“Croft, wake up! Hey, wake up!”
A violent clap of thunder rattled the windows of the inn, causing the wooden frame to tremble for a brief moment. Rain drummed relentlessly against the roof, while flashes of white lightning illuminated the dark room in short, blinding bursts. Standing beside the bed, Lireina desperately tugged at the blanket wrapped around the sleeping detective. They had spent the last two nights waiting for trouble to arrive, and now the uneasy feeling that had been gnawing at Lireina's instincts was proving correct.
“Uh, five more minutes, Mom,” Croft mumbled groggily as she rolled onto her other side and buried her face deeper into the pillow.
“The Northern Fortress is under attack! Can't you hear the alert?” Lireina cried, her voice rising above the storm outside.
Croft frowned in confusion. She couldn't hear any alarm at all. The fortress was several kilometers away from the inn they had rented, far enough that neither the warning bells nor the battle cries could reach ordinary human ears through the raging weather. Still, Croft knew better than to dismiss Lireina's concerns. As an elf, Lireina possessed hearing far sharper than any human's or dwarves'. If she said the fortress was sounding an alarm, then it undoubtedly was.
Suppressing a groan, Croft slowly pushed herself upright and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. A massive yawn escaped her lips as another flash of lightning briefly filled the room with pale light.
“I'm up, I'm up,” she muttered.
Lireina wasted no time. She grabbed a damp towel from a nearby basin and briskly wiped Croft's face, the cool water shocking the detective further awake. Before Croft could fully process what was happening, Lireina had already draped her trench coat over her shoulders, adjusted her fedora onto her head, and shoved her toward the door.
“Hey, at least let me—”
“No time.”
The door burst open, allowing a gust of cold, rain-scented wind to rush inside. Moments later, both women were sprinting through the storm-dark streets. Their boots splashed through puddles that reflected the occasional flashes of lightning overhead. The icy air stung their faces while distant thunder rolled continuously across the night sky.
“Where did you set the waypoint teleporter?” Lireina asked as they ran.
“At the top of the hill, just as you instructed,” Croft answered between breaths, still struggling to fully shake off her exhaustion.
“Got it. Let's go there!”
Without slowing down, both women pulled out their teleportation crystals. The gemstones glowed with soft magical light, casting pale reflections on the rain-soaked ground. In the next instant, space around them twisted and folded.
A blink later, they appeared atop a frozen hill overlooking the region.
The temperature immediately felt colder. Frost coated the grass beneath their boots, and rows of towering pine trees swayed violently in the storm winds. Their thick branches provided some shelter from the drizzle, though occasional gusts still sent icy droplets cascading onto the two women. Lightning split the heavens again, illuminating the landscape in stark flashes of silver and white.
Now fully awake, Croft stared toward the distant horizon.
The Northern Fortress stood there like a giant silhouette against the storm.
Lireina narrowed her eyes.
At that exact moment, one of the fortress watchtowers erupted into splinters and stone fragments. The explosion briefly lit up the darkness before debris vanished into the rain below. Flames were already spreading across parts of the fortress grounds, their orange glow flickering against the black night.
Lireina's jaw tightened.
As the finest markswomen of the Celestial Wardens, her eyesight far surpassed that of ordinary people. She didn't need magical enhancement to observe distant targets. Even from two kilometers away, she could clearly see the source of the destruction.
A towering mechanical figure stood amidst the chaos.
Nearly two meters tall, the armored machine moved through the battlefield like a walking catastrophe. Muzzle flashes burst from one hand while a sword gleamed menacingly in the other. Guards attempted to surround him, only to be cut down or blown away moments later.
“Azazel,” Lireina muttered darkly.
“W-What!? He's here!?” Croft exclaimed.
Any trace of sleep instantly vanished from her body. She grabbed her revolver and tapped its side. With a series of metallic clicks and shifting gears, the weapon transformed into a sniper rifle. Croft quickly raised it and peered through the scope.
The scene made her stomach drop.
Through the magnified lens, she watched Azazel casually gun down several guards before cutting through another with a swift swing of his blade. The rain seemed unable to slow the machine as he advanced deeper into the fortress.
“Damn, your instincts were right, Lena,” Croft said grimly. “He really did show up. But I don't see any sign of the other Iron Bandits.”
“I'll have to stop him before he massacres more people,” Lireina declared.
