Both Leif and Gara froze in place.
The air around them grew heavy — D Rank aura filled the space, crushing down on their senses. In that instant, they both understood the difference between themselves and [Black Cover].
They had faced D Rankers before — Gara's best friend, Jack, even owned an Original D Ranked Story, [Two Swords]. But that had been when they were still F Rankers.
Back then, they thought they grasped the difference.
Now, freshly promoted to E Rank just minutes ago, they'd felt stronger than ever — revitalized, almost untouchable.
Surely the gap couldn't be that vast… right?
But it was.
In the world of Ranks, there were leaps — some small, some impossible.
From F to E, the change was noticeable but manageable. But from E to D, something fundamental shifted.
A Player gained an Aspect — a manifestation of their Story given form.
From D onward to A, power increased greatly, yet it remained quantitative, not qualitative. Then came the next great wall: from A to S, the awakening of a Domain.
Each time a Player unlocked a new type of Story Ability — an Aspect, a Domain, or beyond — the difference between the two Ranks became an unbridgeable chasm.
[Black Cover] took a slow step forward, shadows rippling off his figure like smoke.
"Impressive," he said quietly. "You both rose fast. E Rank already, and your Story Names... they hold weight."
Leif tightened his grip on his sword, staying silent.
"But," [Black Cover] continued, his tone lowering, "my mission is to end your path here and now."
He glanced once toward [Blue Cover], who was still on the ground behind him. "My junior disappointed me," he said. "He failed to handle you two. I'll deal with that later."
Then his crimson eyes lifted back toward them, glinting under the dim light. "But he's still my junior," he said softly. "And I don't like seeing people gang up on him."
He took another step forward, the air tightening with pressure. "So," his tone grew sharper, "since you like picking on someone weaker—"
His hand raised slightly, and the shadows around him stirred. "—why don't you try bullying me instead?"
[Blue Cover] lay on the ground behind [Black Cover], gritting his teeth as he tried to patch up the gaping slash mark left by Leif's Odachi.
His ribbons flickered weakly, barely holding the wound together.
The blonde-haired young man clicked his tongue under his mask, glancing at Gara. "Gara," he muttered, "what shou—"
But his words stopped there.
Even [Black Cover] and [Blue Cover] paused at the sight before them.
Gara had summoned something new—something neither of them had seen before.
A small, sleek white hilt floated in his grasp, humming softly.
Then—shhhh!—a green beam of light burst from it, forming into a long laser blade that shined with raw power.
Gara didn't answer.
His blue eyes locked straight onto [Black Cover], and he swung down with both hands.
A violent green arc of light tore through the air, splitting the wind apart.
The beam roared forward, obliterating the ground in its path.
[Black Cover] froze for half a heartbeat as the pressure hit him.
Then he reacted, thrusting his hand forward.
A massive wall of shadowy plates materialized between him and the beam. For an instant, it held—then it began to burn away, dissolving like paper under flame.
The beam tore straight through, striking [Black Cover] across the chest.
Blood burst into the air as his body was sent flying, crashing through several stone ridges before slamming into a massive boulder with a deafening BOOM!
Dust and shattered rock scattered everywhere.
The sound of the impact echoed across the mountain.
Silence ruled the mountain for several long seconds.
The wind blew, carrying dust and shattered stone through the air, but none of them moved.
Both Leif and [Blue Cover] just stared — wide-eyed, disbelief frozen across their faces.
The green beam vanished with a low hum, the brilliant light retracting into the small white hilt now resting weakly in Gara's trembling hand.
Then the red-haired young man dropped to his knees, panting, sweat running down his face.
"I'm… out for now…" he muttered between sharp breaths, his voice faint but steady.
Leif didn't answer.
He just stood there, still processing what he'd seen.
He knew about the Geru — Gara's weapon, his trump card.
But this?
Cutting through a D Ranker's defense and drawing blood?
He swallowed hard. 'That's… insane.'
But then again… when he thought about it, it made sense.
The Geru wasn't just any weapon.
