The air split without warning.
Not with light, but with pressure—like the city itself had forgotten how to breathe. The street outside the convenience store shivered, cracks spider-webbing across the asphalt. The automatic doors rattled violently.
Nyx stumbled back, eyes wide. "Uh… that's not… normal human crime," she muttered.
From the rift, a figure emerged.
Tall. Cloaked. Armor etched with runes that pulsed faintly in the dim streetlights. A dark aura surrounded him, twisting the night air like smoke caught in a storm. His eyes glowed faintly red under the hood, scanning the surroundings with predatory precision.
"…Oh no," Vario muttered, claws flexing at his sides. "They… came."
Yuwen's tail flicked, and a faint hum of magic radiated from her hands. "A villain… from our world," she said. Her voice was calm but deadly. "He doesn't belong here."
The manager froze mid-step, jaw slack. "Uh… you all know him?"
Nyx practically bounced in place, a manic grin spreading across her face. "Ohhh, I know exactly how this is going to go! Time to see how strong our world heroes really are!"
The villain stepped closer. His boots cracked the pavement with unnatural force. "Where… is she?" His voice was like gravel sliding over steel. "The elf… the assassin. Hand her over, or you will all regret it."
Vario's crimson eyes narrowed. Shadows coiled around him like living serpents. "You dare come to this world to claim her? You will pay."
Nyx grinned wider, twirling a Beybroll absentmindedly in one hand. "Ohhh, I love it when the bad guy shows up first!"
The villain's gaze swept over the store. "Your little… human trinkets… will not save you."
Yuwen stepped forward, magical energy crackling at her fingertips. "She is under our protection. Do not test us."
The villain smirked under his hood. "So, the Demon King and his… motley crew. I expected more weakness. This will be fun."
Vario's aura flared, the shadows around him thickening. "Fun… ends now."
A gust of wind ripped down the street as he stepped forward. The rift behind him pulsed, revealing Bella—bound, unconscious, suspended in a faint magical glow.
Nyx hissed, spinning her Beybroll in preparation. "That's it. Rescue mission activated. Let's wreck everything."
Vario's crimson eyes burned brighter, his wings of shadow flaring. "You touch her, and nothing in your dimension will remain intact."
The villain laughed, low and chilling. "Bold words from creatures out of place. Let's see if you can back them up."
The convenience store's lights flickered. Cup noodles rattled on shelves. Soda cans tumbled from the display. The stage was set.
And somewhere, deep inside, Bella's unconscious form shivered—not knowing that her allies were about to turn the quiet night into a battlefield.