A gale whipped snowflakes through the forest; the distant, majestic peaks faded into hazy silhouettes.

Awwooo——!

A piercing shriek shook the woods. Ice and snow tumbled from branches, vanishing into the soft powder below. Then—a massive shape burst from frozen bushes, slamming hard into a towering tree. Snow cascaded from the limbs like a white waterfall.

After a breath of silence, the snowdrift beneath the tree churned violently. Fangs and claws tore through wind and flurries—a Fang Wolf emerged. But its former ferocity was gone. A grievous wound split its waist; entrails spilled across the snow.

Whirrr——!

Rotating saw teeth shattered the quiet. Another colossal figure stomped through the brush, advancing menacingly. It resembled a knight in heavy armor—yet stood four meters tall. Exposed joints hinted at hydraulic shafts and servos, all sealed beneath sliding armor plates forming an impenetrable fortress.

"Don’t run, pup!" the knight taunted. "What’s wrong? Too tired to play with me?"

Grrr——!

The Fang Wolf growled low, then lunged—dragging its spilled guts. Its steel-shredding fangs slammed into the knight’s left shield. Two longest canines snapped clean. A fangless beast is still dangerous—it has claws! Swiping at the knight’s calf, its claws only sparked against armored plating.

"That’s all? Die!"

Amid roaring machinery, the knight jammed the spinning saw deep into the wolf’s maw. Blood splattered crimson across the armor. Throat pierced, the monster stilled—then dissolved into black particles, vanishing into the wind.

"Kuro," a red Steel Rider emerged from the blizzard, "stop dawdling. Wipe out these Fang Wolves!"

"Already done, Captain."

"Heh heh—impressive, right? My little sister built these Steel Riders!"

"Absolutely! The young mistress is a genius!"

The two Steel Riders high-fived, comrades bonded by years of battle.

Across the forest, chaos raged. Thirty Steel Riders advanced in five-unit squads against lurking Fang Wolves. Yet five specialized units glided past the skirmishes—snowboards underfoot, jet engines shrieking, balance wings adjusting mid-stride. They darted nimbly through snow-laden pines, pressing deep into the woods.

The lead unit’s helmet bore extra optics. As its forehead visor slid down, a large-aperture lens emerged—night-vision capable, standard for recon Steel Riders. The zooming lens locked onto a target: a massive crystal glowing violet.

"All units—target confirmed at grid 9H."

"Let me see," the red Steel Rider checked the map. "Oh? Near the water source? Just follow the river upstream."

"Deputy Commander, your insight is unmatched! I’ll clear the path!"

"Kuro—fall back. That’s downstream."

"Y-yes, sir…"

They pivoted correctly, marching along the frozen river until joining others led by a Steel Rider crowned with horn-like insignia—the squad leader’s mark.

"Yo, Deputy Commander Lilia," the leader raised a mechanical hand. "All wrapped up?"

"I took down twenty-seven. Kuro handled the rest. Status, Knight Commander Zod?"

"Hahahaha! Since we got these Steel Riders from the young mistress, battles’ve never been this easy!" Zod boomed. "This Demon Realm at White Sand Ridge’s plagued us long enough—perfect glory for the Iron Knight Order!"

"Heh heh—my sister’s amazing, right?"

"Totally! Our young mistress is incredible!"

The red Steel Rider turned upstream. Through its lens, Lilia saw two units guarding the bank—others had arrived. Delay risked the Demon Realm activating defenses, summoning stronger beasts.

"Recon confirmed the Demon Realm’s location: grid 9H. Move out."

"Roger, Deputy Commander!"

Led by the red Steel Rider, Zod, Kuro, and twelve Arcane Golems advanced. Fang Wolves lunged from icy thickets—only to be shredded by Chainsaw Blades. Spinning teeth sliced hides hunters’ arrows couldn’t pierce.

This was arcane engineering: magic-powered machinery. The secret? Spherical orbs on the Steel Riders’ backs—gridded armor shielding etched mana circuits running to every limb. This "Arcane Reactor" granted overwhelming power.

