The storage carriage trembled violently as the train raced across the vast bridge toward Nendu's Inner Rim.
Wooden crates rattled.
Metal containers shifted.
Vegetables rolled across the floor.
The entire room had become a battlefield.
And standing in the middle of it—
Was Hinabi.
Her breathing was heavy.
Her robe was torn in several places.
Burn marks covered parts of her sleeves from repeated exposure to lightning.
Across from her stood Clause.
The former Burning Pride officer looked significantly worse.
His armor was cracked.
His left shoulder was scorched black.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Several burn marks spread across his chest where Hinabi's spells had connected.
Neither of them looked fresh anymore.
This fight had dragged on much longer than either side expected.
Clause slowly wiped the blood from his lips and laughed.
"...You really changed."
Hinabi adjusted her grip on her staff.
"People change."
Clause clicked his tongue.
"No."
"You became annoying."
The moment he finished speaking—
His body exploded forward.
Not a skill.
Not magic.
A simple charge.
Pure momentum.
Pure force.
He lowered his shoulder and rushed directly toward her.
Like a charging bull.
Like he intended to smash through her completely.
Hinabi's eyes narrowed.
He's trying to tackle me.
Without hesitation—
She raised her staff.
[Mage Skill: Lotus Barrier]
A beautiful crimson lotus bloomed before her.
Petals made from magical energy unfolded one after another.
The barrier appeared just as Clause crashed into it.
BOOOOOOM
The impact shook the entire carriage.
Wood splintered.
Crates exploded apart.
The barrier cracked.
But it held.
Clause's charge stopped.
His eyes widened.
Hinabi moved immediately.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
She stepped forward.
Her staff spun.
She struck his wrist.
Then his ribs.
Then his shoulder.
The attacks weren't particularly powerful.
But they were precise.
Relentless.
Fast.
Clause stumbled backward.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Hinabi struck again.
A kick landed against his knee.
Another strike hit his chest.
Then another.
And another.
Clause blocked most of them.
But not all.
The accumulation was beginning to show.
"What kind of mage fights like this?!"
Hinabi didn't answer.
She continued advancing.
Staff.
Punch.
Kick.
Staff.
Clause was forced backward again.
And again.
And again.
Until finally—
THUD
Hinabi's kick connected directly against the side of his head.
Clause stumbled several steps.
His vision spun.
The train carriage tilted in his sight.
For the first time since the battle began—
He looked genuinely shocked.
"...A mage..."
His voice was filled with disbelief.
"...You're a mage."
Hinabi lowered her stance.
Her gaze remained calm.
Cold.
Focused.
"You expected me to stand at the back and throw spells."
Clause's jaw tightened.
"You are a mage."
"I am."
"Then why the hell—"
"Because people like you taught me a lesson."
Clause froze.
Hinabi's eyes sharpened.
"You think every battle follows the rules."
"You think mages stay in the back."
"You think warriors rush the front."
"You think everyone fights exactly the way you expect."
Her grip tightened around her staff.
"That's why you only think about yourself."
Clause's expression darkened.
"And that's why you'll lose."
The words struck harder than any spell.
Because deep down—
He knew she was right.
Clause had spent the entire battle trying to force Hinabi into the role he believed she should play.
A ranged mage.
A fragile spellcaster.
Someone who needed distance.
Someone who needed protection.
But Hinabi wasn't that person.
She never was.
The moment that realization hit him—
Clause roared.
"SHUT UP!"
Lightning erupted around his body.
Blue electricity covered every inch of his armor.
The floor cracked beneath his feet.
The air screamed.
He activated his strongest movement skill once more.
[Warrior Skill: Lightning Accel]
Electricity exploded outward.
His body vanished.
And charged straight toward Hinabi.
Fast.
Far faster than before.
But Hinabi smiled.
A small smile.
A confident smile.
Clause's heart skipped.
Something felt wrong.
Then he saw it.
Glowing symbols.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Magic circles.
They were everywhere.
The floor.
The walls.
The ceiling.
Behind crates.
Under debris.
Around the battlefield.
His eyes widened.
"No—"
Hinabi finally spoke.
"You were so focused on chasing me..."
"...you never noticed what I was doing."
The realization struck.
Every step.
Every retreat.
Every dodge.
Every position she took.
It wasn't random.
It was deliberate.
She had been guiding him.
Leading him.
Manipulating the battlefield.
The entire fight.
Clause had walked directly into her trap.
Hinabi pointed her staff forward.
The crimson symbols illuminated the carriage.
The lotus-shaped seals bloomed simultaneously.
[Mage Skill: Lotus Rebloom]
The world turned red.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
An enormous explosion erupted from every seal.
Crimson flames engulfed the entire area.
The carriage shook violently.
Wood shattered.
Boxes exploded.
Smoke filled the room.
The shockwave blasted outward.
When the smoke finally cleared—
Clause was lying on the ground.
His armor was destroyed.
His body was covered in burns.
His health had fallen into the critical red zone.
Every attempt to stand ended with him collapsing again.
His arms trembled.
His legs barely responded.
The fight was over.
Hinabi slowly walked forward.
Staff raised.
Expression calm.
