Chapter 12 – Fire in the Village
The rivalry between Aria and Selene had not ended.
It had only grown quieter.
More subtle.
More dangerous.
And while the two strongest women in Audrey's faction focused on competing for influence…
The enemy struck.
---
The Night Attack
Under the cover of darkness —
A massive force of bandits descended upon Audrey's village.
But these were not ordinary criminals.
They wore armor reinforced with dark runes.
Their weapons were enchanted.
And leading them…
Was a masked commander carrying a corrupted war flag.
He raised his hand.
"Burn everything."
Flaming projectiles launched into the village houses.
Walls collapsed.
Fields were set ablaze.
Villagers screamed and ran for safety.
---
Defenders Unprepared
The village defense units attempted resistance.
But they were overwhelmed.
The bandits had planned this carefully.
They attacked while:
- Audrey was recovering
- Selene was handling political tension
- Aria was training new recruits
- The faction forces were divided
The attack was strategically timed.
A coordinated strike.
Not random revenge.
---
The Emergency Signal
Back at the academy, an alarm rune activated suddenly.
Selene's eyes widened.
"Village distress signal!"
Aria felt it instantly through mana resonance.
Both women turned toward the source at the same time.
Silence.
Then—
They rushed.
---
Arrival at the Burning Village
Teleportation gates activated.
Selene and Aria arrived simultaneously.
The scene in front of them was chaotic.
Houses were burning.
Villagers were injured.
Bandits moved aggressively through the streets.
Aria's eyes hardened.
"They planned this."
Selene scanned the battlefield.
"They wanted to force Audrey to split attention."
She clenched her fists.
"Or expose weaknesses inside our protection."
A bandit commander noticed them.
He laughed.
"Two powerful women!"
"Perfect trophies for our boss!"
He signaled his men to attack.
---
Battle Breaks Out
Aria moved first.
She dashed forward so fast her image blurred.
Her sword sliced through three bandits in seconds.
Explosions followed.
Selene raised defensive barriers around civilians.
She countered with long-range spell artillery.
Bandits were thrown back.
But numbers were overwhelming.
More enemies kept arriving from the forest.
The commander observed calmly.
"Good… good…"
"They are distracted."
Suddenly —
A massive magical cannon positioned behind the hills fired directly toward the center of the village.
The target:
The evacuation shelter.
Aria noticed too late.
"Damn!"
She attempted to intercept —
But the blast was too fast.
---
A Critical Moment
The energy cannon was about to hit.
Villagers froze in terror.
Selene tried to expand a shield —
But it wouldn't fully cover the impact radius.
At that moment —
Golden light exploded across the sky.
The cannon blast collided with a golden barrier.
The explosion shook the entire battlefield.
Dust filled the air.
When visibility cleared…
Audrey stood in the center.
Blood still stained his clothes from previous injuries.
His eyes burned with anger.
The barrier around him slowly faded.
"…You attacked my home."
His voice was cold.
The bandit commander's smile disappeared.
"How are you—?!"
Audrey interrupted.
"Finish them."
---
Reversal of Power
Audrey activated his system at maximum output.
Gold Conversion:
100 Million Gold → Area Combat Enhancement
Golden energy spread across the battlefield.
His speed increased.
His strength multiplied.
He appeared in front of the cannon operator.
One strike.
The weapon shattered.
He moved again — dismantling strategic positions.
Bandits began panicking.
"Retreat!"
"He wasn't supposed to recover this fast!"
Too late.
Audrey sealed escape routes with gold barriers.
The battlefield became a trap.
---
The Commander's Defeat
The masked leader attempted to escape using a teleport artifact.
Audrey intercepted him mid-activation.
He grabbed the man by the throat.
"Who sent you?"
The commander laughed weakly.
"You think this is the end?"
"Others are watching…"
"Your rise threatens powers beyond nobles…"
Before he could finish —
Audrey crushed the artifact and knocked him unconscious.
---
Aftermath
The bandits were defeated.
The village survived.
But destruction was heavy.
Selene approached Audrey quietly.
"You arrived faster than expected."
He replied calmly.
"My system detected mass hostile movement."
Aria walked up beside them.
"You pushed your body too hard."
Selene added softly:
"You should have rested."
Audrey looked at both of them.
"If I rested…"
"The village would burn."
Silence followed.
For the first time —
Aria and Selene stopped competing.
Because they realized something important.
Their rivalry meant nothing…
If they failed to protect what they were fighting over.
---
🔥 End of Chapter 12