If I can win this tournament, I can infiltrate Seven Eclipse, thought Gamma, gazing at the night sky from the window of a small inn on the outskirts of the city. Even if it’s dangerous… I must help Big Brother Arya. I can’t fail.
The match would begin in two days. Gamma disappeared from public view, exploring the city’s alleys in search of additional information.
This place is really unpleasant… she thought, staring at the black market filled with slave traders, gambling, and wild fights. But the participants… though scary and strong, they’re nothing compared to Big Brother Arya and Sister Dina.
Two days passed.
"TEST! TEST! HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE!" A cheerful man’s voice echoed throughout the arena. "SOON, THE LIFE-AND-DEATH TOURNAMENT IN THE COLOSSEUM TO COMPETE FOR THE SEAT OF MARS—THE FLAME—VACANT IN SEVEN ECLIPSE, WILL BEGIN!"
Thunderous cheers erupted. The arena was packed with spectators from all corners of the region—and most of them were not the decent type.
Gamma pulled her hood tighter, covering most of her face. "Finally, today it begins..."
Several fights had already taken place. When it was Gamma’s turn—
"THE SEVENTH MATCH! HUH?! THE CONTESTANT IS… A LITTLE GIRL?!"
The crowd erupted in noise. Murmurs and mocking laughter echoed from every direction.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME, A LITTLE GIRL?!"
"BUT I HEARD SHE’S STRONG! ISN’T SHE AFRAID OF DYING?! WELL, LET’S SEE! THIS MATCH: REISA VS BLOODY!"
Gamma, who had registered under the alias 'Reisa', stepped into the arena.
Bloody, a large man with a condescending glare, shrugged his shoulders.
"Oi, oi! What’s this? They’re letting a little girl fight?! Are they insane?! Go home, kid! You’ll die."
"Good afternoon, sir. I’m sorry, but I won’t be going home," Gamma replied calmly.
"What?! I could kill you in an instant!"
"Oh, well then. Please begin."
"FIGHT… BEGIN!"
Bloody charged straight ahead. But just a step away from Gamma, his body suddenly froze.
"Phantom String," Gamma whispered.
Invisible threads bound Bloody’s body. A moment later—
"Sever Line."
His body was silently sliced into pieces.
"W-WHAT WAS THAT?! WHY DID BLOODY’S BODY SUDDENLY GET SLICED TO PIECES?!" the commentator shouted hysterically.
The crowd went silent, then broke into a cold sweat from the short, deadly duel.
"THE WINNER IS REISA!"
Amidst the commotion, a calm voice from the upper stands could be heard.
"Hooo... looks like we’ve got a promising candidate this time."
Gamma exhaled in relief. "Phew... my first match is finally over..."
Suddenly someone greeted her from behind.
"Nice to meet you, little girl."
Gamma turned around in surprise. "Who—?!"
A beautiful woman with a seductive figure and an alluring smile stood casually before her. Her long wavy hair and tight outfit wrapped her body elegantly yet intimidatingly.
"Ara~ sorry to startle you. My name is Venus. The Water, from Seven Eclipse. Nice to meet you, little girl."
Gamma froze. Venus… from Seven Eclipse?!
"G-Good afternoon. My name is Reisa. I really want to join Seven Eclipse," she said nervously.
"Ara, how cute~ After seeing your first match... you’re very strong. I’m sure you can get in. Besides... I like you."
"Th-thank you very much..."
"Well then, see you again, Reisa-chan~"
Venus walked away, leaving behind a faint scent of water and danger.
The next day, the Colosseum was more crowded than usual.
"ALRIGHT, WE’VE REACHED THE SEMI-FINAL ROUND!" the commentator shouted, his voice echoing through the arena. "TODAY’S FIGHTER IS THE LITTLE GIRL WHO SHOCKED EVERYONE LAST NIGHT—REISA!"
The crowd roared with excitement.
"HER OPPONENT IS THE MAN KNOWN AS ‘STEELMAN’! A MAN SAID TO BE ABLE TO COVER HIS ENTIRE BODY IN STEEL!"
Gamma walked into the arena calmly. Opposite her stood a muscular dark-skinned man, his body already beginning to be covered in shining metal.
"Good afternoon and nice to meet you, sir," Gamma greeted him with a polite bow.
Steelman raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "A polite child... but this is the arena. Don’t expect mercy."
"FIGHT… BEGIN!"
"Steel Body!" Steelman shouted, his body instantly gleaming like steel. He charged straight toward Gamma.
"You're dead!"
