[Hybrid Armor at 82%]
The glowing System HUD of the Halochassis flashed directly in front of Shin’s eyes, its purple symbols shimmering across the darkness inside his helmet. Numbers flickered constantly beside his vision while warning indicators pulsed like a living heartbeat. Every impact against the armor produced a dull metallic vibration that traveled through his entire body. Shin could feel the strain building little by little beneath the armor’s shell. The Halochassis was powerful—far beyond anything ordinary humans could wield—but he already understood one terrifying truth.
Its defense was not limitless.
Arrows continued raining upon him like a violent storm. Fireballs exploded against his armored chest, releasing waves of scorching heat and sparks that scattered across the battlefield. Ice spears shattered against the black metal plating with sharp cracking sounds. Lightning crawled across the armor’s surface in violent purple streaks before dissolving into glowing particles.
Yet despite all those attacks, Shin remained standing.
The battlefield itself had descended into utter chaos. The smell of blood mixed with smoke and burned soil. Cries of wounded men echoed across the forest road while steel clashed endlessly against steel. Shin could hear panicked shouting from every direction as the adventurers struggled to understand what kind of monster they were fighting.
In fact, Shin quickly noticed something else.
Almost all the adventurers had stopped targeting the bandits entirely.
Their eyes were now fixed solely on him.
The wounded bandits—both physically and mentally broken by fear—had already begun retreating into the forest. Some limped away while clutching bleeding wounds. Others dropped their weapons entirely just to flee faster. The terror in their faces was obvious even beneath the smoke.
“Fall back!” Adzeel, the bandit leader, roared as he raised his giant sword high into the air. His voice thundered above the battlefield. “Retreat!”
Several bandits immediately threw smoke bombs onto the ground. Thick gray smoke erupted outward with loud hissing sounds, rapidly swallowing the trees and the dirt road beneath it. The scent of sulfur spread heavily through the air, stinging Shin’s nose even through the armor’s filters.
Shin watched them disappear into the smoke.
“These lowly bandits are treating me like a disposable decoy,” Shin muttered bitterly to himself.
The realization irritated him.
He was the one standing at the center of the battlefield while everyone else escaped.
Then suddenly—
CRACKLE!
A bolt of lightning slammed directly against his helmet.
The impact exploded in a burst of white-blue light that briefly blinded his vision. Electricity danced wildly across the Halochassis, producing violent sparks and a deafening crackling noise. Shin staggered half a step backward as warning runes flickered across his HUD.
He slowly turned his head toward the attacker.
A terrified mage stood several meters away with his staff trembling violently in his hands. Sweat poured down the man’s pale face. His eyes widened in horror after realizing his strongest spell had accomplished absolutely nothing.
Shin’s glowing crimson purple eyes burned brightly beneath the helmet.
“Oh well,” Shin whispered coldly.
“Shit! We’re not dealing any damage to him!” one of the archers shouted in panic while desperately reaching for another arrow.
“I’m sensing some kind of barrier around that armor!” a massive barbarian yelled. “But we can’t even make a dent!”
Fear had begun spreading among the adventurers.
Shin could hear it in their voices.
For the first time, they sounded uncertain.
The Halochassis suddenly displayed another glowing menu before Shin’s eyes. Strange symbols and weapon indicators appeared one after another. Instinctively, Shin reached toward the twin swords attached to his waist.
The moment he pulled them free, both blades erupted with swirling purple magic.
The energy hummed violently in the air.
Dark light flowed along the swords’ edges like liquid lightning, illuminating the smoke-filled battlefield around him. Shin could actually feel power coursing through his arms—raw, intoxicating power unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
And then he moved. The ground beneath his feet exploded apart as Shin surged forward with terrifying speed.
“Wha—?!”
One of the towering knights barely had time to react.
Shin drove both glowing blades straight into the knight’s chest armor with a sickening crunch. Metal shattered instantly. Flesh tore open. Hot blood erupted outward in a violent spray, splattering across the black surface of the Halochassis.
The knight coughed blood before collapsing heavily onto the dirt. The surrounding adventurers froze in horror.
Warm blood slowly dripped down Shin’s armored gauntlets.
Inside the helmet, Shin stared silently at the crimson stains covering his armor. His breathing grew heavier. His heartbeat pounded louder inside his ears.
And to his own surprise…
He felt thrilled. A dangerous excitement spread through his chest like wildfire.
“So this is what it feels like to have power,” Shin muttered softly while staring at the corpse beneath him.
The crimson purple glow in his eyes intensified.
“It’s quite addictive.”
Shin carved his way through the adventurers like a black storm of death.
