The scene was heavy.
Silence pressed down on the land like an invisible weight.
The destruction from the previous battle was everywhere, yet not a single sound lingered. Broken skyscrapers stood crooked in the dim light, their shadows stretching long and twisted, as if the city itself had turned into a haunted ruin.
Hayash stood still.
The moment the hand left his shoulder, he turned around.
It was her.
Rihanna.
One of the senior masters of the Suwastiq Sect, the same sect Hayash belonged to.
Her presence was calm, yet overwhelming. She looked far more elegant than any ordinary woman. Her long hair flowed freely, swaying gently with the faint wind, while the earrings resting against her ears seemed perfectly placed, giving her an almost auspicious air.
Hayash let out a deep breath.
"So it was you..." he said, his voice still carrying a trace of lingering tension.
Rihanna moved to his side, her hands folded behind her back. She stepped toward a pile of shattered rocks, but before her foot even touched the ground, the stones crumbled beneath an invisible pressure.
"So even the strongest feel fear sometimes?" she said teasingly, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.
Hayash snorted lightly.
"This time I was not afraid," he replied. "But for a moment... I was not prepared. If that hand belonged to an enemy, things could have turned troublesome."
Rihanna raised an eyebrow.
"Then what exactly happened here?"
"Nothing special," Hayash answered calmly. "Just a fight between Ascension level cultivators."
Rihanna paused.
"Ascension?" she frowned slightly. "Do not tell me they were from the Devasura Sect."
"They were," Hayash replied.
Rihanna's gaze sharpened.
"At a time like this... why would they make a move so suddenly?"
"I do not know," Hayash said. "I was responding to the emergency signal from the sect. Halfway here, they blocked my path. But as you can see..." he looked around briefly. "I am still fine."
"I see," Rihanna said softly.
She stepped closer and reached for Hayash's arm, inspecting it carefully. Her fingers were light, almost hesitant.
Before Hayash could react, several auras appeared in the distance.
Members of the Suwastiq Sect arrived at the scene.
All of them were at least Good Rift level cultivators, the beginning stage where the body stabilizes and the cultivator learns to condense soul and life energy.
Among them, a young girl stepped forward.
She looked to be in her teenage years. Her short, flowing wavy hair framed her delicate face, giving her an ethereal appearance despite the ruined surroundings.
Seeing this, Hayash and Rihanna instinctively stepped apart.
Rihanna's blush was faint but noticeable.
The girl hurried toward Hayash.
"Senior Hayash, are you alright?"
Then she turned to Rihanna.
"Teacher, sorry for arriving late. Unfortunately, we were split into two teams. One came here to assist you, while the other went to the forest district to investigate the gate."
"Oh... a gate?" Hayash said, his eyes narrowing. "When did it open? If it is a blue one, it should be easy to handle."
Rihanna hummed quietly.
The girl hesitated before speaking again.
"I might be mistaken in my explanation, but it appeared today. And... it might be a red one. It is consuming too much spatial energy."
Hayash's expression darkened slightly.
Rihanna interrupted gently.
"But first, we should take some rest."
Her words were calm, but everyone knew who she was saying it for.
The disciples behind them understood immediately. A few tried to hide their smiles. Even the girl noticed, her expression turning awkward.
Just then, another disciple rushed forward.
"Teacher. Senior Hayash. The investigation team has already returned to the sect. They did not proceed to the forest district. Something is definitely wrong."
Hayash did not hesitate.
"Then we head back immediately."
"Hmm," Rihanna nodded.
The girl quickly instructed the other disciples to return.
Moments later, a massive Yin Yang Creature descended from the sky.
It had six limbs. Four powerful legs and a pair of enormous bat-like wings. Its body radiated dense spatial and source energy, proof of a well-trained controlled beast.
Everyone climbed onto it.
Hayash stood beside Rihanna.
For a brief moment, their shoulders almost touched.
Neither of them spoke.
The creature spread its wings.
And in the next instant, it flew away, carrying them toward the sect,
and then as they fade away at skyscraper away a mysterious person with mask
"tschh,how bunch of weaklings"
then fades away spatially