The descent from the second level was quieter than Yukio expected.

  Stone steps spiraled downward through the fortress, torches casting long shadows along the walls. The sound of marching boots echoed faintly ahead, while behind them… eyes lingered.

  Yukio felt it.

  He didn’t need Appraise. Didn’t need Vaelora to whisper.

  Greed had a weight to it.

  Whispers slipped between mercenaries like smoke.

  “…That armor.”

  “…Mythril, right?”

  “…Never seen runes like that.”

  He kept his posture relaxed, hands loose at his sides, but his awareness sharpened. The Emerald Aegis caught torchlight in soft arcs of white-green glow, the star-threaded patterns subtly pulsing.

  Kaede noticed too.

  She always did.

  They reached the lower courtyard where the rest of the contracted force waited. Twenty adventurers and mercenaries in total, a mixed group of steel, leather, magic, and mismatched confidence. Some looked capable. Others looked desperate. A few were already measuring Yukio like he was cargo.

  Kaede stepped forward.

  Her boots hit stone with finality.

  “If all of you do exactly as I say,”

  She said calmly, voice carrying without effort,

  “Then every single one of us makes it out alive.”

  A ripple went through the group.

  Murmurs followed.

  “Is she serious?”

  “Who put her in charge?”

  “She’s just one adventurer.”

  Kaede exhaled.

  And let go.

  Her aura surged outward like a heatwave.

  The air thickened. Breath caught in throats. Knees locked. Several mercenaries stiffened as if pinned in place, instinct screaming danger.

  Eyes widened.

  Kaede’s red gaze swept across them, unblinking.

  “If anyone has something to say,”

  She continued evenly,

  “Say it now.”

  Silence.

  Utter, crushing silence.

  She nodded once.

  “Good. We move out in five minutes.”

  No one argued.

  Michibiki watched the group carefully as they prepared, her expression calm but alert. She didn’t miss the way certain eyes kept drifting back to Yukio. Didn’t miss the subtle hand signals exchanged near the rear.

  Outside the fortress gates, the world changed.

  The land southwest was darker, the soil duller, as if sunlight struggled to fully touch it. Wind whispered through sparse grass and carried the faint scent of decay.

  They advanced in formation.

  Kaede took point, Yukio just behind her, Michibiki drifting slightly above and to the side, observing everything.

  At the back of the formation, a man with scarred knuckles and a wolfish grin leaned toward his subordinates.

  “That armor,”

  He muttered, eyes locked on Yukio’s back.

  “That’s a king’s ransom.”

  One of the others nodded eagerly.

  “Mythril. And enchanted. Bet it’d fetch enough to buy a title.”

  A third mercenary hesitated.

  “Boss… you know who that woman is, right?”

  The leader glanced ahead at Kaede’s silhouette.

  “…The Blazing Anvil,”

  The mercenary whispered.

  “A-Rank. Famous. People don’t walk away after crossing her.”

  The leader’s grin thinned, but didn’t vanish.

  “I know,”

  He said quietly.

  “Which is why we don’t cross her.”

  He leaned closer, voice dropping.

  “We isolate the boy.”

  The others exchanged looks.

  “I want that armor.”

  They moved on.

  The forest edge loomed ahead, trees twisted and sparse. The clearing before it was unnaturally open, the ground packed flat as if trampled repeatedly.

  Kaede raised a fist.

  The group halted instantly.

  Michibiki’s eyes glowed blue as she activated Appraise, her gaze sweeping the clearing.

  “They’re here,”

  She said calmly.

  “And they’re not hiding.”

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Fifty figures stood scattered across the clearing.

  Humanoid. Slouched. Pale shapes swaying slightly, movements jerky and unnatural.

  A translucent window flared briefly in Yukio’s vision.

  Monster Type: Ghoul

  Level: 60

  Threat Level: Dangerous

  “Lightweight,”

  Michibiki added.

  “Fast. Persistent. Please try not to over do it.”

  She reached into her pocket inventory and handed Kaede her hammer.

  Kaede caught it with one hand, resting it over her shoulder.

  “What a pain,”

  She muttered.

  “Thought this would be something more exciting.”

  She glanced back at Yukio, smirking.

  “Maybe Yuki-boy can handle this.”

  Yukio rolled his shoulders, stepping forward.

  His armor responded instantly, the runes along his chest and greaves pulsing brighter as mana flowed. The Aegis felt like a second skin, light, responsive, eager.

  He smiled.

  “Let’s go then.”

  The ghouls reacted as one.

  They surged forward.

  Not screaming. Not roaring.