Every swing of the glowing energy swords tore through flesh and steel alike. Arms spun through the air. Blood splashed violently across the muddy battlefield. One adventurer screamed as Shin sliced clean through his chest armor, spilling steaming organs onto the dirt below. Another tried to run, only for Shin’s blade to sever his leg at the knee, sending the man crashing face-first into the blood-soaked ground.
The battlefield had become a slaughterhouse.
The smell of iron filled the cold night air so heavily that even the forest itself seemed drenched in blood. Smoke from magic spells mixed with the scent of burning flesh while screams echoed endlessly around Shin. Mud squished beneath his armored boots, now mixed with blood and scattered remains.
And somehow… Shin enjoyed it.
His heartbeat thundered wildly inside the Halochassis. Adrenaline surged through his veins like liquid fire. Every time his blades cut through another adventurer, he felt an overwhelming rush of satisfaction deep inside his chest.
These were the same kinds of people who abused their power. The same kinds of “heroes” who trampled the weak while pretending to protect the world.
Watching them panic… watching them die…
It felt disturbingly satisfying.
“So weak…” Shin muttered beneath the helmet.
Several adventurers hesitated to approach him now. Fear had completely overtaken their formation. Some backed away slowly while gripping their weapons with trembling hands.
“Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!”
A young magician girl desperately waved her wooden staff from the rear lines. Her voice cracked with panic as she unleashed a rapid barrage of blazing fireballs toward Shin’s back.
WHOOSH!
The fireballs streaked through the battlefield like miniature suns, illuminating the smoke-filled darkness in flashes of orange light. They slammed directly against the Halochassis and exploded violently, sending heat and sparks everywhere.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
But as usual… The attacks did absolutely nothing. The flames dissolved harmlessly against the armor’s glowing barrier.
Shin slowly turned around. The movement alone sent terror through the surviving adventurers nearby.
Behind the glowing visor, Shin’s crimson purple eyes burned like demonic flames as they locked onto the young mage.
The magician girl froze instantly. Her face turned pale white.
The staff slipped slightly from her trembling fingers as her knees gave out beneath her. She collapsed helplessly onto the muddy ground. A dark stain slowly spread across her skirt as terror overwhelmed her completely.
“P-Please…” she whimpered weakly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Don’t come any closer!”
Shin stared at her silently. The glowing energy sword in his hand hummed with deadly purple light. Reflections of fire danced across the blade while blood dripped steadily from its edge.
Without hesitation, Shin raised the sword high above his shoulder, preparing to cut the poor mage girl down in a single strike.
However—
“Magic Missile!”
A distant voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield.
The instant Shin heard it, his body reacted on pure instinct. He immediately raised his armored gauntlet to shield his face.
Several glowing magic projectiles shot through the air at incredible speed, leaving streaks of blue light behind them. The missiles slammed directly into Shin’s raised arm—
—but the Halochassis instantly generated a massive purple energy shield.
FWOOOM!
The shield bloomed outward like a translucent wall of crystal energy. The incoming magic missiles shattered upon impact, exploding into harmless sparks that scattered across the battlefield like glowing dust.
Shin narrowed his eyes. Someone dangerous had entered the fight.
And then—
A powerful gust of wind suddenly roared toward him.
Before Shin could fully react, a beautiful elf woman came flying through the smoke with unbelievable speed. Her long blonde hair danced wildly behind her like flowing gold beneath the moonlight. Emerald-colored wind energy spiraled around her entire body, creating sharp currents strong enough to slice apart nearby smoke clouds.
Her green eyes burned with fierce determination.
The elf twisted gracefully through the air and performed a spinning somersault kick directly toward Shin’s head.
BOOM!
The kick connected with terrifying force.
Compressed wind energy exploded outward the moment her foot struck the Halochassis, creating a violent shockwave that blasted dirt, blood, and broken weapons across the battlefield.
The impact staggered Shin backward several steps. His armored boots dug deep trenches into the ground as he struggled to maintain balance. The entire Halochassis vibrated violently from the sheer force of the attack.
“Gah—!” Shin gasped.
For the first time since entering the battlefield…
Someone had actually managed to push him back.
Then, Shin finally looked directly at his attacker. And the moment he saw her, his entire body froze inside the Halochassis.
Standing before him was one of the legendary Celestial Wardens—the last person he ever expected to encounter here.
Long blonde hair flowed behind her like strands of gold illuminated by moonlight. Her emerald-green eyes shone sharply beneath the smoke-filled battlefield, carrying both elegance and deadly intent. Pointed elf ears peeked through her hair, while two beautifully crafted pistols rested firmly in her hands.
The wind itself seemed to dance around her. Leaves and dust spiraled gently at her feet as currents of emerald mana flowed across her body like living air.
“Lireina!” the young magician girl exclaimed in relief.
