While Daphne had succeeded in eliminating the threat in the north, the east and south were still under attack.
Yuzu and Tetsu—twin brothers in their thirties—had recently become hunters and were assigned to Marigold's squad. They looked almost identical: brown eyes, afro hair, average build, and nearly the same height. The only clear difference was strength—Yuzu was the stronger of the two.
The three of them were heading east at the same speed, but the brothers were visibly tense. As C-class hunters, they had no idea what kind of opponent awaited them. They were so focused on their nerves that they didn't realize something was off—Marigold was no longer with them.
Before they could react, someone blocked their path.
A man—elegant and ominous—stood before them. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with long silver hair, a bandana covering his eyes, and a flowing kimono that contrasted sharply with the dry terrain. He spoke with a calm yet authoritative tone.
Haruka: "Are you two defying our lady's ideology? Then I shall eliminate you at once."
The pressure from his aura made it immediately clear—this was no ordinary fighter.
Yuzu: "Tetsu, stay behind me. Your big brother will protect you!"
Tetsu: "The hell are you saying? We're twins!"
Yuzu: "Yeah, but I'm the stronger one—so I'll protect you."
Their opponent wasn't even holding a weapon, which was unusual for a hunter.
Haruka: "My name is Haruka. I don't care who you are—I need both of you dead."
The brothers each drew the swords strapped to their backs, ready for combat.
Yuzu specialized in dark energy, while Tetsu wielded light. Tetsu began the battle by flooding the area with radiant light, momentarily blinding Haruka, while Yuzu closed in from the left with a swift strike of his sword.
But Haruka responded instantly—branches burst from the ground, shielding him from Yuzu's slash. He then formed a bow from the wood around him and fired arrows infused with pure energy toward Tetsu.
Tetsu infused his sword with quartz energy to block, but the arrow's impact still pushed him back hard.
Yuzu retreated quickly to regroup with his brother.
Yuzu: "Are you okay, Tetsu?"
Tetsu: "Yeah, nothing serious… but this guy's way too strong."
The twins shifted to a coordinated close-range strategy, but before they could act, the ground shook.
From beneath Haruka, a colossal tree erupted. He stepped onto a branch, rising high above them as more branches twisted outward in all directions like spreading roots in the sky.
The battlefield—once arid and lifeless—was now overwhelmed by unnatural vegetation.
It became clear to the brothers: this wasn't a fight to win. It was a fight to survive… until Marigold arrived.
The battlefield was close to the border—an arid wasteland where nothing was meant to grow. And yet, towering trees and spreading vines had overtaken the land, all born from their opponent's technique.
It was unnatural. Terrifying.
The two brothers had already realized they stood no chance. This wasn't about victory—it was about surviving until Marigold arrived.
Still, they fought.
Yuzu and Tetsu rushed toward Haruka, evading the whip-like branches flung in their path by jumping and weaving through the chaos. Their plan was simple: close the distance and strike. But Haruka didn't allow it.
With a fluid motion, he conjured his wooden bow again, firing a barrage of glowing arrows. At the same time, the rogue branches seemed to move on their own, ready to impale them from every angle.
Tetsu: "Yuzu, I'm using Lightning Target!"
It was a basic but powerful light technique. Tetsu selected a target and began channeling energy through his weapon, charging it over five tense seconds.
But he hadn't accounted for the environment.
The surrounding branches—drawn to the light—grew faster, greedily feeding on his energy. They twisted around his right arm, the pressure building rapidly until—
CRACK.
Tetsu screamed. His bone shattered under the crushing force.
Yuzu: "TETSUUUU!!"
His focus snapped. He turned toward his brother—too late.
A searing arrow struck him in the chest. It didn't pierce his heart, but the impact was enough to throw him to the ground, gasping in pain.
Tetsu, seeing his brother fall, made a split-second decision. Gritting his teeth, he jumped off the tree, deactivating his quartz energy. The release caused the branches to tear his trapped arm apart—bone and blood raining to the dirt below.
