The roof of the Nendu Express trembled beneath their feet.
Wind roared across the speeding train.
The city lights of the Inner Rim had begun appearing in the distance, illuminating the desert night with a golden glow.
Yet neither Kiraya nor Sarrow paid attention to the scenery.
Their focus was entirely on each other.
The surviving members of Epsilon Dawn slowly backed away.
Even they understood.
This fight had entered a completely different level.
Sarrow took a step forward.
Then another.
The yellow-haired guild leader slowly reached for the clasp of her black cloak.
A moment later—
She removed it.
The fabric disappeared into her inventory.
Kiraya's eyes narrowed.
She had expected someone imposing.
Someone intimidating.
Someone that looked like a guild leader.
Instead—
Sarrow's frame was surprisingly small.
She looked younger than Kiraya expected.
Slender.
Light.
Almost delicate.
Yet Kiraya knew better.
People didn't become guild leaders by looking dangerous.
They became guild leaders by being dangerous.
Sarrow smiled.
The expression somehow felt more unsettling without the cloak.
"You know..."
Her white eyes reflected the moonlight.
"I've always wanted to fight you."
Kiraya adjusted her grip on Lionheart.
"And I've always wanted to avoid paperwork."
Sarrow blinked.
Then laughed.
The laughter lasted only a second.
Because immediately afterward—
She vanished.
Kiraya's instincts exploded.
Danger.
Behind.
She spun.
CLANG!
Lionheart intercepted a blade made entirely of golden light.
The collision sent sparks flying across the roof.
Kiraya's eyes widened.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Sarrow smiled.
Then her body dissolved.
Particles of golden light scattered into the air.
Kiraya immediately turned.
Too late.
BANG!
A kick slammed into her back.
The impact launched her several meters across the roof.
Her health bar dropped.
93%.
Only seven percent.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was that Sarrow had landed the hit.
Kiraya immediately recovered her footing.
Sarrow stood several meters away.
Smiling.
Relaxed.
Almost playful.
"Still alive."
Kiraya brushed dust from her shoulder.
"Disappointed?"
"A little."
Then Sarrow vanished again.
This time Kiraya reacted faster.
Lionheart swung.
Nothing.
No impact.
No resistance.
Then—
Pain exploded along her side.
A blade of light cut across her armor.
Sparks flew.
Health dropped again.
88%.
Kiraya immediately jumped backward.
Sarrow reappeared.
Then disappeared.
Then reappeared again.
Every movement resembled teleportation.
But Kiraya knew it wasn't.
Her body wasn't moving normally.
It was becoming light.
Actual light.
And reforming elsewhere.
A mobility skill.
No.
A unique class ability.
The realization made Kiraya's expression harden.
This wasn't something she could brute force.
She needed to adapt.
Fast.
Sarrow appeared again.
Above.
Kiraya raised Lionheart.
CLANG!
Their weapons collided.
The impact barely lasted a fraction of a second.
Sarrow disappeared again.
Kiraya turned.
CLANG!
Another strike.
Then another.
Then another.
Golden flashes appeared from every direction.
Left.
Right.
Above.
Behind.
Every attack arrived from impossible angles.
The roof became a storm of light.
Kiraya blocked desperately.
Every successful block sent vibrations through her arms.
Every near miss shaved away portions of her health.
82%.
76%.
71%.
The battle was slowly becoming one-sided.
The surviving Epsilon Dawn members watched in disbelief.
Their guild leader wasn't merely fast.
She was overwhelming Kiraya.
One of the strongest frontline fighters on Floor Two.
Yet—
Kiraya refused to panic.
Every block.
Every dodge.
Every strike.
She observed.
Studied.
Calculated.
The same way Rio would.
The same way a guild strategist would.
Sarrow appeared again.
Kiraya blocked.
CLANG!
Gone.
Reappeared.
CLANG!
Gone.
Again.
CLANG!
Gone.
The pattern repeated.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until finally—
Kiraya noticed something.
Tiny.
Almost insignificant.
But it existed.
Whenever Sarrow transformed into light—
She couldn't attack immediately.
There was a delay.
Tiny.
Less than half a second.
Yet it existed.
And for someone like Kiraya—
Half a second was eternity.