“Get out of here, Zinea! I’ll take care of this!” Lireina commanded firmly. Her voice was calm, yet carried absolute authority.
The frightened magician girl immediately scrambled backward across the muddy battlefield, nearly tripping over herself in panic. Other adventurers who had been surrounding Shin also retreated without hesitation. None of them dared remain near the battlefield anymore.
Within moments, a large empty space formed around Shin and Lireina.
Only the crackling sounds of distant fires and the groans of dying men remained. Smoke drifted slowly between them.
Then, Lireina lifted her gaze toward the towering demonic power armor standing before her. Shin’s heart pounded violently. He could not believe what he was seeing.
Lireina…
The very Celestial Wardensine he had admired for years… was standing right in front of him.
He remembered reading stories about her victories. Remembered hearing tavern songs praising her beauty and unmatched speed. Back then, if he had ever encountered her in a normal situation, he probably would have nervously begged for an autograph like an excited child meeting his heroine.
But now…
Everything was different.
The emerald glare in Lireina’s eyes held no warmth whatsoever. Only killing intent.
Shin could practically feel the pressure radiating from her presence. The battlefield wind grew sharper around her, slicing through the smoke like invisible blades. Every instinct inside Shin screamed one terrifying truth:
One wrong movement… and she would kill him instantly.
“Are you…” Lireina asked coldly, narrowing her emerald eyes, “a part of the Demon King’s Army?”
Shin remained silent. His mind was spiraling into chaos beneath the helmet.
Out of all the possible ways to meet Lireina, this was the absolute worst outcome imaginable. He had dreamed of seeing her in person before—but never as an enemy. Never while drenched in blood inside a demonic-looking armor after slaughtering dozens of adventurers.
He didn’t even know what to say.
Would she believe him if he explained?
Would she care?
Lireina slowly raised both pistols toward him. The glowing magical engravings along the barrels illuminated her beautiful yet merciless face.
“I am sorry for the death of the Demon King,” Lireina declared calmly. “But the only fate awaiting evil incarnate… is death.”
The wind around her intensified violently.
“Prepare yourself, demon!”
BANG! BANG!
Two glowing magic missiles erupted from her pistols like streaks of emerald lightning.
The attacks shot toward Shin at terrifying speed. Without thinking, Shin immediately raised both gauntlets.
FWOOOM!
Massive purple energy shields expanded outward from his arms just before the missiles struck. The projectiles exploded against the shields in bursts of magical sparks, shaking the Halochassis with heavy impacts.
But Lireina did not stop there. Emerald wind energy suddenly gathered around one of her pistols.
The mana compressed violently, spiraling faster and faster until it formed a miniature hurricane around the barrel itself. The air shrieked loudly from the pressure alone. Dirt and broken weapons nearby were dragged into the swirling winds.
Shin’s eyes widened beneath the helmet. The amount of power gathering in that attack was monstrous.
“Aero Twirl!” Lireina shouted.
She pulled the trigger. A gigantic spiraling bullet of compressed wind exploded forward like a raging tornado drill. The projectile ripped through the battlefield with horrifying force, tearing apart the ground itself as it traveled toward Shin.
Shin immediately reinforced his energy shield again. The Aero Twirl slammed directly into him.
CRAAAAASH!
The impact was catastrophic. The purple shield screamed under the pressure as violent wind currents exploded outward in every direction. Trees bent violently. Smoke clouds vanished instantly. The ground beneath Shin’s feet shattered apart while a massive trench carved itself across the battlefield.
Shin’s armored boots dug desperately into the earth as he fought to remain standing.
The sheer force pushed him backward relentlessly. Metal groaned. Warning alarms blared loudly inside the Halochassis. For several terrifying seconds, Shin genuinely thought the armor would break apart.
Finally, the attack dispersed into raging winds.
Shin remained standing—but barely.
Steam and smoke rose from the battered Halochassis while cracks of purple energy flickered weakly across the damaged shield generators.
Then the System HUD flashed urgently before his eyes.
[Hybrid Armor at 41%]
Shin’s breathing became heavier. Cold sweat trickled down his neck. That single attack had nearly cut the Halochassis durability in half.
“Shit!” Shin cried out in panic.
The warning signs flashing inside the Halochassis were becoming more aggressive by the second. Red symbols blinked wildly across his vision while alarms echoed inside the helmet. He immediately realized one thing:
If he stayed on the defensive, he would eventually lose. He had no choice but to attack.
Blue flames suddenly erupted from the boosters mounted on the Halochassis’s back.
FWOOOOOSH!
The ground beneath Shin exploded apart as the power armor surged forward like a missile. Dirt and shattered rocks blasted behind him while the massive armor charged directly toward Lireina with overwhelming force.
