Selene held a small golden watch, clicking it softly as she smiled.
"Want to bet how long it'll take Sho to teleport us?" she asked. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Sakura suddenly appeared. She rose from the snow like a ghost. It catches me off guard for a moment.
The flare in the distance looked about three thousand meters away. It hovered low, like a thin ribbon of red dust caught in a faint breeze. It swirls gently against the pale sky. A fragile ember drifting far across the cold landscape.
Rei glanced over and sighed.
"Maybe forty-five seconds, max," Viri said calmly.
"How many seconds?" Selene teased.
"Sixty," Rei said, eager to end the conversation.
"Over or under sixty?" Selene asked.
"Over," Sakura said without hesitation.
"Over," I agreed.
"Under," Viri chuckled.
"Under," Selene nodded.
"Guys, you're being ridiculous," Rei sighed, rolling her eyes.
We all pulled out silver coins, placing them in the center. A small pot formed between us.
It went quiet for a while. Time seemed to slow, each of us excited for the bet.
36.
"So, what's your favorite food, Selene?" someone finally asked. Breaking the silence.
She tilted her head. "Most of my favorite foods are from Earth … but I really like Alfredo."
37.
" The pasta?" Rei nodded.
38.
"Yeah, it's nice…" Selene glanced around. "How about you all?"
39.
"I really like stew," Viri said.
"Stew?" Selene asked.
"Or anything spicy," Viri added. "Like ribs."
40.
"Ribs are a good choice. Easy to get," Selene smiled.
"That's true," Viri agreed.
"Is there anything you miss from Earth?" Selene asked.
41.
"Candy," Viri laughed.
"How about the rest of you?"
"I really miss bread from a shop I used to go to," Teruki said softly.
42.
"That's sad," Selene murmured. "But my favorite food is sushi."
The clock ticked.
43.
"I miss pepperoni pizza," Rei sighed.
"That's a good one," Selene beamed. "I haven't had pizza in a long time."
44.
"My favorite food's actually egg, avocado, and cheese breakfast sandwiches," Rei added.
'Very fancy."
45.
"My favorite is udon," Sakura said.
46.
"I can't really think..."
"Really? Nothing?" Selene tilted her head.
47.
"Actually… I can think of one."
"What is it?" we all said in unison.
"I really miss my mom's apple pie."
48.
"You should have her make us some!" Selene grinned.
"Yeah, apples are easy to get," I nodded.
49.
"Don't forget to give me some!!" Selene bounced.
A red rune shimmered. It glows faintly in the snow.
CRACK!
The air snapped with power. Everything changed in an instant.
Kenjiro Sato, Sho's dad, perspective:
Cold.
It's cold.
We spawn on a small stone platform. Buried beneath layers of snow and silence. The wind bites at my skin like shards of glass.
"It's chilly," I say, glancing at my daughter beside me.
"Dad, we have a mission to complete," she says firmly.
"Sure, Firefly," I mutter with a faint smile.
"Dad!" she snaps. I don't miss the grin she tries to hide.
I look forward.
Six figures stand at the edge of the ridge. Clad in black from head to toe. Each wears armor that looks as if it's been forged for silence. Sleek, sharp plating molded to the body with cloth interwoven between joints for quiet movement. No emblems. No colors. Just matte black.
So these are the so-called Reapers.
I glance back as Selene steps forward beside Sho.
"What does your mana scan say about them?" I ask.
Selene shakes her head. "Mana scan only tells us what they believe... not who they are."
The one at the front steps ahead. A woman with long black hair tied back. Her spear strapped across her back. Her voice is quiet but cutting.
"You're always in our way."
Sho narrows her eyes. "You don't gain anything from killing. Not real progress. Just fear."
"Is that what you think?" the woman replies. "Do you really believe the Tower would be fine without you?"
"What do you mean?" I ask, stepping in.
She looks at me. "Your daughter is the problem. Without her, the Tower would descend into chaos. She's one of the only eleven S-Ranked players... and somehow, she still clings to being human."
She isn't alone.
One behind her holds a massive axe.
Another grips twin daggers like claws.
A third has a curved katana slung low on his back.
One aims a longbow loosely, fingers twitching near the string.
The last stands tall with a heavy broadsword.
"Are you sure, Yuki? We can't fight that thing," one of them says.
So that's her name.
Yuki ignores him. "The top guilds allow killing. They even encourage the cleansing of the weak. We're just the ones who do the dirty work."
Sho doesn't flinch.
The moment tightens.
"I HATE you all!" Sho yells, her voice sharp, raw, echoing through the frostbitten peaks.
Yuki smirks, unsheathing her spear with a soft whisper of steel.
"Don't worry, Sho," she says coldly. "We'll give you plenty more reasons to hate us."
And then, a black flash erupts.
Sho and Selene vanish.
Once my eyes adjust to the snowy haze, I see them.
Yuki stands calmly in front, holding a spear. Next to her, one fighter holds a curved dagger, and another carries a longsword on his shoulder.
