Volume 2 Chapter 141: The Captured Lions

The first thing Ayame felt was pain.

It wasn't the sharp, burning pain of a fresh wound, nor was it the overwhelming exhaustion that followed a difficult battle. Instead, it was a dull ache that had settled deep into her shoulders and wrists, the kind of discomfort that came from remaining in the same position for far too long.

Her shoulders felt stiff.

Her wrists hurt even more.

For several seconds, Ayame remained completely still with her eyes closed, trying to gather her thoughts. Her mind felt foggy, as though she had only just awakened from a deep sleep.

Then memories slowly began returning.

The bunker.

Ryota.

Fayzan.

The search for Ramos.

The moonstone mice.

They had been moving deeper into the bunker, following the corridors while her summoned creatures searched through vents and cracks in the walls.

Then something had happened.

Something she couldn't remember.

Ayame's brow furrowed.

She tried to reconstruct the last few moments in her mind, but there was nothing there. No attack. No warning. No sound.

One moment, she had been standing beside Ryota.

The next...

Nothing.

A chill ran through her.

Ayame slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a ceiling.

It was made of dark stone reinforced with thick metal beams, with several old lamps hanging between them. The lamps emitted a weak yellow light that barely illuminated the room.

She blinked several times.

Her vision gradually adjusted to the dim surroundings.

Then she tried to move.

Her arms wouldn't respond properly.

Ayame frowned and pulled harder.

A metallic clink sounded behind her.

Her heart immediately jumped.

"...What?"

She twisted her shoulders as far as she could.

Cold metal dug into her wrists.

Her hands had been pulled behind her back and locked together with iron cuffs.

Ayame's breathing quickened.

She looked down.

Only then did she realize that she was inside a cage.

Thick iron bars surrounded her on every side, forming a cramped prison cell barely large enough for her to stand comfortably. The bars were reinforced with dark metal bands at regular intervals, and a heavy lock was attached to the front.

Ayame immediately grabbed one of the bars.

She pulled.

Nothing.

She tried again, putting as much strength into her arms as the awkward position allowed.

The cage didn't even shake.

Ayame swallowed.

She had never been captured before.

Not like this.

Not by another player.

The realization made her stomach twist.

She had always been the one watching from the shadows.

Tracking enemies.

Scouting dangerous areas.

Following targets from a safe distance.

She wasn't a frontline fighter like Ryota, nor was she a close-range combatant like Fayzan.

Her role was different.

She found targets.

She tracked them.

She gathered information.

She supported her teammates.

That was what she was good at.

But now she was the one trapped inside a cage, unable to even free her hands.

"Fayzan..."

Her voice came out weakly.

There was no answer.

Ayame immediately turned her head.

A second cage stood beside hers.

Her eyes widened.

Inside it was Fayzan.

Unlike Ayame, however, Fayzan had been restrained far more thoroughly.

His wrists were locked behind his back with heavy iron cuffs, but that was only the beginning. Thick chains had been wrapped around his torso several times, pinning his arms against his body. Additional restraints secured his legs, while another set of chains crossed over his shoulders.

Whoever had captured him had clearly taken extra precautions.

They weren't merely trying to stop him from escaping.

They were making absolutely certain he couldn't fight.

Ayame stared at him.

"Fayzan?"

His head was lowered.

For one terrible moment, Ayame wondered whether he was unconscious.

Then he slowly lifted his head.

His eyes opened.

"...Ayame?"

Relief immediately flooded through her.

"You're awake!"

Fayzan gave her a tired smile.

"Looks like it."

He shifted slightly.

The chains responded with a heavy metallic rattle.

Ayame stared at the restraints surrounding him.

"They really tied you up."

Fayzan looked down at himself.

"...Apparently."

Ayame frowned.

"Why do you have so many chains?"

Fayzan gave a quiet sigh.

"Probably because I'm a fighter."

He glanced toward Ayame's comparatively lighter restraints.

"You're a tracker and a tamer. They probably decided you weren't much of a threat in close combat."

Ayame's expression became slightly embarrassed.

"...That's fair."

Fayzan smiled.

"Don't take it personally."

His expression then became more serious.

