Leroy45 didn't waste any time. His massive sword glinted in the light of the pink mushrooms, and he lunged forward, straight at me.
But as soon as the blade touched the air between them, a broad-shouldered figure in shining armor appeared in front of the girl.
—Stop!
The voice of the Elk was calm but firm. His spear, long and sharp as a ray of light, met the sword in one motion, and the metal clanged together with such a boom that passers-by winced.
Sparks scattered across the pavement.
Leroy45 recoiled as if he had hit an invisible wall. He lunged forward again, but Moose parried each of his attacks with frightening ease.
The golden-haired spearman's movements were precise, almost predatory, not just a flurry of weapons, but a well-executed dance.
The viewers in the chatroom wrote one after another:
—Wow, what a skill!
—The spearman is no ordinary foe...
— The Coyotes made a mistake.
Leroy45 jumped back, breathing heavily. His face was contorted with anger.
—Damn it! Why are you involved in this? This is not your fight!
He barked, pointing his sword at the Elk. The boy only grinned, not removing his spear. His smile remained warm, but his eyes flashed cold.
—You're wrong. I have my reasons.
I looked at him in surprise. There was more than just bravado in his words, a hint of something hidden.
I watched the rapid exchange of blows between the Elk and Leroy45, trying to make sense of what was happening. I didn't understand why this golden-haired guy was so fiercely defending me.
Suddenly, a new private message notification flashed in the corner of my screen. I opened it automatically and froze: the sender was signed as Katzu, my own brother.
"Sister, I'm already aware of the situation. I couldn't leave you alone. I've sent you an old friend I fully trust. His name is Deer Horns444... but you can simply call him Elk. He knows what to do, so rely on him."
My eyes widened quickly, and everything fell into place. Elk was not a random traveler or a self-proclaimed hero, but a friend of my brother. That was why he stood between me and Leroy's sword without hesitation.
But the joy of realization didn't last long. New figures appeared on the opposite side of the street. Another group of players stepped out of the fog, illuminated by the pink glow of the mushrooms, all wearing the Coyote emblem on their shoulders. There were four of them, and their eyes were filled with a thirst for profit.
— Excellent!
Leroy45 grinned triumphantly, retreating to his allies.
—Now we'll finish this quickly.
Zikei, a silent observer all this time, gripped the hilt of his katana. The dark mask of the ekai concealed his expression, but from the subtle movement of his shoulder, she could tell that he was both tense and excited.
—Well... This seems like the perfect opportunity to test out a new skill.
Zikei's katana shone with a poisonous, thick red light. A sense of malevolent power radiated from the blade, as if the very air itself began to tremble and space momentarily lost its stability.
— [Bloody Wave]
He said in a hoarse whisper. With a powerful swing, he tore through the space before him. A scarlet arc of energy erupted from the katana, like a predatory tide.
She charged forward with a roar, sweeping aside all the Coyote Guild hunters in her path. A few of them managed to raise their weapons, but the impact was too strong, knocking them back against the walls of nearby buildings, and the red energy left burns on the ground.
System notifications began to flash in the corner of her vision:
[ Bounty Hunter [Lv. 37] is stunned.]
[ Bounty Hunter [Lv. 35] lost 40% HP.]
My legs were trembling, my fingers clenching the hilts of my daggers so tightly that my knuckles were white. I knew that my skills would not be enough to face so many enemies.
But there were two truly powerful players standing next to me: the golden-haired Elk, ready to shield her with his spear at any moment, and Zikei, whose katana seemed to be a living embodiment of terror.
Fritte was sitting on my shoulder, invisible to the others. She gently touched my cheek with her slender fingers, as if trying to reassure me: "You're not alone."
The stunned and beaten members of the Coyotes were slowly getting up from the ground, but their fighting spirit was clearly broken. Only Leroy45, staggering but still full of audacity, continued to shout:
—Listen to me, all of you! In three days, we'll be back! And there will be more of us! Every day, more and more! Until our leader himself arrives! Then he will personally snatch everything that belongs to him from your pathetic hands!
He almost growled the last words as he retreated to his companions. His face was contorted with a mixture of hatred and fear, but his eyes burned with the stubborn fire of a fanatic.
If Leroy's words were true, this was just the beginning, and in three days, a real storm would be unleashed on me and the boys.
I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest as if it were trying to escape. Before my eyes, a chaos unfolded that I did not want to be a part of.
The blows of the moose's spear flashed like lightning, Zikei's katana left red scars in the air, and the hunters of the Coyote Guild fell to the ground one by one. I just watched, not wanting to get a red skull on my head after killing someone in the city.
A sense of longing and anger grew in my chest, not at my enemies, but at myself. Why was I standing on the sidelines? Why was everyone protecting me, but I couldn't do anything in return?
—I have to get stronger too…
I whispered to myself, my fists clenched. Next to me, like an impenetrable fortress, stood Elk. His golden hair, illuminated by the crimson glow of Zikei's katana, shimmered, and his spear traced flawless arcs through the air, felling attackers one by one.
He truly was a wall, and behind that wall, I felt safe, but the same feeling cut into my pride.
—Elk... if I don't fight, will you win?
I spoke hesitantly, trying to shout over the clanging of metal and the cries of the enemy. The golden-haired boy turned his head towards me for a moment. His eyes were filled with confidence, and his voice was calm, as if this were just another training session:
—We will do our best.
These words strangely strengthened my resolve. I took a deep breath, leaned closer to my shoulder, and whispered to a small creature that only I could see:
—Fritte, prepare the doors.
The invisible fairy on my shoulder shuddered, and Fritte's eyes lit up with excitement. It seemed like he'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.
—I get it!
Fritte replied in a small voice, waving his tiny wand. A stream of sparkling aether erupted from the air, and a shape began to take shape beneath Disava's feet, first dimly, then brightly, as if it were alive.
Doors appeared on the cobblestones huge, made of shimmering aether, as if carved from light and shadow at the same time.
I froze for just a moment, the decision made. I would no longer hide behind others.
I took a step forward, then leapt down into what had been a stone pavement a moment ago. My body was swallowed up by a glowing opening that seemed to open right in the heart of the city.
Elk and Zikei froze for a split second as the ground beneath their feet split open and a glowing energy burst out. The ethereal "doors" flashed and swallowed the girl up as if she had never existed.
—What the hell...?
Elk exhaled, tightening his grip on the spear. For the first time, his composure began to crack. He had never seen a daer before, opened directly in the ground, and so quickly, without spells, without artifacts, without long rituals. It seemed impossible, as if the game itself had broken its own rules.
In the next second, the glow faded, and the cobblestones became smooth again, as if nothing had happened.
Zikei didn't say anything for a while, then he suddenly laughed, a deep, booming laugh, and he swung his katana, knocking three of the coyotes back.
—Ha! She's disappeared again! That girl sure knows how to surprise...
His voice was a mix of annoyance and curiosity. Elk gave him a brief glance, but remained silent, his eyes filled with tension.
The battle was still going on. Blows were being thrown from all sides, the hunters of the Coyote Guild trying to close ranks, but Zikei and Elk's onslaught was too strong.
The golden-haired lancer moved like a storm, fending off attacks and piercing his enemies with cold precision, while Zikei, surrounded by the crimson glow of his katana, seemed to be enjoying the battle.
But even in the midst of battle, Zikei's thoughts kept returning to Disava. A Daer who appeared out of nowhere. A power that no one knew about. And that shadow of a fairy he caught out of the corner of his eye by her shoulder... She was definitely hiding something.
He chuckled as he cut down another opponent.
"She slipped away from my gaze once again. But next time, I won't let her escape."