The guild hall was smaller than expected.
Old stone walls bore scars of battles long past, and the emblem above the entrance had been repaired so many times it barely held its original shape. Hunters moved in and out with cautious steps, their ranks hovering between C and A at best.
When Lunaria and the others walked in, the air changed.
The guild master—an A+ ranked veteran in his early thirties—rose from his seat instinctively. His instincts screamed before his mind caught up. These weren't ordinary elites.
They were S-ranked.
The registration process was short, awkward, and heavy with disbelief. The crystal confirmed it instantly, its surface blazing so brightly that cracks spider-webbed across it.
"S… S-rank?" the clerk whispered.
The guild master swallowed, then laughed bitterly. "Our guild must be dreaming."
Ash stepped forward, calm but firm. "We're not here to dominate. We're here to change things."
Kael crossed his arms. "Rewrite the fate of this guild."
Riven smirked. "Make it something worth remembering."
Lunaria smiled softly, eyes distant. "A place that doesn't discard the weak."
The guild master stared at them for a long moment… then bowed deeply.
"From today onward," he said hoarsely, "this guild belongs to a new era."
---
Later, they sat in a wide park near the heart of the city.
Sunlight filtered through tall trees, laughter echoing faintly from distant streets. It should have been peaceful. It should have been enough.
But Lunaria wasn't smiling.
He sat on the grass, knees drawn close, fingers absently brushing the handle of his knife. The warmth of the city felt fake to him—like a painted backdrop hiding rot underneath.
"I'm tired," he said quietly.
The others froze.
"Tired of running. Tired of killing. Tired of pretending this world means something to me." His voice didn't shake, but it felt empty. "Sometimes… I think it'd be easier if I just stopped existing."
The knife lifted—just slightly.
Ash moved instantly.
He grabbed Lunaria's wrist with a force that rattled bone, yanking it away before anything could happen. Ash's breathing was ragged, eyes blazing with fear and fury.
"Don't," he said hoarsely. "Don't ever say that again."
For a heartbeat, the world stood still.
Then Lunaria's lips curved upward.
And he vanished.
The park detonated behind him as he took off—trees snapping like twigs, the ground collapsing into a massive crater from the sheer force of his launch.
"What—?!" Juno shouted.
"He's running!" Kael barked. "AFTER HIM!"
Ash didn't hesitate. He chased.
Mana surged violently as they broke past the city limits in seconds. Forests blurred into streaks of green before being annihilated, trees reduced to splinters as shockwaves tore through them.
Lunaria didn't slow.
He climbed mountains by running through them, stone faces shattering into brick-like fragments as his body punched through solid rock. Entire cliffs collapsed behind him, reduced to rubble by displaced air alone.
Ash pushed harder.
Veins burned. Muscles screamed. His mana pool cracked like glass under pressure—but he didn't stop.
Kael roared as his aura flared violently, speed doubling, then tripling.
Riven laughed breathlessly, blood trickling from his lips. "So this is what it takes—!"
Juno felt something snap inside him—not break, but unlock. His mana condensed, refined, evolving under impossible strain.
One by one, they surpassed their limits.
The land paid the price.
Forests flattened into wastelands. Hills collapsed. Mountains turned into scattered stone bricks as their speed pulverized everything in their path.
Then—suddenly—
Lunaria stopped.
The others skidded to a halt, carving trenches into the earth. Dust and debris rained down around them.
Lunaria turned, hands on his hips, breathing lightly—almost cheerfully.
"You guys are amazing," he said brightly. "You really chased me that far."
Ash stared at him, shaking with exhaustion and rage. "You—are you insane?!"
Lunaria tilted his head. "I was just training you."
Silence.
"…And," he added with a grin, "I was having fun."
Kael dropped to one knee, laughing weakly. "You absolute monster…"
Riven collapsed onto his back. "I hate you."
Juno exhaled slowly, eyes glowing faintly. "…But we evolved."
Ash stepped forward and grabbed Lunaria by the collar, pulling him close.
"Don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered fiercely.
Lunaria's smile softened—real this time.
"…Okay."
Behind them, the horizon was broken, the land forever scarred by their chase.
Ahead of them—
A future they had just forced open.