“HAAAAAAH!” Shin roared.
He swung his glowing energy sword downward with brutal strength.
The blade carved through the air with a loud humming sound powerful enough to split stone apart—but Lireina effortlessly dodged by twisting her body sideways with graceful precision. Her blonde hair flowed behind her like silk as she narrowly avoided the slash.
Before Shin could recover, he swung horizontally toward her waist.
WHOOSH!
Again, Lireina evaded. She bent backward with unbelievable flexibility, the glowing blade barely passing inches above her stomach. The violent swing sliced through several nearby trees instead, causing them to collapse heavily onto the battlefield.
Shin immediately followed with another slash.
Then another.
Left. Right. Upward. Downward.
Each strike carried enough force to butcher an ordinary human instantly. The energy blades shrieked violently through the air, leaving glowing purple trails behind every swing.
But none of them landed.
Lireina moved like flowing wind itself.
She spun gracefully between attacks, flipping and twisting with inhuman agility. Sometimes she leaped over Shin’s strikes. Other times she ducked beneath them with elegant movements that almost looked like dancing.
The more Shin attacked, the more frustrated he became.
“What the hell?!” Shin shouted furiously.
He threw a heavy armored punch toward her.
Lireina side-stepped effortlessly.
Shin attempted a sweeping kick powerful enough to crush stone—but the elf lightly jumped over it as though gravity barely affected her.
Every attack missed.
Every single one.
“What the hell! Get hit already!” Shin screamed angrily.
His breathing became rougher inside the helmet. The frustration clouded his judgment. Shin no longer fought carefully.
He swung wildly now, driven by anger and desperation rather than strategy. The Halochassis tore apart the battlefield with sheer brute force, but Lireina continued slipping through every attack like an untouchable phantom.
And Lireina noticed it immediately.
He lost his composure.
A small opening appeared in Shin’s reckless assault.
Lireina’s emerald eyes sharpened instantly.
“There!”
She suddenly leaped forward.
The elf planted one hand against the ground and flipped her entire body upside down with impossible grace. Wind energy spiraled violently around her legs as her blonde hair whipped through the air.
Then—
WHOOOSH!
She unleashed a devastating spinning tornado kick.
Her legs blurred into motion.
BAAM! BAAM! BAAM!
Multiple kicks slammed against Shin’s armored chest and helmet in rapid succession. Every impact exploded with compressed wind energy powerful enough to shake the massive Halochassis.
Shin staggered helplessly backward as Lireina’s attacks hammered him repeatedly.
The final kick came from below.
BOOOOM!
Lireina unleashed a powerful upward strike directly beneath Shin’s chin.
The wind-enhanced kick detonated like a cannon blast.
Shin’s entire body lurched backward violently as the Halochassis lost balance for a moment. Dirt exploded beneath his feet while he was pushed several meters away across the battlefield.
“GRAH!” Shin roared in pain and frustration.
The inside of the armor rattled violently around him. Warning alarms screamed louder than ever while static flickered across his HUD.
“This is fucking annoying!”
Meanwhile, Lireina gracefully landed several meters away.
She slid backward slightly before stabilizing herself, her boots carving shallow lines into the dirt. The surrounding winds slowly calmed around her body as she maintained her battle stance.
But despite her calm appearance…
She was breathing harder now. Sweat rolled down her pale chin.
Lireina narrowed her emerald eyes at the towering demonic armor before her. The battlefield around them had already been devastated beyond recognition—massive trenches, shattered trees, blood-soaked mud, burning seas, and broken corpses littered the area.
“All my attacks are landing…” Lireina muttered quietly while wiping sweat from her chin. “But it doesn’t seem to make a dent.”
Her expression darkened.
“This guy is bad news…”
The wind around her began swirling more aggressively.
“He must be at least Demon General level.”
Inside the Halochassis, Shin tried stabilizing his breathing.
His entire body trembled slightly from the constant impacts. Even though the armor absorbed most of the damage, the force behind Lireina’s attacks still shook him from the inside.
Then suddenly—
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
The glowing gem embedded at the center of the Halochassis’s chest began blinking red.
Shin’s eyes widened.
A massive warning notification flashed across his vision.
[WARNING: HYBRID ARMOR AT 5%]
Cold fear crawled down Shin’s spine.
“No…” he whispered.
Lireina immediately noticed the blinking core. Her sharp eyes narrowed instantly. She sensed weakness. And she would not waste the opportunity.
The emerald winds around her body exploded outward violently, causing nearby debris and bloodstained leaves to spiral into the air.
“I’ll finish this once and for all!” Lireina declared.
A powerful pressure suddenly erupted from her body. The mana density around her skyrocketed.
“I will activate my Second Form!”