Both brothers collapsed. Still breathing, but broken.
Haruka descended gracefully from the tree, calm and composed, and looked down at them.
Haruka: "You fought well... for weaklings. But now it's over. You'll die like all hunters eventually do. At least you won't live long enough to witness the apocalypse that's coming."
???: "And what's that apocalypse you're talking about, plant guy?"
The voice came from behind him—cool, familiar, and laced with authority.
Haruka turned slowly. A woman stood there, gold-like hair catching the sunlight, hazel eyes sharp and unwavering. Her posture was relaxed, but her presence felt suffocating.
Tetsu (weakly): "C-Captain Marigold…"
Yuzu: "What… a relief…"
Both brothers fainted, their injuries finally overwhelming them.
Haruka (smiling): "You seem like a worthy opponent. Your aura… wild and beautiful."
Haruka smiled, his tone brimming with excitement.Haruka: "You seem like a worthy opponent. Your aura... wild and beautiful."
Marigold met his words with a cold, unimpressed smile.Marigold: "Is that your idea of a compliment? That's lame."
She stepped forward, her voice calm but razor-sharp.Marigold: "Thanks for taking care of my underlings. I'll return the favor. You know what they say—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
Though her tone remained composed, the fury in her eyes was unmistakable. Haruka felt it—he was facing someone far above his level.
Reacting instantly, he summoned his wooden bow again. But before his fingers could reach the string, Marigold vanished.
The next thing he knew, she was right in front of him—her fist already crashing into his face.
His nose shattered under the force, blood spraying from the impact as his head snapped back violently.
Haruka: "What… What's with this speed?! Even that cursed Hayato isn't this fast!"
Marigold (calmly): "What are you talking about? Hayato's at least twice as fast as me. If that little punch broke your nose… he would've killed you with it."
Haruka: "Then what's the point of sending us here?! There's no way we can beat him!"
Marigold: "We? Who's 'they'?"
Still grinning through the blood, Haruka gave a defiant smile.Haruka: "Why should I tell you?"
Suddenly, he summoned the same towering tree from before, branches bursting outward in all directions. Marigold's gaze tightened.
Marigold (thinking): He's stalling. But I don't have time for this—Yuzu and Tetsu need treatment.
As the branches lashed toward her, lightning surged across her body, and in a blinding flash, she was gone.
A thunderclap split the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck the tree dead-center. The entire structure lit up, flames and electricity consuming it in a brilliant blaze. Haruka screamed as the current tore through him, sending his body flying.
While he was still airborne, Marigold reappeared in a streak of gold and blue. Her boot collided with his chest mid-air, launching him further until he crashed into a boulder, obliterating it on impact.
His body hit the ground in a heap, battered, bleeding, and barely breathing.
Marigold stepped forward, unfazed.Marigold: "Your technique is creative… but you picked the wrong opponent. Lightning doesn't play well with wood. Now talk. Who sent you?"
Haruka (weakly): "You… You won't… have that pleasure."
Blood spilled from his lips as he raised one hand, summoning a final tangle of branches—this time curling around his own neck.
Haruka: "In the name of our beloved queen… and goddess… I swear you'll never hear… a single word… from me."
The branches constricted, tightening until he collapsed.
Marigold stood still, watching him fall.
She couldn't save him—not without risking a discharge that would incinerate him completely.
Marigold (coldly): "So much for information. Useless to the very end."
She turned, eyes landing on the unconscious bodies of Yuzu and Tetsu.Marigold: "Time to get them treated. This isn't over yet."
Marigold couldn't intervene—the wood around him was already engulfed in flames from her technique, making any attempt to save him impossible. The battle was hers."In the end, I couldn't extract a single useful word from this worthless piece of trash." She glanced down at the unconscious twins. "First, I need to get these two back for treatment."
Meanwhile, in the southern region, Samuel was gearing up for the fight of his life against Reina. But the question remained—would he emerge victorious?