Sunlight filters through the dense leaves overhead.

  The wound in my chest has been completely healed for some time now. My cloak, however, is becoming more and more worn. Besides the hole in the fabric and the burn marks, there are now several visible tears in the cloth, revealing parts of my skin. The hood also shows even more evident damage.

  I keep walking, now with a direction to follow.

  Am I getting closer?

  I used a mountain as a reference, but I lost it after the previous events. Now, however, I find other mountains to guide my path.

  To make sure I’m on the right track, I take a great leap and begin to climb. I move through the tree branches until I reach the top.

  As soon as I get up there, I can see the sun, the clouds, enormous birds flying, and countless crowns of giant trees. No matter where I look, there are only trees. Even farther and more imposing than the trees are the mountains and the volcanoes.

  I take a moment to appreciate the scenery.

  "..."

  Soon, I turn my attention to the five mountains.

  I’ve been walking for days, and those mountains are still far away.

  The mountains I follow stand out among the others. While the mountains in this region vary between shades of brown, gray, reddish, and even blue, because of the ice, the five mountains I follow have a black coloration mixed with silver. It’s a very unusual color for mountains around here.

  That caught my attention, and since the day I first saw them, I’ve been using them as a reference. So far, I haven’t lost sight of them. Throughout all these days, I constantly climb trees to check whether I’m still on the right path.

  I climb down from the tree and keep walking.

  "Curious…"

  "This part of the forest looks more beautiful than usual."

  I look around. The trees are enormous yet pristine, their trunks almost polished. Soft light slips through carefully spaced branches, and the forest floor is spotless, no rot, no decay, no neglect. Every step feels deliberate, almost reverent. The ground is clean, even the smaller plants and bushes carefully trimmed, as if the forest itself were being tended.

  I keep walking, until my expression softens, showing a rare smile.

  It almost feels like someone is taking care of this place.

  I realize there are no creatures nearby.

  "How strange…"

  "So far I haven’t seen a single monst…"

  A gentle breeze immediately puts me on guard.

  I feel two presences approaching at high speed.

  Suddenly, a wave of wind closes in around me.

  The attack is fast and violent.

  Two converging wind cannons tear through everything in their path, crossing exactly where I was standing. The gale knocks down plants, rips leaves away, and exposes the bare earth, leaving only deep scars on the ground.

  Moments later, two green tigers return to the spot. They silently observe the scene and realize they missed their target.

  Or rather, the target had vanished without leaving a trace.

  They look at each other and then scan the surroundings, searching for me, but they don’t find anything. There’s only the exposed ground, devastated by the previous attack.

  Suddenly, my feet slam violently into the head of the second tiger, delivering a flying kick. In the next instant, I extend my hands and unleash flames toward the first one. The tiger isn’t hit directly and manages to retreat for a moment.

  I plant my feet firmly on the ground, unafraid of the green tiger right in front of me.

  "Well, well… long time no see."

  Now I can clearly see its features, far better than during our first encounter.

  From the front, I notice details in its fur. Besides the dominant green, there are yellowish strands scattered across its body, and its tail is completely yellow. Its eyes are an intense green.

  The paws are large, robust, and threatening; the jaws, strong and ferocious. And of course, its imposing size. This tiger must be between two and a half and three meters tall.

  I glance around, noticing the destruction the tigers caused.

  Good thing I managed to escape.

  I dodged right and jumped. The wind itself hurled me upward, carrying me into the treetops and giving me the opening I needed.

  Without wasting time, I drag one foot slightly forward. I extend my right arm, palm open in front of me, while my left stays clenched in a fist, close to my abdomen.

  I assume a fighting stance, steadying my breath.

  I don’t know martial arts, but maybe by striking a pose like this, I’ll gain some kind of advantage.

  From a distance, emerging between fallen leaves and broken branches, I see the second tiger slowly approaching. It shows no injury to its head. Apparently, my flying kick hadn’t done any real damage. The tiger moves beside the other one, and soon the two of them stand side by side.

  The memory of almost being devoured makes my mood plummet.

  They’re green tigers, just like the ones that almost killed me.

  Suddenly, both of them charge toward me, and I charge at them as well. My hands release massive amounts of flames, while wind gathers around the tigers.

  The collision tore through the forest, and pain followed instantly as I was hurled into the trees. Deep cuts open across my hands, as if blades had sliced through them.

  But my regeneration deals with the injuries quickly, and I return to the fight.

  On the other side, the tigers are pushed back by the force of the impact, but they suffer no damage. Without hesitation, they rush at me with everything they have.

  The wind released by the green tigers almost hits me. I crouch to dodge. The attack violently strikes the tree behind me. I glance at it for a moment and see a horrifying cut running through the trunk, the tree is nearly split in half and brought down.

  Seeing that, I concentrate even more flames around my body and hurl them at them. In response, they release bursts of wind. The attacks clash and explode. Even with the smoke in the way, I can still feel their presence. I advance with clenched fists, releasing even more fire.

  The tigers manage to withstand my attacks and rush to strike me. The paw of the first tiger grazes past my face, but I manage to dodge to the left. The other tiger nearly splits me in two, but I escape by rolling across the ground.

