The Unknown Entity

It was a night illuminated by an exceptionally bright full moon.

Our group began descending the mountain, relying on the moonlight as our guide. At the front were Zed and Tunda, flanked by Michael, the captain of the guards, with the rest of the guards and attendants following in a single file.

'Ugh... it's so cold.'

At the back, Riu wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.

I thought walking would help warm her up, but her frozen body remained unresponsive to the chill.

It felt even colder next to Gracie for some reason.

'Look at that atmosphere. It's downright sinister.'

Riu glanced at Gracie and quickly turned her head away.

Gracie walked silently, cloaked in darkness, but it was clear she was radiating a cold malice.

'How dare she try to kill Zed? Just wait; things won't go her way.'

Riu felt like a sheep standing next to a viper, holding her breath.

Even if she was harmless, being near someone with such a dangerous aura was unsettling.

'She said she would call for Tunda when the time came. I need to be ready to escape then.'

Though Riu had asked Gracie to move, Zed had coldly refused her request.

His reasoning that being at the back was safer made no sense. If Tunda moved back, she'd have to hide quickly.

'But will everything really be okay...? I hope Zed has prepared well.'

Gracie was a 6-circle mage.

While Zed was impressive, he couldn't compare to someone of that caliber.

Riu felt a mix of anxiety and fear as she struggled against the cold and uncertainty.

'I have to trust him. He's my lifeline; it can't break.'

Riu felt fairly content with her current life.

She had been warned about potential sibling rivalries but found it nothing compared to her past experiences on the streets.

After spending 24 hours fighting for survival, this felt trivial by comparison.

But then something caught her attention.

'What?! Where did she go?'

In a moment of distraction, Gracie had vanished from sight.

Panic surged through Riu as she scanned the surroundings like a meerkat on alert.

'An ambush?! It's about to start!'

I need to warn everyone quickly!

Gathering her courage, Riu sprinted toward Zed at the front of the line just as chaos erupted around them.

-Whump!

"Ugh!"

A guard in front of me collapsed as something struck him.

Riu froze in place as if her ankles were bound.

Her heart raced as she tried to shout out a warning, but someone else beat her to it.

"Ambush!"

"Everyone scatter! Guards prepare for an attack!"

"Ahhh!"

The silhouettes of people moved erratically in panic.

Riu rushed toward Zed like a frightened meerkat searching for its mother.

The chaos made it hard to focus; Zed was nowhere in sight amidst the confusion.

Just then—

'Huh?!'

Something flew through the darkness toward them—an arrow!

Riu's eyes widened as she instinctively recognized it was aimed directly at her heart.

Time seemed to slow down as she stared at the arrow coming toward her like an unsuspecting deer caught in headlights.

'Am I going to die like this?'

Tears welled up in her eyes as despair washed over her.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

Without meaning to, Riu's body moved on its own just as a familiar face appeared before her.

Zed stood there, looking at her with urgency in his eyes.

"Why did you come here?! I told you to stay back!"

"Z-Zed...!"

Zed shouted angrily, but Riu barely registered his words through her shock.

To her, he looked like a protective figure scolding an errant child.

In that dangerous moment, Zed was her only source of safety.

Riu nodded instinctively through tears.

"What are you nodding for?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Do you understand what I'm saying? Get back!"

"W-Where am I supposed to go…?"

"...Just get out of here."

Zed pointed toward an uphill path leading away from danger.

Realizing what he meant, Riu dashed away without hesitation while calling out warnings behind her.

"You have to be careful! You can't get hurt!"

"Shut up and run!"

The incline provided excellent cover from which they could hide safely.

Once Riu recognized this fact, her racing heart began to calm down slightly.

At that moment, she spotted shadowy figures descending from the opposite slope—an ominous sight resembling a herd of wild boars charging down toward them.

"Z-Zed! They're coming!"

"I'll handle it! Just stay hidden!"

Riu saw Zed's determination and knew he would protect them all despite his earlier warnings about staying back.

But just then—

"Wait!"

Zed's voice rang out sharply as he turned toward the approaching figures with resolve etched onto his face.

"Those aren't just any bandits; they're likely receiving assistance from mages. Engage them three at a time!"

Clang! Clang!

The guards drew their weapons and prepared themselves for combat as tension filled the air around them.

Riu wondered what Zed meant by mages assisting them when she noticed faint orange light surrounding their bodies—a familiar combat enhancement spell she'd heard about before.

'That must be at least 6-circle magic…?'

Could it be that the Billy family had intervened?

If so, it meant mages were watching from somewhere nearby too...

The bandits were merely part one of their operation against us!

"Ahhh!"

Before Riu could gather herself further into thought, combat erupted around them once again!

The bandits glowed with orange light making it easy for everyone to distinguish friend from foe amidst all chaos unfolding around them!

Clang! Clang!

Listening closely now—Zed's commands rang clear through all chaos: "They're not just any bandits! They likely have mages backing them up! Focus on taking them down three at a time!"

Riu felt adrenaline surge within herself; this was no ordinary fight anymore!

She watched in awe as Zed fought fiercely against multiple opponents simultaneously—his movements fluid and precise like that of an experienced warrior!

"Yes! That's it! Right there with your fist! Now follow up with a kick!"

Watching him fight ignited something within Riu—a spark of admiration mixed with determination—she wanted nothing more than for him succeed against all odds!

"Front kick! Nice! Follow up with an elbow strike!"

It felt like watching gladiators in an arena—the intensity palpable!

Zed's every movement seemed effortless; he dispatched foes left and right while evading incoming attacks with grace and power beyond comprehension!

As victory drew near—cheers erupted from those watching nearby—the guards rallied behind him shouting encouragements filled with pride!

With each successful blow landed against their enemies—the atmosphere shifted dramatically—confidence surged among allies present witnessing firsthand how capable their leader truly was!

As cheers filled air around them—Riu couldn't help but feel proud too; knowing they were all fighting together side by side made everything worthwhile despite fears lingering deep inside still…