“The flower shop is closing for the day. Everyone, head home early.”
“Understood.”
After a final reminder to her staff, Lena closed the shop door. She then stepped onto the street in front of the flower shop, umbrella open.
A fine drizzle fell from the sky, its gentle patter a soft rhythm against her umbrella. Lena gazed ahead, lost in thought, as Sharlene’s news echoed in her mind.
‘Chiling has arrived.’
She had anticipated her friend would eventually seek her out after hearing word of her. Yet, Lena never imagined Chiling would arrive so swiftly.
‘Hadn’t the news of Silverbloom remained confined within Vidona’s borders?’
A vivid image of the short-haired, vibrant young woman from her past sprang to mind. Lena instinctively rubbed her temples, a familiar ache of vexation setting in.
Years had passed since their last encounter. She wondered what Chiling had become.
Was she now a councilor in the assembly? Or had she retired, no longer active on the front lines? Would her appearance have changed? Had her terrible temper finally mellowed? Was she still the same girl who once cared so deeply about her reputation?
Whenever Chiling was mentioned, Lena’s memories invariably returned to a time over two decades ago.
She extended a hand, catching the cool raindrops. After a moment of silent contemplation, Lena concluded it would be best if they didn’t meet.
Just as Chiling remained a cherished image in her heart, Lena wished for Chiling to remember the very best version of Silverbloom.
Only the Silverbloom who was eternally gentle, who never gave up, was truly worthy of being remembered.
Gathering her thoughts, Lena passed an alleyway. Just then, a man, his hands covered in fresh scratches, stumbled out from its depths in a panic.
“Help! Someone, help!”
His terrified cries drew every eye on the street. Behind him, a blood-red demon emerged, its form grotesque, as it leered and licked blood from its clawed fingertips.
“M-monster! There’s a monster!”
The moment the demon appeared, chaos erupted. Many immediately dropped whatever they were holding and scrambled to flee in a desperate panic.
Lena reacted similarly, yet with far greater elegance than the others. She didn’t even discard the umbrella she held.
However, the demon’s target was her.
Its mouth stretched into a grotesque grin, reaching almost to its ears. With a slight beat of its tattered, blood-red wings, it lunged, claws extended, straight for Lena!
To its surprise, the woman before it evaded its attack with a mere sidestep.
And perhaps it was a trick of its senses, but it perceived an unusual, chilling coldness in her eyes.
Its initial strike foiled, the demon, having overshot by several meters, adjusted its stance and landed firmly on the ground.
It scrutinized Lena, and upon realizing she was merely an ordinary person devoid of magic, it unleashed a savage grin. Then, it lunged at her once more!
This time, Lena didn’t dodge. She stumbled back a step, letting out a gasp as she fell to the ground, her umbrella slipping from her grasp.
Her hair clung to her cheeks, damp with rain. Long lashes were beaded with crystal droplets, and her silver eyes brimmed with profound fear of the demon.
In this state, Lena appeared exceptionally vulnerable and delicate, easily stirring a protective instinct in others.
“Sister Lena!!”
Just as the demon’s sharp claws were about to reach Lena, a cry rang out, accompanied by a golden arrow that arrived in a flash!
The demon was struck in the head, its lunging body instantly sent flying backward. Simultaneously, a golden light flashed past Lena, and a searing flame longsword slashed into the demon’s body with incredible speed.
It was Celia.
Her pretty face was now contorted with fury. The sword techniques she wielded were even more fluid than when she battled magical beasts, each strike piercing the demon’s flesh and eliciting cries of pain from it.
A Fourth-tier demon was being suppressed by her in such a short time.
Aurora was no different. After helping Lena to her feet, she coldly drew her magical bow. For the first time, the golden arrow she conjured turned pure white, and an eerie wailing sound emanated from the space around it.
Taking a deep breath, she released the string.
The arrow shot forth, scattering raindrops with a fierce gust of wind. Celia, having delivered her final strike, sensed the impending impact and swiftly leaped away. The arrow soared past her, utterly obliterating the demon’s head.
*Thud—*
The headless body knelt weakly, then toppled to the ground, resembling nothing more than a lifeless corpse.
The only one not fighting was Isha. She bit her nails indignantly, her gaze toward the demon filled with boundless disgust.
‘Her chakram hadn’t fully recovered, and any attempt to fight now would only hinder Celia and the others.’
“Sister Lena, are you alright?!”
Celia rushed to Lena’s side, her face etched with worry. She frantically circled Lena, and only after confirming she was unharmed did she let out a profound sigh of relief.
Even so, her hands still trembled, and a wave of dread washed over her.
‘If they hadn’t been nearby just now, that demon very well might have killed Lena!’
‘It was too dangerous. Even after the beast tide, Vidona remained unsafe!’
“I’m fine.”
Lena straightened her water-soaked hem, then looked towards the demon still twitching on the ground.
‘Another demon.’
When she was the strongest hero, these creatures rarely appeared in the human world. Why were they suddenly so prevalent now, defying all past norms?
‘Was this mere coincidence, or was it orchestrated?’
As she pondered, a group of knights finally arrived, pushing through the crowd. Seeing that the demon was not yet dead, they produced holy water from the church and sprinkled it over its body.
The demon’s body convulsed violently. Where the holy water touched its flesh, thick white smoke billowed. Then, it fell motionless to the ground, utterly dead.
Having completed their task, the knights hoisted the demon onto their shoulders, intending to depart with it. However, someone stopped them.
“Leave its corpse.”
A woman with long, ink-blue hair emerged from the crowd. Behind her followed another woman, whose face was partially obscured by a black robe.
One knight from the squad, seeing that the newcomers were heroes, scoffed. “This area falls under our jurisdiction. You heroes have no authority to demand we hand over this corpse.”
Due to the poor relationship between the governor and the Hero Guildmaster, knights and heroes often found themselves at odds.
“What? Does even a Sage-tier Hero possess no authority?” Skyfire narrowed her eyes, her voice growing several degrees colder.
At her words, those in the vicinity who found her familiar instantly realized her identity.
“Isn’t that Skyfire? Why would she be in Vidona?”
“Probably because of the beast tide? Didn’t we hear a group of heroes from Urgal arrived? But this is my first time seeing the real Skyfire! She’s even prettier than in her posters!”
“Who’s that beside her? Is she also a hero from Urgal who came to Vidona?”
“Probably an attendant. How could a Seventh-tier Hero not have someone to assist them?”
Having gleaned her identity from the murmurs of the crowd, the knight quickly wiped sweat from his brow. He offered repeated apologies, then bowed and retreated behind his captain, falling silent.
Skyfire’s reputation naturally caught Celia’s attention. She glanced at the hero with a hint of disdain, instinctively comparing her to the Chiling she held in her heart.
But in the very next second, her gaze swept over the black-robed woman behind Skyfire, and she froze.