Aurelia, Guardian of the Eighth Floor of the Nazarik Tombs—the Sakura Sanctuary—was no ordinary NPC. She was a commander-type, level-100 entity, and as a miko, she possessed two extraordinary abilities.
These abilities, Divine Revelation and Prophecy, complemented each other perfectly. The Prophecy skill, as previously mentioned, allowed her to glimpse a short segment of the future—but even then, the future was not fixed. Divine Revelation, however, acted more like an instinctive guidance system. When activated, it showed Aurelia the course of action that would lead events in her favor.
"Robatik, cast amplification magic on me, but leave some reserves for healing. Imina, provide cover for me. Arshel, prepare your most potent spells—I'll do my best to create an opening for you."
The battle was unavoidable. Aurelia had no intention of letting them leave unchallenged, and the Four Strategists were equally unwilling to die quietly. Their only choice was to fight with everything they had.
"Mid-Tier Strength Amplification! Low-Tier Agility Enhancement!"
Red and green glows flickered over Hekkeran's body, clearly the work of Robatik's amplification magic.
"Vital Point Perception! Immovable Fortress! Skill Enhancement! Skill Overcharge!"
In addition to Robatik's spells, Hekkeran activated multiple combat techniques to fortify himself. He knew perfectly well that, despite appearing as a girl, the figure before him was far beyond anyone they could handle at full strength.
As an elf, Hekkeran was skilled in magic, but like most elves, he excelled in archery. Imina, noticing her boyfriend Hekkeran moving forward, nocked an arrow and loosed it toward Aurelia, attempting to buy Hekkeran an opening.
But Aurelia did not flinch. She did not dodge, she did not activate any skills to block, she simply extended a hand.
The arrow shot forward, slicing the air, and then… it was repelled, as if hitting an invisible shield.
Simultaneously, Hekkeran surged ahead and raised his twin short swords, unleashing his strongest technique: Twin Blade Strike.
Yet, despite his full-powered strike and the leaps he had used to add momentum, Aurelia only raised her slender katana Falling Sakura in a single, effortless swing. The tips of her blade met the descending swords with blinding speed.
Sparks flew. Hekkeran's face twisted with strain. Buffed with Robatik's Mid-Tier Strength Enhancement and multiple self-boosting techniques, this strike was supposed to be his ultimate attack—worthy of a hero in the human realm.
And yet… the impossible happened.
With a single-handed swing, the miko simply stopped his combined assault. It wasn't just a block—Hekkeran soon noticed that after the clash, the edges of his twin short swords were chipped and cracked, sparks flying from the impact.
By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late.
A torrent of blood erupted into the air, accompanied by a metallic clatter. Both of his short swords shattered entirely, and a deep, bone-exposing slash appeared across his chest.
"Don't worry about me—I'm not going down yet. She has extreme resistance to physical attacks, and her strength… it's terrifying. She must specialize in physical combat."
Hekkeran barked orders to his team even as he was thrown back.
"Arshel, unleash your most powerful spell now! Strike while you can!"
Arshel, who had been quietly gathering magic, unleashed his strongest third-tier attack. A massive, fiery-orange fireball shot forth from his staff, exploding with a blinding flash that lit up the surrounding area.
"Did we get her? That's a third-tier spell, and she was caught completely off guard. Even a hero-level combatant shouldn't survive that unscathed…"
"No," Hekkeran said, shaking his head. "This isn't about survival. She cut through my weapons and nearly killed me with a single blow. That attack may have wounded her, but it won't kill her. We need to use this chance to retreat!"
Unlike his teammates, Hekkeran had made contact with her. He knew exactly what kind of monster they were up against.
The Sakura Sanctuary had no other exits. The only apparent escape was a teleportation gate a short distance away. They didn't know where it led, but staying meant certain death. A gamble was the only choice.
Hekkeran, patched up by Robatik's quick healing, regained his mobility. As they prepared to rush toward the gate, something strange happened.
The raging flames from Arshel's fireball were suddenly swallowed by a wave of swirling cherry blossom petals. The petals coalesced in midair, reforming into Aurelia's shape.
"Desecrating the Sakura Sanctuary… and now, coveting the treasures of the supreme guilds?"
As the guardian of the eighth floor, Aurelia not only monitored all teleportation gates within the Nazarik Tombs but also protected the guild's weapons. The gate the Four Strategists had attempted to flee through led directly to the guild's armory. Naturally, her demeanor toward them had turned hostile.
Yet the Four Strategists no longer heard her words. Their shock went far beyond fear—they couldn't comprehend what they had just witnessed. Despite Arshel's third-tier fireball and Hekkeran's full-powered assault, Aurelia remained completely unharmed. Not a single mark, not a speck of ash or dirt on her immaculate miko robes.
The Sakura-colored miko, level-100, wielding artifact-grade weaponry and divine-grade protective gear, had just made it painfully clear: she was not human, not in the sense they could challenge.
And she wasn't even moving yet.