Ruby Wienshartz sat by the crackling campfire deep in Levincia's forest, her red hair glowing in the firelight like burning thread. Her barbarian furs hung loosely over her shoulders, and her twin daggers—Anubis Claw—rested against a moss-covered log, catching every flicker of flame.
The forest was quiet, but not peaceful. Just waiting.
She dipped crusty bread into steaming tomato soup, smiling as warmth spread through her chest. Across from her, Jonathan stirred the pot slowly, his movements steady but tired, like someone used to carrying things that never stopped weighing down.
Nearby lumberjacks passed through the trees, their voices cutting through the night.
"Ten imperial weapons," one said. "Sophia's legacy. Locked in Levincia Arena. Tournament tomorrow—tag-team. Anyone enters… doesn't always leave."
Ruby froze.
"…Sophia's weapons?" she whispered.
Jonathan didn't look up immediately.
"They're relics," he said quietly. "From the Last War. Weapons that remember too much blood. Things like that don't belong to people… they choose what they destroy."
Ruby's eyes lit up.
"We're going," she said instantly.
Jonathan sighed. "You chase legends too easily."
Ruby smiled. "I catch them."
A pause stretched between them.
Jonathan leaned back slightly, voice softer.
"You're too much like your mother."
Ruby blinked.
Jonathan continued, quieter now.
"She used to look at impossible things like they were already hers… she just hadn't taken them yet."
The fire crackled louder in the silence that followed.
And somewhere far beyond the forest—
Levincia Arena waited.