It was a gift — a personal gift — from the [First One Out].
So, of course it was strong.
...
Up above the mountain, the clouds rippled as [Blue Waves] stood on a platform of swirling water, flicking his wrist lazily.
Each motion summoned powerful waves that crashed outward, shredding the countless sheets of white paper still chasing him.
His gaze, however, wasn't on the sky — it was fixed downward, on the red-haired boy who had just collapsed.
Even he — an SS Ranker, used to power beyond comprehension — couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"…So that's the Geru, huh?" he muttered. "Didn't think it was that strong."
A low, echoing laugh answered him, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"Surprised, are we?" Came [White Space]'s voice, teasing, his tone amused and knowing.
"I didn't expect that either. I knew the Geru was special, but this much power from someone barely E Rank? Fascinating… Tell me, [Blue Waves], are you still so certain [Black Cover] can handle those two?"
[Blue Waves] scoffed, crossing his arms as the ocean beneath him stilled into glass.
"Hmph. Drawing blood from a D Ranker — I'll give them that. It's impressive." His tone sharpened, the arrogance returning.
"But look closer — Gara's out. He can't even stand. And Leif? He's running on fumes. He can't use his Inherited Story, [Lightning Dance]. And even if he could, it wouldn't mean much against a D Ranked Original Story like [Black Cover]."
He smirked faintly. "No matter how bright a spark burns, it still dies before reaching the storm."
...
From the shattered boulder far ahead, a deep rumble echoed through the mountaintop.
Smoke billowed outward, and through it stepped a figure — tall, cloaked in shadows, his outline barely visible save for the two crimson eyes burning from within.
As the smoke cleared, the gash across his chest gleamed wet and red under the faint light.
[Black Cover] didn't bother healing it.
Instead, the air around him distorted as he released his D Rank aura again — heavy, suffocating, pressing down on the mountain like an invisible storm.
Gara, still on his knees, felt his lungs tighten. Leif gritted his teeth, trying to steady his stance, but even his hands trembled slightly under the sheer pressure.
When [Black Cover] spoke, his tone wasn't filled with fury as they'd expected.
It was calm — even curious.
"...I'll admit," he said, stepping closer. "It's been a long time since an E Ranker managed to wound me."
He paused, his crimson eyes narrowing as a faint smile flickered beneath the shadows.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
He tilted his head slightly, still studying the burn across his chest. His voice came out low, edged with faint amusement.
"I'll be honest," he said, straightening his posture. "I'm impressed. That sword of yours… the Geru, was it?"
He glanced at Gara, whose breathing was still uneven.
"I don't know much about it," he continued, "but I've heard whispers — a gift from the [First One Out], wasn't it?"
Leif's grip tightened around his Odachi, while Gara remained silent.
[Black Cover]'s tone shifted into something almost reflective.
"I don't know much about him, and truthfully, few do. But I've heard the rumors — the strongest Player in the Story World. Stronger than even the [Gold Emperor], or the [Grey Rose]. Above the Titans themselves."
He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "It makes sense, then. For a weapon from someone like that to leave a mark even on me."
The humor drained from his voice as he raised his gaze back toward the two young men.
His crimson eyes gleamed darker now, sharper.
"But still," he said, stepping forward, his aura pressing down once again. "Potential or not… powerful Stories or not… my mission remains the same."
He spread his arms slightly, the shadows around him deepening.
"Your path ends here."
The ground darkened beneath their feet as the shadows around [Black Cover] began to writhe and twist, stretching out like living serpents.
Each one hissed with a faint, distorted echo, forming the shape of black vipers that slithered through the air toward the two E Rankers.
Gara slammed a hand to the ground, trying to summon a wall, but his body refused to move the way he wanted. The exhaustion from wielding the Geru had drained him completely—his energy, his focus, even his breath.
The shadows were almost upon them when Leif stepped forward, his black cloak flaring behind him. He gripped his Odachi with both hands, body lowering into a defensive stance.
"Leif! Don't—!" Gara shouted, panic breaking through his voice.
