Gea lunged forward, her dagger gleaming with dark energy, aimed directly at Andrey’s chest.

Andrey’s hand flew to his belt, but before he could draw his katana, a flash of steel intercepted the blow. Sparks erupted as Allen’s sword met Gea’s dagger, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.

Allen’s face was set in grim determination. "Everyone, prepare yourselves! We’re under attack!"

The command snapped the stunned heroes into action. Hands reached for weapons, mana flickered to life, and the grand hall transformed from a celebration into a battlefield.

Near the staircase, Simmon Flanks pushed his black glasses up his nose, his twin swords already drawn. His white hair caught the dim light as he fixed his gaze on Ernando. "What is the meaning of this, Ernando?"

Ernando smiled—a cold, empty expression that didn’t reach his eyes. "This is an offering ceremony for the resurrection ritual. You heroes, with your highest status, will become perfect nourishment for our great master."

"You’ve lost your mind!" shouted a hero from the crowd, a B-rank in a gold-trimmed suit.

Another voice joined in. "Do you realize who you’re dealing with? The combined forces of every major guild are here tonight!"

A third hero, an A-rank with a scarred face, stepped forward. "You won’t survive this, Bainz. Challenging every guild at once is suicide."

"He’s clearly gone mad," someone muttered.

Ernando’s smile never wavered. His silver-streaked hair seemed darker now, shadows pooling around his feet.

Gea, still locked in a blade-lock with Allen, let out a soft, amused laugh. "Huhu... it seems it won’t be that easy after all."

Her crimson eyes flicked toward Andrey, then back to Allen. With a flick of her fingers, she snapped.

Allen’s eyes widened. He swung his sword hard, trying to push her back. Beside him, Jane raised her hands, frost coalescing into jagged ice spears aimed at Gea’s heart.

"Now, Jane!" Allen shouted.

The ice spears flew.

But they passed through empty air.

Gea had already moved. Her fingers completed their gesture, and a dark pulse erupted from her palm. A field. Circular, shimmering with purple-black light, expanding outward in a dome that sealed her and Andrey inside.

Allen’s sword struck the barrier and rebounded, the impact throwing him backward. Jane caught him, her ice magic fizzling against the field’s surface.

Gea’s crimson eyes gleamed with satisfaction as the barrier sealed around them. Outside, the chaos of the hall faded into muffled silence. Inside, only the two of them remained.

"Finally," Gea purred, twirling her dagger lazily, "the little mouse has been trapped."

Andrey stood his ground, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana. His expression remained calm, though his mind was racing. "I guessed it. You’re here for the artifacts we took, aren’t you?"

Gea’s smile widened, her small black horns catching the dim light. "Huhu. There’s a smart one here. Yes, that’s right. I’m here to reclaim what you stole."

Andrey adjusted his glasses, his Ki senses probing the barrier’s edges. "Taking them like this... with everyone in the hall as witnesses? Do you have enough nerve to make enemies of every hero here?"

Gea tilted her head, as if considering his words. Then she laughed—a soft, melodic sound that held no warmth. "It seems you’re underestimating me, little mouse. I could kill every last one of you humans if I wanted to. Easily."

She flicked her fingers.

Outside the barrier, shadows rippled across the grand hall. From the walls, from the floor, from the very air itself—monsters began to materialize.

Their forms were twisted mockeries of living things—horned skulls with molten eyes, bodies woven from shadow and sinew, claws that scraped the marble floor with a sound like breaking bones. Some moved on four legs, jerking and twitching like dying spiders, others stood upright, wreathed in smoke, their mouths stretched into grins. They surged into the crowd, and screams erupted. Heroes fought back, but their powers were suppressed by the dark field that now covered the entire building.

Andrey’s eyes flicked toward the chaos, but he couldn’t hear anything. Sarah’s mouth moved, shouting something and Lisa’s face was pale with fear. He saw Sein push through the crowd, her gauntlets blazing, but their voices were nothing but silence.

He forced himself to look back at Gea. "Soundproof," he muttered. "This field blocks sound. It will be difficult to escape."

Gea’s smirk deepened. "Even now, you’re thinking about running away?" She stepped closer, her tail swaying behind her, the heart-shaped tip twitching. "How pathetic."

Andrey’s mind raced as he stood inside the shimmering dark barrier, the muffled chaos of the hall beyond like a distant nightmare. He met Gea’s crimson gaze, forcing calm into his voice.

"This is too risky for you," he said, keeping his tone measured. "Even with Ernando under your control, and even with this suppression field weakening everyone’s powers, you’re still inside a building full of S-ranks and A-ranks. If any of them break free your whole plan falls apart."

Gea tilted her head, her pink hair swaying. "Huhu... go on."