Her expression hardened with determination as she drew her twin pistols. Green magical energy immediately began swirling around her body, dancing through the rain like wisps of emerald light.
“Croft, support me!”
“Got it,” Croft replied as she steadied her rifle.
Without another word, Lireina launched herself into the air.
A brilliant green magic circle materialized beneath her feet. The moment her boots touched it, the construct compressed like a spring before violently releasing its stored force. Lireina shot upward through the storm.
Then another circle appeared.
And another.
Each time she kicked forward, a new Air Trampoline manifested beneath her foot, allowing her to leap again. Emerald rings flashed into existence one after another, hanging briefly in the air before dissolving into streams of glowing particles. From afar, it looked as though she were running across an invisible staircase woven from wind itself.
Rain whipped through her golden hair as thunder roared above, but Lireina continued advancing without hesitation, soaring toward the burning fortress.
It was a sight that had earned her a legendary title throughout the kingdom.
The Untouchable Windwalker.
It only took fifteen seconds before Lireina reached the battlefield.
The storm winds screamed around her as she descended from the sky like a falling comet. Below, chaos consumed the Northern Fortress. Flames crackled from shattered barricades, smoke billowed into the rain-soaked night, and the cries of wounded soldiers echoed through the open courtyard. Azazel stood at the center of the carnage, one massive gauntlet wrapped around a soldier's throat while the unfortunate man desperately clawed at the iron fingers crushing his neck.
Lireina didn't hesitate.
Drawing upon the momentum of her aerial approach, she twisted her body and delivered a devastating axe kick enhanced with concentrated wind magic.
“Wind Bomb!” Lireina shouted.
A violent burst of compressed air exploded around her descending leg. The force generated a shrill whistle that cut through the thunderstorm as she slammed toward Azazel with enough power to pulverize stone.
However, Azazel reacted instantly.
A crimson energy shield erupted from the gauntlets on his arms just as Lireina's heel connected. The impact created a deafening shockwave that blasted rainwater outward in every direction. The ground beneath Azazel cracked from the force while sparks and wind energy scattered across the battlefield.
Although her attack had been blocked, Lireina had never intended to remain locked in a contest of strength.
Using the brief moment of distraction, she darted forward and grabbed the soldier from Azazel's grasp. The terrified man gasped desperately for air as Lireina pulled him free. She immediately leaped backward, creating distance between them and the mechanical giant.
Landing gracefully on the wet stone pavement, Lireina carefully lowered the trembling soldier beside her.
“I-I'm saved!” the soldier gasped between ragged breaths. His entire body shook as he stared at the monster that had nearly killed him.
“Run,” Lireina ordered firmly, never taking her eyes off Azazel. “I'll take care of this.”
The soldier stared at her angelic figure for a moment before nodding frantically.
“Thank you, Untouchable Windwalker!”
Without waiting another second, he turned and sprinted toward safety, splashing through puddles as he disappeared into the chaos of the fortress.
Now there were only two combatants standing in the center of the battlefield.
For the second time, Lireina Ashford faced Azazel.
Rain drizzled from the black sky and hissed against nearby fires. Broken weapons and fallen debris littered the courtyard around them. Neither fighter moved.
Azazel stood completely motionless.
Yet despite the lack of expression on his metallic faceplate, the crimson-purple glow of his eyes seemed fixed directly upon her. The mechanical warrior radiated an oppressive presence that made the surrounding soldiers instinctively retreat.
This is such a monster. Lireina narrowed her eyes. He might be even more powerful than Semjaza.
The memory of her battle inside the Abyssal Dungeon resurfaced. She still remembered how close she had come to defeat against a Halochassis. That fight had taught her a valuable lesson.
Holding back against opponents like this could get her killed. Mercy was a luxury she couldn't afford.
Drawing a deep breath, Lireina gathered enormous amounts of wind mana into her body. The air around her began to vibrate as invisible currents spiraled faster and faster.
“Unleashing Second Form!”
A massive tornado erupted around Lireina.
The surrounding rain was blown away instantly as emerald streams of wind shot toward the heavens. Nearby soldiers shielded their faces from the gale while loose debris was lifted from the ground. The cyclone roared with enough force to shake nearby structures.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the tornado vanished.
Standing at its center was Lireina's Mystic Elf form.