  I get back up and try to create some distance, but the tigers are fast and extremely flexible. In just a few movements, they twist their bodies and are already on me again.

  My arms tremble from the amount of fire I’m about to release.

  I stare at both tigers, my expression hard, and charge forward with everything I have.

  Both tigers, already surrounded by their wind Skills, leap and raise their paws against me. With rapid movements, both tigers and I vanish from sight. The only things visible are the flames exploding, making the area tremble, and the cutting wind, carving deep gashes into the trees and knocking several of them to the ground.

  The first tiger’s paw crashes into my fist. The force of the impact injures us both.

  My hand is torn apart, while the first tiger’s paw is burned.

  Unlike the green tiger, my hand begins to regenerate at once. But before I can react, I’m struck by the second tiger. Its paw slams violently into my stomach, sending me flying.

  I crash into trees and rocks along the way, rolling across the ground until I finally stop. I manage to get back up, only to be hit by powerful gusts of wind. The force slips through the gaps and tears in my cloak, slicing my skin and throwing me back to the ground once more.

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  In the next instant, I see the gaping mouth of the first tiger looming right above me. I quickly raise my arms and grab its fangs, stopping it from closing its jaws around my body.

  I strain with everything I have to avoid being devoured. The fangs scrape against my face.

  "Grrr!!!"

  "Damn!!!"

  My eyes widen as I release an enormous amount of fire. The explosion hurls the first tiger backward. It slams into the ground with force, its body and fur scorched, yet it still manages to get back up, showing impressive resilience.

  I get back on my feet.

  Wait!

  I look at the burned tiger and notice something is missing.

  Where’s the second tiger?!

  When I realize it, I feel something right behind me. I turn my face, but I see absolutely nothing. In the next instant, a violent impact strikes my back, tearing deeply through my cloak. The cutting wind hurls me away. I crash into the trunk of a tree, and my body falls onto a branch.

  My spine and several of my bones break. Blood spills from my mouth. Everything becomes blurred. Severe internal injuries. Slowly, my vision adjusts, and I see the first tiger, still with its fur burned, advancing toward me through the air.

  I can’t stay still. I force and focus my regeneration to act immediately. Within moments, I leap from the tree and land on another. The tiger lands where I was, but immediately jumps again, coming after me. It’s chasing me.

  Before long, the first tiger matches my speed. As soon as my foot touches a tree trunk, it’s already right behind me. Without being able to lose momentum, I turn and crouch quickly to leap and attack. I force my legs even more to gain momentum. Stress, exhaustion, and tension pile up, but my regeneration keeps up.

  We exchange close-combat blows and ranged attacks while moving through the branches.

  When our feet strike the trunk, it gives way, and we end up falling from the trees almost at the same time. We regain our balance midair. Some of the tiger’s attacks hit me, but thanks to my regeneration and the protection of my cloak, I’m able to endure the onslaught better.

  The tiger’s paw, wrapped in violent winds, slams into my left shoulder, destroying it. My cloak tears even more, but it still protects me, allowing me to withstand such a direct blow. The pain is intense, but I don’t retreat.

  I end up in a lower position than the tiger, briefly getting a clear view of its belly and chest. I seize the opening. I quickly raise my other arm and launch a large sphere of flames at point-blank range, hitting its chest and belly directly.

  The explosion knocks down several trees. We’re both hurled in opposite directions. The tiger, already wounded, suffers even more burns and injuries, its belly being the most damaged part. It crashes straight into the ground.

  I’m also falling, but my wounds are healing very slowly now, and my left shoulder begins to regenerate little by little.

  "O-ou…"

  I focus my mind, deciding where the regeneration should take priority. The shoulder is restored first.

  I have to end this.

  I can feel my Source nearing its limit. Even my regeneration is slower than before. Finishing this fight quickly is the best decision.

  I propel myself with flames bursting from my feet, doing a flip in midair and landing on a tree branch, about to leap and charge at the fallen tiger.

  My eyes widen as I sense a presence. It’s already right in front of me, but I can’t see it. I force my legs to jump and evade, but it’s useless. My body is struck by a gust of wind that disrupts my escape, and in the next instant, I feel a paw slam into my chest.

  I’m thrown straight into the ground, opening a deep crater in the earth.

  It got me…

  But who did?!

  I felt the presence, but I saw nothing.

  The second tiger also disappeared.

  The answer comes to my mind.

  Of course!

  I leap out of the hole.

  How could I forget? It was like this at the beginning.

  Just like our first encounter, I remember that these green tigers can turn invisible and conceal their presence. Knowing that, I start planning a way to finish both of them at once. However, I realize there’s no sign of them anywhere around me. They’ve vanished completely.

  I look toward the spot where the first tiger had fallen, but it’s no longer there. It really looks like they ran away.

  They’re definitely both invisible.

  I scan my surroundings, but I don’t see any green tigers. The wind blows lightly, only reinforcing my certainty that they’re here. Quickly, I move behind a tree.

  I weigh the information I have.

  They’re agile, fast, strong, and can turn invisible.

  My Source won’t last forever.

  This has to end now.