Andrey adjusted his glasses, buying time. "You’re not stupid. You wouldn’t gamble everything on a single move unless you were confident it would work. So either you have a backup plan... or you don’t actually need to kill everyone here."

Gea’s smile widened, her small black horns gleaming. "Half right."

"The ritual Ernando mentioned," Andrey pressed. "Resurrecting your ’great master.’ That requires sacrifices, doesn’t it? Powerful ones. All these high-rank heroes in one place, it’s a perfect hunting ground. But without the artifact it would be useless, that’s why you need me here."

Gea clapped her hands slowly, mock applause. "Clever little mouse. But you’re missing the main point." She stepped closer, her tail curling behind her. "I already knew this plan would succeed. From the very beginning."

Andrey’s eyes narrowed. "Because of Markus."

Gea’s crimson eyes glittered with amusement. "Oh? You figured that out?"

"He invited us personally. Insisted we come." Andrey’s voice grew colder. "He never showed up. And you were waiting for me specifically the moment we arrived. You lured us here."

Gea laughed—a soft, melodic sound that sent chills down his spine. "Huhuhu... I wanted to see that face. The moment you realize you’ve been played." She placed a hand on her chest, feigning delight. "Yes, it was me. I manipulated Markus. His body was so easy to control, his mind already weak. I whispered your name into his ear, made him believe inviting you was his own idea. And you came running." Her smile turned cruel. "So obedient."

Andrey was silent for a long moment. His jaw tightened. His hands, hidden at his sides, curled into fists.

"...I see," he said quietly. "Then all that remains is to settle this."

A crack echoed through the barrier.

Gea’s head snapped toward the source. Spiderweb fractures spread across the dark dome, glowing with golden light from the outside. Allen’s voice, muffled but furious, reached through the growing gaps.

"Jane! Hit it again!"

Another crack. The barrier shuddered.

Gea’s expression flickered just for an instant before smoothing back into amusement. "Not bad. Even with their powers suppressed, S-ranks are still troublesome." She glanced back at Andrey. "But we’re done here."

She raised her hand, and a portal tore open behind her, swirling darkness edged with violet light.

Andrey lunged forward, hand reaching for his katana. "Not yet—"

The portal expanded. A wave of invisible force slammed into Andrey’s chest, yanking him off his feet. His body was pulled toward the swirling darkness, his fingers scraping against the marble floor, finding no purchase.

"ANDREY!" Sarah’s voice, finally breaking through the failing barrier with panic.

The last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him was Gea’s smiling face and behind her, Sein’s fiery gauntlet punching through the collapsing barrier, reaching for him.

Too late.

The portal snapped shut.

Then the grand hall erupted into chaos again, but Andrey was no longer there.

He fell through cold, endless dark, Gea’s laughter echoing in his ears.

"Now, little mouse... let’s go somewhere more private."

Andrey’s eyes snapped open.

The first thing he saw was the ceiling—a vast dome of dark glass, revealing a sky littered with unfamiliar stars. They shone cold and distant, arranged in constellations he didn’t recognize. The air was still, heavy, and smelled of old stone and something metallic.

He sat up slowly, his body aching but intact. His glasses were still on his face, cracked but functional. Around him, the space resembled a grand observatory curved walls lined with strange runes, a polished floor that reflected the starlight, and in the center, a circular platform etched with symbols that pulsed faintly with dark energy.

Gea stood a few meters away, her arms crossed, her smile as sharp as her dagger.

"Welcome," she said, her voice echoing softly in the vast chamber. "To your burial ground."

Andrey pushed himself to his feet, his hand instinctively moving to his katana. It was still there, still at his hip.

She uncrossed her arms and took a step closer, her tail swaying behind her. "You know why I brought you here."

Andrey met her gaze. "I don’t."

"Hand it over." Gea’s voice dropped, losing its playful edge. "The chalice of eternal ember. Give it to me, and I’ll grant you a quick death. A gentle one. You won’t even feel it."

Andrey’s hand tightened on his katana’s hilt. "No."

Gea sighed, shaking her head as if disappointed by a child. "Such a waste."

She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they blazed with crimson fire.

Dark energy erupted from her body in waves. Her pink hair lifted, floating as if underwater. Her small black horns elongated, curving backward like a ram’s. Her tail thickened, the heart-shaped tip pulsing with malevolent light. Her already elegant dress darkened, shifting into something between armor and shadow, clinging to her form as her muscles visibly swelled.

The air grew thick, oppressive.

Andrey’s Ki senses screamed.

System: Emergency! Demon-class entity detected. Rank: S. Threat level: critical. Recommend immediate evacuation. This enemy exceeds current party capabilities.