The realization made her smile.
Sarrow noticed.
"Something funny?"
Kiraya answered by swinging Lionheart.
The flaming blade cut through empty air.
Sarrow dissolved into light.
Reappearing behind her.
Exactly as expected.
Kiraya immediately spun.
CLANG!
Sarrow's eyes widened slightly.
The attack had been blocked before it fully materialized.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Sarrow disappeared again.
Another attack.
Another block.
This time Kiraya reacted sooner.
CLANG!
Then sooner again.
CLANG!
Again.
CLANG!
The gap between attack and defense slowly shrank.
Sarrow's smile faded.
For the first time—
She looked serious.
Kiraya grinned.
"There you are."
Sarrow vanished.
Reappeared.
Kiraya blocked.
The impact shook the train roof.
The Epsilon Dawn members exchanged nervous looks.
Their guild leader was still faster.
Still stronger.
Still dominating.
But Kiraya was adapting.
And that was dangerous.
Because Kiraya had always been terrifying for one reason.
Once she understood something—
She learned absurdly fast.
Sarrow appeared again.
Kiraya blocked.
Again.
Blocked.
Again.
Blocked.
Their blades collided repeatedly.
Golden light.
Blue flames.
Metal.
Magic.
Everything blurred together.
The train raced forward beneath them.
The city continued drawing closer.
And for the first time since the battle started—
Sarrow stopped smiling.
Kiraya noticed immediately.
Good.
That meant she was getting under her skin.
The yellow-haired guild leader took several steps backward.
Her body shimmered with golden particles.
The air around her grew brighter.
Much brighter.
Kiraya's instincts screamed.
Whatever Sarrow was preparing—
It was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Sarrow slowly raised her blade.
Golden light flooded the roof.
The surviving Epsilon Dawn players immediately retreated further away.
Even they didn't want to stand nearby.
Kiraya lowered her stance.
Lionheart ignited once more.
Flames surged across the blade.
The train shook beneath them.
Wind roared.
The city lights reflected in their eyes.
And both guild leaders understood the same thing.
The warm-up was over.
The real battle was about to begin.
The first thing Sayanaki noticed was that the man wasn't moving.
Not a single inch.
Not when she entered.
Not when Skoll growled.
Not even when Fenrir's Fang appeared in her hand.
The first-class carriage had become a graveyard.
Bodies were slumped across expensive seats.
Blood stained the luxurious carpets.
Broken glass littered the floor.
The train rattled violently beneath them as it sped toward the Inner Rim of Nendu.
Yet amid all that death—
The crow-masked assassin simply stood there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Studying her.
Sayanaki's crimson eyes narrowed.
The remaining wolf, Skoll, lowered its body beside her and bared its fangs.
The assassin tilted his head.
Then smiled beneath the mask.
"You must be Sayanaki."
Silence.
She didn't answer.
The man chuckled.
"I've heard interesting things."
Still no response.
The smile beneath the mask widened.
"Good."
He slowly raised a black dagger.
"I dislike talkative opponents."
Then—
He vanished.
The world exploded into danger.
Sayanaki's instincts screamed.
Left.
No—
Front.
No—
Above.
Her body moved before her mind could process it.
CLANG!
Sparks exploded.
A black dagger collided against Fenrir's Fang.
The impact shook her arm.
Crow stood directly in front of her.
So close she could see her own reflection inside the black lenses of his mask.
Fast.
Ridiculously fast.
Even Sayanaki barely managed to react.
Crow's smile widened.
"My name is Crow."
His voice remained calm.
Almost cheerful.
"The Raven Phantom."
The pressure behind the dagger increased.
"And I'll be the last thing you ever see."
The moment the words left his mouth—
Skoll lunged.
The wolf exploded forward.
Massive jaws aimed directly for Crow's throat.
At the same time Sayanaki twisted her blade.
She attacked from below while Skoll attacked from above.
Perfect coordination.
Perfect timing.
Yet Crow remained completely unfazed.
Almost amused.
[Assassin Skill: Dark Room Strangle]
Darkness swallowed the carriage.
Instantly.
Completely.
The world vanished.
No windows.
No moonlight.
No train lights.
Nothing.
Only shadows.
Only darkness.
