The next day, Rayo went to the academy, did his usual chores, and then used his magic to travel to Arnouf's mansion. He practiced for a while, then went out to check on the residents of Arnouf's estate and resolve as many of their problems as he could. It seemed the residents liked him for his kindness and tactful manner. At sunset, Rayo and Verin returned to the mansion to find dinner waiting for them, with Mr. Arnouf seated at the table.
The two began to eat and chat. Mr. Arnouf asked Rayo questions, and Rayo answered, sometimes smiling, sometimes laughing, just like a father and son. Everyone finished their meal and went to sleep. At midnight, Rayo and Mr. Arnouf were in the latter's office. Mr. Arnouf calmly placed a file on the table. Rayo tied his hair back, picked up the file, opened it, saw who the target was, read all the information about him, then closed the file and said, "Is that all?" Mr. Arnouf replied, "No..." Rayo listened silently. Mr. Arnouf continued, "The target has hired the world's best crew of travelers (Green and Crimson) to protect him for a year. I think they'll be a problem for you on the mission." Rayo maintained his blank, cold expression and, turning his back and confidently putting on his mask, said, "Don't worry, I'm the strongest..." He then used his magic to teleport directly to the castle where the target was hiding. It wasn't long before a barrage of arrows began shooting at him with their black tentacles.
**Character Profile**
Name: Ryu
Description: A special-class warrior, not under any crew. His strength, rapid development, and most importantly, his unique regenerative ability make him an enigma.
Raneme (Magic or Special Ability): Heart of Darkness (This ability has no specific form, but it seems to take any shape he desires. He is incredibly fast and can reach the size of an entire forest. He often uses it as a sword, sensors, and adhesive cords). After Rayo repelled those attacks, he entered the palace directly, bypassing all the magical traps in their various locations. However, he noticed that they were trying to lure him to a certain place, so he turned in the opposite direction. The corridor had no doors except one at the end of the hallway, but he didn't know how to get past all those traps. He tried to think, but time was running out, and they would surround him at any moment. He caught his breath and released his aura to sense the changes the traps were making to it. At that moment, they had already surrounded him, and a young girl among them shouted, "We've surrounded him! Don't let him escape!" But he had already started running, bypassing all the traps. When he reached the door, he controlled it and found his way to the room, but he didn't find the intended target. Instead, he found a tall young man in his twenties with milk-brown hair, sky-blue eyes, tanned skin, and a nearly perfect, almost sculpted, somewhat muscular face. He was wearing a white shirt with black trousers and shoes. The young man took a step forward, smiling slightly, and said, "Welcome. My name is Redgar Harrison. You must be Violet Death. Nice to meet you—" But Rayo had already headed towards the window, intending to scan the entire mansion to save time, but he was stopped by a glass barrier. He tried to break it, but it was too solid even for Rayo. Redgar began to approach Rayo slowly, loosened his tie, unbuttoned some of his shirt, and said, "What's up? Are you leaving so soon?!" Before Rayo could even blink, Redgar was already right in front of him. He landed a punch to the stomach that nearly came out the other side, sending Rayo to his knees. Redgar continued, "The fun begins now," and then unleashed a barrage of blows all over Rayo's body. He grabbed Rayo by the leg and slammed him against the wall, leaving a massive mark. Rayo got up, covered in blood, and swapped his first mask for one made from his own power. Redgar mocked him, saying, "Oh, sorry. It seems I broke your mask by mistake... I hope it wasn't a gift from your parents." Rage surged through Rayo's body, but he controlled himself. He stood for a few seconds, then charged at Redgar with a punch that Redgar easily blocked. Rayo wasted no time. He wrapped Redgar's body in dark ropes, leaped over him, and delivered a punch that was enough to send Redgar's head crashing to the ground. Then he grabbed the ropes and hurled Redgar against the wall, but The impact wasn't too great on Redgar, as he quickly got up, only to find Rayo waiting for him. As soon as he rose, Rayo shot him with an arrow of darkness, which Redgar barely managed to dodge. The fight between them raged on again, a barrage of blows and kicks. Rayo created a sword from his own power and attacked, but Redgar blocked it with a green glass sword, also created from nothing. Rayo was surprised but didn't pay attention, focusing on the fight, which was intense for both of them. However, Rayo momentarily lost his focus, which Redgar quickly exploited. He plunged the sword into Rayo's shoulder, the blade emerging from the other side and testing the wall. Rayo screamed in pain, helpless. Redgar approached Rayo, a smile on his face, his white shirt covered in blood, his face also bloodied. Then Rayo let out a deafening scream, and a dark energy emanated from him. Although Redgar's title was "Grave Digger," fear gripped his heart as he sensed Rayo's aura, freezing him in place. In his place, the flow of the aura ceased, which also halted Redgar's fear. He stood before Rayo, the sword's thrust into his shoulder deeper and deeper. With the last of his strength, Rayo raised his index finger, pointing behind Redgar, and said in a weak voice, "Checkmate..." Redgar was startled and turned around, his eyes widening at the sight of the targeted nobleman's head rolling to the ground. He quickly looked back at Rayo, only to find him vanished without a trace.
Redgar surveyed the room, sighed, and began to laugh. He sighed again and said, "If your plan from the beginning... is truly impressive." The young girl arrived and said, "No, no, don't worry, Silver." Silver said, "You have a plan, as usual." Redgar smiled and said, "Of course I do."