Selini.

  A town just north of the Arkavia Kingdom and directly south of Stellar. Smaller in land and population than Stellar, but reinforced by triple the mercenary force. Each squad here numbered thirty, allowing for faster patrols and making command duties easier for Cryssa…

  At least in theory.

  Unlike Stellar, which had only twenty-five dimensional gates, Selini was hit with sixty-two. Almost triple the number, exactly as the Administrator had predicted.

  But Cryssa issued the command with precision, without a single mistake.

  Ten minutes after the countdown hit zero, the mercenary squads had already regrouped at the predicted battlefield zones. The townsfolk had been efficiently evacuated to the designated gate-free area.

  The battle had only just begun.

  Everything had gone according to plan.

  Until it didn’t.

  Unlike Stellar, Selini lacked the protection of divine light. And Ayla’s presence caused the mana disturbance around her, making more dimensional gates split open.

  Suddenly, panicked voices flooded the communication channels.

  “West! Three... four... no, there might be over six hundred monsters coming!”

  “East! Over three hundred!”

  “South! Over one hundred!”

  Reports poured in from every direction except the north where Stellar was.

  Cryssa’s heart skipped a beat. Over a thousand monsters were closing in, and more were likely on their way.

  The battle inside the town had only just started.

  And now, it was under siege from the outside as well.

  These weren’t just random encounters. This meant something more terrifying, an unknown number of dimensional gates must have opened just outside the town.

  Cryssa was stunned, her mind racing.

  She didn’t know the exact situation within the town.

  Had too many monsters emerged and overwhelmed the squads?

  Or were some sectors oddly quiet, their squads idle and underused?

  Reassigning forces without knowing the balance could make things worse.

  But she had no choice.

  She opened the channel.

  “G4—Idle to West! Report!”

  “G4—Two Idle to West!”

  Just two idle squads in the G4 sector, three in total, including the one already stationed at the west gate. Far too few to face six hundred monsters.

  “G2—Idle to West! Report!”

  “G2—Seven Idle to West!”

  Ten squads in total, barely manageable.

  She took a breath to issue the next command, but—

  “East! Five hundred!”

  “S-South! Over one thousand!”

  Cryssa’s eyes widened in disbelief. Ayla, standing beside her, mirrored her alarm.

  And then came the worst-case scenario.

  BAAAMMM! BAAAMMM! BAAAMMM!

  Three explosions ripped through the air nearby, the shockwaves throwing dust and debris in all directions. The wind screamed past Cryssa’s ears.

  “R-Report! B1—one Purple! Unknown support required!”

  “B3—one Purple! Unknown support required!”

  “B5—one Purple! Unknown support required!”

  Three Epic-rank gates. All of them in B sector, the closest zone to Stelluna’s estate, her command center.

  And then—

  “R-Report! A5—one Purple! Kyaaaa—”

  BAAAMMM!

  A fourth explosion. This one came from behind her.

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  The estate itself.

  Cryssa spun around, part of the estate had been obliterated. Smoke and splinters hung in the air. From the debris, a knight in silver armor fell to the ground beside her, body bloodied and unmoving.

  “Reina!”

  Cryssa cried out before she could stop herself.

  Her voice cracked with panic.

  Glacia, her closest mage, ran toward her.

  “Master! We have to evacuate now!”

  “But Reina—!”

  “Your safety comes first!”

  Cryssa bit her lip, paralyzed by indecision.

  But the battle didn’t wait.

  “East! Emergency Support: Three Squads!”

  “South! Emergency Support: Unknown!”

  “B1! Emergency Support: Unknown!”

  “B3! Emergency Support: Unknown!”

  “B5! Emergency Support: Unknown!”

  Then, from the shattered remains of the estate, a monstrous sound erupted.

  ROAAARRRRRR!

  A deep, guttural howl that shook the ground.

  “Master!!”

  Tonight was Cryssa’s first time commanding thousands of mercenaries. She trained herself as a knight just weeks ago. She had no battle experience. She had never even seen a real monster before today.

  And now… this?

  When the situation turned very chaotic like this, she was just stunned, at a loss for what to do.

  Her hands trembled.

  Her ears began to ring.

  Her thoughts unraveled.

