The air grew heavy as the Advance Squad made their way back to the Imperial Convoy. The sky had already darkened, and the thick fog that rolled into the valley made it difficult to see ahead.
The horses grew restless, their movements uneasy. They snorted, their ears flicking back as if sensing an unseen danger.
Officer Tsutomu, leading the group, frowned. His grip tightened on the reins. "Something's wrong…"
Beside him, Rin remained silent, but Tsutomu noticed his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings. His breathing was calm, but his fingers trembled slightly on the reins.
That was when they saw it.
Scattered across the valley floor were bodies.
But not just any bodies.
Dark Order members—twisted and mangled in unnatural, gruesome ways.
Some of them were contorted backwards, their limbs bent in directions that should have been impossible. Others had clawed at their own faces, their expressions frozen in horror.
There was no blood.
Only their lifeless eyes, wide with terror, staring into the empty sky.
The squad halted immediately.
A cold shiver ran down Tsutomu's spine. "What the hell is this…?"
The soldiers muttered among themselves, shifting uncomfortably on their horses. Some reached for their weapons, though against what, they didn't know.
Rin did not speak.
His entire body stiffened, his hands trembling slightly. His golden eyes darted over the scene, recognizing the unnatural stillness in the air.
Then, a whisper—barely audible, but chilling enough to freeze his blood.
"…Help me…"
It came from nowhere.
The soldiers looked around, confused.
Tsutomu's jaw tightened. "Did you hear that?"
Rin did not respond immediately. Instead, he slowly lowered his head, staring at the bodies again. He recognized this.
A long, heavy silence.
Then, Rin's voice—hollow and shaken.
"…Forbidden-tier magic."
Tsutomu turned to him sharply. "What did you say?"
Rin swallowed. His throat was dry. "This… This is the work of illusion and psychic magic. The kind that warps the mind… and breaks the soul."
The air grew colder.
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, gripping their weapons as if that would protect them from something they could not see.
Tsutomu narrowed his eyes. "You mean… this isn't just an ambush?"
Rin shook his head. His voice was steady now, but his fingers were still trembling.
"No. This was a mass execution."
A chill ran through the group.
The Dark Order—who were supposed to be the attackers—had been wiped out before they could even strike.
But by whom?
Tsutomu clenched his jaw. "Then who did this?"
Rin did not answer. He simply turned his gaze towards the fog-covered path ahead.
The road back to the Imperial Convoy.
If this magic was still active…
If someone was still watching them…
Then returning might not be so easy.
The air was unnaturally still, the heavy fog wrapping around the valley like a suffocating shroud. Rin narrowed his golden eyes, then took a deep breath, activating his Quantum Eyes.
A faint purple glow flickered to life in his irises, shimmering like a sea of stars.
And in that instant, he saw it.
The illusion wasn't just a veil.
It was a trap.
Like invisible hands wrapping around his mind, it dared him to see.
The unnatural stillness, the eerie silence, and the twisted corpses were merely pieces of something greater—something watching them.
The warriors of the Advance Squad stood tense, gripping their swords as they scanned the fog-covered valley. Even the horses sensed the unseen danger, hooves shifting uneasily against the cold earth.
Then, Tsutomu spoke.
"Rin." His voice was calm, but his grip on the reins was tight. "Can you dispel it?"
Rin didn't answer immediately. His gaze flickered across the landscape—watching, calculating.
"If I do…" he murmured, voice just above a whisper. "It might be expecting me to."
Tsutomu exhaled through his nose, his expression dark. "That doesn't matter. If something in this valley can wield illusion and psychic magic on this scale—on a level equal to the Empresses of the Hoshimi Empire—then we can't ignore it. It concerns the entire convoy's safety."
Silence followed his words.
Then, Rin gave a slow nod.
"Understood."
He lifted his hand, fingers curling into a half-seal.
A pulse of energy radiated from him—silent, invisible to the others, but his Quantum Eyes saw how it reached into the false reality surrounding them.
Like pulling apart a delicate spider's web.
The illusion resisted.
For a brief moment, Rin felt something… pull back.
A presence.
Watching.
Waiting.
And then—the fog shattered.
A rush of cold air swept through the valley as the illusion peeled away, revealing the true scene beneath.
Carnage.
Scattered across the ground were the bodies of demons and Dark Order members. Some were cleaved apart, others burned beyond recognition, and many twisted in unnatural ways—as if something had torn into their very souls.
The warriors of the Advance Squad immediately tensed, gripping their weapons.
But Rin's gaze was drawn to the center of the valley.
A lone figure.
Standing amidst the massacre.
Still.
Waiting.
The last wisps of fog curled around them, distorting their form like a mirage.
The squad instinctively raised their swords into defensive stances.
Rin, however, remained frozen.
His Quantum Eyes flickered.
And the figure slowly came into focus.
As the last remnants of fog dissipated, the valley was bathed in the dim glow of the setting sun.
The figure stood tall, draped in flowing azure robes embroidered with golden patterns—an unmistakable symbol of Imperial Nobility.
