The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
Raven's grip tightened on his sword as he walked between the towering pines. The moonlight filtered through the branches, silver streaks catching on the blade's edge. Zyra-chan clung to his shoulder, her tiny claws pricking into his shirt.
"Raven-san… it feels strange tonight," she whispered, voice barely audible.
Raven's jaw set. "Yeah. I feel it too."
He had come to learn the forest was never silent. Even in the dead of night, the orchestra played on—crickets, distant wolf howls, the scurry of creatures in the undergrowth. Tonight, all of it was gone. Life had hidden itself. Which meant something else was moving. Something greater.
His pulse quickened.
This isn't a predator. This is something worse.
A branch snapped ahead.
Raven froze. The treeline rippled as if the shadows themselves shifted. Then—something stepped into the moonlight.
The moonlight caught a flicker of movement before a towering stag stepped from the shadows, its once-radiant silver fur now mottled black with crawling veins. Tar-like vines strangled its limbs, pulsing with sickly green light. Its antlers, cracked and splintered, bled corruption as they glowed faintly. Its amber eyes burned with dull, furious fire.
"…A forest guardian," Raven whispered.
He recognized it instantly. These beasts were nature's chosen—ancient titans who kept balance where humans could not. Majestic. Untouchable. But this one was broken, consumed by something vile.
Zyra whimpered, pressing tighter against his neck. "Something is wrong with it. It looks like it's hurt Raven-san!"
"…It's sick, that's why."
The guardian exhaled a rasping growl, black mist curling from its maw. Its head lowered, antlers scraping sparks across the stone.
Then it charged.
The earth quaked under its hooves.
Raven rolled aside as an antler slammed into the ground, stone erupting in shards. The shockwave knocked him sprawling.
Too strong—!
He forced himself upright, sword trembling in his hands. Aura sparked faintly along the edge, barely more than fireflies. He raised it anyway. The guardian's antler crashed down. The block rattled every bone in his arms. He staggered, gasping for breath.
The vines writhed, spreading across its body like serpents.
It isn't just strong. It's corrupted.
He swung desperately at its flank, steel biting shallowly into the beast's hide. Black ichor hissed as it spilled onto the ground. The guardian bellowed but pressed on.
"Raven-san!"
Zyra leapt from his shoulder, silver fire sputtering from her mouth. It struck the vines coiled around the guardian's leg. The corruption recoiled violently, hissing where the flame licked it.
Raven's eyes widened. That's it… its weakness.
"Good job, Zyra-chan!"
But the guardian turned on her.
Its antlers pulsed green, energy sparking jagged arcs. Vines lashed out, whips snapping toward her tiny body.
"Zyra-chan!"
Raven dove, cutting through the vines mid-snap. He rolled, clutching her against his chest as more vines slammed down where they'd been.
She trembled, voice small. "…Sorry."
He shook his head, eyes locked on the beast. "No. You showed me the way."
He set her back on his shoulder. His free hand stretched forward. Mana churned, flickering like embers in the dark.
The guardian roared and lowered its head again.
Raven narrowed his eyes. "…Come on, then."
The ground shook with its charge. Raven's sword blazed faintly as he swung upward, deflecting one antler in a shower of sparks. The force numbed his arms, but he stood his ground.
Focus.
Aura.
Mana.
Together.
His palm flared, raw mana igniting in a crude burst of fire. He thrusted it at the vines choking the guardian's throat. It hissed, recoiling.
Raven lunged, blade slashing deep across the exposed flesh. Blood and ichor spilled. The guardian shrieked, stumbling.
"Zyra-chan—now!"
She exhaled another burst of silver flame, striking vines along its legs. They shriveled in the glow.
Raven pressed forward, driving his blade toward bone.
But the guardian's fury only deepened. Its antlers burned brighter, corrupted energy erupting in a shockwave. The blast slammed into Raven, throwing him against a tree. His ribs screamed.
"Raven-san!" Zyra scrambled toward him.
He coughed blood, forcing himself upright by his sword. His vision blurred, but resolve steadied him. "I'm not done yet."
The guardian loomed, its body writhing with corruption.
Raven raised his blade. Aura sparked. Mana flared in his other hand.
Together, they fused—blue-silver light sheathed his sword in a blaze.
"This is my world," he growled. "And I'll survive it."
The stag lunged.
Raven roared and brought the blade down.
Steel, aura, and mana carved into corrupted flesh. One antler shattered in an explosion of bone and light. The blade cut deep into the guardian's throat.
The beast staggered, vines thrashing wildly before shriveling into ash. It collapsed with a crash that shook the forest.
Raven landed hard, rolling to his knees. His chest heaved, his arms trembled—but he didn't let go of the sword until the guardian finally stilled.
Silence returned.
The vines dissolved into mist, leaving only the fallen body. For a fleeting moment, Raven saw it—not corrupted, but as it should have been. Noble. Proud.
"…Sorry," he whispered.
Zyra nuzzled his cheek softly. "…You saved it."
He chuckled weakly. "Maybe."
Then—light flickered above the corpse.
For a heartbeat, a throne loomed. Vast. Silent. Watching.
The same throne from his dream.
Raven froze. His breath caught.
Then it was gone.
Raven lowered his sword, chest aching with exhaustion.
The throne again… what are you?
He shook his head and pulled Zyra close.
The Survival Arc was over. He had endured hunger, beasts, bandits, and now—a guardian itself.
But as the forest's shadows deepened, he knew the truth.
This was only the beginning.