Both sides clashed, then broke apart in the next instant. The sharp clang of metal striking metal rang out, blending with shouts, hurried footsteps, and the distinctive sound of light swords hitting steel armor.
Ren tilted his body to dodge a horizontal blow from a mace. The mace's head grazed past his ear, and the swirling wind from the swing swept his hair backward.
Without missing a beat, he counterattacked immediately. The sword in his hand traced a slender but precise arc.
The cold blade sliced through the nearly impervious joint between the monster's twisted helmet and its dull chest plate. A red flash burst from the wound, accompanied by a cracking sound like splitting stone.
The Sentinel staggered. Its body wobbled, feet slipping slightly on the marble floor, ragged breath wheezing through its broken helmet—as if it was struggling to remain upright with the last bit of strength.
Ren could see it clearly. Just one more strike, a final slash...
Crack!
A sound as sharp as shattering glass on a freezing day. Before Ren could step forward, a flash of a sword gleamed from the left, slicing through the air like a gust of cold wind.
Ren didn't see the person, only the glint of steel... then one, two, three rapid thrusts like interlaced lightning strikes.
Asuna.
She had closed in silently, without a sound, without a trace. Her reddish-brown cloak fluttered with each movement, and her rapier pierced the monster's vulnerable gaps with near-perfect precision.
The monster let out a brief, choking roar before collapsing. The red light in its HP bar faded into glittering dust, leaving an empty space where it had stood.
Asuna exhaled, stepped back half a pace, and turned to Ren. "You okay?"
Ren gave a small nod, sword still in hand, head slightly lowered, voice low. "Yeah."
Glancing quickly behind, Ren clearly saw the empty space where Kirito and Asuna had just stood. They had already taken down the Ruin Kobold Sentinel at their previous position.
In fact, Ren couldn't even recall whether he had heard their weapons strike the enemy or not...it had all happened too fast. Their movements swept by like wind, blurry amidst a flurry of roars and flashing skill lights.
Asuna arriving just in time to support him wasn't luck. It was because their task had ended before he even noticed.
As for Kirito… he hadn't stopped. Hadn't even looked back at anyone.
Like a sharp black blade flung forward, Kirito had already pierced through the frontlines, rushing toward Group E.
A larger group, more prone to chaos, now thrown into disarray by the sudden attack of four newly summoned Sentinels.
Just moments ago, Groups E and F only had three targets to split between them.
But in the blink of an eye, when the Boss Illfang's first HP bar shattered into red particles, the battlefield instantly shifted.
With a heavy roar, the monster summoned four more steel cavalry.
Four new beasts emerged from shattered gems, their metallic armor glowing with red firelight from skills, as if they had just stepped out from the forge of hell.
Their footsteps echoed across the freezing marble floor, synchronized and heavy like the ticking of a death clock.
Ren inhaled sharply. The air thickened in his throat. Players nearby were scrambling to retreat and hold formation, while Diavel shouted himself hoarse, trying to maintain order amid the panic. Yet still, no one fled. No one turned away.
Ren's eyes flicked toward Asuna. She was still beside him, but her gaze was fixed elsewhere.
As if looking for someone. Perhaps Kirito. Perhaps she sensed he was in greater danger.
Ren wasn't sure...
But then, Asuna looked back at him. Just a brief glance, but not cold. Not distant.
She nodded, no words needed. He responded with a slight nod of his own. The agreement was instinctive, as if they already understood.
Without another second of hesitation, they both charged toward the chaotic battlefield where Group E screamed amidst lightning flashes and steel gleams.
The sound of clashing metal, of pixelated blood bursting like ruby dust, of voices calling names, all formed a chaotic symphony of war.
Kirito was ahead, a black streak slicing through the crimson-lit battlefield of panic and skill flashes.
His figure flickered, light as smoke, every strike decisive as though cleaving the air in two.
Shouts rose from Group E players as they saw Kirito arrive, unable to hide their relief. As if they knew that with his presence, the tide would turn.
Ren and Asuna followed close behind, cutting through the ranks of warriors on the verge of losing control. His chest pounded with the surge of adrenaline coursing through every cell.
As if guided by an unseen force, the three of them surged forward simultaneously. No exchange needed.
No plan required. Each chose a different angle of attack, sharp and precise as if they had practiced this a hundred times before.
The first Ruin Kobold Sentinel fell within the second breath.
