The train thundered across the endless desert.
Metal wheels screamed against steel tracks.
The rhythmic sound of the engine echoed throughout the passenger cars as the Inner Rim of Nendu slowly approached in the distance.
Inside carriage 6A, everything seemed calm.
Too calm.
Rio sat beside Silla with her eyes closed.
Ryota stood nearby with his arms crossed.
Indra rested comfortably in Ryota's arms, enjoying the warmth of his chest.
Ramos sat inside the neighboring section with enough tension in his body to snap steel.
Sugalith continued eating peanuts.
The mercenary looked completely unbothered by the ongoing chaos happening elsewhere on the train.
To him—
This truly seemed like a vacation.
Then suddenly—
Rio's eyes opened.
She immediately stood up.
The movement was so abrupt that everyone instinctively looked toward her.
Silla flinched.
Ramos nearly jumped out of his seat.
Even Sugalith paused midway through eating another peanut.
"...Rio?" Ryota asked.
Rio's silver eyes narrowed.
Her gaze slowly swept across the carriage.
Every corner.
Every shadow.
Every reflection in the windows.
Then she spoke.
"They're here."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Ryota's expression hardened.
He didn't ask questions.
He simply nodded.
Because if Rio was saying that—
Then something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Indra suddenly lifted his head.
The little dragon's playful expression vanished.
Its blue eyes narrowed.
A low growl escaped its throat.
"Grrrr..."
Everyone froze.
Even Sugalith stopped chewing.
The dragon had sensed it too.
Ramos looked around frantically.
"What?"
"What is it?"
"I don't see anything!"
Silla tightened her grip around the edge of her seat.
She looked around.
Nothing.
The carriage looked normal.
Empty.
Safe.
There wasn't a single suspicious figure nearby.
Then suddenly—
Indra spread its tiny wings.
Blue energy exploded outward.
FWOOOOOM!
A glowing blue barrier instantly formed around Ramos, Silla, and Sugalith.
The transparent shield wrapped around the entire seating section.
Everyone stared.
Even Sugalith looked surprised.
The barrier pulsed with dragon energy.
Indra's tail swayed as it maintained the shield.
Ramos looked completely confused.
"What is happening?!"
Then the answer arrived.
The floor beneath them darkened.
At first it looked like a trick of the light.
Then it spread.
Black shadows crawled across the floor.
Across the walls.
Across the ceiling.
Like living darkness.
Rio's hand immediately moved.
Her Imperial Blade appeared.
At the same moment—
SHINK!
A figure exploded upward from the shadow beneath the barrier.
An assassin.
Black robes.
Masked face.
Twin daggers.
The assassin drove his blade directly toward Silla's throat.
CLANG!
The dagger struck Indra's barrier.
The shield didn't budge.
The assassin's eyes widened.
He clearly hadn't expected resistance.
The barrier remained perfectly intact.
The assassin immediately tried to attack again.
Too slow.
Rio's musket was already pressed against his forehead.
The assassin looked up.
Directly into Rio's eyes.
His expression turned pale.
BANG!
The flintlock roared.
The bullet pierced his skull.
The assassin's body exploded into particles.
Dead.
The entire attack had lasted less than a second.
But it wasn't over.
Not even close.
The shadows across the carriage erupted.
DOZENS of figures emerged.
Masked assassins climbed from the darkness itself.
Like demons crawling out of hell.
"There!"
Ramos shouted.
"More!"
The carriage exploded into chaos.
Six assassins charged Ryota.
Another four rushed toward the barrier.
Three more emerged from the ceiling.
Ryota grinned.
Finally.
His sword appeared.
Blue energy covered the blade.
The first assassin attacked.
Ryota punched him in the face.
BOOM!
The man's head snapped backward.
His body flew through two rows of seats.
The second assassin attacked from behind.
Ryota spun.
His blade flashed.
The assassin exploded into particles.
The third and fourth attacked together.
Ryota laughed.
"Too slow."
CLANG!
CLANG!
His sword intercepted both attacks.
Then he activated Scalular Impact.
The force behind their strikes reversed.
Both assassins were launched backward as if struck by a truck.
The carriage shook.
Rio aimed her musket.
BANG!
Another assassin died.
BANG!
A second dropped.
BANG!
A third collapsed.
But then—
A dangerous sensation ran through her body.
Someone strong.
Very strong.
Her instincts screamed.
Rio immediately moved.
CLANG!
A massive axe collided with her Imperial Blade.
At the exact same moment—
CLANG!