  But then… they came.

  One by one, her slaves emerged from the crumbling estate, dust and smoke clinging to their armor. None of them had been ordered. Yet without hesitation, they moved, not away from the danger…

  But toward her.

  Surrounding her in a protective line.

  Their bodies became her shield.

  Their swords were drawn, their stances unwavering. Eyes hard with focus, they stared down the chaos with a calm fierceness that Cryssa herself couldn’t muster.

  Not a word passed between them, as they didn’t need commands.

  Their loyalty had already been decided for Cryssa Stelluna.

  And in that moment, Cryssa’s mind was cleared.

  The tremble in her knees stopped. The weight pressing on her chest didn’t vanish, but it no longer crushed her.

  She remained standing…

  Not because she was strong, but because they believed she could be.

  They stood for her, so she had no right to fall.

  Not yet.

  Not when they still had faith in her.

  Then… her soul stirred.

  Not in the world around her, but deep within. A flicker of heat. A crack in the numb fog swallowing her thoughts.

  A voice, muffled and distant at first, like it came from the depths of a dream.

  (“—ssa!”)

  (“Cryssa!”)

  (“Snap out of it!”)

  Ayla.

  Not visible, not tangible, but powerful. Her presence surged like a spark in a dark room, echoing through the hollow spaces of Cryssa’s soul. A jolt of clarity hit her chest, as if Ayla had reached in and shaken her by the heart.

  Breath caught in her throat. The world rushed back all at once. The smoke, the roars, the screams, the shattered estate, the blood on Reina’s face.

  Still, her body trembled as the wave of awareness crashed into her. Her own voice in the mind cracking, desperate and lost.

  “B-But what should I—?!”

  BAAAMM!

  The estate collapsed fully.

  And from the wreckage, three black Cerberuses emerged. Each was double the size of a man, with three snarling heads and glowing eyes.

  Behind them, dozens of red-skinned ogres began pouring through a massive purple gate that hovered above the wreckage.

  The gate’s position, suspended high in the air, caused some of the monsters to plummet straight onto the jagged debris below. A few were impaled, while others landed awkwardly, twisting limbs or breaking bones in the fall… including the Cerberuses.

  But they were still alive.

  Worse still, more ogres, or even more Cerberuses, could come at any moment.

  If nothing was done, the broken bodies would form a cushion. The next wave would land safely. Then the next. And the next.

  Cryssa had no time.

  Yet still, she couldn’t see the path forward.

  She clutched the hilt of her sword, but her hands trembled uncontrollably, the cold metal slick against her damp palms.

  Her gaze swept across the battlefields in frantic bursts. Everywhere she looked, danger surged. Cries for help echoed from every direction. Her heart pounded like a war drum.

  Too many threats.

  Too many emergencies.

  Too many voices screamed through the communication crystal.

  Too many lives depending on her.

  And she didn’t know where to start.

  Then… salvation came.

  From the one with the most battle experience in this chaotic world.

  Ayla.

  Her spirit stepped free of Cryssa’s body once more, visible to no one but her.

  (“Fight if you want to save Reina!”)

  Ayla’s voice rang like a thunderclap through Cryssa’s soul.

  Cryssa’s eyes widened in shock, then dropped to the ground.

  There, Reina lay motionless, blood seeping through the cracks in her battered armor, forming a dark, growing pool beneath her. Her skin was pale. Her chest barely moved.

  But it moved.

  She was still breathing.

  She wasn’t just a slave, not just a subordinate.

  This was Reina, her friend, her knight, and her family.

  And she could still be saved.

  Cryssa’s trembling fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword.

  Her fear didn’t vanish, but resolve rose stronger to meet it.

  She would not let Reina die.

  Cryssa bit her lip until it bled.

  Then she nodded.

  And for the first time, she drew her sword for real combat.

  (“Hold the communication crystal in your hand!”)

  Ayla’s voice rang clear in her mind.

  (“I’ll take command, you repeat after me!”)

  Cryssa obeyed, gripping the crystal in one hand and her sword in the other. Her body still trembled, but now it was with resolve.

  She was no longer alone.

  Just like a month ago, when she believed everything was over…

  Ayla had come to her side again.

  Her light in the dark.