Leif didn't turn.
"Run!" Gara's voice cracked. "Don't consider me! Get out now!"
Leif ignored Gara's shout completely, closing his eyes for a brief second as he took in a deep, steady breath.
The world around him dimmed, and the sound of his heartbeat drowned out everything else.
Golden Cores surged toward his Original E Ranked Story, [Masked Threat], filling it with power.
In that instant, his presence vanished.
The darkness around him twisted unnaturally, drawn to the obsidian Odachi like a vortex.
It coiled upward, gathering at the sword's edge, black energy spiraling together as Leif raised the weapon.
Then—he struck.
The slash cut through the air with silent precision, and two of the shadowy vipers shattered on impact, their forms dispersing into smoke.
But before he could reposition, the remaining three came for him at once.
"—Tch!"
He tried to dodge, but they were too fast.
The first pierced clean through his left arm, the second tore into his abdomen, and the last drove through his leg.
The shadows didn't relent.
The three ribbons that had pierced him lifted his body into the air, twisting and tightening as though mocking his helplessness.
Before Leif could even let out a sound of pain, three more black ribbons shot forward with a whip-like snap.
They struck his remaining limbs—one through his right leg, another through his right arm—nailing him midair like a puppet hung by invisible strings.
His obsidian Odachi slipped from his grasp, clattering against the ground before dissolving into smoke. The black horned mask that covered his face cracked, then faded into the same shadowy mist.
Within seconds, [Masked Threat] was gone.
The aura around him dissipated completely, leaving only the battered young man beneath—his golden hair falling over bloodied eyes, his body trembling under the crushing pressure of [Black Cover]'s shadows.
Gara's eyes widened in horror as he watched the black ribbon slither through the air, its jagged tip aimed straight for Leif's throat.
"Leif!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
His heart pounded painfully in his chest. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Without thinking, he thrust out his hand, forcing everything he had left into [Root of All Things]. Golden Cores shattered within him, light bursting through his veins as he felt the Story burn inside his body.
Blood spilled from his mouth, but he didn't stop.
"—Freeze."
The ribbon halted midair, a thin layer of frost spreading across its length.
Crack!
Crack!
CRACK!
In the next heartbeat, it shattered into icy fragments that fell harmlessly to the ground, glimmering faintly under the moonlight.
Gara's arm dropped, trembling.
He could barely breathe—but Leif was still alive.
Gara wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and reached into his Storage Space.
His fingers brushed against the cool surface of a vial — an Energy Potion.
He didn't hesitate.
With one quick motion, he uncorked it and drank the entire thing.
A surge of energy burned through his body, clearing the haze clouding his mind. He knew the aftereffects would hit him hard later, but right now, none of that mattered.
He rose to his feet, his breathing steadying as he summoned the white hilt once more. A flash of green erupted from it, forming the familiar laser blade — the Geru.
Across from him, [Black Cover] froze mid-step.
His crimson eyes flickered toward the frozen ribbon shards on the ground, then back to the red-haired young man who had defied him twice now.
A smirk curved his lips beneath the shadows. "You sure about that, boy?" His tone was cold, amused. "You do realize what you're doing, don't you?"
Gara didn't answer.
[Black Cover] chuckled lowly. "Well… I suppose it's either that or death. Go on, then. Make it worth my while. Let's see if you can actually make this entertaining."
But when the green blade roared to life, humming with power, his amusement faded.
His shadowed form straightened, and though his face was still hidden in darkness, the shift in his stance said enough.
He wasn't mocking anymore.
[Black Cover] lifted his right hand, and the shadows around him twisted, condensing into a thin, circular veil — a small, floating black cover.
He pressed both palms into it.
The air shuddered.
Darkness rippled outward from his touch, and the small cover expanded — wider, thicker, its edges hardening into an obsidian gleam that pulsed with a faint crimson light.
The black ripples solidified until a massive, floating shield stood before him, its surface reflecting nothing, devouring even the faint glow of the Geru's green light.