"They were probably trying to make sure I couldn't fight my way out."

Ayame looked around the room again.

Only then did she notice the people standing outside their cages.

There were several players scattered throughout the chamber. Some leaned casually against crates while others stood near the walls, watching the prisoners. A few were checking their weapons or talking quietly among themselves.

None of them looked particularly worried.

It was as though they had complete control over the situation.

Then Ayame noticed the woman standing directly in front of her cage.

She immediately became tense.

The woman had brown hair that fell naturally around her shoulders, framing a face that looked calm but difficult to read.

Her eyes were the strangest part.

They contained multiple colors.

Different shades seemed to shift within her irises whenever the dim light struck them from a different angle, creating an almost unnatural appearance.

She wore a black leather armor suit fitted closely to her body. Unlike the ornate equipment commonly worn by high-level players, her armor was almost entirely practical, reinforced around the shoulders, chest, arms, and legs.

There was nothing decorative about it.

Everything about her equipment seemed designed for function.

She looked like someone who belonged in a dungeon.

Someone who knew exactly how to survive one.

And right now, her attention was fixed entirely on Ayame.

Not curious.

Not friendly.

She was glaring at her.

Ayame instinctively pulled herself backward.

The woman smiled.

"So."

Her voice was calm.

Almost mocking.

"You finally woke up."

Ayame said nothing.

The woman crossed her arms.

"Did you really think I didn't notice you and your friends sneaking into the bunker?"

Ayame's eyes widened slightly.

The woman leaned closer to the cage.

"You weren't exactly subtle."

She smiled.

"My name is Lyra."

She straightened again.

"I'm from Epsilon Dawn."

Ayame's stomach sank.

Epsilon Dawn.

The same guild as Corvina.

The same guild responsible for the battle outside.

The same guild that had been hunting them.

Lyra tilted her head.

"You three really thought you could sneak into our base, search around for your little friend, and then leave without anyone noticing?"

Fayzan's expression hardened.

"We weren't leaving without Ramos."

Lyra's gaze shifted toward him.

"Of course."

She sounded amused.

"You people really do seem attached to that NPC."

Ayame immediately looked past her.

And froze.

Someone else was in the room.

A man was lying casually across a stack of wooden crates several meters away.

He wasn't restrained.

He wasn't standing guard.

He didn't even appear particularly interested in the prisoners.

He looked bored.

Extremely bored.

His arms were crossed behind his head while one leg hung lazily over the edge of the crates.

Ayame recognized him almost immediately.

Her eyes widened.

"Falco..."

Fayzan's expression changed as well.

Falco.

One of Epsilon Dawn's strongest members.

Ayame had heard his name before.

Not nearly as often as Sarrow.

Not as recently as Corvina.

But enough.

Falco had a reputation among players who paid attention to the major guilds and their strongest members.

And judging by the relaxed way he was lying there, he didn't seem particularly concerned about the two prisoners.

There was, however, someone beside him.

A boy.

His hands were bound.

His clothes were torn.

Bruises covered his body, and blood stained his arms and face.

Ayame's heart nearly stopped.

"Ramos..."

The NPC was unconscious.

His head hung limply to one side, and his breathing was shallow. Fresh blood continued to trickle from a wound near his forehead.

But he was alive.

At least for now.

Ayame immediately pressed herself against the cage bars.

"Ramos!"

Fayzan looked toward him as well.

"Ramos!"

Neither of them received a response.

A woman was kneeling beside the unconscious NPC.

She had long purple hair that fell almost to her waist, with black glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. Her clothing resembled a strange mixture of medical equipment and dark academic robes, giving her the appearance of a researcher rather than a combat player.

Ayame didn't recognize her.

But something about the way she handled Ramos made her uneasy.

Several medical tools were arranged beside the woman.

Glass containers.

Needles.

Bandages.

Small tubes filled with red liquid.

Ayame's eyes widened.

Blood.

The woman was collecting Ramos's blood.

Falco eventually glanced toward her.

"Hey purple hair did you extract enough yet?"

The purple-haired woman slowly looked up.

Her expression immediately became irritated.

"Are you kidding me?"

Falco raised an eyebrow.