  Just rushing.

  Yukio inhaled and moved.

  Swift Star Ascent ignited.

  A trail of starlight flared behind him as he accelerated, crossing the distance in a blur. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he pivoted, spinning through the front ranks.

  He didn’t cut.

  He struck.

  A controlled burst of mana released from the armor, knocking ghouls back in a wide arc. Bodies skidded across the ground, momentum broken, limbs flailing as they struggled to recover.

  Kaede laughed, leaping into the fray.

  Her hammer came down like a falling star.

  Each impact sent ripples through the clearing, concussive waves staggering enemies without shattering the terrain. She moved with brutal precision, her strikes placing, redirecting, controlling space.

  Michibiki remained above, hands raised.

  Threads of blue light snapped outward, binding clusters of ghouls in mid-motion, locking them in place just long enough for Kaede or Yukio to disrupt their advance.

  Behind them, the mercenaries hesitated.

  This wasn’t the chaos they’d expected.

  This was a controlled slaughter.

  “Move!”

  Kaede barked without turning.

  “Contain the sides!”

  Reluctantly, the group surged forward, steel flashing, magic flaring.

  Yukio felt the eyes on him even as he fought.

  Calculating.

  Waiting.

  He deflected another rush with Aegis Reversal, the shimmering barrier flashing into existence and rebounding force outward. The reflected energy sent ghouls sprawling without a single drop of blood.

  Efficient.

  Clean.

  And very, very valuable.

  As the clearing filled with the sounds of battle, shouts, impacts, crackling magic and Yukio felt it.

  A tug.

  Not on his armor.

  On fate.

  The Threads stirred.

  And somewhere behind him, plans were already shifting.

  The real danger wasn’t the ghouls.

  It was who would strike when the monsters fell.

  Yukio exhaled slowly as the last ghoul collapsed into ash.

  He straightened, brushing dust from his gloves, eyes bright with excitement rather than exhaustion.

  At this point…

  I don’t even need my daggers or sword.

  A small grin tugged at his lips.

  This is actually kind of fun.

  Vaelora’s voice chimed in his mind, smooth and amused.

  Use the threads. Ten percent output will do.Yukio blinked mid-step.

  “…You can measure how much power I’m using?”

  Silence.

  Then,

  Golden light rippled around him.

  Threads of Fate unfurled into the air, thin and radiant, weaving themselves into a slow, deliberate spiral.

  Vaelora’s voice returned, closer now.

  We’ll talk about that later. I’m not done with you yet.

  Yukio sighed, rolling his shoulders.

  “…Of course not.”

  He raised a hand toward the remaining cluster of ghouls scrambling to regroup.

  “Threads of Fate: Tangled Web.”

  The golden strands shot outward like living silk, wrapping around the ghouls in a complex lattice. Their movements jerked as the threads tightened, linking their fates together.

  Yukio followed up instantly.

  “Wind Sphere.”

  A compressed orb of wind slammed into one ghoul, launching it backward.

  The rest froze for half a heartbeat.

  Then all of them collapsed at once.

  Shared damage.

  Shared consequence.

  Yukio stared for a second… then laughed.

  “Okay, that’s awesome.”

  He winced slightly, rubbing his temple.

  “…Too bad I’m absolutely going to feel this tomorrow.”

  Around them, the battlefield went quiet.

  Ash drifted across the clearing. The mercenaries and adventurers stood catching their breath, weapons lowered, eyes wide.

  Some stared at Kaede in awe.

  Most stared at Yukio.

  The mercenary leader approached slowly, clapping once.

  “Impressive,”

  He said, voice smooth.

  “You’re pretty powerful.”

  His eyes flicked meaningfully to Yukio’s chestplate.

  “I bet it’s that armor.”

  Yukio laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek.

  “Ah... yeah. It helps.”

  He took a step back.

  “Good fight out there. I should probably rejoin my group,”

  A hand clamped onto his arm.

  “Wait,”

  The boss said lightly.

  “We’re just talking. No need to rush.”

  Yukio froze.

  Around him, boots shifted.

  Metal whispered from scabbards.

  Fifteen mercenaries closed in, forming a loose ring. Smiles crept across their faces, hungry and calculating.

  Yukio’s eyes flicked sideways.

  …Of course.

  Across the clearing, Michibiki noticed instantly.

  Her eyes flashed blue.

  Kaede turned at the same moment.

  Her smile vanished.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Kaede barked, aura flaring.

  The mercenary boss drew his sword in a smooth motion, pressing the flat of the blade lightly against Yukio’s throat.