Gamma lightly leaped to the side. "No need to rush, sir."
"Phantom String!"
Thin, transparent threads wrapped around Steelman’s legs, halting his attack.
Steelman growled. "What kind of thread is this? Useless!" With full force, he broke free from the bind. "Steel Punch!"
Gamma inhaled sharply.
"String Binding!"
Invisible threads appeared from all directions, tightly binding Steelman's body, leaving only his head exposed.
"Thread Guillotine."
In an instant, a thin horizontal thread shot at lightning speed, slicing Steelman's neck with precision.
His head fell, rolling across the arena floor. The steel body collapsed.
"WHAAT?! STEELMAN DIED THAT EASILY?!"
"THE FIGHT ENDED IN JUST 15 SECONDS!"
"THE WINNER IS REISA! THE MIRACLE GIRL!"
Cheers erupted. The name Reisa was shouted repeatedly. But Gamma remained silent, walking away from the arena with her head down.
"Little monster"? I’m not a monster... I just want to be like Big Brother Arya and Sister Dina—amazing people...
Outside the arena, someone greeted her with a seductive smile.
"Another impressive victory, huh, Reisa-chan."
Gamma turned. "Sister Venus!"
"How are you this strong, hmm? Who taught you?"
"My teacher... an old man in the forest. I don’t know his name."
"Is that so~ So your teacher is stronger than you then? Ara~"
"He is," Gamma replied honestly. "And I want to join Seven Eclipse because... I like strong people."
Venus narrowed her eyes, studying Gamma’s face with keen interest. "Hmm… you’re intriguing. But be careful, Reisa-chan. Sometimes... giving false information can be deadlier than giving none at all."
Gamma swallowed quietly.
"By the way," Venus continued, "may I give you a little spoiler? Since you’re about to become one of us, and... you’re also adorable~"
Gamma nodded quickly.
"There are seven members in Seven Eclipse. But the Mars seat is currently vacant. And it will soon be yours~"
"Are they... strong?"
"Of course. We’re not some cheap organization."
"I can’t wait to join you guys!" Gamma said, clenching her small fists.
"So cute~ See you soon, Reisa-chan~"
Venus disappeared into the shadows of a corridor.
That means... six more to go. If they’re really that strong, it’ll be troublesome. But if we take them down one by one, we might be able to reduce their numbers slowly...
Gamma immediately reported all the information to Arya and Dina via secret communication.
"So there are seven seats in Seven Eclipse," Arya muttered, listening intently. "And you only know about Venus’s element?"
"Yes, just that. Even the underground organizations have no info on them."
"In that case," Arya said, "the only way to learn more… is from the inside."
"By the way, who leaked the info about the empty Mars seat?"
"The king’s aide," Gamma replied quickly. "Maybe because Mars is already dead, they thought the info was worthless."
Arya nodded. "Thanks, Gamma. But be careful. Don’t overexert yourself."
"I miss you," Dina interjected. "Can’t you teleport here, even just for a bit?"
"No," Arya quickly cut in. "Teleportation could raise suspicion. Especially if there’s a tracker around Gamma."
"Oh... I see."
"Take care of yourself, Gamma," Dina said again. "Don’t be reckless!"
"Alright, Sister!"
---
The next day…
"THIS IS THE FINAL MATCH! THE TWO DEADLIEST FIGHTERS IN THIS TOURNAMENT WILL CLASH: REISA THE MIRACLE GIRL AND SHIN THE SILENT!"
"BOTH FINISHED THEIR PREVIOUS MATCHES IN RECORD TIME! WHO WILL WIN? AND WHO WILL DIE?!"
Gamma stepped into the arena. Her opponent—Shin—wore tight black clothing like a ninja. His body was slim, about 160 cm tall, with a thin sword hanging at his waist.
He’s like Sister Dina… fast and silent. But I have to win.
"FIGHT BEGINS!"
Shin vanished instantly. But not like Gamma—this was due to extreme speed.
Gamma was prepared. Before entering the arena, parts of her body had already been wrapped with thin threads for defense.
Cling! Shin’s sword struck the threads around Gamma’s body.
"Vanish!"
Gamma disappeared for five seconds, reappearing quickly at Shin’s side. "Thread Lancer!"
Spear-like threads shot toward Shin, but he dodged swiftly.
"Thread Trap!"
Bindings emerged from underground—Shin nearly got caught but leaped backward.
"Phantom String!"
Shin escaped again.
Tch… so difficult. Even if he’s not as fast as Sister Dina, he’s still hard to catch!
