[Silvena’s POV]

"It’s so quiet now..."

Irene’s voice echoed softly through the ruined theater as she sat against one of the few remaining theater seats that had not been destroyed during the battle.

Beside Irene, Lovia quietly released light magic from her hand. Golden mana slowly spread across Irene’s skin, suppressing the blackened veins within her.

Soft sizzling sounds occasionally rose from the corrupted areas, slowly fading away. Compared to before, the pain had lessened considerably for her.

"I guess the fight below has already ended," Lovia said calmly, sounding like she carried little concern, as though she already knew the outcome.

However, Silvena’s expression did not ease.

She stood near the massive hole leading underground, her eyes fixed on the darkness below.

Yes, the battle had ended.

But that alone meant nothing.

Who won?

Was Ruvian alive?

Did the woman’s companion actually reach him in time before the enchantment consumed his body completely?

That... Silvena did not know.

And the unknown only made the silence feel heavier.

Her face grew tense.

Then she slowly took a deep breath.

’Think positive...’

She forced herself to calm the unease rising in her chest.

’It’s him after all.’

Ruvian was not reckless without reason. Even when he pushed himself into impossible situations, he always knew a way out.

’And he must have seen the future already. So he must’ve already... planned for it.’

The thought repeated itself quietly in her mind as she was trying to convince herself.

Therefore...

’He should be fine.’

Lovia glanced toward Silvena before speaking softly.

"You’re that worried about him?"

Silvena slightly turned toward her almost immediately. There was no hesitation in her expression.

"Of course, I am."

For a brief moment, the two women simply looked at one another in silence.

The golden light from the healing magic continued to illuminate the ruined theater softly while dust drifted through the air around them.

Then suddenly... a violent burst of movement exploded upward from the massive hole behind Silvena.

Swishhh!!

Wind and debris erupted outward as something shot out from the underground chamber at tremendous speed.

Silvena’s eyes widened slightly.

Instinctively, she raised her arms in front of her face, shielding herself from the rushing force while her body turned toward the source of the disturbance.

Fragments of stone scattered across the floor.

A strong gust swept through the ruined theater before the figure finally landed several meters away with surprising softness despite the terrifying speed from before.

Silvena’s body immediately tensed, she reflectively channeled mana within her as caution filled her gaze.

But then she realized...

It was not a demon.

It was just a human man. His dark clothing fluttered lightly as he straightened himself calmly, looking completely unharmed.

Silvena quickly understood who he was — it was the companion the crimson-haired woman mentioned earlier.

Then her eyes shifted toward his back. And the moment she saw the unconscious figure resting over his shoulder...

Her breath caught slightly.

It was Ruvian.

The man carefully lowered Ruvian onto the ground, making sure not to aggravate his injuries further.

Even while unconscious, Ruvian’s condition looked terrible. Parts of his clothes were stained dark with blood while faint traces of black corruption still lingered around several wounds across his body.

"I think you should heal him first," the man said toward Lovia as he straightened himself slightly. "He’s lost quite a lot of blood, and his body was exposed to Dark Mana too."

"Good work," Lovia replied calmly as she rose from the theater seat. The golden light surrounding Irene slowly faded as the healing spell came to a temporary stop.

"I’ll come back to you in a bit," she said while walking toward Ruvian. "Can’t let your precious friend die."

The man scratched the back of his head lightly before letting out a quiet laugh.

"Honestly, I didn’t really do much," he admitted. "When I arrived down there, the guy already had everything under control."

He glanced briefly toward the unconscious Ruvian.

"I mean... I could’ve killed the demon immediately if I wanted to. But he started using some really peculiar spell, so I got curious and decided to watch for a moment."

A faint look of admiration and intrigue appeared on his face as he continued, "Then somehow, he actually managed to kill the Greater Demon himself afterward."

Lovia’s brows lifted slightly.

"Oho~"

A smile appeared across her face, carrying both amusement and genuine surprise.

"I see~ so he managed to kill a Greater Demon on his own? I guess he’s quite capable."

Then she crouched beside Ruvian and gently placed one hand over his chest. Soft golden light immediately spread outward from her palm, flowing through his battered body like warm water.

The bleeding around his wounds slowly began to lessen while the traces of Dark Mana lingering beneath his skin gradually weakened.

Meanwhile, Silvena stood nearby in silence after hearing their conversation. Surprise still lingered in her eyes, but alongside it came another feeling.

Something closer to relief.

And strangely enough...

It also felt exactly like something Ruvian would do.

Even against a Greater Demon, he still found a way to survive.

’Haa... this dummy.’

Her gaze softened slightly as she looked down at his unconscious figure. Blood was still running faintly from the side of his head, staining part of his hair red while his expression remained completely still.

Then suddenly, the man spoke again.

This time, there was a faint irritation in his tone as his gaze remained fixed on Ruvian’s unconscious face.

"But still... can I take off his mask? There’s something I want to check."

Silvena blinked slightly at the sudden request.

’This again? Why is he so stubborn on removing Ruvian’s mask?’

Her expression stiffened almost immediately.

Reveal Ruvian’s identity?

For a brief moment, hesitation surfaced in her eyes.

Would it really be alright?

Their masks were not just disguises for convenience. In a place like this, revealing one’s identity carried risks. Especially after everything that had happened tonight.

But then again...

Irene had already removed hers earlier. And more importantly, these two had saved their lives. Without them, both she and Irene would most likely have died already.

As Silvena fell silent in thought, Lovia seemed to understand exactly what was going through her mind.

The crimson-haired woman turned her head slightly toward her before speaking calmly, "Well, that part..." she said lightly, "we should probably ask his partner first."

Then a small smile appeared on her face.

"So, can we?"

Silvena remained quiet for another moment.

The ruined theater fell silent once more aside from the faint crackling of healing magic surrounding Ruvian’s body.

Then finally, she spoke.

"We truly appreciate that you came to help us," Silvena said politely. "But if we are going to disclose our identities..."

Her gaze shifted toward Lovia and the man beside her.

"...then I think it would only be fair for us to know yours as well."

"Of course," she continued smoothly, "consider this our way of properly thanking our saviors. If possible, we would also like to know the faces of the people who saved us tonight so that we may repay this debt in the future."

Hearing that answer, Lovia smiled.

It was a knowing smile, amused and slightly impressed at the same time.

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[Chapter 170: Before the Masks Fall]