Chapter 30: The Harbinger of Change
The morning sky loomed with stormy clouds as whispers of unease filled the guild district. Inside Ray's Guild, the atmosphere was tense. Rumors swirled of a government envoy arriving to decide the fate of all guilds.
Rin, ever observant, stood near the entrance beside the enigmatic Engine. "Today isn't routine," Engine warned. "A government swordsman is coming—to judge which guilds will be dismantled."
Rin recalled tales of destroyed guilds and mentioned Gildarts—the red-haired legend on a century-long quest. Engine nodded. "His guild is spared, but others haven't been so lucky. Today, we're under scrutiny."
Just then, the guild's heavy doors burst open. A lone rider entered—stern, precise, and known only as the Hawk-Eyed Rider, rumored to be one of the world's seven strongest swordsmen. "I'm here to dissolve guilds unworthy of the government's standards," he declared coldly. "Prove your worth or vanish."
Outraged, Selena, fierce and proud, stepped forward. "If we are to be judged, let it be by combat. I challenge you."
The rider accepted. Their duel began—Selena unleashed her signature move, Four Blades, a graceful storm of ethereal weapons. But with his technique, Nail Cutter, the rider blocked her completely. With one precise slash, he left a thin scar across her left eye.
Silence followed. Selena, bloodied but defiant, smiled—her wound a symbol of growth, not defeat.
Rin approached the rider. "Why mark her like that?" he asked.
"Pain forges strength," the rider replied. "Scars remind us of our limits—and our potential."
Engine added, "Every engraving on a golem's auto-mail carries a solution, born from suffering. That scar is her lesson."
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, the powerful Duvante family faced internal collapse. Their second-in-command had been poisoned. Betrayal was suspected. The government's campaign against guilds—and now powerful families—was no longer coincidence. It was strategy.
Back at the guild, Selena was treated in silence. Her scar a symbol of a deeper transformation. Rin, watching her, wrestled with guilt and awe. He now understood that power always came at a cost.
As twilight fell, Ray's Guild returned to its routine—forever changed. Members debated the meaning of Selena's scar. Some feared what was coming. Others, inspired, vowed to rise.
Engine scribbled his reflections by candlelight: "The rider's blade is judge and mentor—it cuts away pride and carves the path to strength."
Beyond the guild, other guilds braced for the storm. The fall of the Duvante family was only the beginning. The winds of change had arrived—and no one was safe.