I will finally embark on the road of no return called hero

After realizing they were trapped in a strange alternate space, the three girls, Luvia, Reines, and Gray, huddled together to assess the situation. Reines and Luvia both had plausible reasons to be targeted, but dragging Gray into this made things suspicious. Even stranger was how they had been left alone after being brought here. As Gray wore a puzzled expression, Reines's smirk deepened, and Luvia, though loudly protesting the absurdity of it all, begrudgingly led them to the underground levels.

This was where Luvia had set up her magic-infused display hall—a place designed to enhance customer desires. The enchantments, however, had gone haywire. Or at least, that's what she thought. When the elevator doors opened, Luvia's wide-eyed shock gave way to anger. Standing in her hall was an uninvited guest, their back turned to the trio. Around them lay the wreckage of her security dolls, shattered and scattered like discarded toys. This wasn't an accident. This was an event.

"Someone deliberately broke into my hall, bypassed my security, and dragged us into this alternate space," Luvia growled, her fists clenched. "And now they're just standing there, waiting for us. Arrogant, aren't they?" She flashed a feral grin. "Well, they're about to regret underestimating Luvia Edelfelt!"

Reines, hiding her amusement behind a hand, gestured nonchalantly. "Well, this seems like your problem. Do handle it, won't you?"

Gray blinked, confused. "Wait, isn't that Cyd? He'd never go through all this trouble just to trap us. He must have noticed something was wrong and came to help."

"Perhaps," Reines said with a sly smile, "but Luvia insists on handling it herself. For the sake of family alliances, we'll let her have this moment." She leaned against the elevator wall, peering through the crack in the doors as Luvia stormed out.

"You'd better not interfere!" Luvia snapped, striding toward the intruder like a lioness on the hunt.

"Good luck!" Reines called cheerfully, pressing the button to close the elevator doors. Gray, meanwhile, clung to the doors, praying fervently. "Please, Cyd, explain yourself gently! Luvia's temper is dangerous enough already!"

Cyd turned around, eyebrows raised as Luvia approached. He'd been expecting someone competent, not someone dripping in wealth and aristocratic airs. "So, you're the owner of this place?" he asked. "Judging by the mess, you're also here to fix it. Or... are you the one behind all this?"

Luvia bristled. "How dare you! I'm here to take care of the problem—you!" She jabbed a finger at him. "Breaking my security, hijacking my systems, and pulling us into this space? You'll pay for your arrogance!"

Cyd tilted his head. "Arrogance? You think I did all this just to meet you? That's some imagination you've got." He cracked his knuckles. "But if you're looking for a fight, I'll oblige. Don't worry; I'll go easy on you."

Gray groaned from the elevator. "No, Cyd, don't say that! She'll take it the wrong way!"

Luvia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Go easy? On me? You'll regret those words!" She raised her hand, and a barrage of glowing gemstones shot toward Cyd with lethal precision.

"Gemcraft?" Cyd muttered, unimpressed. He flicked a finger, deflecting the first ruby. It ricocheted into a sapphire, altering its trajectory. One by one, the gems veered off course, embedding harmlessly into the walls. The final ruby zipped past Luvia's cheek, pinning itself into the elevator door with a mocking thud.

"Decent power," Cyd said, inspecting his fingernail, "but not enough."

Luvia's face turned red. "You... arrogant..." She hiked up her skirt and charged like a lioness. Her speed was impressive, but Cyd had seen faster.

"What's she planning?" he wondered aloud. "A slap?"

He got his answer when her knee came rocketing toward his face. Instinctively, he crossed his arms to block, but the sheer force sent him skidding back into the wall.

"Okay, not bad," he admitted, shaking off the impact. "But you might want to rethink calling that 'ladylike.'"

Luvia smirked, tearing her skirt at the seams to reveal her legs, lined with glowing runes. "You'll eat those words soon enough."

"Reinforcement magic?" Cyd mused, rolling his shoulders. "This might get interesting."

With a battle cry, Luvia lunged, her movements a blur. She wrapped her arms around his waist, twisting her body with surprising agility to execute a flawless suplex. Cyd, however, landed gracefully on his hands, flipping out of her hold with ease.

"Not bad," he said, landing lightly. "You've got some skill. How many people have you flattened with that move?"

Luvia clicked her tongue in frustration, thrusting her palms toward his midsection in a burst of raw strength. Cyd flipped backward, landing effortlessly. "I've seen enough," he said, brushing dust off his coat. "We don't need to keep fighting. I know what's going on here."

"No!" Luvia snarled. "This isn't over!" She leapt high, her knee glowing with enough force to shatter stone. Her form was impeccable, her presence commanding—a warrior goddess in motion.

Cyd sighed, raising a hand to meet her strike. He caught her knee effortlessly, absorbing the force without so much as flinching. "You know," he said, twisting his wrist, "girls shouldn't make such big moves in dresses. At least wear pants next time."

With a flick of his arm, he sent Luvia spinning like a top. She landed with a loud thud, her eyes swirling comically. Reines and Gray peered out from the elevator, both stunned into silence.

"That was... dramatic," Reines finally said, stifling a laugh. Gray, meanwhile, muttered a prayer for Luvia's pride.

Cyd flexed his fingers, glancing at Luvia's crumpled form. "She's strong, I'll give her that. But maybe next time, she'll think before rushing in."