Clause stared upward.
Defeated.
For the first time since the battle began—
Fear entered his eyes.
Hinabi pointed her staff directly at his chest.
"It's over."
Clause clenched his teeth.
He knew it.
He couldn't win anymore.
Not like this.
Not injured.
Not exhausted.
Not trapped.
For several seconds—
Silence filled the storage carriage.
Then—
The door opened.
CLACK
Both of them instinctively looked toward the entrance.
A small girl stood there.
An NPC child.
No older than eight.
She looked terrified.
Lost.
Confused.
The fighting must have separated her from her parents.
Tears filled her eyes.
She stared at the ruined storage carriage.
Then at Hinabi.
Then at Clause.
The little girl froze.
Clause's eyes widened.
Then—
He smiled.
A cruel smile.
A desperate smile.
The smile of a cornered man.
Hinabi's heart sank.
"No."
Clause immediately raised his hand.
[Warrior Skill: Thunder Jab]
Blue lightning exploded forward.
Not toward Hinabi.
Toward the child.
The little girl screamed.
Everything happened in an instant.
Hinabi moved.
Without thinking.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
She threw herself forward.
The child never even realized what happened.
Hinabi wrapped her arms around the girl.
And turned her body.
Using herself as a shield.
BOOOOOOM!!
Lightning struck.
Pain exploded through her body.
Every muscle seized.
Every nerve screamed.
The world turned white.
The force launched both Hinabi and the child backward.
The little girl was protected.
But Hinabi wasn't.
Her body smashed into the wall.
The impact echoed throughout the carriage.
CRASH
The wall cracked.
The breath left her lungs.
Her vision blurred.
Her staff slipped from her fingers.
Then darkness swallowed everything.
The last thing she heard—
Was the little girl crying.
Then silence.
Complete silence.
Clause slowly pushed himself upright.
His body trembled.
His health was almost gone.
But he was alive.
He stared at the unconscious Hinabi.
Then at the crying child.
Then toward the doorway.
He clicked his tongue.
"...Damn hero."
Clause grabbed the wall for support.
Every step hurt.
Every breath burned.
But he knew reinforcements were already failing throughout the train.
Staying here meant death.
So he turned.
And limped away.
Escaping down the corridor.
Leaving behind the unconscious mage.
The crying child.
And a battle that should have ended with his defeat.
Far away in the passenger carriages—
No one had yet realized what had happened.
But very soon—
The consequences of that single moment would reach everyone aboard the train.
The first-class carriage looked less like part of a luxury train and more like the aftermath of a battlefield.
Seats had been ripped apart.
Tables had shattered into splinters.
Broken glass littered the floor.
Deep cuts scarred the walls and ceiling.
The once elegant compartment had become a war zone.
And in the center of it—
Two assassins stood facing one another.
Both breathing heavily.
Both covered in wounds.
Both refusing to fall.
Sayanaki slowly wiped blood from the corner of her mouth.
Her crimson hair swayed as the train continued racing through the desert night.
Across from her stood Crow.
The Raven Phantom.
The crow-masked assassin remained calm despite the blood dripping down the side of his face.
A long cut stretched across his cheek.
The first wound he had received during the entire battle.
The wound Sayanaki had given him.
For the first time—
Crow looked interested.
Not amused.
Not entertained.
Interested.
The destroyed carriage around them was evidence of just how ridiculous the fight had become.
Shadows covered half the room.
Broken furniture filled the other half.
The floor was stained with blood.
And all around them—
The corpses of vanished clones faded into particles of light.
Earlier there had been twelve combatants.
Three Sayanakis.
Eight Crows.
The original Crow.
Now—
Only three remained.
The original Crow.
And two Sayanakis.
The train rattled violently beneath them.
Neither cared.
The remaining clone lunged first.
Its dagger flashed through the darkness.
Crow immediately reacted.
CLANG!
Steel collided.
The clone followed with a second strike.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
Crow blocked each one.
His movements were flawless.
Efficient.
Precise.
No wasted motion.
Yet despite his precision—
He was being pushed back.
Step by step.
The real Sayanaki joined from the opposite side.
The two attacked together.
One high.
One low.
One left.
One right.
Crow was forced to retreat.
His boots scraped across the ruined floor.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
A barrage of dagger strikes exploded through the carriage.
Crow parried one blade.
Twisted his body.
Blocked another.
The clone attempted to stab his ribs.
He caught the wrist.
The real Sayanaki immediately attacked his throat.
Crow leaned backward.
The dagger narrowly missed.
A thin cut appeared beneath his mask.
Another wound.
Another drop of blood.
Sayanaki narrowed her eyes.
She could see it.
He was slowing down.
Barely.
But slowing down.
The endless clone battle had finally started draining him.
The clone suddenly attacked again.
Crow took a step backward.
Then another.
Then another.
The clone chased.
Sayanaki chased.
Exactly as planned.
Crow smiled.
That smile immediately made Sayanaki realize something was wrong.
Too late.
[Assassin Skill: Shadow Struggle]
The darkness beneath the clone exploded.
Shadow tendrils erupted from the floor.
The clone barely reacted.