The attacks continued rapidly, making it hard for the audience to keep up.
"THE FIGHT IS EXTREMELY FAST! EVEN REISA CAN DISAPPEAR?!"
From the stands, Venus narrowed her eyes, murmuring, "Disappearing… that’s a rare skill. Only 0.2% of the world’s population can do that. Ara\~ Reisa-chan is becoming more interesting."
Slash!
Gamma grunted softly. One part of her body not covered in threads got slashed.
Shin appeared behind her, slashing again—Gamma narrowly dodged.
If this keeps up… I’ll lose. I have to use everything!
"Thread Phantom!"
Two illusionary threads—one real, one fake—shot forward. Shin moved to the right—into the real trap.
"Thread Bind—now!"
Threads surged from underground, binding Shin’s legs.
"Thread Guillotine!"
A horizontal thread flew with blinding speed, slicing Shin’s legs clean off.
"W-what?! You’ve been spreading threads since the beginning?!"
"I knew I couldn’t win with power alone. So… I used everything."
Shin collapsed. Blood pooled beneath him.
"You’re strong… but I know someone far stronger than you. Thanks for the simulation."
"Sever Line."
Shin’s body was cleanly cut into several pieces.
"THE WINNER IS REISA! THE SEAT OF MARS, THE FLAME, OFFICIALLY BELONGS TO THE ONE WORTHY!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"REISA! REISA! REISA!"
Gamma left the arena as the victor. The fight had lasted only two minutes.
As she exited the arena, she staggered from exhaustion.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her tightly.
"You were amazing, Reisa-chan!" said a soft voice she recognized.
Gamma gasped. "Sister Venus?!"
Venus rested her chin on Gamma’s shoulder, her voice sweet but deep. "But… how could you disappear earlier? Isn’t that a rare ability?"
Here it comes… thought Gamma. I need a believable excuse...
"That… I learned it from my teacher," she answered with a stiff smile. "But it has a drawback, Sister."
"A drawback?"
"Yes. The disappearance only lasts five seconds. Even though it can be repeated, after five seconds my body will become visible again."
Venus paused for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "So that’s why you reappeared immediately after vanishing, huh?"
"Correct, Sister."
"Ara\~ but still, you’re amazing! And welcome to Seven Eclipse, Reisa-chan\~"
Gamma bowed respectfully. "Thank you… I look forward to working with you."
"I’ll introduce you to the others tomorrow. For now, go rest. You must be tired."
"Alright, Sister Venus."
Gamma walked away… now bearing a new burden on her shoulders—successfully infiltrating the den of the world’s deadliest killers.
---
The next day, Gamma stood in front of a massive black metal door, guarded by two soldiers in dark cloaks. Behind that door was the headquarters of Seven Eclipse.
This is the right address… right?
"Hoo~ Reisa-chan, you came."
Gamma turned. Venus approached with a gentle smile. "Come on, let’s go in."
The door slowly opened, revealing a grand hall with towering pillars and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. At the far end of the room stood a large round table with seven tall chairs—five of which were occupied.
Gamma walked slowly, following Venus, her heart pounding.
"Here she is," said Venus. "Reisa, our Colosseum champion. Our new comrade."
One of the members narrowed their eyes.
"A little kid?" he muttered.
"It doesn't matter," said another flatly. "As long as she’s strong."
None of them smiled. Their auras were heavy, cold, and oppressive.
"Ni-nice to meet you all. M-my name is Reisa," Gamma said, bowing deeply.
Venus gave a calming smile. "Don’t be nervous. They may seem scary, but they won’t bite… unless you’re weak."
Gamma swallowed hard.
"One of us is not present," Venus continued. "He’s currently hunting the Exone group."
Gamma’s eyes widened. Exone? They’re already after Brother Arya?!
"You’ve heard of Exone, haven’t you? The killers of rulers?"
Gamma gave a small nod. "Yes… just rumors from the people."
"Alright. Take a seat," said Venus, pointing to the empty chair. "I’ll introduce everyone one by one."
Gamma sat down slowly. The atmosphere remained heavy, the pressure suffocating.
Venus began pointing to each member.
"The muscular one—Saturn, of Earth."
Saturn grunted and crossed his arms over his chest.
"The handsome and calm one—Jupiter, of Wind."
Jupiter glanced at Gamma with a blank expression.
"The lazy woman who’s sleeping over there—Mercury, of Poison."
Mercury only mumbled something incomprehensible, still lying down with her arm covering her face.
"The one not present—Neptune, of Ice. And lastly, our leader… the king’s aide—Noctis, of Void."