Asuna delivered the finishing blow, her rapier piercing the gap beneath the monster's collar just as it reared back from Kirito's slanted slash.
A seamless chain of three skills followed, striking without pause, driving the beast back before its body shattered into blazing red pixels.
No words spoken. None needed.
Instantly, Kirito veered to the right. Another Sentinel was closing in on two players, forcing them back step by step.
Like a silent gust of wind, he appeared, absorbing the heavy mace strike, then countering with a flawless combo of skills.
His sword cleaved through the air, drawing brilliant diagonal trails of light in the chaos of battle.
Ren charged straight to the left, blocking a Sentinal trying to break through the center line.
A strong slash, then a quick retreat to avoid the spiked mace's counterattack.
No need to be reckless. No need to close the distance. He wasn't seeking glory, wasn't trying to stand out, only holding the line, keeping the defense from collapsing.
No room for emotions. No time for thought. Only the sword in his hand and the footsteps behind him.
Group E had managed to stabilize their formation. The players who were flustered at first now stood more firmly, thanks to the pressure being spread out.
Cries of "Watch out!" echoed constantly. The clash of weapons rang nonstop, dry, sharp sounds full of life. Beneath the steel and noise, something was forming, not fear, but resolve.
Ren blocked a mace strike, slid half a step back, then twisted his wrist to drive his sword forward. The Sentinal roared, about to charge again... but suddenly, a powerful thrust from behind pierced its side. Asuna.
Not a word, not a glance. She withdrew her sword, shifted targets, and swept sideways like a cold wind. Ren didn't need confirmation. They understood each other through a single step.
Ren kept moving forward. Unshaken. Unstopping. Each breath matched the rhythm of his attacks, every step aimed at the only open gap in the line.
No one noticed.
No one called his name.
But his sword kept striking, kept dodging, kept parrying, because without him, the gap behind would be pierced. And that was unacceptable.
As long as the sword was in his hand, Ren would keep fighting.
The last two Ruin Kobold Sentinals recklessly broke away from the defensive zone, trying to slip through the thinnest support points, aiming to shatter the rear line and throw the Boss team into chaos.
But they didn't get far.
One was stopped cold by Kirito's black sword.
Without hesitation, he launched a combo, precise strikes at the joints between armor plates, leaving red slashes that looked ready to burn the air itself.
The monster fell, dissolving into red pixels before it could even strike back.
The other one, just turning to change direction, was struck by a flash of lightning.
Ren had flanked it, slashing into the gap between the stomach and side of its armor.
Without pause, he swept across its knees, then drove his sword in as it collapsed. Efficient. Cold. Without hesitation.
As the second monster fell, Ren quickly glanced toward the center of the room.
There, the tension was tight as a drawn bowstring. Every movement was rushed yet synchronized, like the pulsing of a giant machine. It was the heart of the battle, where all lines converged.
The Boss's second HP bar was nearly gone. The frontline players, Tanks and DPS, had become so coordinated there were no roles anymore.
No one stood out, but no one lagged behind. They moved as a single entity, giving the Boss no opening to counterattack.
The sound of boots sliding on stone, of blades slicing through air, of shields clashing, all melded into a single rhythm. Pressure surrounded them, but there was no more chaos. In its place, total focus.
Diavel suddenly surged forward, his shield slamming hard into the Boss's chest.
The impact staggered the monster back a step. Seizing the moment, Diavel's longsword lit up with a skill activation, swung horizontally, and struck a massive blow into the Boss's right leg.
A cracking sound thundered like a storm.
The second HP bar shattered, red shards exploding into the air.
The entire room froze in that one moment.
No one spoke. No one breathed. Only the flickering glow of battle reflected on sweat-drenched faces, wide eyes locked in breathless tension.
Then someone whispered… unclear who, unclear where.
"…Alright… We did it."
Another voice rose, trembling, but firm "Don't stop…"
And just like that, like a spark tossed into smoldering ashes, the room exploded with a roar.
A wave of sound surged like thunder, not of fear, but of rising hope. Every shout a declaration that they were still alive, that they could still win.
Victory, once out of reach, once just a distant illusion.. was now in sight.
Only two HP bars left.
Only one more step… to cross the thin line between life and death.
Ren didn't shout with them. He only tightened his grip on the hilt, his feet stepping forward unconsciously. Not for the cheers. Not to be seen.
Only because he still had a mission to complete.