Rael stood beside Blanek, his body taut like a drawn bow. The sword in his hand trembled slightly, not out of fear, but because every fiber of his being screamed a truth he couldn't ignore: they had no chance. Not against this. Not against him.
They weren't just facing a wall of power. They were already inside the wolf's jaws. And that wolf… was THE DEATH.
His aura pressed down on the clearing like a leaden weight. It seeped into their lungs, clung to their skin, suffocated their very instincts. Every movement demanded double the effort, every breath felt like dragging chains through water. This wasn't ordinary magic—it was a promise. A promise that sooner or later, they would fall.
Blanek panted, every muscle screaming from exhaustion, but his eyes remained sharp, unyielding.
"Don't make the mistake of thinking I can hold on much longer," he murmured to Rael without looking.
"I know," Rael replied, his voice rough but steady, every word a battle against the crushing tension in his chest.
THE DEATH tilted his head, a cold smile forming.
"Two broken children, standing before me… You call this courage… or collective stupidity?"
He took a step forward, and the ground seemed to groan beneath his weight. Leaves shivered. Branches creaked. The forest itself seemed to hold its breath. Rael's heart raced. His mind scrambled for a way out, any plan, anything—but there was nothing. Nothing but this man. This scythe. This undeniable certainty.
They weren't fighting to win. They were fighting just to not die… yet.
Deep beneath the forest
The underground hall was suffocatingly heavy. The air itself mocked them, thick and almost solid. Selena faced Kaerzan, her hands ablaze, teeth clenched, every muscle coiled like a spring. In front of her, Lyo knelt, one hand pressing against the floor, the other clutching his bloodied thigh. Every heartbeat seemed like a herculean effort.
Kaerzan sighed, almost disappointed, as if the situation barely entertained him.
"You know…" he said calmly, "we were here first. Technically, you're the intruders. And on top of that… you killed my spider."
A clinical, chilling smile spread across his face.
"That alone would usually be enough to justify your deaths."
Selena frowned, flames flickering wildly around her hands.
"As if we'd let you get away with that. You've picked the wrong targets."
But suddenly, a strange heaviness washed over her. Something was off. Her gaze darted to Lyo.
"Lyo…?" she whispered.
He didn't respond. His eyes closed slowly. His body toppled forward, motionless. The blood he had lost didn't explain such a sudden collapse. Selena understood immediately… too late.
A wave of fatigue hit her like a crushing weight. Her legs wobbled, her hands betrayed her. Vision blurred. Each breath became a struggle.
"W-what…?" she murmured, unable to finish.
Kaerzan raised his arms, perfectly calm.
"A gas. Odorless, invisible, highly effective. Released the moment I arrived. And now… two new test subjects."
Selena tried to lift her arms. The flames flickered… then died. Her body refused to obey. Her eyelids grew unbearably heavy.
Just before she collapsed, a sharp sound cut through the air.
A spike of iron shot up from the floor, piercing the stone exactly where Kaerzan had stood a second ago. He jumped back, startled.
A figure appeared at the entrance, poised and confident.
"Eyrin," he called without hesitation. "Got the girl."
He raised a hand to his ear, speaking into some unseen communicator. Kaerzan's eyes narrowed, annoyed—for the first time since this fight began.
Back in the clearing
The fight hadn't truly started yet, but every second felt like an eternity. Blanek gritted his teeth. Rael felt his strength slipping away piece by piece. Every breath in THE DEATH's presence was torture.
Then… a presence.
Sudden, deep, overwhelming. The air shifted. Birds fell silent. The wind grew heavy. Leaves quivered. The ground seemed to vibrate. THE DEATH froze.
A man appeared behind them. Black hair, calm but endless depth in his gaze. His aura was dense, almost tangible, absorbing all surrounding sound. Every movement was deliberate. Every breath measured.
"I heard there were kids wandering through a dangerous forest," he said, his voice calm, yet firm.
Blanek's eyes widened.
"Master… Ryo!"
Rael didn't even have time to react. His legs gave out, and the world tilted. He didn't hit the ground. A firm hand caught him, steady and reassuring.
"Calm down, kid," Ryo said. "You've done enough."
A warmth spread through Rael, comforting. For the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't teetering on the edge of the abyss.
THE DEATH watched Ryo silently. The smile was gone. He could feel the difference. This was no longer a massacre waiting to happen. This was finally… a worthy opponent.
The forest shivered. The true monsters had entered the stage.