Noctis sat in the highest chair. His face was cold and unreadable. The aura he radiated was unlike any of the others—as if he embodied emptiness itself.
Venus turned and smiled sweetly. "What do you think, Reisa-chan?"
Gamma nodded slowly. "They… seem very strong..."
"Ara~ but you’re strong too~"
Saturn growled, "How strong can a little kid even be?"
"She’s way more useful than you, who just smashes walls!" Venus replied with a grin.
"Hah?!"
Jupiter asked calmly, "What’s your ability?"
"I… use thread-based weapons. And… I can disappear for five seconds," Gamma answered.
Jupiter raised an eyebrow. "Disappearance? Hmm… a rare skill. Even five seconds is deadly if used right."
Mercury only glanced lazily, still uninterested.
Noctis stared sharply at Gamma. "Welcome to the group, Reisa."
Gamma stood and bowed. "N-nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with you."
Venus chuckled lightly. "No need to be so tense."
Noctis got straight to the point. "Do you know anything about Exone?"
Gamma shook her head. "Just… rumors."
"What’s your reason for joining us?"
Gamma looked straight ahead. "I admire strong people. When I arrived in the capital, I joined the underground and saw the Colosseum poster. That’s where my interest began."
Noctis stared deeply, then gave a slight nod.
"You like strong people?! Kuhahaha!" Saturn stood up, laughing. "Kid, wanna spar with me?!"
Gamma hesitated. This could be a good chance to gauge his strength...
"I-I’d be honored!"
Venus turned. "Ara~ be careful, Reisa-chan. He’s all brawn and no brain!"
"Don’t worry! It’s just a spar, won’t be fatal!" said Saturn.
They moved to the training arena. The large space was reserved only for elite members.
Jupiter leaned against the wall. "I’m curious too."
Mercury glanced lazily. "...Might be fun."
Venus stood in the center of the arena. "I’ll be the referee. Ready... BEGIN!"
Saturn charged in with brute force. His massive fist slammed into the floor, creating a large crater.
Gamma dodged nimbly. Seriously?! He can smash the floor with bare hands?!
"Vanish!"
Gamma disappeared for a moment, reappearing behind Saturn.
"Thread Trap!"
Threads coiled around Saturn’s legs. The large man growled, restrained for a moment.
"From behind!" shouted Gamma.
Saturn turned, then laughed loudly. "Kuhahaha! Not bad, Reisa!"
Venus raised her hand. "Sparring over! That’s enough to prove Reisa-chan is strong and dangerous! Not to mention… adorable!"
Jupiter nodded. "She’s also smart in strategy."
Noctis stared intently. "Not bad… for someone her age."
Mercury… just sighed. "...Cute and strong..."
Saturn crossed his arms. "Kuhahaha! I like you, Reisa!"
"Th-thank you very much!"
Venus smiled. "I have to go now. Other business. See you later, Reisa-chan!"
"See you, Sister Venus!"
Everyone left the arena.
---
That night, Gamma stood in her room, scanning the surroundings with sharp vigilance.
"Vanish."
Her body disappeared. She searched every corner of the room swiftly—no bugs or magical trackers.
"Clear," she whispered.
She activated her hidden communicator and contacted Arya and Dina.
"Hello, Brother Arya, Sister Dina."
"Gamma?! Are you okay?!" Arya’s voice came through, concerned.
"Yes, I’m fine. And… I’ve successfully infiltrated Seven Eclipse."
"What?! You’re amazing, Gamma!" Arya exclaimed. "I’m proud of you."
"Super proud!" added Dina.
Gamma smiled. "Hehe… Thank you. Now, about today’s information..."
She reported everything about the Seven Eclipse headquarters, the members, and their personalities.
"So Neptune’s already pursuing us…" Arya muttered. "But they didn’t say how far along?"
"No. They only mentioned he’s on the hunt."
"What did you think of the sparring match with Saturn?" Arya asked.
"Even though he controls the Earth element, in battle he only uses brute strength. He’s all muscle, no brain."
"If it’s just muscles, that’s manageable," Arya said. "The troublesome ones are the others."
"Are you two okay over there?" Gamma asked, worried.
"Don’t worry about us," Arya replied. "You’re the one in the most dangerous position right now."
"That’s right!" Dina chimed in. "Don’t do anything reckless! If they start getting suspicious, teleport out immediately, okay?!"
"Got it, Sis! Talk to you later!"
"Take care of yourself, Gamma!"
Gamma’s first infiltration had succeeded.
But… would the next steps go just as smoothly?