Her elegant frilly green dress shimmered beneath flashes of lightning, almost appearing ethereal amidst the battlefield. Radiant fairy wings extended from her back, their magical dusts glowing faintly with spiritual energy. Golden hair danced gracefully in the wind while emerald eyes shone with renewed power.
The transformation had barely finished when Azazel fired.
BOOM!
The thunderous report of his magnum echoed across the fortress.
The enchanted bullet tore through the rain with terrifying speed, generating a shockwave powerful enough to rip apart nearby stone. Yet before the projectile could reach its target, Lireina's Autonomous Evasion skill activated.
Her body moved automatically.
She shifted mere centimeters to the side, allowing both the bullet and its destructive shockwave to miss entirely. The projectile streaked past her and exploded against a distant wall, showering the battlefield with fragments of stone.
For the first time, Azazel appeared surprised.
The glow in his eyes flickered briefly.
“Tell me...” Lireina said calmly. “What is your motive?”
She continued watching him carefully. There was something unusual about him.
Unlike ordinary monsters or autonomous war machines, Azazel felt alive. Beneath the layers of metal and armor, she could sense a living presence. A soul. A heartbeat hidden behind steel.
Someone was inside.
But Azazel remained silent.
Instead of answering, he raised his magnum once more.
BOOM!
Another enchanted bullet raced toward her.
Again, Lireina effortlessly evaded it.
The projectile passed so close that she could feel the displaced air brush against her cheek before it exploded somewhere behind her.
“If you're not going to talk,” Lireina said coldly, “then I'll rip that mask off your face myself.”
The moment she finished speaking, she kicked the ground. A burst of wind exploded beneath her feet.
In less than a blink, she vanished.
Azazel barely had time to react before Lireina suddenly appeared directly in front of him. Her leg whipped upward with devastating force.
CRASH!
The kick connected squarely with Azazel's torso. The impact launched the armored warrior into the sky like a cannonball.
“Tempest Barrage!”
The instant Azazel was airborne, Lireina disappeared again.
She reappeared above him.
Kick.
Another teleportation.
Kick.
Again.
Kick.
The battlefield became a blur of emerald flashes and explosive impacts. Lireina moved faster than the eye could follow, teleporting around Azazel from every direction. Each appearance lasted only a fraction of a second before another devastating kick connected.
The sound of impact after impact echoed through the storm.
Kick.
Teleport.
Kick.
Teleport.
The relentless cycle continued without pause.
By the time the assault ended, Azazel had suffered thirty-six direct hits. Every strike landed successfully before he could raise a defense. The armored giant was bounced through the sky like a helpless target as Lireina's overwhelming speed dominated the battle.
Inside the Azazel power armor, Shin felt sweat pouring down his face.
His breathing had become ragged. The cockpit felt smaller with every passing second.
He had expected resistance. He had expected soldiers. He had even expected elite warriors from the fortress.
What he had never anticipated was facing one of the Celestial Wardens themselves.
No.
Not just any Warden.
Lireina Ashford.
His heart pounded violently against his chest as warning messages flashed throughout the armor's interface.
This was happening all over again.
The memory of the Abyssal Dungeon flooded back into his mind. The same overwhelming pressure. The same impossible opponent standing before him. The same feeling of helplessness creeping into his thoughts.
The only difference was that back then, he had been fighting alongside the heroes.
Now he was the enemy.
And if things continued this way, he knew exactly how this battle would end.
He was going to die.
[Hybrid Armor at 12%]
The warning flashed repeatedly across Shin's visor in bright crimson letters. Emergency alarms blared throughout the cockpit, accompanied by an endless stream of damage reports. Sparks erupted from several damaged panels around him, filling the cramped interior with the acrid smell of burnt metal and overheated circuitry. Every impact from Lireina's relentless assault had shaken the armor to its core, leaving cracks and dents throughout the once-pristine Halochassis.
Shin gritted his teeth.
His entire body ached from the punishment. Sweat streamed down his face and soaked his clothes despite the cooling systems working at maximum capacity. His hands trembled as he gripped the controls.
Shit! If this continues... I'll die for sure!
The realization struck him harder than any of Lireina's kicks.
For the first time since arriving at the fortress, death no longer felt like a distant possibility. It felt immediate. Inevitable. Just one more powerful attack from Lireina, and the Azazel armor would finally break apart around him.
His breathing became ragged.
Then memories began flooding into his mind.
He remembered the dark elf pilot.
