Ren clenched the hilt of his sword so tightly it felt like every joint in his fingers was cracking. He didn't move. Not out of fear. Not out of hesitation.
But because he was waiting. Every gasping breath around him, every pounding footstep ahead, all of it blended into an invisible rhythm pressing down on his chest.
He was waiting for a signal.
The main assault team was already engaged in fierce combat. The clash of steel against steel, the shouts, the blaring system warnings echoed nonstop.
But Ren paid no attention. In his mind, the world had shrunk to a single point, a distance between him and the frontlines.
His toes dug into the stone floor, as if trying to pierce through the leather shoes he wore. The muscles in his calves tensed, his whole body like a drawn bow, just waiting for the trigger.
And then, the signal came.
Diavel's voice rang out...loud, decisive, like a rallying bell amidst the sea of people.
"Groups E and F, move in! Your mission starts now! Don't let the Ruin Kobold Sentinels reach the main assault team!"
That was all it took. No more words needed. No more room for doubt.
Ren took a deep breath, the cold air rushing into his lungs, then launched forward like an arrow loosed from the string. Wind slapped against his cheek, and each heartbeat pounded in his ears.
But he didn't make it far.
A blur shot past.
Fast as lightning, almost too quick to be seen. Ren flinched, instincts forcing him to halt. For a moment, he thought it was just an illusion, a phantom of his imagination… or the wind.
No. It was real.
Asuna.
Her chestnut hair streamed behind her like a living flame. Her reddish-brown cloak wrapped around her slender frame, turning her into a blazing spear hurtling toward the enemy.
No hesitation. No pause. She didn't need anyone to tell her to act. She had been ready all along.
Her rapier aimed straight for the joint in the chest armor of the Ruin Kobold Sentinel. It wasn't a powerful strike, but it was pinpoint precise. A clean, sharp thrust, enough to make the monster stagger back half a step.
Ren was still stunned when another figure surged forward, this time, even faster.
Kirito.
A streak of black slicing through the light. The air warped, the wind torn apart as if a void was hurtling forward at impossible speed. Kirito followed just behind Asuna, like a shadow that never leaves its light.
His one-handed sword carved a diagonal arc, not too strong, but so precise it sent chills down Ren's spine. His movement glided through the space without a sound, but the result was clear: the monster staggered back two steps, off balance.
Ren halted. Not from fear, but because...
I was too slow.
While he had been waiting, preparing, they had already acted. No one called them. No one waited for a command. They understood the battle better than anyone. They were born for this place.
Asuna... decisive like a blade.
Kirito... cold and mysterious like the darkness.
For a moment, Ren felt... invisible. As if whether he stood there or not, the rhythm of the battle wouldn't change. No one looked at him. No one called his name. He was just a shadow behind the ones who shone brightest.
But... he still charged forward.
One step. Two steps. Then faster.
He couldn't let himself vanish completely into obscurity.
He couldn't let others shoulder all the responsibility while he still held a sword.
A second Ruin Kobold Sentinel was moving toward the main group, its heavy mace already raised.
'I can't let it reach them...'
Ren sucked in a breath and dashed to the side, pouring everything he had into each stride. He drew his sword, the metallic screech ringing out like a final vow to himself.
Even if I'm just a shadow... I'm still fighting.
And when his blade struck the monster's warped armor, Ren knew, no matter what, he was still part of this battle.
The monster was hurled back by his blow, its heavy body sliding across the marble floor, leaving long, jagged gray streaks like steel claws had scraped through stone.
But the terrifying part was, there was no sign of a fatal wound. No spray of red pixel blood, no cries of pain...only a chilling silence, as if it had just powered on, completely unharmed.
Ren narrowed his eyes, his cold stare fixed on the Ruin Kobold Sentinel. He had faced many similar monsters on lower floors, but never had he felt such a crushing pressure.
His breathing grew heavier, cold sweat beading on his forehead. It wasn't simple fear, it was the heightened alertness of someone standing at the razor's edge between life and death.
"Th-Thank you," came a trembling voice from behind, making Ren flinch slightly.
Those were a few members of the team who had just escaped a critical blow from the Sentinal. Their faces were pale, hands still trembling with adrenaline that hadn't yet subsided.
Ren only nodded in response, saying nothing more. His eyes remained fixed on the boss's HP bar in the distance, where relentless attacks were gradually chipping away at its health.
The first HP bar had disappeared, a clear sign that the pressure of the battle was reaching its peak.