Only death.
Sayanaki's eyes widened.
Then she heard it.
A wet sound.
Followed by a pained howl.
SHKKK!
Massive shadow spikes erupted from the ceiling.
More erupted from the floor.
The darkness itself became a weapon.
The spikes pierced through both wolves.
Skoll howled.
Hati screamed.
The shadow spears tore through their bodies.
Blood exploded across the darkness.
A second later—
Hati disappeared.
The summon shattered into particles.
Dead.
Sayanaki's expression darkened.
One wolf gone.
Crow appeared again.
Right in front of her.
As if he had never moved.
The darkness still covered everything.
Sayanaki immediately pushed off the floor.
Instead of retreating—
She attacked.
Her foot hit the nearby wall.
The wall became a stepping stone.
She launched herself forward.
Like a bullet.
Fenrir's Fang aimed directly for Crow's heart.
CLANG!
Crow blocked.
Their daggers collided.
The impact echoed throughout the dark carriage.
The two assassins stared at each other.
Both smiling.
Both dangerous.
Both monsters.
Crow's voice echoed through the darkness.
"Good."
Then suddenly—
Sayanaki vanished.
[Assassin Skill: Back Lash]
Crow's eyes narrowed.
Danger.
He immediately moved left.
SHHHKKK!
The seats behind him exploded apart.
Invisible force shredded metal and leather.
The attack missed his neck by less than an inch.
Crow's smile widened.
"Interesting."
Sayanaki reappeared.
Directly behind him.
At the same moment—
Skoll attacked from the opposite direction.
A coordinated pincer attack.
One strike from the front.
One from behind.
A move that would kill almost anyone.
Crow simply reacted.
His dagger blocked Sayanaki.
His free hand grabbed Skoll by the throat.
Everything happened in a single second.
Sayanaki's eyes widened.
Impossible.
Then Crow moved.
His knee slammed into her stomach.
BOOM!
Air exploded from her lungs.
Pain shot through her body.
The force launched her backward.
She crashed into a wall.
Wood splintered.
Glass shattered.
Before she could recover—
Crow threw his dagger.
The blade became a black blur.
THUNK!
It pierced through her shoulder.
Blood splashed across the wall.
Pain exploded through her arm.
Yet Crow wasn't finished.
A second dagger appeared in his hand.
Inventory draw.
Instant.
He grabbed Skoll.
Then—
STAB.
The dagger plunged directly into the wolf's skull.
Skoll howled.
Crow ripped the blade free.
Then threw it.
THUNK!
The second dagger embedded itself beside the first.
Blood poured from Sayanaki's shoulder.
Skoll disappeared moments later.
The remaining wolf dissolved into particles.
Gone.
Silence returned.
The darkness slowly faded.
The first-class carriage became visible once more.
Crow stood calmly in the center.
Not even breathing heavily.
Not a single scratch on him.
Blood dripped from Sayanaki's shoulder.
Her health bar had dropped considerably.
Yet she smiled.
Crow tilted his head.
"You still look happy."
Sayanaki slowly stood.
Her body hurt.
Her shoulder burned.
Blood ran down her arm.
Yet the smile never disappeared.
Because for the first time since entering Floor Two—
She had finally met someone interesting.
Someone dangerous.
Someone capable of killing her.
Her fingers wrapped around the dagger embedded in her shoulder.
Without hesitation—
She ripped it out.
Blood splashed across the floor.
Crow watched quietly.
Almost impressed.
Sayanaki looked at the dagger.
Then threw it.
Crow tilted his head.
The dagger flew past him.
Missing completely.
Crow blinked.
"What was—"
The dagger exploded.
BOOM!
The entire carriage shook.
Smoke erupted.
Crow immediately jumped backward.
Sayanaki was already moving.
Fenrir's Fang flashed.
The assassin sprinted directly into the smoke.
Her crimson hair danced behind her.
Blood trailed from her shoulder.
Her grin widened.
Her eyes burned with excitement.
Crow's smile returned.
Finally.
An opponent worth killing.
And Sayanaki had reached the exact same conclusion.
Their blades collided again.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted.
The first-class carriage shook.
And the battle between the Crimson Assassin and the Raven Phantom truly began.