  The first tiger has already taken many injuries, that’s definitely made it weaker and slower. But the problem is the second one.

  I remain still with my eyes closed.

  I can see their Source if I keep my eyes closed, but that’s still impractical for me. Fighting like this is risky.

  I open my eyes.

  I only feel them when they’re right on top of me.

  My breathing stays steady, and my body remains tense and ready.

  I have to react faster. I have to be faster and… blow everything up at the right moment.

  The wind intensifies, shaking the leaves of the trees around me. I smile faintly.

  "..."

  Everything around me is slashed and cut apart, but I manage to come out relatively unscathed. As I step on the ground, I feel the heat of a paw about to strike my head. I crouch, dodging by a hair’s breadth.

  I jump to avoid another blow coming toward my legs.

  Still in midair, I feel them right next to me, one presence on the right, another on the left.

  I spin in midair and, at the same time, release fire from my feet and arms, setting my surroundings ablaze and forcing the tigers to retreat. However, a powerful wave of wind hits me head-on, extinguishing my flames.

  I rise from the ground, feeling that the wind has grown much stronger. Deeper wounds appear where my mantle is torn.

  I plant my feet firmly into the earth, my palms crackling, and keep my gaze fixed forward. I may not see either of them, but my intuition tells me. The two tigers are there.

  I close my eyes.

  For a brief instant, I see the Source of both tigers as they charge forward at high speed. But one of them is much slower, slightly breaking the synchronization between them.

  The wind remains intense, tearing everything apart in its path. Realizing that this attack could kill me in an instant, I concentrate all of my Source to end this once and for all.

  I open my eyes.

  In that instant, I release everything.

  The explosion can be heard from afar. Everything around me trembles. Several trees are knocked down, and those that remain standing are left charred. On the ground, there are even patches of smoldering lava scattered across the earth.

  At the center of all this destruction, I stand.

  Amid the flames, I look exhausted, with several burns spread across my body. Very slowly, my regeneration begins to work.

  I hope I got both of them at once.

  I look around, searching for the tigers, but I see nothing beyond black smoke rising into the sky and fire spreading in all directions. I begin to feel relief, believing I’ve won this battle.

  But then, I see something move.

  Beneath the burned trees, the two tigers rise.

  My eyes widen in shock.

  "They survived the explosion?!"

  That’s bad.

  But looking closer, I realize they are also in terrible condition. Their green fur is completely destroyed, and their bodies show deep burns.

  The first tiger, already wounded before, can barely remain standing. Even so, they walk toward me.

  I prepare myself, keeping my hands open, trying to summon flames, but only small sparks appear before fading away.

  My Source is almost completely depleted.

  When I realize that the two of them are already right in front of me and show no sign of retreating, I brace myself for the inevitable. There’s no other choice. I’ll have to face them in close combat.

  I clench my fists and charge forward.

  Then, a thunderous roar interrupts everything.

  The sound is so powerful that both the green tigers and I freeze instantly. When we look to the side, we see a colossal tiger, easily reaching five meters in height. Its fur is completely yellow, and its eyes burning with the same color, are filled with fury, and its paws are massive and robust. Two fangs protrude from its mouth, giving it the appearance of a mix between a tiger and a saber-toothed beast.

  The yellow tiger roars furiously.

  The land it so carefully guards and protects is destroyed. Its territory is unrecognizable.

  It looks to the right and sees entire areas completely cleared, with trees swept away from the ground. To the left, it observes trees and rocks that were once orderly, now reduced to debris. Finally, its gaze returns to me and the two green tigers, surrounded by fire, melted earth, and deep craters in the ground.

  The hatred in its gaze twists the clouds above us into spiraling storms. Forming multiple hurricanes around us. A true wall of wind advances like a marching army, with the yellow tiger at its center.

  The green tigers and I widen our eyes as we see that destruction approaching.

  I look at the green tigers.

  "..."

  The two tigers look back at me.

  "..."

  No explanation is needed. The three of us bolt at the same time, running as fast as we can.

  The first tiger can barely keep moving, but his companion, the second tiger, carries him on his back.

  But the yellow tiger is already right behind us.

  ***

  It is already night, and the two green tigers and I are inside a cave.

  The environment seems quiet and calm, but a distant roar makes everything tremble.

  The two green tigers shake in fear. I show no fear, but I am worried. Outside, a deadly battle is unfolding.

  Another roar, deep and powerful, comes from a bear, shaking the shelter. In response, a heavy wind forms, ripping even the trees near the cave entrance from the ground.

  I watch as new cracks spread across the rocky ceiling.

  They’ve already been fighting for hours.

  During our escape, in the condition the three of us were in, it was inevitable that we would be caught by the yellow tiger. But just when everything seemed lost, we crossed paths with a massive chromed bear, nearly five meters tall. Fortunately, it completely ignored us and charged straight at the yellow tiger, likely believing the feline had invaded its territory.

  Another tremor causes part of the cave to collapse. Faced with this, the two tigers retreat even further and cling tightly to me. I stand still, barely breathing, as two massive green tigers cling to me.

  Only one thought fills my mind.

  How did everything end up like this?