Steel rang once more.
The angry adventurer lunged, rage intensified as he tried to overpower Akari's guard.
Akari didn't retreat.
She pivoted, letting his strength pass her, and redirected his blade with a clean, controlled motion.
Clang!
The force sent sparks skittering across the stone floor.
"Stay back!" someone shouted.
Several adventurers moved, mana flaring as they prepared to intervene, but they hesitated when they saw Akari's stance.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Golden light shimmered faintly around her body, steady and disciplined.
The man snarled. "You think you're strong enough to stop me?!"
Akari met his gaze.
"I don't need to beat you," she said evenly. "I just need to stop you from hurting anyone."
He roared and swung again.
This time, Akari stepped in.
Solflare's flat struck his wrist.
Crack.
His sword clattered to the floor.
Akari followed with a controlled strike to his shoulder, driving him back, but stopping short of serious harm.
He staggered, breath ragged.
Around them, the guild hall was frozen.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"She's D-rank… right?"
"That control, no way."
"Is that divine mana?"
Akari didn't hear them.
Her focus stayed on the man in front of her.
"Stand down," she said again.
A door opened.
Slow.
Heavy.
The pressure hit instantly.
It wasn't violent, but it was strong.
The air thickened.
The man's knees buckled.
Akari felt it and recognized it.
This feels like Lyra…
A deep voice echoed across the hall.
"That will be enough."
Every head turned.
An older man stepped out from a reinforced office door, broad-shouldered, hair streaked with iron-gray. His presence alone bent the space around him.
The Guild Master.
His eyes locked onto the raging adventurer.
"You drew steel against guild staff," the Guild Master said calmly. "You violated guild law. And you endangered my staff."
The man tried to speak, then swallowed hard under the pressure.
"I–I"
"Silence," the Guild Master said.
The pressure increased.
The man dropped to one knee.
Akari lowered her sword slowly, stepping back as instructed by a subtle gesture from the Guild Master.
The Guild Master turned his gaze to Akari.
The pressure eased, just for her.
"You," he said. "What is your name?"
Akari straightened.
"Akari."
He studied her, taking in her posture, her control, and the faint golden light still clinging to her.
"…You acted correctly," he said. "You defended guild personnel. You restrained without excess. And you did not escalate."
Akari bowed. "Thank you, sir."
He nodded once.
"Remember this moment," the Guild Master continued. "Power exists to protect order, not to indulge ego."
His gaze shifted back to the kneeling man.
"You are suspended from all guild work," he said. "Guards."
Two armored enforcers stepped forward, hauling the man away.
The pressure lifted.
The hall exhaled.
As the noise slowly returned, several high-ranking adventurers approached Akari.
An A-rank nodded respectfully.
"Clean work."
Another smiled faintly. "You kept your head."
Layla rushed over, a little shaken but smiling.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Akari smiled back. "I'm glad you're okay."
From the doorway, the Guild Master watched her for a long moment, then turned back into his office.
But the impression remained.
Akari sheathed Solflare, her hands steady.
She had defended the guild.
And the guild had noticed.