Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Dust still clung to the air as the guilds landed hard on the ground, some crashing to their knees, others immediately standing and looking around to scan the situation.

Armored knights on horses and foot soldiers with raised weapons formed a large circle around them, slowly closing in with wary eyes and shields up, ready for attack. The sound of armor clinking, horses snorting, and distant horns filled the atmosphere with tension.

Seoha was the first to move, spinning her sword once and smirking, "Alright, let's break through—"

But before she could dash forward, Alexa jumped between her and the approaching army with both arms raised wide.

"Wait! Just wait!" Alexa shouted, planting her feet firmly on the broken stone. "We need to talk to them!"

Seoha paused mid-step, blinking. "...Talk?" she repeated, clearly unimpressed.

Behind them, Daewon lifted one of his massive hammers casually, but stopped as Alexa's sharp voice rang again. "Please, just hold for a moment! If we fight, it'll only get worse!"

Then a voice echoed across the field—loud, clear, and strong.

"WE MEAN NO HARM!"

It was Isabella, the guildmaster of Celestial Gates, standing tall with her hands raised high above her head. Her voice carried weight, and her guild members quickly followed her lead, lifting their hands and shouting in unison,

"We mean no harm!"

"We're not enemies!"

"Please don't attack!"

The soldiers surrounding them didn't lower their weapons, but some hesitated. The knights' horses stepped back as the riders looked at each other with unsure glances.

Suddenly—Alexa felt it. The air shifted behind her.

Something fast. Something sharp.

Before she could turn, Daewon had already moved, swinging his hammer and smashing the arrow midair, while Seoha turned and cleaved through two more arrows flying their way.

"Still attacking?!" Seoha hissed, fire sparking again along her blade.

"They're panicking," Daewon muttered. "We're strangers to them."

Alexa's eyes darted around as the other guilds began shouting.

"They shot first!"

"Defend yourselves!"

"Take them down before they strike again!"

Some were raising their weapons again, spells crackling in their hands, while others looked confused and scared, still unsure of what they should do.

Then—

"Careful!"

The sharp voice came from above.

Lauren Hamilton, also known as Han Seoyang, floated above the guilds, her arms glowing in pale windlight. She waved one hand, and a massive wind barrier shot forward like a dome, shielding the front ranks just in time as more arrows and another cannon exploded from the kingdom's walls.

BOOM!THWIP! THWIP!

Purple smoke rose once again, but Lauren's barrier held strong.

"They're not listening!" someone shouted."They think we're invaders!" another added.

Alexa gritted her teeth and looked behind her. "Everyone, don't retaliate unless absolutely necessary! We need to find a way to talk before this becomes a massacre!"

Around her, the guilds—some listening, some not—prepared for what felt like an incoming storm.

Then, suddenly, a loud and angry voice broke through the clamor.

"You fools! Why are you listening to a low-ranked Korean guild?!" a man shouted, stepping forward from among the confused and restless invaders. His face was twisted in annoyance and ambition. "These people attacked us first! And now you want to talk?! Don't be weak!"

People turned to look at the man—he was tall, armored lightly for speed, and held an arrogant smirk as he walked toward the front lines. His fingers glowed faintly with mana as a long sword made from pure mana formed in his hand. His eyes locked onto the nearest kingdom soldier who stood with a raised metal shield.

"If none of you will fight, then I will. That divine weapon will be mine!" he shouted with wild eyes.

With a burst of energy, he kicked off the ground, launching himself toward the soldier, his mana blade glowing as he swung downward with full force. The kingdom guards immediately tightened formation, raising their shields shoulder-to-shoulder, but the man didn't hesitate. A few arrows flew at him from the sides—he slashed them out of the air mid-flight, sparks flying.

The soldier in front didn't move. He braced himself.

But before the invader's sword could land—

CLANG!

Another sword met his blade mid-swing, stopping the attack with a loud crash of metal and mana. The attacking guild member's eyes widened in disbelief as his arm trembled from the force of the block.

He looked up—and his face twisted into shock.

"W-What?!"

Across from him stood a young man dressed in elegant but reinforced silver and navy armor, his white cape bearing the symbol of the kingdom's royal family. He had a strong jaw, proud posture, and dark golden eyes that showed both command and warning.

"No one," the man said coldly, "is harming my people."

Gasps came from the nearby kingdom soldiers, who quickly took a knee.

"C-Crown Prince Callan!" they muttered in awe.

The invader grunted, using both hands now to keep his sword from being pushed back. "D-Damn it…!"

But Crown Prince Callan wasn't even using full strength. With a swift twist of his blade and a surge of power through his arm, he pushed the man back several meters, sending him stumbling.

Straightening his stance, the prince turned his sharp gaze toward the stunned crowd of foreign invaders.

He raised his sword slightly, and his voice rang out loud and proud:

"I am Callan, Crown Prince of the Solaria Kingdom—guardian of the capital and protector of these lands!"

His aura flared subtly, and even some of the guild members felt a chill.

"This kingdom does not take lightly the threat of magic-wielding outsiders. You will explain yourselves, or you will face the might of our armies and the wrath of our laws!"

The tension, once held back by the Crown Prince's presence, now snapped like a stretched rope as the same arrogant man who swung first grit his teeth in defiance.

"You think I'll kneel just because you wear a crown?!" he roared and he raised his mana blade and lunged toward Crown Prince Callan.

The soldiers gasped, some reaching for their weapons, but the prince didn't flinch. He stepped forward calmly, meeting the man's strike with precise timing. Their blades clashed, and the force of their collision sent a shockwave through the air.

CLANG! CLANG! SLASH!

The man slashed again and again, attacking with all his speed and strength, but Prince Callan evaded with smooth footwork, barely moving his upper body. The prince's sword left a faint silver blur in the air every time it moved—so refined, so sharp, it looked like it cut through light itself.