His voice echoed, calm but heavy.
"My Aspect," he said, resting one hand against the hovering shield. "The Aspect of my D Ranked Original Story — [Black Cover]."
The obsidian shield rotated once, then came to a stop — like a silent wall that even light dared not touch.
Gara didn't wait for [Black Cover] to finish.
His eyes locked on the dark figure ahead, he tightened his grip around the white hilt—then swung.
The Geru roared.
A blinding beam of green light tore through the air, splitting it apart with a shriek that echoed across the mountaintop.
The ground cracked and quaked beneath the pressure, waves of energy disintegrating the shattered ice dome remnants around them.
The blast raced toward [Black Cover]'s obsidian shield like a storm made of raw power.
Lightning burst from the clouds above, blue veins crawling across the sky.
Down near the mountain slope, [Blue Cover] froze mid-breath.
He had healed most of his wounds, his crimson eyes fixed on the overwhelming display of destruction.
Sweat dripped down his temple.
'If… if he'd unleashed that on me earlier…'
The quiet thought sank like a stone in his gut.
'I'd have turned to ash before I even saw it coming.'
CLASH!
The impact rang through the mountains, shaking the stones under their feet.
The beam hit the black obsidian shield squarely — and for a moment, everything went white.
When the light faded, the Aspect was still there, floating calmly in front of [Black Cover].
A jagged scratch ran down its surface — deep, glowing faintly green — but that was all.
Then, like smoke retreating to its source, the massive shield shrank, folding back into the small black cover it came from.
[Black Cover] caught it in one hand, inspecting the faint mark with a grin stretching across his face.
"Hah!" he laughed, genuine excitement cutting through his composed tone. "To think your toy could actually scar my Aspect... That's impressive, Gara— really impressive!"
He tucked the cover away under his coat, eyes gleaming. "No one ever managed that before."
Before [Black Cover] could continue his gloating, a faint chime echoed beside him.
He stopped, glanced at the air, and with a flick of his fingers, his black Story System Interface unfolded before him—its obsidian panels glowing with silver script.
His eyes scanned the message, and his grin slowly widened.
Then, suddenly, he laughed.
A short, amused sound at first, then a louder, genuine one.
"Ah… my mistake," he said, voice dripping with something that was half apology, half thrill. "I didn't give you the respect you deserved, Gara. To damage my Aspect at E Rank… even my Master will want to hear of that."
His smile darkened. "Unfortunately for you… Mister [Blue Waves] just told me to finish this."
He closed the Interface with a swipe, and the black screen vanished into mist.
Gara coughed—blood spilling down his chin—and managed a weak chuckle. "Heh… figures…" His knees buckled, the Geru Sword fading from his grip as he collapsed onto the cold stone.
His vision swam, then went black.
Leif was already unconscious, his body still suspended midair—skewered by countless black ribbons that fluttered like serpents in the wind.
[Black Cover] exhaled softly, expression neutral once more. "Orders are orders."
Two new black ribbons spiraled out from his hands, thin and sharp as blades.
They slithered through the air like hunting vipers—then darted straight toward Gara and Leif.
And then—
The world paused.
[Black Cover]'s body went rigid, his eyes widening in shock.
His hand twitched, and the black ribbons fell limp in the air. "Wha—" was all he managed to utter before his body convulsed and he collapsed to his knees.
He hit the ground hard and went still—unconscious.
At almost the same moment, far behind him, [Blue Cover]—who had been struggling to stand—let out a strangled breath and fainted outright, his healing undone by the crushing weight of what descended next.
Two SS Ranked Auras erupted back-to-back, splitting the very air with an invisible roar.
The mountaintop trembled.
The clouds overhead tore open in concentric circles, scattering blue lightning and streaks of white light that illuminated everything in flashes.
A few moments before this—high in the sky—
[Blue Waves] floated, his calm expression tinged with amusement as he flicked through his Interface. "Finish it," he'd said to [Black Cover], sending the command.
Then he glanced around at the countless white papers drifting through the air around him—each carrying faint inscriptions of light.