Yet, despite the regal appearance, there was an undeniable darkness that clung to her, like shadows that refused to be cast away.
She smiled.
It was a gentle smile, almost fond, as if she had found something precious—yet the weight behind it sent chills down the spines of the soldiers.
A smile laced with sorrow.
Her aura was suffocating. Not from sheer power alone, but from something deeper—something twisted.
The insignia of the Azure Empress gleamed on her robes, authentic and undeniable.
Yet, every soldier present knew the truth.
The Azure Empress was alive—safe in the capital.
Then who was this woman?
The squad exchanged uneasy glances.
And then—realization struck.
Her face.
Her delicate features, the sharp yet elegant gaze, and the way her presence demanded attention even in silence…
She looked exactly like Chinen Suzuki.
But older.
Harsher.
Darker.
The resemblance was so uncanny that a few warriors instinctively turned their heads, glancing toward where the real Suzuki should have been—safe within the convoy.
Yet the woman standing before them… was not her.
Rin, standing still as stone, narrowed his glowing purple eyes.
His grip on his katana tightened.
The silence stretched on, heavy with an unseen weight—until Officer Tsutomu finally spoke.
His voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
"Identify yourself!"
The warriors stiffened, weapons raised, as the echo of his demand faded into the valley.
For a moment, there was no response.
The woman simply tilted her head, as if amused by the question.
Then, she took a single step forward.
And the shadows beneath her twisted.
"Rin..."
The voice pierced through the valley—soft, yet filled with pain.
"Don't go…"
The moment those words reached his ears, Rin's body froze.
A force unseen yet undeniable gripped him, his muscles locking in place as an invisible weight crushed down upon him.
It wasn't ordinary magic.
It was psychic magic.
And not just any tier—Forbidden Tier.
A power so rare, so overwhelming, that even a Supreme Tier mage like Rin himself struggled to resist.
His Quantum Eyes flared, purple light flickering in his irises as he tried to break free.
But the bind was absolute.
Tsutomu, ever sharp, noticed immediately.
"Rin!" He barked, moving swiftly to pull him away.
But before he could even touch him—
"Stop."
A single word.
And Tsutomu's body locked in place, just like Rin's.
It wasn't a shout.
It wasn't even a demand.
It was simply an order.
An absolute, undeniable command spoken by her.
The older Suzuki.
She stepped forward, slowly, carefully, as if approaching something fragile.
The black aura around her pulsed with every step.
Rin gritted his teeth, fighting against the hold, veins straining against his skin.
"Guh…!" His voice came out in a choked gasp.
He could barely move.
Barely breathe.
Yet she moved without hesitation.
And then—she reached out.
Her cold fingers brushed against his cheek, cupping his face as if to memorize his existence.
She smiled—not in joy, but in sorrow.
"I won't let you die," she whispered.
And then—
From her eyes, black liquid began to fall.
Like tears.
Like grief itself manifesting into something unholy.
Rin didn't hesitate.
The moment he realized he was trapped in psychic magic, his mind worked faster than his struggling body.
Concentration.
That was the core weakness of both Psychic and Illusion magic.
Even Forbidden Tier magic wasn't omniscient—if the caster lost focus, the spell would break.
And Rin wasn't the type to sit still.
BANG!
A Supreme Tier spell erupted beneath them.
From the earth, a colossal spectral claw—shaped like a tyrant beast's—descended upon them both.
"GRAAAAH!"
The older Suzuki screamed, her focus shattering.
The psychic bind around Rin snapped.
He moved instantly.
Twisting his body, he kicked her away, using her moment of weakness to gain distance.
But he wasn't done.
His katana disappeared—replaced by a spell.
With a single motion, he spun and slashed his arm outward.
A concentrated wind blade shot forward—sharp enough to cut, but Rin held back.
Instead of slicing her, it blew her away.
She stumbled back, her robes fluttering as she caught herself mid-air.
But Rin had no time to celebrate.
"Tsutomu! Run to the convoy!"
The officer's eyes widened as Rin grabbed his arm, forcefully shoving him back.
"Get out of here! Now!"
Tsutomu clenched his jaw but obeyed.
He turned, barking orders—"Fall back! Retreat to the convoy!"
The soldiers, some still stunned by the sudden battle, moved immediately.
Meanwhile—
The older Suzuki was already recovering.
Her hands moved in fluid motions, casting another spell—this time, a corrupt black sphere of psychic energy.
But Rin was faster.
With a wave of his hand, the earth surged upward, forming jagged walls between him and the spell.
BOOM!
The impact shook the valley, but Rin had already dashed forward—rushing at her full speed.
Her dark eyes gleamed.
A smile crept onto her face.
She was defending.
Not attacking.
She was smiling.
Because Rin's full attention was on her.
Because he was the only thing stopping her from targeting the others.
And she enjoyed it.
Rin's magic rained down in an unrelenting storm.
Wind blades. Shadow chains. Earth pillars. Arcane constructs.
Yet, none of them landed.
The older Suzuki moved effortlessly.
She saw everything coming.
Each spell he casted—dismantled in an instant.