Five minutes later, the landscape shifted. Translucent violet crystals stood like ancient obelisks, wreathed in unstable energy. Snowflakes vaporized before touching them. Unshielded exposure to this dense mana drove humans mad. At their center hovered a black sphere—five to six meters wide, obsidian-smooth, geometrically perfect.

"Zod," Lilia ordered, "fall back."

"Captain… you’re not using *that*, are you?"

"Obviously! In Golden Lion City, the Abyssal Brigade’s artificial Demon Realm blew sky-high the second that ball the young lady tossed in went *boom*. Ask Kuro—he was there."

"Uh… I think I was knocked out…"

"Aha ha! And you call yourself a knight of House Northenberg?"

"Knight Commander Zod—I was just a trainee two years ago!"

Ignoring the chatter, Lilia retrieved a sphere from her waist compartment. Smaller than an Arcane Reactor, studded with control rods—it looked like a spineless sea urchin.

Suddenly, the Demon Realm rippled like mud. A giant blue wolf phased through the dimensional veil. Claws wreathed in eerie blue flame left frozen prints.

"Wait—that’s a Grade B monster! Frost Wolf!"

"Aha ha, Kuro," Zod patted his unit, "scared? Wet yourself?"

"Don’t joke! I… I can take it!"

Kuro’s Steel Rider charged—then flew spinning into a snowdrift, swatted aside.

"Told ya he’d mess up."

"Zod, stop gloating," Lilia unslung her Chainsaw Blade. "You take the bomb. I’ll lure it—you blow the Demon Realm."

She tossed it. Zod fumbled, barely catching it.

"Captain… it won’t detonate?"

"Not before activation. But I already activated it."

"No way!"

*Click.* Control rods snapped outward—a spiky sea urchin. Blue light flared, blazing into blinding silver-white.

"Knight Commander Zod… what now?"

"Holy crap—throw it!"

Zod lunged to hurl it—but the Frost Wolf leaped, swatting his Steel Rider aside. Spawned monsters instinctively guarded the Demon Realm. Scholars whispered it held intelligence; its core—the Labyrinth Lord—dwelled in the extradimensional maze. Only slaying it would end the realm.

The glowing Arcane Fusion Bomb sank into snow. Zod scrambled up, reaching—too late. The Frost Wolf stomped it deep. Sweat beaded on Zod’s brow: *This could vaporize ten kilometers.*

At the critical moment—

"Your opponent is me, big doggie——!"

A red blur flashed. The Chainsaw Blade tore the Frost Wolf Alpha’s foreleg. Lilia’s Steel Rider slammed it sideways. It crashed through river ice with a pained howl. Before it rose, her blade ripped a savage gash across its back.

"Zod—grab the bomb!" Lilia yelled, sword raised.

"You saved us, Deputy Commander!"

Zod dug the bomb free. Two Fang Wolves lunged—but other knights intercepted them.

"Thanks, brothers!" Zod gritted his teeth, clutching the bomb as he ran.

On the frozen bank, Lilia’s red Steel Rider stood tiny before the colossal Frost Wolf Alpha.

Grrr——!

It unleashed a freezing breath. Shattered ice refroze instantly, sprouting jagged spikes. Lilia leaped gracefully over the rubble, thrusters flaring. She landed on its left flank. Exposed mid-breath, the wolf tried to pivot—but she was faster. She drove the Chainsaw Blade deep into its throat. Spinning teeth shredded flesh. With one clean motion, the massive head fell.

*Thud.*

Zod hurled the bomb into the Demon Realm. Glowing energy rippled outward. The realm collapsed inward—shrinking to a speck—then swelled once more. A one-meter magic stone dropped heavily into the snow, sinking deep.

Its appearance heralded the Demon Realm’s total annihilation.

On the icy river, the red Steel Rider raised the Frost Wolf Alpha’s head high. Cheers erupted. Grade B monsters were "severe"-level threats—normally requiring an entire legion to eliminate.

On a distant hill, a young woman with black hair and black eyes lowered her binoculars. She stood in the wind and snow, clad in a thin maid uniform—a stark contrast to her heavily bundled guards.

"Victory."

After speaking, the maid let out what seemed like a sigh, yet no white puff of breath escaped her lips or nose.