Suddenly, the cold gleam of a blade flashed in the dim light of the room. Ren spun around, heart pounding.
The Ruin Kobold Sentinal that had just been knocked back was neither stunned nor paralyzed. Its heavy body sprang up with shocking speed, so fast that Ren had no time to react.
Both of its hands raised the massive Morning Star mace, the cold metallic sheen reflecting the faint light, emanating a terrifying, regal power.
The monster's eyes glowed red, as if holding a long-suppressed fury. A guttural growl echoed throughout the room, and the marble floor quaked beneath its every step.
Ren could feel the pressure weighing down on him, like an invisible wall forcing him back. But he couldn't. He wasn't allowed to step back.
Ren's body tilted to one side just in time to dodge the downward smash of the colossal mace.
The rush of wind from the attack hit his face, sending a few strands of hair flying. A loud metallic clash rang out, followed by sparks erupting into the air like festival fireworks.
Ren used the enemy's momentary disorientation to thrust his sword forward. A pale blue light flashed as the blade let out a resonant sound like a battle alarm bell.
"Stap!"
The sword pierced deep into the twisted armor of the Sentinal, right at the joint between metal plates. Bright red blood, like roaring flames, splattered into the air, leaving a long streak across the stone floor.
The stab was so precise that Ren felt a violent jolt in his hand, as if the blade had pierced through thick armor and struck the flesh beneath.
But instead of collapsing, the monster let out a defiant screech, glaring at Ren with eyes that seemed ready to incinerate him.
It refused to fall. On the contrary, the attack seemed only to have made it stronger.
A crimson energy began to surge from the Sentinal's body, light wrapping around the Morning Star and making the weapon more ferocious than ever.
The floor trembled, the air growing hotter and heavier, like the calm before an oncoming storm.
Ren breathed steadily, eyes locked on the target. He knew a prolonged and intense fight awaited him.
Beside him, teammates like Asuna and Kirito had taken their positions, ready to join the fray.
But in this moment, Ren's gaze was fixed solely on the opponent before him, where only the pale glow of his sword and the blazing red of the mace clashed silently.
Without a signal or declaration, Ren shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
His burst of speed seemed to tear through the very air with each step. No one could react, not even the Sentinal. A blur flashed by, then vanished from its sight.
In the blink of an eye, Ren was already behind it, his blade carving a deadly diagonal arc. The steel gleamed briefly, followed by a dry slicing sound like silk being shredded.
The slash cut from the monster's left shoulder to its right lower back, leaving a glowing red fracture across its rough metal armor. Sparks and tiny fragments flew, lighting up the space behind it.
The Ruin Kobold Sentinal staggered, stumbling forward a few steps like a drunken sailor, but it didn't fall. On the contrary, its fury now seemed fully awakened.
A loud screech tore through the air as it swung its steel arm, the spiked mace arcing upward in a sweeping blow aimed straight at Ren's head with incredible speed for something so heavily armored.
Ren barely caught the flash of silver from the corner of his eye and instinctively raised his sword.
Clang!!
The sound of clashing metal rang out like an explosion in the confined space. Ren was jolted back, sliding several steps across the smooth stone floor.
His face twisted in pain. Not from a direct hit, but from the shockwave that surged through the sword's hilt, shooting down his arm like an icy electric current.
As he lowered his sword, he saw his right hand had gone pale, veins standing out clearly beneath the skin, fingers trembling uncontrollably.
A portion of his HP had been carved away even from that indirect blow, a clear sign of significant damage purely from force impact.
'What a monster…!'
Ren clenched his jaw, stepping back again, eyes growing stern. He couldn't approach it the normal way.
That strike wasn't just powerful, it was incredibly precise. The Sentinal wasn't just a living wall swinging a mace.
It fought like it had learned technique, able to read movement and counter at the slightest opening.
He took a sharp breath, then lowered his stance. His arm ached, but it could still move. He couldn't let it control the rhythm.
From afar, the sounds of other attacks still echoed, the main group was focusing their strength on the boss. But if these Sentinals weren't kept in check, even one breaking through the frontline…
'I won't let you pass…'
Ren moved in a wide arc around the monster, sword lowered, the pale blue glow beginning to gather along the blade once more.
He knew he couldn't win in a strength contest...but if he timed it right… one critical strike would be enough.
The monster roared, mace raised high, its shadow stretching long across the shimmering marble floor.