The shadows wrapped around its body.
Then—
RIP.
The clone was torn completely in half.
Its body shattered into particles.
Gone.
Only the real Sayanaki remained.
Crow exhaled.
Finally.
The numbers were even again.
He immediately pressed forward.
His dagger moved.
Too fast.
Sayanaki barely raised Fenrir Fang.
CLANG!
Crow's blade struck.
A second strike followed.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
The attacks came endlessly.
Sayanaki blocked.
Dodged.
Countered.
Yet Crow's pressure continued increasing.
The Raven Phantom had stopped testing her.
Now he was trying to finish the fight.
The train shook.
Crow vanished.
Sayanaki's eyes widened.
Behind.
She turned—
Too late.
[Assassin Skill: Phantom Execution]
The world froze.
Then invisible blades erupted.
SHHK!
SHHK!
SHHK!
SHHK!
A barrage of unseen slashes carved through the air.
Blood exploded.
Sayanaki's body was launched backward.
She crashed through three rows of seats.
Wood splintered.
Metal bent.
The world spun.
Pain exploded throughout her body.
Her arms hit the floor separately from her body.
Severed.
Blood poured from both shoulders.
A horrible silence followed.
Sayanaki collapsed.
The dagger slipped from her fingers.
Blood pooled beneath her.
Her vision blurred.
The train ceiling seemed distant.
Far away.
Crow slowly approached.
Each step echoed through the ruined carriage.
His crow mask stared down at her.
Emotionless.
Cold.
Professional.
He reached into his inventory.
A dagger appeared.
Without hesitation—
He threw it.
THUNK.
The blade buried itself in Sayanaki's chest.
Blood spilled across her clothing.
Crow stood over her.
For a moment—
Neither moved.
Then Crow spoke.
"Out of three thousand six hundred seventy-two players I have encountered..."
His voice was quiet.
Calm.
"...you are by far the one who pushed me the furthest."
Sayanaki remained motionless.
Crow lowered his head slightly.
A rare gesture.
Respect.
"I have nothing but respect for you."
He turned away.
"Sadly..."
The train continued moving.
"...this fight must come to an end."
A notification suddenly appeared in front of him.
Crow glanced at it.
His eyes narrowed.
[Item secured. Retreat immediately. Mission complete.]
Crow clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
The mission had succeeded.
Meaning there was no reason to continue fighting.
No reason to kill her.
No reason to remain.
He began walking away.
Then—
Something stabbed into his shoulder.
THUNK.
Crow froze.
Pain exploded through his right arm.
His eyes widened.
For the first time during the entire battle—
The Raven Phantom looked shocked.
He slowly looked downward.
A dagger protruded from his shoulder.
Fresh blood dripped onto the floor.
Crow turned around.
Standing behind him—
Was Sayanaki.
Completely unharmed.
Holding another dagger.
Crow's eyes widened.
Then he looked toward the corpse lying on the ground.
The body flickered.
Distorted.
Then disappeared.
A clone.
Nothing more.
A clone.
The real Sayanaki twisted the dagger deeper.
Crow dropped to one knee.
Blood poured from the wound.
"You..."
His voice carried genuine disbelief.
Sayanaki pulled the blade free.
Crow grunted.
She pointed Fenrir Fang toward his throat.
Her expression remained calm.
Cold.
Focused.
"The chaos from the clone battle."
Crow understood immediately.
While the room was filled with clones—
While twelve assassins fought simultaneously—
While visibility disappeared beneath shadows—
She had hidden.
The wounded Sayanaki.
The bleeding Sayanaki.
The dying Sayanaki.
All of it had been another clone.
Crow laughed.
A quiet laugh.
Then a louder one.
Eventually he shook his head.
"Unbelievable."
He slowly stood despite the wound.
Blood dripped from his shoulder.
The two assassins stared at one another.
Neither had enough strength left to continue.
Both knew it.
Crow chuckled.
"I suppose this is a draw."
Sayanaki remained silent.
Crow adjusted his mask.
"I'd like to continue."
His eyes narrowed.
"You are fun to fight."
For a moment—
Neither moved.
The train thundered through the desert.
The wind howled outside.
Then Crow stepped backward.
His body slowly dissolved into darkness.
Sayanaki frowned.
"Running?"
Crow smirked.
"Retreating."
His body sank deeper into the shadows.
"Hopefully we meet again."
The darkness swallowed him.
His final words echoed through the carriage.
"It would be a waste not to."
Then he vanished.
Gone.
The Raven Phantom disappeared completely.
Silence returned.
The fight was over.
At last.
Sayanaki stood there for several seconds.
Making sure he was truly gone.
Only when she was certain—
Did her legs finally give out.
She collapsed onto the ruined floor.
The adrenaline disappeared.
The pain arrived immediately.
Every muscle screamed.
Every wound burned.
Every breath hurt.
She stared up at the destroyed ceiling.
The stars were visible through the holes above.
For the first time in a very long time—
Sayanaki felt exhausted.
Truly exhausted.
Not physically.
Not mentally.
Completely.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
The train continued racing toward Nendu.
And somewhere beyond the darkness—
The battle aboard the train was still raging.