He could still picture the moment her Halochassis had been destroyed. The desperate expression on her face. The panic in her eyes. The horrifying instant when her armor failed and she was swallowed by death alongside the machine she trusted.
The image lingered before being replaced by another.
Professor Gagarin.
Shin's eyes widened.
He remembered the old professor's final moments. The blood. The Celestial Warden's spear piercing through him without mercy. The look of shock frozen on Emmanuel's face as life slipped away from him.
The memory struck Shin's heart like a hammer.
"No..." Shin muttered.
His trembling hands slowly tightened into fists.
"No!"
The cockpit shook violently as Azazel crashed through the air from another one of Lireina's kicks. Warning lights flashed brighter. More alarms sounded.
But Shin no longer paid attention to them.
His fear was still there. The terror of dying remained.
Yet beneath that fear, something hotter began to emerge.
Defiance. Rage. The desperate instinct to survive.
"I will not end up like them!"
His voice echoed throughout the cockpit as he remembered the face of the fallen Iron Bandits. Then, he remembered the cold stare of the Ultimate Dragon Warrior who killed his friend.
"Not until I kill him!"
Outside, the battered Azazel armor continued falling through the stormy skies. Purple energy began flickering along the damaged armor plates.
"I will..."
The magical circuits inside the Halochassis suddenly illuminated.
One by one. Then dozens. Then hundreds.
Like veins carrying molten energy, glowing purple pathways spread throughout Azazel's frame. The damaged machine began trembling violently as enormous quantities of mana surged through its systems.
Shin's eyes widened as warning messages were replaced by entirely new readings.
The Halochassis was responding.
Not to commands. To him. To his will.
"I will live!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the cockpit erupted with brilliant crimson violet light.
A deafening hum resonated throughout the machine.
Outside, every magical circuit on Azazel's body ignited simultaneously.
Purple energy poured from cracks in the armor like liquid starlight. The battlefield below became bathed in an eerie violet glow as power gathered around the mechanical giant.
Even the rain seemed to recoil from the phenomenon.
Then it happened.
BOOOOM!
An explosion of magical energy erupted from Azazel.
Massive wings composed entirely of violet energy burst from his back and unfurled across the night sky. Each feather-like projection crackled with immense magical power, illuminating the storm clouds above. The wings stretched outward with majestic yet terrifying beauty, resembling those of a fallen angel descending upon the battlefield.
The sudden release of energy generated a powerful shockwave. The air itself seemed to rupture.
Lireina's eyes widened.
"What!?"
The shockwave slammed into her before she could react. Her Tempest Barrage was abruptly interrupted as the blast hurled her backward through the air. She crossed her arms defensively while emerald wind magic gathered around her body to absorb part of the impact.
Even so, she was pushed dozens of meters away.
Her boots skidded across the rain-soaked ground after she landed, carving long grooves into the stone courtyard.
The surrounding battlefield suffered even worse.
Nearby flames were extinguished instantly. Loose debris flew through the air. Several damaged walls collapsed beneath the pressure. The soldiers who had been watching from afar stumbled backward in shock.
Lireina stared at Azazel. Her heart pounded. His mana had changed.
No.
It had evolved.
The oppressive aura pouring from the machine was far greater than before. The battered armor that had seemed moments away from destruction now radiated overwhelming power.
Purple lightning danced across its frame. The glowing wings continued to pulse with energy.
For the first time since the battle began, Lireina felt genuine surprise.
Azazel slowly raised both arms. With a series of metallic clicks, hidden compartments opened along his forearms.
Two energy swords emerged. Their violet blades crackled violently as condensed magical power formed razor-sharp edges. The weapons emitted a low, menacing hum that echoed through the storm.
The rain evaporated whenever droplets touched the glowing blades.
Azazel lowered his stance. Then the energy wings flapped.
BOOM!
The force shattered the ground beneath him.
A crater formed where he had stood.
In less than an instant, Azazel transformed into a streak of violet light racing toward Lireina. The storm winds twisted behind him as the wings propelled him forward with terrifying speed.
The fortress courtyard blurred around him.
His swords were raised. His eyes burned with fury.
Inside the cockpit, Shin's face was twisted by equal parts rage, fear, and determination.
"Dieeeee!" Azazel roared.
The mechanical voice thundered across the battlefield as the fallen angel of steel charged straight toward the Untouchable Windwalker.