"What the hell did you do?" I shout.
Yuki tilts her head, unbothered. "Oh, nothing serious. I just sent Sho to the far end of the floor."
"What do you mean?"
She smiles. "There is no one stopping us from killing you now."
I freeze. My breath catches. My hands tighten around the hilt of my blade.
I say, "My daughter will be here in seconds."
"More than enough time to kill a low-ranked player," the one with the dagger mutters.
"Low rank?" I let out a dry laugh. "Is that what you think?"
The one with the sword steps forward but stops as Yuki raises her spear. "With your death," she says, "Sho will fall into despair."
I lift my head and meet her gaze. "You think I rely only on Sho?"
My voice is cold, flat, and sharp like the edge of my blade.
"I do not like fighting, but I am B-Rank for a reason."
They laugh. No fear. They sense no mana from me.
"What about the other three? Where are they?"
Yuki laughed. "One went with the girl with pink eyes, and the others went with Sho. Their job is to buy us enough time."
I draw my katana slowly, letting the steel hum against the scabbard.
"Do you finally realize? You're nothing without her."
"Let us see how reliant I am on my daughter!!"
Yuki melts into a swirl of black mist. Her spear shoots out from the shadows, trying to wrap around me like chains. The air thickens, holding me tight.
Before I can break free, the one with the dagger lunges from the side. The swordsman charges straight at me.
I twist to block the sword's heavy strike. The clang of steel ringing in my ears. I drop low just as the dagger slashes toward my side. The blade scrapes against my armor, but I feel the sting.
A sharp cut bleeding through.
Pain blooms, but I push forward. I swing my blade in a quick, clean arc.
The dagger wielder stumbles back. She gasped, clutching a shallow wound.
"We don't need to fight. Come with us. Stop this madness."
The dagger wielder jumps on top of me, slamming me against a nearby tree. One of her blades sinks into my stomach.
"Please stop," I beg. "I don't want to hurt you."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the swordsman approaching fast.
Gritting my teeth, I grip my katana and shove her off me. Blood spills onto the ground, soaking my armor.
I strike one final time, and she collapses to the ground.
'I ... Im … I'm sorry"
The swordsman retreats a step, eyes wide with shock. He yells for backup, but no one answers.
Behind me, Yuki reappears, her spear spinning like a cyclone. She thrusts again. I meet her weapon with mine, sparks flying as the blades scrape.
The strike knocks me to the ground. Yuki stands above me, confident in her victory, her spear arcing ready to finish the fight.
WHOOSH
A mark of grey mana pierces her, slowing her enough to stand. She rushes forward once more.
I kick her, making her stumble back.
Blood seeps through my side. The sting slows me, but I won't fall.
The swordsman attacks again, wild and desperate. I dodge to the side and strike hard. His knees buckle. He collapses onto the cold snow.
I breathe heavily. I gripped my side.
Blood paints the snow.
Yuki halts, breathing heavily. She stares at her fallen allies, then looks at me.
"The boss should be dead by now!" she laughs.
I countered. "We have elite players watching it."
A faint pulse of mana rises behind her.
She turns toward the horizon. "Then I have no reason to waste time here."
"Tell G2, I'll avenge my brother," she laughs coldly.
A mark of grey mana flickers around her before she fades into the shadows.
I stand silent, my katana lowering slowly. The wind howls across the empty battlefield.
I stand still.
I lower my katana as the cold wind sweeps over the quiet battlefield.
I move through the snow, gathering the fallen. One by one I lay them down, the weight of each loss heavy on my mind.
I pull off the helmet of a young man. He's barely twenty. His face is calm. It stings to see a life cut so short.
I close his eyes gently. I channel the last of my mana to burn the bodies, a cleansing fire that turns flesh and armor to ash. The mana burns fiercely.
It's more than I can comfortably spare. It feels necessary. An offering for peace.
The flames fade. I step back and lower myself onto a frozen log nearby. The cold bites through my clothes, but the silence is heavier still.
I crack the flare.
And moments later, my daughter appears.
She scans the room quickly, tears welling in her eyes.
"Dad!" she cries, collapsing into my arms.
"I... I killed them," I whisper, my voice breaking.
She looks at me, her eyes heavy with sorrow.
"I will always love you, Dad," she says softly.
She holds me tight. Too tight. And won't let go.
"We need to find Selene," I say.
"Selene is safe," she mumbles, her voice muffled against my chest. "Let me hold you longer."
I start to speak…
"Can you please call me that stupid name?"
"Of course, my Firefly."
"Not that one."
"Of course, Shiori."
"I'll never let it happen again. I promise... I promise... I ..."
Ever since coming to this world, she's been unbelievably strong. Fighting fiercely for our family, our cousins, and everyone she holds dear. She never asked for any of this, yet she's always shown up, no matter how hard it got. No father wants to see their daughter broken like this, no father wants to watch their child suffer. I tell myself to be stronger for her. I thinks, I wish I had more mana, as if that alone could protect her from everything.
"I love you too, my daughter."