The sun was sinking into the western horizon, its orange-red afterglow slowly being devoured by the encroaching gray dusk. Night crept in, wrapping the entire city in a shroud of black satin.
Far to the northwest, deep in the seventh district, shadows gathered.
A cluster of adventurers crouched in the darkness, eyes fixed on a single, derelict building. Every breath was held, every movement deliberate.
"Is this really the place?" a low voice whispered.
"Yeah. I confirmed it. A suspicious group has been coming and going, using odor-eliminating items to cover their tracks."
The ones speaking in hushed tones were the sisters, Shakti and Adi. And before them stood a church, forgotten, abandoned for years. The closed front entrance loomed silently, and above it, a weathered stone statue of a goddess gazed down, though half her face was missing.
Adi lowered her voice, fists tightening as her gaze hardened. "So this is it… the warehouse where the evil illegal market stores its goods. I didn't think it'd be hidden away in this desolate corner instead of near the main exchange."
After several days of searching, the target had finally been found. Adi, who had been growing more restless with each passing hour, could hardly suppress her excitement.
'Hmph. Once we catch these scum, not only can I give Ryuu a proper explanation, but I can even show Akira I'm not to be underestimated.'
After all, over the past few days, she'd heard more than enough about the Astraea Familia's growing list of achievements.
"Honestly, I didn't expect them to hide in a place where regular civilians live." Shakti said quietly, her sharp gaze scanning the area.
She held her spear at the ready, every muscle taut. "They're not stupid but that only matters until tonight."
In the blink of an eye, dark shapes melted into place around them, other Familia members, moving in utter silence.
"Captain." a voice whispered from the shadows. "All members are in position. Ready to strike."
"Good." Shakti said without hesitation. "We finish this in one sweep."
The Ganesha Familia lied in wait, surrounding the church like a silent net, ready to snap shut at a single command.
Shakti's eyes narrowed. Then she raised her spear and barked her order.
"Full team, assault!!!"
The instant her voice rang out, the night erupted.
With a roar that carried raw determination, the Ganesha Familia surged forward, pouring into the church with overwhelming force. The heavy door was kicked in, splintering under the rush of armored bodies.
Adi, swiftest of them all, was the first to burst inside.
"The military police are here! This place is surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender or—"
She froze mid-shout.
The scene before her made no sense. Not a single opponent was left standing.
Men and women alike, human, dwarf, it didn't matter. Every one of them lay crumpled across the cracked stone floor, their bodies twisted unnaturally, as though crushed by an overwhelming force.
There was no blood. Yet each figure hovered on the brink of death, groaning faintly, their faces pale and contorted in pain. The air was thick with an eerie stillness.
Adi stared, her voice catching in her throat. "The… the Evilus members, and the merchants too… all defeated?"
Shakti entered a moment later, spear still in hand, only to stop dead.
"They were wiped out before we even got here? Who?"
Confusion rippled through the group as the other Ganesha Familia members spread out, scanning every shadow.
And then, a voice drifted through the ruined church. Low. Flat. Yet carrying an oppressive weight.
"They're making noise again."
Every head snapped toward the sound. Through a jagged hole in the stained glass, a shaft of moonlight spilled in, pushing back the darkness. And within that pale glow, a figure appeared.
A woman.
She wore a long robe and a deep hood that shadowed her features, leaving only the curve of her lips visible. Silver-gray hair spilled from beneath the hood, falling over her shoulders. The dim light seemed to wrap her in an aura that was cold, almost unreal, like a witch stepping out of an old legend.
Shakti and Adi both stiffened, eyes widening.
"The noise never ends." The woman said softly. "No matter the past, no matter the present… Orario remains the same." Her voice was heavy with something indescribable.
The sound echoed in the emptiness.
"I can't even take a proper nap in peace. Pathetic… I truly hate this city."
Her presence was unsettling in a way neither sister could name. Even the seasoned adventurers behind them unconsciously tensed.
"Who… who are you? An adventurer?" Adi asked, her voice wavering.
The woman's oppressive aura was undeniable. She wasn't moving, wasn't even raising her voice, yet the weight of her existence pressed down like a tangible force.
Shakti's mind raced. 'When did she even appear? No… more importantly, how did I not sense her until now?!'
It wasn't just skill. This woman's presence was unnaturally quiet. No footsteps, no breath, no sound, so silent that even Shakti, a seasoned Level 4, could not detect her without direct sight.
Shakti broke the silence first. "Was this your doing?"
The woman's reply was calm. "Who else?"
"Why?" Adi demanded.
The woman tilted her head slightly. "Because it displeased me."
The blunt answer left Adi momentarily speechless. 'What kind of reason is that?'
Her voice dropped lower. "These vermin razed the elven forest, ravaged the Great Sacred Tree and now, they dared to defile this place as well."
She did not spare so much as a glance at the groaning Evilus members littering the floor. Her tone carried only disdain.
"So I gave them what they deserved."
Something in that cold certainty made Adi's stomach tighten. Still, she pressed on. "This place… this church… what is it to you?"
The woman was quiet for a long moment. When she finally spoke, her words were laced with something almost human.
"Once, it was my sister's favorite place. And, perhaps, it was also where I was reborn."
Her face remained hidden, but her voice, just for that instant, carried a fragile sincerity.
"Help… help me… spare me…!"
One of the Evilus members gasped weakly from the floor, his voice cracking with pain and terror.
The woman did not even look at him. Her reply was colder than moonlight. "I had considered turning them into corpses that could no longer make a sound. But allowing their filthy blood to stain this place would be far too insulting. So…"
Her gaze shifted to Shakti and Adi. "I'll leave the cleanup to you."
Shakti had no patience for drawn-out chatter. After shoving the task of handling the remaining Evilus scum onto her subordinates, she simply turned away, feigning disinterest as she made for the church's exit.
But before she could step past the threshold, a mocking voice rang out.
"Woman… do you think you can just walk away?"
Shakti's expression hardened as she stepped forward, blocking the path. "You're not going anywhere."
The cloaked woman paused mid-step, her covered face tilting slightly toward Shakti as if sizing her up.
"Oh? Do you really think you can catch me, little girl?"
At this time, Shakti was already thirty-one, while Alfia was only twenty-four. Objectively speaking, it was questionable who exactly had the right to call whom a little girl. Though in terms of strength, there was no comparison at all.
'You dare call my sister a little girl!?' Adi's stomach tightened with a chill as she caught the woman's contemptuous tone, her instincts screaming danger.
Shakti's eyes narrowed. "You dare mock us? Adi, everyone, attack!"
Faced with a mysterious opponent who had single-handedly crashed into the illegal market of Evilus, she didn't hold back. She immediately ordered every available combatant in the church to strike.
"Ohhh!!!"
With a collective battle cry, twenty members of the Ganesha Familia, including several level three elites, charged at the intruder.
The woman's fingers twitched, ready to weave a spell but a calm, almost familiar voice echoed in her mind.
"Alfia… be gentle."
"Tch… always meddling." Her reply was laced with reluctant annoyance, but she eased the flow of her magic, cutting down the power output.