A dagger struck her musket.
The impact forced her backward.
Rio's eyes narrowed.
Two attackers.
One from the left.
One from the right.
She immediately recognized them.
Clause.
And Crow.
Clause grinned.
His massive axe pressed against her blade.
Lightning crackled around his body.
"Hello again."
Crow stood silently beside him.
The crow mask remained emotionless.
Only his eyes were visible.
Cold.
Calculating.
Deadly.
The Raven Phantom had returned.
Rio blocked Clause's axe using her Imperial Blade.
At the same time she used her musket to intercept Crow's dagger.
Three weapons remained locked together.
Sparks flew everywhere.
The floor beneath them cracked.
The pressure was immense.
Clause laughed.
"Three against one isn't fair, you know."
Rio smirked.
"Funny."
She pushed both weapons away.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Clause's grin widened.
Crow remained silent.
The surrounding assassins immediately backed away.
They knew better than to interfere.
This was no longer their fight.
This had become a battle between monsters.
Behind Rio—
Ryota continued tearing through assassins.
Bodies exploded into particles every few seconds.
The floor was covered in fading lights.
Indra maintained its barrier.
Ramos looked ready to faint.
Silla stared in shock.
Even Sugalith stopped eating.
For the first time since boarding the train—
The mercenary looked genuinely interested.
Clause rolled his shoulders.
Lightning danced across his skin.
Crow twirled his dagger.
Shadows gathered around his feet.
Rio adjusted her grip on both weapons.
Blue eyes locked onto two enemies.
One warrior.
One assassin.
Both dangerous.
Both elite players.
Both standing directly in front of her.
The train roared onward.
The Inner Rim drew closer.
And inside the carriage—
The real battle was finally about to begin.
The passenger carriage had become a battlefield.
Broken seats littered the floor.
Shattered glass sparkled beneath the carriage lights.
The bodies of defeated assassins continuously dissolved into particles as Ryota cut through anyone foolish enough to approach.
Steel clashed.
Gunshots echoed.
The train continued racing toward the Inner Rim.
And in the center of the chaos—
Rio stood facing two elite opponents.
Clause.
And Crow.
The Raven Phantom's mask reflected the carriage lights as he silently observed her.
Clause cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders.
Lightning danced around his body.
Neither attacked immediately.
They knew exactly who stood before them.
Rio tightened her grip on the Imperial Blade.
Her silver eyes remained calm.
Focused.
Calculating.
Then Crow finally spoke.
His voice was quiet.
Almost casual.
"Clause."
The warrior glanced sideways.
"What?"
Crow's eyes never left Rio.
"Keep her distracted."
Clause grinned.
"That all?"
Crow nodded.
"That all."
The moment the words left his mouth—
A strange glow appeared around the pendant hanging from Crow's neck.
Rio immediately recognized it.
Pendant of Summoning.
Almost the same type of accessory Sayanaki possessed.
The shadows around Crow distorted.
One body became two.
Two became four.
Four became eight.
Then—
Nine Crows stood inside the carriage.
The original.
And eight perfect copies.
Even Clause let out an impressed whistle.
"Every time I see that thing it feels unfair."
Crow ignored him.
Instead—
He stared directly at Rio.
The Raven Phantom's eyes narrowed.
"This one..."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Ryota.
"...and that one."
His eyes returned to Rio.
"Are much stronger than the rest."
"For your safety, I advise you under no circumstances underestimate both of them"
"Especially the silver hair girl...."
The eight clones vanished simultaneously.
The carriage exploded into motion.
All eight Crows attacked.
At once.
Every direction.
Every angle.
A perfect assassination formation.
Clause joined them.
Lightning erupted from his body.
The warrior charged forward.
Meanwhile more assassins flooded toward Ryota.
The objective was obvious.
Separate the monsters.
Distract them.
Buy time.
Ryota immediately found himself surrounded by assassins.
A dozen.
Then twenty.
Then more.
The attackers weren't trying to kill him.
They were simply trying to keep him occupied.
Ryota clicked his tongue.
"They're learning."
One assassin attacked.
Ryota punched him through a window.
Another came from behind.
Ryota slammed his sword into the floor.
Scalular Impact exploded outward.
The surrounding assassins were launched backward like bowling pins.
Still—
More kept coming.
Meanwhile—
Rio stood completely surrounded.
Eight Crows.
One Clause.
Nine simultaneous attacks.
The carriage became a blur.
CLANG!
A dagger struck her blade.
