The forest had grown strangely quiet.

  Not the peaceful quiet of nature, but the tense silence that comes after destruction.

  Broken trees lay scattered across the ground. Burn marks scarred the earth. Deep claw marks tore through the soil like trenches.

  Dago slowed his steps.

  “Something big came through here.”

  Manki crouched beside a crater nearly two meters wide. He brushed dirt from the edges.

  “This wasn’t just something big. This was a fight.”

  A distant roar echoed through the forest.

  Not an animal’s roar.

  Something deeper. Something that carried rage.

  Dago’s eyes sharpened.

  “That came from ahead.”

  Before Manki could reply—

  A flash of silver fire lit the sky beyond the trees.

  Manki blinked.

  “Fire?”

  Dago was already moving.

  “Someone’s fighting.”

  When they broke through the tree line, the scene froze them in place.

  A gigantic beast stood in the clearing.

  Its body was covered in thick bone plates that overlapped like armor. Dark veins pulsed beneath its skin, glowing faintly with corrupted energy.

  Each breath from its jaws released clouds of black smoke.

  In front of the monster stood two figures.

  A girl surrounded by swirling silver flames.

  And a tall boy standing calmly with one glowing eye spinning like a vortex.

  The beast lunged.

  The girl spun gracefully, flames expanding around her.

  “Astral Flame — Crescent Wave!”

  Silver fire curved through the air and slammed against the creature’s side.

  The monster roared but barely staggered.

  Dago folded his arms.

  “Not bad.”

  The boy with the strange eye finally turned.

  His gaze locked onto Dago.

  For a moment, the air warped slightly.

  Space itself seemed unstable around that eye.

  “…More fighters.”

  The girl noticed them and shouted.

  “If you’re going to watch, at least help!”

  The beast slammed its claws down, sending dirt and rocks flying.

  Dago stepped forward calmly.

  “Name’s Dago.”

  The girl rolled her shoulders, flames flickering stronger.

  “Lyra Solvane.”

  She jerked her thumb toward the silent boy.

  “And that quiet creep is Kaien Vorth.”

  Kaien said nothing.

  His eye pulsed slowly.

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  “The creature’s core energy is unstable,” he muttered.

  Dago smirked.

  “Meaning?”

  Kaien answered coldly.

  “It’s about to become more dangerous.”

  The beast roared again.

  As if confirming his words.

  The monster charged.

  Each step shook the ground.

  Dago ran forward to meet it.

  “Let’s see how tough you are!”

  The beast swung its massive claw downward.

  Dago jumped and drove his fist straight into the creature’s armored jaw.

  BOOM

  A shockwave exploded outward.

  The monster’s head snapped sideways.

  But instead of falling—

  It retaliated instantly.

  Its tail whipped across the battlefield like a battering ram.

  Dago barely blocked in time.

  The impact launched him across the clearing.

  Manki whistled.

  “Yeah… that thing’s strong.”

  Lyra raised both hands.

  Silver fire spiraled around her body.

  “Astral Flame — Starfall!”

  Dozens of flame spheres shot toward the beast and detonated across its body.

  The explosions covered the monster in fire.

  For a moment it disappeared in smoke.

  Then—

  The beast burst through the flames completely unharmed.

  Lyra grimaced.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  The monster lunged toward her.

  But before its claw could strike—

  Kaien stepped forward.

  His eye widened.

  The air twisted violently.

  “Chaos Vector.”

  The beast’s attack suddenly bent sideways, smashing into the ground instead of Lyra.

  Dago stood up slowly, brushing dirt from his shoulder.

  “Okay… that trick is pretty useful.”

  Kaien didn’t react.

  “I simply redirect the path of force.”

  Manki stared.

  “You say that like it’s normal.”

  The beast opened its jaws.

  Dark energy gathered inside.

  Dago shouted.

  “Move!”

  A massive beam blasted forward.

  Lyra jumped into the air while Kaien raised his hand.

  “Chaos Rift.”

  Space tore open like a crack in glass.

  The beam vanished into the distortion and reappeared far above them, exploding in the clouds.

  The sky flashed.

  Dago laughed loudly.

  “This is getting fun.”

  The monster suddenly roared louder than before.

  Its body began changing.

  Dark energy spread across its bone armor.

  New spikes grew along its back.

  Lyra frowned.

  “It’s evolving…”

  Kaien’s eye spun faster.

  “It’s adapting to our attack patterns.”

  Dago cracked his neck.

  “Then we stop holding back.”

  Minutes passed in a blur of attacks.

  Cracked earth.

  Burning trees.

  Shattered stone.

  But the beast still stood.

  Breathing heavily, Lyra wiped sweat from her face.

  “Alright… I’m done playing.”

  Kaien nodded once.

  Dago stepped beside them.

  “Same idea?”

  Lyra grinned tiredly.

  “Let’s end it.”

  Energy surged around the three fighters.

  Even Manki stepped back.

  “Uh… this looks bad.”

  Dago began chanting.

  Behind him, the sky darkened.

  A massive demonic finger slowly formed in the air, ancient runes glowing along its surface.

  Lyra’s flames expanded into massive wings of fire.

  The outline of a phoenix appeared behind her.

  Kaien’s Eye of Chaos opened fully.

  Dimensions cracked around him like fractured glass.

  Lyra shouted first.

  “Heavenly Technique — Celestial Phoenix Bloom!”

  Kaien whispered calmly.

  “Heavenly Technique — Singularity.”

  Dago finished the chant.

  “Heavenly Technique — Demon God’s Crushing Finger!”

  The attacks collided with the beast at the same moment.

  Light swallowed the battlefield.

  The ground trembled violently.

  Trees were flattened by the shockwave.

  When the smoke cleared—

  The monster collapsed.

  Finally defeated.

  Dago dropped to one knee.

  “Yeah… that drained everything.”

  Lyra sat on the ground, breathing hard.

  “My flames are empty…”

  Even Kaien closed his eye slowly.

  For the first time, he looked tired.

  Manki walked toward them.

  “You three just destroyed a beast capable enough to be a Realm Breaker.”

  Then—

  A cold wind swept through the clearing.

  Heavy footsteps echoed from the forest.

  CLANK

  CLANK

  CLANK

  Armored soldiers emerged from the smoke.

  Their armor gleamed with engraved royal symbols.

  Each warrior carried weapons that radiated disciplined power.

  But they weren’t what made the air feel heavy.

  It was the man walking at their center.

  A tall figure stepped forward slowly.

  A long cloak flowed behind him.

  His presence alone made the battlefield feel smaller.

  Dago felt it immediately.

  “...Strong.”

  The man looked at the fallen beast.

  Then at the three exhausted fighters.

  His voice was calm but carried authority.

  “Well.”

  He stepped closer, armor reflecting the fading flames.

  “That was quite a display.”

  More soldiers surrounded the clearing.

  Completely silent.

  Completely disciplined.

  The man stopped a few meters from Dago.

  “We are the Royal Elite Guard.”

  His eyes locked onto Dago.

  “And you…”

  A faint smile appeared on his face.

  “Have just attracted the attention of the crown.”

  The soldiers raised their weapons.

  The battle wasn’t over.

  It had only just begun.

  End of Chapter 5