The woman turned back toward Ramos.

"Matilda."

She said her own name as though there was no reason anyone should have forgotten it.

She placed one hand against Ramos's chest.

A soft green light immediately radiated from her palm.

The light spread throughout the NPC's body.

His breathing steadied slightly.

Matilda frowned.

"How many times do I have to tell you and your men?"

Her voice became sharper.

"We need him alive."

Falco shrugged.

Matilda glared at him.

"The professor would kill us if this mission failed because of you idiots."

Falco smiled lazily.

"Did I hit a nerve, Matilda?"

Matilda's eye twitched.

"You don't tell me what to do."

Falco stretched his arms behind his head.

"He's here."

"Alive."

"End of story."

Matilda's expression hardened.

"Barely."

She looked down at Ramos.

"I can't keep taking blood from him at this rate."

Her fingers moved carefully over the wound near his forehead.

"He's too weak."

Her voice became completely serious.

"Any more blood loss and he'll die."

Falco released a long, irritated sigh.

He looked like someone who had been dragged into a job he was already tired of.

"Fine."

Matilda returned her attention to Ramos.

The green light around her hand slowly faded as the immediate treatment finished.

Ayame watched every movement.

Her hands trembled inside the iron cuffs.

They had found Ramos.

After everything they'd gone through, they had finally found him.

But seeing him like this made the situation even more terrifying.

They were trapped.

Ramos was injured.

And whoever these people were, they clearly needed him alive for something.

Lyra turned toward Falco.

"If you want to help, why don't you go help Corvina capture the Lionheart Knight?"

Falco looked at her.

Lyra continued.

"It would make things easier for everyone."

"I've already isolated White Hair."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"As long as I'm here manipulating the bunker's interior, he could never get near us."

Ayame's heart skipped.

White Hair.

Ryota.

He was still inside.

That was what had happened.

Lyra had separated them.

Somehow, she had manipulated the bunker itself.

The walls.

The corridors.

The paths connecting them.

That explained why Fayzan had disappeared without warning.

It explained why Ayame had vanished from Ryota's side without realizing what had happened.

Lyra continued speaking.

"Besides, your knuckle-brain is only focused on one thing."

"Fighting."

Falco's expression immediately changed.

He slowly sat upright on the crates.

His eyes narrowed.

"Careful."

Lyra didn't move.

She simply stared back at him.

There was no fear in her expression.

Falco's gaze hardened.

Then he looked toward the bunker entrance.

"I'll pass."

His voice was dismissive.

"Lionheart is too weak."

Lyra raised an eyebrow.

Falco continued.

"She's not a challenge if she's already struggling against Corvina."

Ayame's heart sank.

Falco smiled.

"She's nothing like that white-haired girl from the train."

Rio.

Ayame knew exactly who he meant.

The Nendu Express incident.

The white-haired woman who had fought against Epsilon Dawn.

Rio.

Falco had seen her.

And apparently, he remembered her.

His gaze shifted.

Straight toward Ayame.

The change in his expression immediately frightened her.

He smiled.

"Actually..."

He pointed toward her cage.

"She's from Eternity Lions, right?"

Ayame froze.

Falco tilted his head.

"I have no clue why they're here for this NPC."

His smile widened.

"But..."

"It might be fun to provoke a guild like that."

Ayame's breathing became shallow.

Falco stood from the crates.

He walked toward her cage.

The chains around Fayzan immediately rattled as he tried to move forward.

"Don't touch her."

Falco glanced toward him.

Then smiled.

"Relax."

He looked back at Ayame.

"Tie her up more."

Ayame's eyes widened.

"I want to have a little fun with her."

Fear immediately flooded through her.

She pulled herself backward until her back struck the metal bars.

She had never been this frightened before.

She couldn't fight him.

She couldn't properly use her skills while restrained.

She couldn't even move her arms.

Fayzan struggled against his chains.

"Falco."

His voice became dangerous.

"Leave her alone."

Before Falco could respond, both Lyra and Matilda spoke almost simultaneously.

"Gross."

"We're here, you know."

"We don't want to see that."

"That's low even for you, Falco."

Falco blinked.

Then he laughed.