"Tch." His hand rose, and waves of condensed blue energy exploded outward, shredding the papers to dust.
A booming laugh followed. "So, [White Space]! What now? Gara's down, Leif's down—your pieces are all gone!"
The world seemed to hush for a moment.
Then, softly—echoing from everywhere and nowhere—came a calm voice:
"It's time, then."
And in the next moment—
It hit.
The sky itself seemed to collapse under the sheer pressure of an aura so immense it warped the world.
The clouds vaporized in an instant, the storm clearing into an unnaturally perfect blue void.
The entire mountain range shuddered as if reality itself had taken a breath and then froze.
The true aura of [White Space] had been unleashed.
SS Ranked energy rolled across the clouds, silent yet absolute, turning everything weightless for a heartbeat.
The faint outlines of white script began etching themselves across the sky like shifting patterns of ink.
From the distance, an old man emerged—floating lightly, wearing tattered white robes that fluttered in the sudden stillness.
His bald head gleamed faintly in the light, and a long white beard hung down to his chest, which he stroked lazily with one hand while a small chuckle escaped his lips.
"Finally," he murmured, almost to himself, as if amused by the silence that followed his arrival.
[Blue Waves] stared, his confident smirk faltering.
His mind struggled to process what he was seeing. "You—are you insane, old man?!" he barked, his voice echoing over the mountain tops.
"The entire reason we didn't go all out was to keep this place quiet! To not alert the others—and you just throw your aura into the sky like that?"
He gestured around them wildly as the last remnants of cloud evaporated into nothingness. "You've just announced us to the entire Fragment!"
But [White Space] only smiled, eyes half-lidded with a calm, almost serene confidence.
"Perhaps," he said softly, his voice carried by the wind. "But if I don't go all out now… neither of them will live to see another sunrise."
[Blue Waves] grit his teeth as the mountain cracked beneath him.
He had no choice but to respond.
His body shimmered with violent ripples of blue energy, and then—boom—his own SS Ranked Aura burst forth to meet [White Space]'s.
The two forces clashed invisibly, the air between them bending, snapping, and collapsing in bursts of blue lightning.
"Are you trying to bring the whole Empire down on us?!" [Blue Waves] shouted, voice layered with static, arcs of light crawling up his arms.
"What's your damn plan, old man?!"
[White Space] only smiled through the storm, his tattered robes fluttering like strips of parchment.
He didn't even flinch under the weight of [Blue Waves]' energy.
Instead, he lifted his index finger—slowly, deliberately—and pointed upward.
"This," he said.
[Blue Waves]' expression darkened as he turned his gaze to the sky.
And then—
The clouds that had been torn apart moments ago twisted, golden light bleeding through them like cracks in glass.
A massive golden portal spiraled open high above the world, its edge lined with flickering story runes that burned like molten ink.
Instantly, [Blue Waves] felt his lungs tighten.
Death.
That was the only word his mind could form.
An aura poured through the portal—one so immense that it drowned out his own SS Rank entirely.
His knees nearly buckled from the weight.
"Impossible…" he muttered, sweat streaming down his face. "That's—"
"X Rank," [White Space] finished for him, tone amused.
The first thing to emerge from the portal was a blue heel, delicate but radiating killing intent. Then another—barely touching the air, yet shaking the sky.
And then, the figure stepped out.
Long, silky pink hair fluttered in the wind, brushing against a flowing blue dress adorned with white roses that shimmered like glass petals.
Her crimson eyes burned with lazy curiosity, as if this chaos was nothing more than a passing show.
The light of the portal bathed her in gold.
The [Rashanz] Fragment's Reciter had arrived.
The X Ranker known as — [Best Horror Storyteller].
She didn't speak at first.
Her crimson eyes simply drifted over the two men — the way a queen might glance at a pair of subjects.
Then, she exhaled.
A soft sigh, elegant and unhurried.
But the effect was anything but gentle.
The very sky bent, warping under invisible weight.
Air cracked.