  “Stay right there,”

  He said calmly.

  “Unless you want your friend to bleed.”

  Kaede’s aura surged violently.

  The ground trembled.

  “Touch him,”

  She growled,

  “And I’ll crush your skull into paste.”

  The boss smirked.

  “Relax. We’re reasonable people.”

  He nodded toward Yukio.

  “We take the armor. He walks away alive. You drop your weapons.”

  The surrounding mercenaries tightened their grip.

  Fifteen of them.

  Yukio stared at the blade near his neck.

  Then he smiled.

  And laughed.

  A quiet, genuine laugh.

  “…You really trying to clean my table?”

  The boss frowned.

  Yukio lifted his hands slowly.

  “Hands up. No sudden moves,”

  One mercenary sneered.

  Yukio raised his palms higher.

  “Don’t worry,”

  He said cheerfully.

  “I’m being very cooperative.”

  The golden threads shimmered faintly around his fingers.

  “Threads of Fate: Tangled Web.”

  The mercenaries didn’t even have time to react.

  Golden strands exploded outward, snapping around wrists, ankles, torsos. Fifteen men were yanked off balance simultaneously, slamming together in a tangled heap.

  Swords clattered to the ground.

  Shouts turned to confused curses.

  “What the hell?!”

  “I can’t move!”

  “Get this off me!”

  Yukio stepped forward calmly, the blade sliding harmlessly away as the boss was dragged into the mass.

  Yukio bent down and picked up his dagger.

  He twirled it once.

  Then smiled down at the struggling mercenaries.

  “Well,”

  He said lightly,

  “look who’s taking your rack now.”

  Kaede blinked.

  Then burst out laughing.

  “Oh I like this version of you!”

  Michibiki sighed, rubbing her forehead.

  “Yukio… you didn’t have to escalate it like that.”

  Yukio glanced back, shrugging.

  “They were going to steal my armor.”

  “…Fair.”

  Kaede strode over, hammer resting on her shoulder, eyes blazing.

  “You idiots,”

  She snarled, looking down at the mercenaries.

  “Did you seriously think you could rob someone under my command?”

  The boss struggled, glaring up at Yukio.

  “You’re nothing without that armor.”

  Yukio tilted his head.

  “…You sure?”

  The threads tightened just a little.

  The boss grunted as the pressure increased not enough to injure, but enough to make the point clear.

  Yukio leaned closer.

  “Next time,”

  He said softly,

  “Don’t confuse value with vulnerability.”

  Michibiki stepped forward, binding spells already forming.

  “I’ll secure them. We’ll turn them in at the fortress.”

  Kaede nodded, cracking her knuckles.

  “And after that? I’m charging extra hazard pay.”

  Yukio sheathed his dagger and exhaled.

  The clearing felt different now.

  Not just quiet.

  Resolved.

  Vaelora’s voice echoed warmly in his mind.

  Well played, Yuki. You’re learning.

  Yukio smiled faintly.

  “…Yeah.”

  As the mercenaries were dragged away, bound and silent, Yukio glanced back toward the fortress.

  Beyond it lay darker land.

  Stronger enemies.

  And people who would keep underestimating him.

  Let them try.

  After all,

  Fate was already on his side.

  High above the battlefield, far beyond mortal sight, the wind shifted unnaturally.

  The clouds parted without sound.

  There standing upon empty air itself was a lone figure, hooded in pale robes that shimmered faintly against the sky. Long white hair spilled from beneath the hood, swaying gently despite the absence of wind. Their face remained hidden, obscured by shadow and divine restraint.

  Golden eyes glowed beneath the hood.

  They watched Yukio.

  Watched the Threads of Fate coil and retract around him like living extensions of his will. Watched probability bend. Watched destiny obey.

  The figure’s fingers twitched.

  “…The Ruin of Providence,”

  They murmured softly.

  Their voice carried no emotion only certainty.

  “He grows more powerful. Faster than anticipated.”

  A ripple of unseen energy passed through the air as their gaze sharpened, piercing layers of fate and time. The Threads responded faintly, as if aware they were being observed.

  The figure stiffened.

  “…So it has begun.”

  For a moment longer, they observed Yukio laughing with his companions, unaware of the weight his existence now carried.

  Then the sky folded inward.

  The figure stepped back, dissolving into light as their presence faded from the world.

  Before vanishing completely, they whispered.

  “The Gods must be informed.”

  And just like that, the heavens returned to silence.

  Below, the wind blew as normal.

  The battle’s echoes faded.

  But somewhere far beyond the reach of mortals…

  The divine court had just been placed on alert.