The carriage rumbled down the road as the party traveled toward the designated site of disturbance. The air was tense, but not from danger—rather, it was the argument unfolding inside.

  “I have to go,” Drake insisted, fists clenched. “You saw how I held my own last time!”

  “I’m stronger than I look too!” Arin chimed in from beside him.

  “No,” Kazuki had said initially, arms crossed. His voice was cold and unwavering. “It’s too dangerous.”

  But after continued insistence and a weary sigh from Elara, Garron finally said, “Let them come. They’ve proven themselves, and besides… Kazuki, if something happens, you can protect them, right?”

  Kazuki didn’t respond. He just looked out the window, his eyes devoid of emotion.

  ---

  At the outskirts of the forest…

  The group stepped into a clearing. The stench of blood and smoke wafted in the air.

  Then—howls. Tremors. And one by one, hulking ogres stepped out from behind the trees, snarling and armed with crude clubs and jagged weapons.

  Battle broke out instantly.

  Drake and Garron charged side by side, slicing through the monsters with precision. Garron’s strength and Drake’s growing instincts made for a deadly pair. With each kill, Drake’s strikes grew more confident.

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  Elara channeled her magic from behind, shielding them and sending bursts of fire into the crowd of monsters. Arin stood close, her hands trembling but eyes determined as she watched everything unfold.

  And then there was Kazuki.

  Expressionless.

  Silent.

  Deadly.

  He moved like a shadow through the battlefield, his blades carving cleanly through ogres with each swing. His presence was overwhelming—so much so that even the others found themselves glancing his way with unease.

  Elara whispered, “What… is that aura? It’s terrifying…”

  They counted 50 ogre bodies when the last one fell.

  Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, Kazuki’s Analysis screen blinked open in his eyes.

  > Analysis Complete – Hidden Threat Detected

  Distance: 200 meters – Incoming Fire Arrows

  Without a word, Kazuki raised his hand.

  “Behind me,” he said flatly.

  As the first volley of fire arrows whistled through the sky, several massive rock walls erupted from the earth, shielding everyone just in time.

  Everyone stared at him in shock.

  “How… did he know?” Garron muttered.

  Kazuki didn’t respond. His aura surged—dark, heavy, powerful.

  Then… the smoke parted.

  A massive Shaman Ogre emerged, its body cloaked in spiritual markings and carrying a bone-carved staff glowing with cursed fire.

  It grinned.

  And roared.

  Flames burst toward the group, but Kazuki summoned gales of wind, dispersing the fire midair.

  Garron and Drake didn’t wait. They lunged, blades drawn. They clashed with the shaman in a flurry of sparks and howls. But the ogre suddenly summoned an energy shield, blocking every strike.

  That’s when Kazuki appeared behind it, arm crackling with concentrated magic.

  “Break.”

  A pulse of energy shattered the shield, and in the split second that followed, Drake and Garron slashed deep into the ogre’s side.

  It screamed—but its body began to regenerate.

  With a guttural chant, the shaman let out a powerful magical shockwave, knocking everyone backward. Elara and Arin were thrown to the ground. Garron groaned. Drake fell unconscious.

  Only Kazuki remained standing, dust swirling around him.

  His aura didn’t flicker.

  It intensified.

  The ogre snarled and launched another torrent of fire.

  Kazuki raised his hand, and his voice finally echoed:

  > “Explosive Fire Dragon of Destruction.”

  The ground trembled.

  The sky turned red.

  An eruption of molten earth exploded from behind him, taking the shape of a massive flaming dragon. It soared and crashed into the ogre, obliterating half the forest floor and sending the monster sprawling.

  Smoke and silence followed.

  But then… the ogre stood.

  Its skin burned. Its eyes glowing red.

  It spoke.

  “You are strong… far stronger than the others. Impressive, child.”

  Kazuki narrowed his eyes.

  No response.

  Just silence.

  The two stood—one cloaked in dark flames, the other in corrupted spiritual fire.

  Their auras surged.

  And the battle of monsters was just beginning.