Each attack—gracefully dodged by the slimmest margin.
It was frustrating.
It was impossible.
How?
Rin's mind raced. He wasn't holding back. Every spell was fast, precise, unpredictable. He even threw in a newly thought-up spell mid-battle—
And yet she countered it instantly.
She knew.
She understood his magic.
Almost as if she had fought him before.
Almost as if she had known him for a lifetime.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Then—
Rin dashed forward, katana forming in his hand—an attack at close range!
Suzuki's lips curved slightly.
**She moved—**so effortlessly that it was like she already knew where he'd swing.
At the last second, she tilted her head—a breath away from his blade.
Rin's strike missed.
And then—
She reached out.
A single, gentle touch.
Her fingers barely grazed his wrist as he passed.
Again.
Rin spun—striking once more.
She stepped aside—and lightly brushed his shoulder.
It wasn't an attack.
It wasn't a counter.
It was as if she was toying with him.
No—
It was as if she was memorizing him.
"You're exactly as I remember..." she whispered, her voice laced with sorrow.
Rin gritted his teeth.
Who the hell is she?!
Rin tightened his grip on his katana, his breathing steady but his heart racing.
The older Suzuki stood before him, arms wide open, her voice dripping with obsession and sorrow.
"Come to me, Rin... Let's be together again… Let's go on dates, eat outside again… Let's kiss, hold hands, and play around… Just like before."
She stepped forward, her smile widening—not out of kindness, but as if she already knew he couldn't escape.
Rin flicked his wrist—shadow tendrils shot out!
Suzuki snapped her fingers.
The tendrils disintegrated.
Her psychic magic erased them instantly.
She tilted her head, her expression shifting from loving to mocking.
"Why are you attacking me, Rin? I only want to flirt~."
Rin's stomach churned. This woman—she wasn't Suzuki.
She had her face.
Her voice.
Her smile.
But the presence—the **power—**it wasn't hers.
"Who the hell are you?" Rin demanded, his Quantum Eyes glowing a deep, threatening purple.
She smiled, her gaze filled with longing. "I told you. I am Chinen Suzuki."
Lies.
He could see it in her body language—the way she watched him, the way she spoke.
It wasn't Suzuki.
Rin's voice was colder than ice. "You're not her."
The woman giggled.
"Oh, Rin… You're wrong. I am Suzuki—the one you love."
His stomach twisted.
"I don't love you."
Her expression didn't change, but something in her aura snapped.
She stepped closer, her obsessive glint sharpening.
"No, no, no... That's not true. Hoshimi Rin loves me."
Rin froze.
She called him by his real name.
His Imperial name.
The name he abandoned.
His breath hitched, but he kept his stance.
"I chose you?" Rin repeated, voice wary. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The woman's smile softened—but her eyes remained dark.
"I failed you, Rin. I failed to protect you."
The air around them distorted.
"So I made a deal."
A chill ran down Rin's spine.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"What kind of deal?"
Rin's breath was steady, but his heart pounded like a war drum.
The older Suzuki extended her hand, her dark aura swirling like a living nightmare.
"A deal," she repeated softly. "A deal that lets me be with you… As long as you don't walk down that path again, Rin. I can be with you."
The ground trembled beneath them as her aura surged—black dust coiling in the air, twisting like whispers of a forbidden truth.
It wasn't just dark magic.
It was corruption.
Rin's eyes widened.
Impossible. This shouldn't exist.
The older Suzuki smiled—a broken, sorrowful smile. She raised her hands, letting the black matter pulse between her fingers.
"Yes, Rin. This is the deal I made after losing you."
Her voice quivered with longing and madness.
"As long as I prevent you from being the hero again… You can be with me."
She stepped forward, her outstretched hand trembling.
"Take my hand, Rin. Let's be together… and let this world fall to corruption."
Rin stayed silent.
For the first time since their battle began, his mind blanked.
He never thought... He never imagined...
Rin's voice barely came out as a whisper. "You're from the future… aren't you?"
The older Suzuki nodded.
Her voice cracked. "I don't want that future, Rin. The one where you die. Please... Give up on fighting."
Rin clenched his fists.
His Quantum Eyes glowed purple as he stared at her—not with hesitation, but with conviction.
"I won't."
The older Suzuki's smile twisted.
Then—she laughed.
Soft at first. Then louder. Louder.
"Of course... Of course you wouldn't understand."
Her aura darkened—a storm of grief, obsession, and madness.
"I fell in love with that self-sacrificing, kind-hearted Rin after all."
Then, she moved.
A blur of darkness.
Her hands, glowing with corrupting energy, lunged toward him.
Rin vanished.
—Shimmers of light scattered.
Illusion magic.
At that moment—shadows erupted from below.
Dark tendrils bound her in place.
—Gravity multiplied, pressing her down.
—Earth, lightning, fire, and wind surged to life.
Four Supreme Tier spells cast in unison—a perfect trap.
The real Rin had already turned away.
He was running.
Dashing toward the Imperial Convoy, his eyes sharp, his heart cold.
Behind him—a deafening explosion tore through the valley.