Duke stepped forward.The golden flame around his body blurred into motion as he rushed the bear. The moment he entered range, his right arm swung in a brutal horizontal arc.The saber flared gold. And Kitakuma answered instantly.Its massive right arm swept inward in a wide counter — claws wrapped in burning crimson flame.CLANG!Steel kissed the claw. Golden sparks exploded against crimson ones at the point of impact.Grrraaaalll!Duke’s biceps flared, veins rising beneath torn cloth as he forced the saber forward inch by inch.“Your skill is to nullify mana, Kitakuma…” Duke snarled through clenched teeth.His back muscles flexed violently — lats, trapezius, rhomboids tightening as the strain snapped the fabric across his torso.The blade cut deeper. Then—SHHHK!The saber tore clean through the bear’s arm. Kitakuma’s

When the report shattered a heart, Bearda responded with movement.The capital trembled under the sound of rattling hooves.Hunters from across the continent of Regilios arrived, answering the royal decree sent to their respective nations.By midday, the palace courtyard was crowded.The iron gates swayed open. Two guards bearing the emblem of Bearda stood at attention, backs straight, spears planted firmly against the ground.Beyond the gates, carefully maintained gardens stretched along both sides of the stone path. Horses moved slowly across the loose gravel, carrying their riders toward the tall white palace ahead.Four towers rose from the corners of the rectangular structure, banners of Bearda fluttering in the warm breeze.The path widened near the entrance. Four thick pillars of cracked stone supported the terrace of the first floor as golden light shimmered from the cracks.Soldiers stood stationed at every corner of the front yard.From beneath the terrace shade, a broad-sho

Helis particles drifted faintly behind me as I reappeared atop one of the towers attached to the habitat wall.The moment I looked down, my jaw dropped.“…What…”I swallowed.“…What happened here?”Behind the throne, a crater scarred the ground. Multiple tree trunks stood headless, their severed tops missing. Columns of Helis oozed upward from the wounds like blue smoke.With another Helis Step, my feet touched the grass.I turned slowly, scanning the habitat again, trying to process what I was seeing.Bonk! Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!One of the builders was hammering the ground near the crater with rapid, precise swings. Its arms moved so fast they were almost invisible. Another was doing the same to one of the sliced tree trunks.With every strike, Helis flickered. The soil slowly knitted back together. They were so focused that they didn’t even notice me.“Oh…”I exhaled softly.“They’re already doing recovery tasks.”But the human…and the other two builders…they weren’t here.I searched th

I sprang to my feet as the roars in my ears grew louder. The ground itself felt restless. I was about to leap toward the wall when Duke’s voice stopped me mid-motion.“What is it?”I glanced back at him.“A tribal war. Among the monsters.”He stood instantly. Through shared perception, I could feel it…he was ready to move with me. But there was no visible exit from the habitat, no stairs, no gates.I extended my paw toward him.“Grab on. Fast!!”He slid his sword into the sheath at his back and latched onto my paw without hesitation.“Helis Step.”The world snapped as blue Helis flared beneath my feet.Blink!We reappeared atop one of the towers attached to the habitat wall. For me, it was natural. But for him, his knees buckled the moment we landed.He dropped to one hand, breathing hard. And I felt it…the nausea, the disorientation in his body. His stomach felt twisted inside as if he would vomit at any time. But he managed.“What the hell was that?” he growled as he lifted his head

The sun leaned westward as Emilia approached the Palace of Bearda.The courtyard was alive with disciplined motion. Soldiers stood in formation beneath the fading gold light. Steel shimmered. Boots struck stone.Among them stood two familiar figures.The red-haired warrior.And the armored tank from earlier.The moment Emilia stepped within reach, the redhead rushed forward.“Are you alright?”She grabbed Emilia’s forearms, fingers warm and firm.Up close, Emilia noticed what she hadn’t earlier in the training yard.Ruria’s outfit was far from standard regulation armor.A tight leather bodice hugged her curves. The leather cinched high at the waist as a tight black trouser ran into the laced leather boots till her knee. Her red hair complemented the whole combination as she looked like a cherry coated in dark chocolate.Emilia blinked. “I’m fine…”Van stepped in next, heavy boots scraping stone. His thick arm landed over her shoulder with a confident thud.“You were insane in front o