Ambush and Authority ( 592 )

"Do you want me to do it… or just you, Liana?" Gloria asked, already slipping on her glasses.

Liana looked carefully at the terrain ahead and then to the side, where faint distortions in the air hinted at hidden movement.

"Let's make sure none slip past," she said calmly. "You handle that area. I'll take the other."

"Well… alright~" Gloria smiled sweetly, acting as if they weren't about to ambush someone lying in wait.

Liana reached behind her and pulled out her magic bow. The bowboard was smooth and curved, shining faintly in the light as mana flowed through her fingers.

She waited for the perfect moment—her eyes fixed on a spot just beyond a crooked rock outcrop, where a faint flicker of movement was unnatural.

And then—movement.

She released her arrow.