"I didn't mean it like that, idiots."

Matilda frowned.

"Then what did you mean?"

Falco pointed toward Ayame.

"She's from Eternity Lions."

"I have no clue why they're here for this NPC."

He shrugged.

"But it would be fun provoking a guild like them."

Lyra sighed.

"You're an idiot."

"Maybe."

Falco smiled.

"But you know I'm right."

He turned back toward Ayame.

"Imagine their reaction when they find out one of their members was captured while trying to rescue an NPC."

Ayame swallowed.

Before Falco could take another step, Lyra suddenly moved forward.

"Enough."

Falco looked at her.

Lyra raised one hand.

The entire bunker responded.

A low rumble passed through the floor.

Ayame felt the metal bars around her cage vibrate.

Then the stone beneath the cage shifted.

Her eyes widened.

"What...?"

The floor rose.

Stone wrapped around the bottom of the cage.

Then it continued upward.

Around Ayame's legs.

Her waist.

Her torso.

The earth itself began moving around her body.

Ayame gasped.

The stone wasn't crushing her.

It was restraining her.

Rock flowed between the iron bars, forming thick stone restraints around her body and locking her firmly against the inside of the cage.

She couldn't move.

Not even an inch.

Fayzan immediately struggled harder against his chains.

"Lyra!"

Lyra ignored him.

The stone tightened around Ayame.

She could barely breathe.

Falco stared at the scene.

His expression immediately became annoyed.

"I don't take stupid orders from you."

Lyra smiled.

Then she glanced toward the floor beneath the crates.

The stone suddenly shifted.

The entire stack shook violently.

Falco's eyes widened.

"What—?"

The crates tilted beneath him.

"Whoa—!"

Falco lost his balance.

CRASH!

His body slammed onto the floor as the wooden crates toppled behind him. One rolled across the room and smashed against the wall, scattering dust and debris.

Falco slowly lifted his head.

His expression was furious.

He stared directly at Lyra.

She smiled.

"Stop complaining."

Falco clenched his teeth.

Lyra continued.

"Just wait until Matilda is finished extracting his blood."

She pointed toward Ramos.

"He's the priority."

Falco glared at her.

Lyra's expression became serious.

"And don't break my concentration."

The ground beneath them continued trembling faintly.

"I need to maintain control over the bunker."

She looked toward the ceiling, then slowly toward the surrounding walls.

Her multi-colored eyes seemed to glow faintly.

"White Hair is still somewhere inside."

Her voice lowered.

"I can't let him get anywhere near us before we're finished."

Falco slowly pushed himself back to his feet.

His eyes remained locked on Lyra.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then Falco scoffed.

"Fine."

He brushed the dust from his clothes.

"But if White Hair comes here..."

His smile returned.

"...I'm fighting him."

Lyra sighed.

"Of course you are."

Matilda ignored their argument completely.

Her attention remained focused on Ramos.

The green light from her hand continued flowing through his body as she carefully monitored his condition.

His breathing was still weak.

His face was pale.

But he was alive.

For now.

Ayame stared at him through the bars.

Her heart ached.

They had found Ramos.

But finding him had only made everything worse.

Now she knew exactly what these people were doing to him.

She also knew something else.

Ryota was still somewhere inside this bunker.

Alone.

Searching for them.

Searching for Ramos.

And completely unaware that the bunker itself was being manipulated around him.

Ayame clenched her restrained hands as much as the cuffs allowed.

She had never been good at fighting.

She had never been a frontline player.

But she couldn't simply sit there.

Not while Ramos was bleeding.

Not while Fayzan was chained beside her.

And not while Ryota was walking deeper into a trap.

Her fear slowly gave way to determination.

Ayame took a slow breath.

Somehow, she needed to escape.

She didn't know how yet.

She didn't know what she could possibly do while trapped inside this cage.

But she had to find a way.

Because waiting for someone else to rescue her wasn't an option anymore.

Ramos needed them.

Fayzan needed her.

And Ryota was still out there.

Ayame's eyes hardened.

She had always been the one who watched from behind the battlefield.

The scout.

The tracker.

The support.

But perhaps, for the first time, she would have to become something more.

Before it was too late.