Outside the Hidden Reprieve, gray clouds thickened the mist as the powdery ash layer of the ground was kicked to the side.
Everyone in the eting room ca rushing out at the sudden news.
Daru, Caleb, and Lesha were in the lead, the latter two turning into abominable Damnedlings the mont they crossed the mystical boundary.
As soon as they did, they heard it.
Sounds of an ongoing skirmish.
The source was neither too far nor too close, and it was only the faint echoes that they heard.
Still, the three had been in Limbo for long enough that they knew how to trace such noises.
They quickly sprinted over.
Then, Daru froze as his eyes fell upon the Visitor.
A silver-haired young woman with silver eyes, donning a silver battle armor and wielding an icy-silver flyssa.
It was as though ti stopped for him at that mont.
He didn’t know why, but an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over him, mainly due to the appearance of the fair silver lady.
He even forgot to glance at her naplate.
Strangely, it was her eyes that snapped him out of his strange reverie.
They seed to break the imrsion.
Daru, jolted awake, quickly followed, yelling quite crudely. "Hey, you! Stop!"
The young woman was surprised at the sudden call, and she shot a glance his way, but quickly turned her attention back to the Damnedlings.
To her surprise, they only stood defensively around her with the sa weird looks on their abominable faces, her eyes narrowing as her wariness was slightly settled.
She was a smart young lady, and she could instantly tell that the blonde young man who just called out to her had a connection with the abominations.
Perhaps his minions?
Confirming that the Damnedlings wouldn’t attack, the silver-haired young woman finally turned to face Daru with a rather unfriendly look on her face.
Then, one of her brows rose as her gaze landed upon his naplate.
"Oh? Ha! I can’t believe this is happening...To think that out of all places in the entirety of the Myriad Sword Realm, here is where I would et the renowned mysterious novice," she laughed in amused disbelief.
Only then did Daru rember to glance at her naplate, his brows rising like the silver-haired young woman’s:
==
Sigrun
HP: 3,250 / 3,250
==
Her trial na was written in shimring icy-silver, and although similar in color to an F-ranker’s, it was sohow impossible to miss the distinction.
Indeed.
What are the odds that he would et the infamous novice SSS-ranker of Cluster 7, Sigrun, in this god-forsaken realm?
What was she even doing here, anyway?
Had she found an Underworld Key, too, and was now unable to return to the Surface like him?
The two famous bladeborns of the sa generation sized each other up, and soon, a hint of disappointnt flashed in the eyes of the silver-haired SSS-ranker.
And she was quick to let Daru know.
"I must say, Onimaru Kunitsuna...This princess is quite disappointed. I saw you as an interesting rival, you know? But as it turned out, you’re rely an S-ranker."
Daru wasn’t fazed one bit by the hint of disdain in her tone, though, still smiling appreciatively.
It was borderline-creepy, what he was doing.
But Sigrun wasn’t fazed, either, simply finding his boldness quite amusing.
Did he not hear what she said? Or was there a hidden layer to this S-ranker?
After all, how would he have stolen the duel event slot from her and the three others and scored a victory for humanity if he wasn’t competent in his own right?
Her disdainful exterior was rely a probe.
"That is unfortunate," Daru responded, his appreciative smile steadfast on his face. "Would you maybe want to test in an all-out duel, though? I’m sure I won’t disappoint."
Sigrun’s eyes narrowed at the proposition.
It would’ve been the typical challenge response of a loser with a fragile heart and mind, had he not said it without a hint of displeasure at being called a disappointnt.
Onimaru Kunitsuna had at least passed her test with flying colors in terms of composure.
Of course, he could be seething inside, but the fact that he did not let it show was already comndable.
"Haha, you’re quite the direct fellow, aren’t you? Unfortunately, this princess doesn’t just draw her sword for random sword duels. Only when a sizable crowd is present to witness my glorious victory and when there would be sothing to gain would I do it. In this boring realm? No way..."
Daru shrugged impassively.
"That’s regrettable. But don’t you worry, I’ll co to challenge you when I feel that the ti is right, and I’ll make sure you won’t have any excuses to say no co that ti."
"Hmph." Sigrun snorted in response, pausing for a mont before continuing: "So...are these abominations your underlings? A nasty ability, if that’s the case...and rather plebeian."
"Ah, no. These guys are my comrades." Daru answered plainly, his gaze shifting and following a poor, heavily injured Damnedling who was being carried back to Egress for a mont before his eyes t the silver-haired SSS-ranker’s again.
"Huh? Comrades? These...distasteful wretches? You call these things comrades? Have you no friends, Onimaru Kunitsuna?"
"I-I have!" He quickly defended, though his confidence suddenly wasn’t as high as it had been earlier when he was challenging Sigrun to a duel.
Sigrun didn’t miss the small detail, scoffing for whatever reason was on her mind.
"Well, since you call these...things...your comrades, you must be fairly familiar with this god-forsaken domain and probably even know a good resting spot or two. Don’t you even have the common sense to invite a poor, tired lady, not to ntion one as gorgeous as this princess?"
Daru fell silent for a mont.
"Aren’t you embarrassed calling yourself "this princess", though? Is that the trend in Antariel? Oh well, to each their own, I guess. Co, follow us."
"W-Wha..." Sigrun’s snobbish exterior cracked for a mont, but she quickly recovered after clearing her throat. "Very rude, but fine, I’ll follow for now."
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