CLANG!
Another hit her musket.
CLANG!
A third aimed for her neck.
Rio ducked.
Spun.
Blocked.
Countered.
Her Imperial Blade moved like silver lightning.
The attacks never stopped.
Crow's clones were perfectly coordinated.
Each attack arrived at the exact moment another ended.
There wasn't a single wasted movement.
Yet Rio's expression never changed.
Not even slightly.
Clause charged through the middle.
Lightning covered his body.
[Warrior Skill: Lightning Accel]
The warrior became a blur.
His axe descended.
Rio blocked it.
The impact shook the carriage.
The floor cracked beneath her boots.
Clause grinned.
"Still smiling?"
Rio smirked.
"Still slow."
Clause blinked.
That tiny moment—
Was all Rio needed.
Her leg moved.
WHAM!
The kick landed directly against Clause's jaw.
The impact echoed through the entire carriage.
Clause's eyes widened.
His body spun sideways.
He crashed through three rows of seats.
Wood exploded.
Metal bent.
The warrior barely recovered—
When Rio was already moving.
[Sword Skill: Moonlight Melody]
Crimson light covered her blade.
The carriage suddenly grew silent.
For a brief second—
Everything seemed frozen.
Then Rio swung.
A crescent-shaped wave of crimson red energy erupted forward.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire side of the train exploded.
Metal walls vanished.
Glass shattered.
Seats were obliterated.
The energy wave struck Clause directly.
His eyes widened.
"Oh sh—"
The blast launched him completely off the train.
His body disappeared into the desert below.
The opening in the carriage exposed the endless sands outside.
Wind roared into the compartment.
Everyone stared.
Even the assassins froze.
One attack.
One skill.
Clause was gone.
Ryota laughed loudly.
"That looked painful!"
Rio didn't answer.
Because she had already moved.
The remaining Crow clones attacked.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Rio's blade flashed.
The first clone disappeared.
The second followed.
Then the third.
The fourth.
Each vanished after a single strike.
The carriage filled with dissolving particles.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
The final clone disappeared.
Silence followed.
Rio immediately turned.
Looking for Crow.
And found him.
The real Crow wasn't fighting.
He wasn't helping the assassins.
He wasn't even watching Rio.
Instead—
He was kneeling beside one of the empty passenger seats.
A seat located directly behind where Ramos and Silla had been sitting earlier.
Crow reached underneath.
His hand disappeared into a hidden compartment.
Then—
He smiled.
The Raven Phantom slowly pulled something out.
An old book.
Ancient.
Worn.
Bound in dark leather.
Rio's eyes narrowed.
That was his objective.
Not Ramos.
Not Silla.
Not the train.
The book.
Crow stood up.
The book vanished into his inventory.
Mission complete.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment—
Neither moved.
Then Crow nodded.
Almost respectfully.
And immediately jumped through the massive hole Clause had created.
Rio's eyes widened.
"Not happening."
She sprinted.
Leaped through the opening.
The desert wind exploded around her.
Crow swung using a grappling hook.
His body arced upward.
Straight toward the roof.
Rio followed.
Her boots landed against the side of the train.
She pushed off.
Leaping upward.
The train roof came into view.
And so did another battle.
Kiraya.
And Sarrow.
The two women were still fighting.
Flames.
Light.
Explosions.
Every clash shook the train.
Sarrow's blade collided with Lionheart.
The impact created a shockwave.
Then—
Crow landed between them.
Kiraya immediately noticed.
"What?"
Sarrow frowned.
"Crow?"
Neither expected him.
Rio landed a second later.
Her boots crashed against the roof.
Without hesitation—
She raised her flintlock.
BANG!
The first shot targeted Crow.
BANG!
The second targeted Sarrow.
The bullets crossed the rooftop simultaneously.
Sarrow transformed into light.
Dodging instinctively.
Crow reacted differently.
His dagger flashed.
CLANG!
The bullet deflected.
A shower of sparks erupted.
The second bullet narrowly missed Sarrow's cheek.
The guild leader jumped backward.
Rio slowly lowered her musket.
The desert wind whipped through her silver hair.
Kiraya smiled.
"About time."
Rio's gaze never left Crow.
Crow's eyes never left Rio.
Sarrow looked between them.
Then laughed.
"Well."
The yellow-haired guild leader twirled her blade.
"This just became a lot more interesting."
The train raced onward beneath the star-filled sky.
Four elite players now stood atop the roof.
The battle for the mysterious book had only just begun.