š
The battlefield collapsed into chaos.
Steel clashed.
Arrows tore through the air.
The ground itself trembled from the earlier collapse, leaving soldiers struggling to regain formation.
But in the center of it allā
She stood.
---
Unshaken.
---
Rosy's breathing remained steady as she cut down another attacker, her blade moving with lethal precision.
Not rushed.
Not wild.
Perfect.
---
"They're targeting only her!"
"Protect the Grand Duke!"
---
The knights tried to close ranks around herā
But they couldn't keep up.
---
Because she wasn't fighting defensively.
---
She was advancing.
---
Each step forwardā
More dangerous than the last.
---
"ā¦Too slow," she muttered.
---
Her body moved againā
A blur of black and silver.
---
A blade came for her sideā
She caught it.
Twisted.
Disarmed.
---
And in one clean motionā
---
Silenced him.
---
---
But they kept coming.
---
Not hesitating.
Not retreating.
---
Like they didn't care about survival.
---
Only one thing.
---
Her.
---
---
From aboveā
The masked leader watched.
Still.
Unmoving.
---
"ā¦Faster than expected," he murmured.
---
A soldier beside him hesitated.
"Should we proceed with the next phase?"
---
A pause.
---
Thenā
---
"ā¦Yes."
---
---
Belowā
Rosy felt it.
---
That shift again.
---
The same one from the forest.
---
The same one before the beast appeared.
---
Her eyes narrowed.
"ā¦Again?"
---
---
"MOVE BACK!"
---
Her voice cut sharply through the battlefield.
---
The knights didn't question it.
---
They moved.
---
Immediately.
---
---
A second laterā
---
The ground beneath her split open.
---
Not like before.
---
Worse.
---
Darker.
---
Something inside itā
Moved.
---
---
The air turned cold.
---
Unnaturally cold.
---
---
And from the darknessā
---
A hand emerged.
---
Not human.
---
Twisted.
---
Covered in black markings that seemed to pulse.
---
---
"ā¦What is thatā" a soldier whispered.
---
Rosy didn't answer.
---
Because she knew.
---
Not logically.
---
But instinctively.
---
"ā¦This isn't a trap," she said quietly.
---
Her grip tightened.
---
"It's a summoning."
---
---
The ground shattered furtherā
---
And it rose.
---
---
A creature.
---
Larger than the last.
---
More distorted.
---
Its form unstableālike it wasn't fully meant to exist.
---
Its eyesā
Locked onto her instantly.
---
---
"ā¦Target confirmed."
---
---
The voice didn't come from its mouth.
---
It echoed.
---
Inside the air.
---
Inside her head.
---
---
The soldiers froze.
---
"ā¦It speaks?"
---
---
Rosy stepped forward.
---
"ā¦So you're the next test."
---
---
The creature tilted its head unnaturally.
---
"ā¦Correction."
---
A pause.
---
"Execution."
---
---
And thenā
---
It moved.
---
---
Faster than anything before.
---
---
The ground shattered beneath its weight as it lunged toward her.
---
Rosy raised her swordā
Blocking just in timeā
---
But the impactā
---
Sent her sliding back several meters.
---
Her boots digging into the earthā
---
"ā¦Stronger," she whispered.
---
---
Behind herā
---
The man watched.
---
Silent.
---
But this timeā
---
His expression wasn't calm.
---
---
It was focused.
---
---
"ā¦This one is different," he murmured.
---
---
Rosy steadied herself.
---
Her breathing still controlledā
---
But her heartā
---
Faster now.
---
---
Not fear.
---
Something else.
---
---
Excitement.
---
---
"ā¦Good," she said softly.
---
---
The creature attacked againā
---
Its movements unpredictableā
---
Its strength overwhelmingā
---
---
But Rosyā
---
Didn't retreat.
---
---
She stepped into the attackā
---
Met it head-onā
---
Steel clashing against something far beyond flesh.
---
---
Each strikeā
---
Heavier.
---
Faster.
---
More intense.
---
---
The battlefield around them faded.
---
Because thisā
---
Was no longer a fight.
---
---
It was a clash.
---
---
Between something createdā
---
And something awakening.
---
---
Rosy's movements sharpened further.
---
Her strikes fasterā
---
Her reactions instantaneousā
---
---
And thenā
---
It happened again.
---
---
The flash.
---
---
But this timeā
---
Stronger.
---
Clearer.
---
---
A throne.
---
Black.
---
Endless darkness stretching beneath it.
---
---
And herā
---
Sitting on it.
---
---
Not as a warrior.
---
Not as a duke.
---
---
But something else.
---
---
Something far more terrifying.
---
---
Her breath hitchedā
---
"ā¦What is thatā¦?"
---
---
The creature struckā
---
She blockedā
---
But her mindā
---
Split.
---
---
Between nowā
---
And then.
---
---
"You're hesitating."
---
The voice came from behind her.
---
Sharp.
---
Commanding.
---
---
"Focus."
---
---
Her eyes snapped back.
---
The battlefield returned.
---
The creature in front of herā
---
Real.
---
Immediate.
---
Dangerous.
---
---
"ā¦Right."
---
---
Her grip tightened.
---
Her stance lowered.
---
---
And thenā
---
She stopped holding back.
---
---
Completely.
---
---
The air around her shifted.
---
Not visibly.
---
But heavily.
---
---
The soldiers felt it.
---
Even the enemies paused.
---
---
"ā¦What is that pressureā"
---
---
Her eyesā
---
Glowed.
---
---
Not faintly.
---
---
Bright.
---
Deep.
---
---
Violet light cutting through the battlefield.
---
---
"ā¦So that's it," the man whispered.
---
---
"Finally."
---
---
Rosy moved.
---
---
And this timeā
---
She didn't disappear.
---
---
She dominated.
---
---
Every strikeā
---
Absolute.
---
Every movementā
---
Unavoidable.
---
---
The creature roaredā
---
But it was too late.
---
---
Because she was no longer reacting.
---
---
She was overwhelming it.
---
---
Her blade cut through its defenseā
---
Through its formā
---
Through its existence itselfā
---
---
And with one final strikeā
---
---
It shattered.
---
---
Not fell.
---
Not died.
---
---
Shattered.
---
---
Like it had never been meant to exist.
---
---
Silence.
---
---
Total.
---
---
The battlefield froze.
---
---
Because what they had just seenā
---
Wasn't power.
---
---
It was something else.
---
---
Somethingā¦ forbidden.
---
---
Rosy stood still.
---
Her sword lowered slowly.
---
Her breathing steady.
---
---
But her eyesā
---
Still glowing.
---
---
"ā¦So this is what they sealed," she whispered.
---
---
Behind herā
---
He smiled.
---
Dark.
---
Knowing.
---
---
"Yes."
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"And this is only the beginning."
---
---
Far aboveā
---
The masked leader stepped back.
---
For the first timeā
---
Uneasy.
---
---
"ā¦She broke it," he muttered.
---
---
Thenā
---
"Retreat."
---
---
The remaining enemies vanished instantly.
---
---
Leaving only silence behind.
---
---
Rosy stood in the middle of the battlefield.
---
Unmoving.
---
Unshaken.
---
---
But insideā
---
Everything had changed.
---
---
Because nowā
---
She didn't just suspect.
---
---
She knew.
---
---
This powerā
---
Was never meant to exist in this world.
---
---
And yetā
---
It was hers.
---
---
Her fingers tightened slightly.
---
Her glowing eyes slowly dimming.
---
---
"ā¦Then let them come," she said quietly.
---
---
Because this timeā
---
She wasn't trapped.
---
---
She was breaking out.
---
---
End of Chapter 11