5:12 AM
The fight between Fane and Rael had ended in the span of a few minutes.
Fane's guild, Dragon Slayer Guild was completely destroyed, and the bodies of its members were lying on the floor, lifeless.
The whole building was in shambles, the walls bore the marks of dried blood, and the ground was stained with the crimson liquid.
Even though the fight had ended, but the aftermath was devastating.
There were so many bodies, and the blood was still flowing.
Severed arms, which were pulled out of their sockets by brute force, and the dismembered legs, were lying around.
The corpses were everywhere, and the whole building reeked of death and blood.
And, the worst part was, the guild's leader, Fane, the one who had brought the guild into existence, was no more.
His corpse was no where to be found, and only the ashes were left behind.
He had died a cruel death, his body had been disintegrated into nothingness.
His fate was tragic, and he had met his end, in a horrible way.
"Was Dragon Slayer, Fane, one of them?" A woman's voice was heard, it was filled with authority, and her tone was commanding.
"Yes, Commander Erika,"
A man replied, his voice calm and respectful.
He was standing next to the commander, his posture straight, and his expression stoic.
"Our sensors detected the fight two hours ago, and the energy levels were extremely high,"
The man continued, his eyes fixed on the ruins of the guild.
"We have no idea what was going on, but it was a fierce battle. Also according to our calculations, and considering the strength of the energy waves, it could have been a fight between two SS-class players and one of them could have been Dragon Slayer, Fane."
He said, and his voice was serious.
"But, about the other SS-class player that was present here, we are not sure,"
"Hmm," The woman named, Erika, nodded her head and her expression turned solemn.
"I guess, it was some personal grudge, for them to not even care about the law, and fight like this, in a residential area."
She commented, her voice laced with anger.
In front of her was a big carter which was made by the Dragon Slayer's fall, and she was staring at the wreckage.
Cracks had spider-webbed over the surface of the road, and the debris had scattered everywhere.
Even the nearby buildings had collapsed, and their roofs were destroyed.
"Yes, Commander Erika."
The man agreed, and his gaze shifted to the carter.
"According to the eyewitnesses, there was a huge explosion, and the sound could be heard from a few miles away."
He said, his tone respectful.
"We are still trying to gather new intel, and will inform you as soon as we get any new information,"
The man continued, and his gaze shifted towards the commander.
"Also, Commander, the government is planning to take some strict actions, regarding the recent events,"
He proceeded further, and his voice was serious.
"They were already against the idea of players being able to roam free, and were in favor of the restrictions, and now, this incident has given them more reasons to make their decision,"
"I know,"
Erika sighed, and her face was full of disappointment.
"I don't want to say anything bad about the government, but, they are too biased, and are only doing this because of the public opinion,"
Her eyes narrowed, and her tone turned serious.
"They are afraid of the players, and their power, and that's why they are doing this,"
"Yes, Commander,"
The man nodded his head, and his voice was firm.
"We all know that the government is only acting for their own good, and not for the players,"
"You are right, but we can't do anything about it, for now,"
Erika said, and then, her gaze shifted towards the man standing beside her.
"As of now, we should just focus on saving the lives, and protecting the citizens, who were caught in the crossfire,"
She declared, and her eyes were full of determination.
"If we keep focusing on the politics, we will only get stuck, and our goals will be lost."
"Yes, Commander Erika,"
The man bowed, and then, he left.
On the other hand, Erika's brows furrowed, and her expression turned grim.
'The future is looking bleak.'
She sighed, and a deep frown appeared on her face.
'And, we have no choice, but to follow the path, that is laid out for us, by the government.'
She had already made up her mind, and her heart was set.
'Whatever happens, I will not let the guilds and players run amok, and create chaos, and destruction.'
Her eyes were burning with a strong will, and her fists were clenched.
'I will not let there be another war,'
And, with that thought in mind, she started walking towards the scene of the incident.
She wanted to inspect the area, and see if there were any casualties, or wounded people.
While, there were multiple group of mercenaries, who were busy cleaning the rubble, and checking for survivors.
The area was in a state of disarray, and there was no one, who was left unharmed.
The entire place had become a battlefield, and it was a scene, which would not leave the minds of the citizens, for a long time.
'It is a disaster,'
Erika thought, as she stepped into the ruins of the Dragon Slayer Guild.
The sight was devastating, and the smell of blood was thick in the air.
And, to top it off, the whole place was filled with the stench of burnt flesh.
It was a horrific sight, and it was enough to make her sick.
'But, there is something different here,'
She was thinking hard, her mind was running through all the possibilities.
'Something doesn't add up.'
She couldn't explain, why she was feeling this way, but there was a sense of foreboding, and it was gnawing at her.
'Why did they fight here, in the middle of a residential area?'
Her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed.
'It was like they didn't care about the civilians, and were only focused on killing each other.'
'They could have easily fought somewhere else, but they chose to fight here,'
'Did they do this deliberately?'
'Or, were they forced to do this?'
'But, why would anyone want to fight here?'
Her thoughts were running wild, and her mind was working at a frantic pace.
'Maybe, it was a personal grudge? But, that's not possible, because there were no reports of any feud between the Dragon Slayer, and other guilds.'
'But, it is not impossible, they could have kept their feud under the wraps.'
'Or, maybe it was some kind of deal gone wrong?'
'But, again, that's not possible, because, even though the guilds do business with each other, it is not that serious, and no one would go as far, to kill someone, because of a failed business deal.'
She touched the dried blood on the wall, and then, her eyes landed on the body lying on the ground, and a look of sadness appeared on her face.
'These innocent lives...'
It was a heart-breaking sight, and the loss of life was tragic.
'But, this is not the first time, this happened.'
'Many people have lost their lives, because of the conflict between the guilds, and the players.'
'And, there are many who are still dying.'
Erika gritted her teeth, and her eyes burned with fury.
'This has to stop,'
'No more lives will be sacrificed, because of the selfish desires of the players, and the greed of the guilds.'
With that, she turned around, and her gaze swept across the ruined building.
'I will fucking find the one responsible for this mess, and I will beat the hell out of him,'
Her voice was filled with determination, and her face was determined.
'I will not rest, until this madness comes to an end,'
And, as her resolve strengthened, a smile appeared on her lips.
'Then, the world will be a better place,'
She thought, her expression calm, and her eyes filled with hope.
'And my promise to my dead husband will be fulfilled.'
And, with that, her heart was set.
She turned around, and then, walked out of the building.
Her steps were determined, and her eyes were shining brightly.
'This madness will end, one day,'
'Just wait a bit longer my dear,'
With that, she was gone.
Erika, Erika Hui.
A person who was determined to change the world.
The person who was one of the only 10 SSS-Class Players.
The War Goddess.