The pressure crashed down like a collapsing world.
Both [White Space] and [Blue Waves] dropped to their knees on the shattered mountaintop, unable to resist the sheer force radiating from her.
Sweat streamed down their faces; even their SS Ranked Auras evaporated like mist under the sun.
[White Space] coughed, his frail body trembling as he forced a smile. "...A pleasure to see you again, Reciter of [Rashanz]," he said, his tone formal, his words straining under the pressure.
[Blue Waves] was slower to follow, teeth clenched, every vein in his neck visible as he forced himself down beside the old man.
His blue energy flickered, crushed into silence.
In the vast, bent sky above them, the woman floated effortlessly, her hair flowing like a rose-colored tide.
She said nothing yet — but her silence alone was command enough.
The Reciter's voice rolled across the sky like silk over steel.
[Who,] she said, each word laced with irritation, [dares cause noise in my Fragment?]
Her crimson eyes flicked between the two kneeling figures, and though her tone was calm, the pressure thickened again, making the air shiver.
[Blue Waves] immediately looked away, his voice cracking as he spoke, "It was him, Lady Reciter—[White Space] unleashed his true aura first! I merely responded!"
Her gaze slid toward the old man. [Is that true?] she asked softly — dangerously.
[White Space] chuckled weakly, his body trembling. "Yes, Miss Reciter. I did it on purpose... to draw your attention. Forgive the insolence."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then she exhaled again — not a sigh of fatigue this time, but of annoyance so heavy it warped the air once more.
[I allowed you both inside my Fragment,] she said, her voice cold as moonlight, [on the single condition that you would not disturb me.]
Her eyes narrowed, the roses on her dress fluttering as energy rippled outward. [And now this tiny bug dares interrupt my call... with the [Beast King]?]
The mountaintop cracked beneath her words. Neither SS Ranker dared lift their head.
[Blue Waves]'s breath caught in his throat.
His face turned pale—so pale it almost matched the clouds.
That name… he couldn't even bring himself to repeat it.
The [Beast King].
If the Reciter, the X Ranked [Best Horror Storyteller], already made his heart feel like it was being crushed beneath a mountain, then that name was something else entirely.
A Z Ranker — no, one of the top ten strongest beings in the entire Story World.
The ruler of one of the 13 Great Territories.
A being whose roar could level cities.
'She was speaking to him… and we interrupted?'
Cold sweat ran down his back as he glanced at the Reciter again. Her crimson eyes had lost their calm; they shimmered with irritation.
[Blue Waves] couldn't think, couldn't move.
The weight of that realization pressed harder than her aura ever could.
Death.
That was the only word echoing in his head.
Yes… he knew how this worked.
Annoying a being that far above you — even for something so small — meant only one thing.
Death.
He didn't blame her for it.
No, not at all.
That was simply how the world functioned.
The strong dictated the flow of things; the weak were erased when they stood in the way.
In fact, he'd done the same more times than he could count.
Once, he'd killed a D Ranker — just because the fool had dared to glance his way for a heartbeat too long.
He hadn't even thought about it afterward.
Just flicked his wrist and erased him, like one might crush a bug on a table.
And now, staring up at the X Ranked Reciter above him, he realized how it felt to be that bug.
—End of Chapter.
-------
Aura?
Gara: Haha! This chapter is all Aura this, aura that! Me first with the Geru... Well, technically it was [Black Cover] but meh.
Leif: True, but does this mean we're saved or what? The Reciter showed up, and things don't sound in our favor at the moment. And [White Space] is the one behind it.
Gara: Uhhhh... I got no idea honestly, but think about it for a moment. If we die now, the story ends, and is it truly gonna end before we ride the Final Express?
Leif: True enough, I guess that's the answer to that.
Gara: Not really, cause the fun comes in figuring out how we make it out alive of this, not if we make it out alive. It's pretty obvious to anyone we're not dying anytime soon.
Leif: True true, you're not that simple as I first thought.
Gara: That was hurtful for no reason.
Leif: True true.