The first scream did not sound like panic.
It sounded confused.
The training yard paused.
A second shout followed — louder.
"Movement on the eastern wall!"
Steel stopped mid-motion.
The knights shifted instantly from drill to readiness.
No chaos.
Formations snapped into place with trained efficiency.
Arietta turned toward the commotion.
She felt it before she saw it.
The air pressure shifted.
Mana density dipped — wrong.
Then she saw them.
Dark shapes spilling over the outer wall.
Limbs too long.
Bodies slightly distorted.
Shadow clung to them instead of light.
Her expression changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
The knights charged.
Blades cut cleanly through the first wave.
Mana reinforcement shattered two creatures at once.
The monsters dissolved — but not properly.
Their remains evaporated too fast.
No corpse.
No blood.
Just dispersing shadow.
"That's not local fauna," Arietta murmured.
No one heard her.
They were already engaged.
A knight severed one cleanly—
Only for the shadow to twitch before fading.
Another creature lunged.
Three knights suppressed it immediately.
Efficient.
Solid.
Just like she had assessed.
Then the ground shook.
Something heavier vaulted over the wall.
It landed with crushing force.
Twice the size.
Its frame unstable — like smoke struggling to form bone.
The knights instinctively widened formation.
"Captain!"
The captain stepped forward, blade drawn.
"Hold the line."
They engaged.
Four knights struck in rotation.
Impact landed.
The creature staggered—
Then reformed.
Its chest pulsed faintly.
Arietta narrowed her eyes.
There.
A reinforcement strike hit directly through its torso.
It roared—
The wound sealed.
The knights pulled back.
"It's regenerating!"
Mana chains attempted restraint.
The creature tore through one.
Sloppy regeneration pattern.
Unstable shadow layering.
Her jaw tightened.
"This one has a core," she said clearly.
The nearest knight glanced at her briefly but stayed focused.
Klaine entered the courtyard.
The air shifted again — this time under control.
Authority condensed into presence.
"Report."
"High-regeneration variant!"
Klaine's gaze landed on the creature.
Then — briefly — on Arietta.
She met his eyes.
"Core type," she said evenly.
"Location."
"It flickers when it roars."
He did not question how she knew.
"Where."
"Chest. Slightly left of center."
The monster lunged.
Knights redirected.
It roared—
For a fraction of a second—
The shadow thinned.
"There," she said sharply.
Klaine moved.
His mana compressed into a narrow edge.
No wasted power.
No hesitation.
His blade pierced exactly where she indicated.
A cracking sound split the air.
The monster froze.
Then imploded inward.
Shadow collapsed in on itself.
Silence followed.
The remaining creatures dissolved as if cut from a tether.
Dust settled slowly.
Breathing steadied.
One knight muttered,
"What were those…"
No one answered immediately.
Klaine's eyes returned to Arietta.
"You recognized it."
"Yes."
"From your world."
"Yes."
A pause.
"And you did not appear surprised."
She considered that.
"I didn't expect them here."
That was not the same as being unaware.
The captain approached.
"You knew its structure."
"Yes."
"How many have you fought?"
She blinked once.
"Enough."
Silence stretched.
The knights who had laughed earlier no longer did.
One of them looked at her differently now.
Not dismissive.
Careful.
Klaine stepped closer.
"You said our knights are solid."
"Yes."
"Was that sufficient?"
Her gaze shifted toward the shattered ground where the monster fell.
"For this one."
And then she added, calmly—
"If stronger variants appear… you'll need preparation."
The air stilled.
Not boastful.
Not dramatic.
Just assessment.
Klaine held her gaze.
He had allowed her into this castle to observe her.
Now something else had appeared—
And it resembled her world more than his.
And for the first time—
He wondered whether she was an anomaly.
Or a warning.