

  "Cough..." Kars spat out blood. His vision began to narrow. The oxygen in his blood was critical. His fingers were starting to go numb.

  "Kars!" Elodie shouted. That girl was cornered. Other hunters had arrived and were now attacking Elodie with blind rage. Elodie was pressed against the edge of the cliff.

  Kars saw this. He saw Elodie defending desperately, her rapier starting to bend. Then he saw the Hunter Leader, recovering, preparing his final attack: a spinning Wind Spear aimed at Kars' heart.

  Kars forced himself to stand. His legs trembled violently. He drew all the remaining Intian from every cell in his body. He ignored the pain in his lungs, screaming for air.

  For the past three weeks, he had let his Intian loose, to the point that he could not use it to its full potential. However, there was still one way to get rid of them. Erase their traces so that no members of the Golden Angels Order would come to the Everiven.

  He raised his right hand. Not a fist. But an open palm.

  "Do you want to see the Star?" Kars whispered, his voice hoarse and soft.

  He focused all the remaining energy into a microscopic point in the center of his palm. He wasn't creating a fireball. He compressed particles of light and gravity to a critical point. The point where atoms begin to collapse. A singularity.

  The Hunter Leader sensed danger. His instincts screamed. "STOP HIM! KILL HIM NOW!"

  The leader threw his Wind Spear. The other Hunters left Elodie and lunged toward Kars, their weapons drawn.

  Elodie saw what Kars was about to do. Her eyes widened in horror. "Kars, DON'T! THAT WILL ERASE US!" she screamed, trying to run, but her foot got caught in her torn dress.

  Kars didn't care. The wind spear was already a meter in front of his face. The hunters were in the air, ready to strike.

  Kars smiled. A sad, yet liberating smile. He had to erase the existence of these Hunters before their information reached other units.

  No. No information about Kars. But about the newborn star. Kars had to keep that safe.

  Kars closed his palms. Triggering a chain reaction.

  "High-Level Star Style: Pure Singularity."

  In that moment, time seemed to stop. There was no sound. The small purple light in Kars' hands shrank into a dense black dot... then exploded in reverse.

  Not a fire explosion. But an explosion of pure white light and gravitational waves that tore through reality. A dome of white energy engulfed Kars, engulfed the Leader, engulfed the Hunters, and expanded at a terrifying speed towards Elodie and the statues of the kings.

  The night sky of Everiven turned into daytime for a second. The light was so bright that shadows across the city vanished. The sound of the blast came afterward—a sonic boom that shattered windows within a three-kilometer radius.

  Snow, stones, wind, and blood—all disappeared, swallowed by the blinding white light. The world became white. Only white.

  And then, silence.

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