Cave. Complete Darkness.

  Bound students huddled by the wall. A suppression seal blocked their magic, rendering them powerless. Eliana sat in the center, her crimson eyes dimly glowing—two drops of color in the blackness. A single lantern stood to their left. To the right lay the only exit. The cave formed a square roughly twenty meters across.

  Bandits dragged crates around, muttering about “orders” and “rewards.”

  Suddenly—the roar of impact. A wall collapsed.

  The lantern shattered. Darkness swallowed everything.

  A tall silhouette stepped through the gap. White clothes, a flowing cloak. Under his eyes—two glowing stripes. The Scar of Power.

  The bandits froze for a split second, then erupted in shouts:

  “On his face… The Scar of Power!”

  One dropped a crate, another let fall his weapon. Panic set in. They rushed toward the exit, pushing and stumbling, dropping everything they carried.

  The man turned slowly toward the hostages. His gaze scanned their faces…and settled on Eliana.

  “What fascinating eyes… crimson.”

  He stepped forward, reaching out toward her face. Eliana pressed herself into the wall, recoiling—but his fingers were already nearly touching her skin…

  A shadow flickered on the right.

  For a moment—the outline of someone. The right hand drawn back over the left shoulder, fingers extended in a flawless arc.

  A strike.

  The man shot upward. He didn’t even realize what happened. The blow hit his chest. His body, like a ragdoll, flew through another wall and vanished into the darkness of a neighboring chamber.

  Dust rose. The scar’s glow faded. But another light emerged—pink.

  Standing before Eliana was him: Hiro.

  He stood with his back to her. His hair was black at the roots, shifting to violet, and its tips softly glowed pink.

  Hiro’s coat flowed as if in an invisible whirlwind.

  Eliana froze. Her lips quivered.

  “Hi…”

  Someone beside her cut in:

  “Look at his eyes… That’s him. The God of the Void.”

  Eliana recoiled as she saw his irises—they were glowing pink, like tiny portals to another world.

  “So… this is what he looks like…”

  Hiro didn’t turn around.

  From the breach came a crackling sound—the man was rising. Shadows in the cave stirred. The fight was beginning.

  Stones fell, and he emerged again in a cloud of dust. Heavy footsteps echoed off the cavern walls.

  The students’ whispers ceased. There was not a sound. Everyone froze. The air filled with fear.

  The man approached, closing the five meters to Hiro.

  “Well, hello, Eleventh. Long time no see,” he said with strange warmth, as though greeting an old friend—or ancient foe.

  Hiro stayed silent. His eyes remained fixed on the stranger.

  Both began to circle, predators sizing each other up. Every step the man took toward the hostages, Hiro shifted to block. A silent shield.

  The man studied him. Slowly. His gaze roamed from head to toe.

  Hiro frowned.

  “Another bandit? No… I’ve seen him before… where? Why does he feel familiar?”

  They halted. Eliana was behind Hiro, holding her breath.

  The man paused, sensing her presence. Lara’s words echoed:

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  > “Torgrim, if you meet the Reborn, do not strike. Just talk him down…”

  He’d replied:

  > “I am a warrior; he is a man. No snotty talks. Let blows speak for us.”

  He exhaled and muttered:

  “Well… I’ll try.”

  He took a step forward.

  “God of the Void. Eleventh. We need to talk. I know we haven’t gotten off well… But I believe we can find common ground…”

  He didn’t finish.

  Hiro bent his elbow. His fingers aligned precisely, like a symbol. Activation.

  He lunged.

  Torgrim didn’t see it coming. A torrent of force—something invisible caught him. Thunder. His body struck the wall again. He tumbled, slammed into dust, before regaining balance on the floor.

  He paused.

  He was in a larger, debris-filled cavern, littered with shattered weapons and rusted junk.

  He looked up.

  From the broken wall, eyes stared back.

  Pink. Glowing. Radiating chill.

  Then—Hiro stepped into the light and darkness. A judge.

  And as silent as stone.

  Torgrim stared at Hiro, thirty meters away. Silence hung in the cave, broken only by slow drips of water.

  > “Talks are useless…” Torgrim thought grimly, a pleased smirk forming.

  He stepped toward a pile of rocks with a rusty spear protruding, grabbed it casually, and said ritualistically:

  “Well then, God of the Void… or Eleventh? Let’s test your worth.”

  He flicked his wrist, tossing the spear like a twig. The air shrieked—it flew at inhuman speed.

  Hiro didn’t flinch. At the last moment he tilted his head slightly to the left, as if foreseeing its path. The spear clanged into the stone wall behind Torgrim, cracking the rock.

  Torgrim snorted:

  “Your speed is already rivaling the Strongest… This’ll be fun…”

  He didn’t finish. His eyes widened.

  Hiro vanished from view—literally dissolved in the air. In the next moment, he appeared directly in front of Torgrim, arm drawn back, fist clenched. His knees flexed, torso leaned forward—perfect posture for the strike.

  > “So fast? I can’t even block…” Torgrim thought.

  Time slowed. Torgrim watched as Hiro’s punch pierced the sound barrier—the air around the fist deformed, bursting in a white wave.

  Bam.

  The punch hit Torgrim’s solar plexus. He flew backward like a ragdoll, tearing through the air. Where the fighters had stood, the ground cracked in a web, shaking the entire cave. Rocks rained from the ceiling.

  ---

  Several minutes earlier. The hostages’ room.

  The crash, the flash of light—and Torgrim vanished from sight. Hiro followed, disappearing in dust. Only a wave of air washed over the stunned students.

  “Where did they go?” someone said.

  “Why did he call him the Eleventh?” asked a girl with a bandaged arm.

  “What happens now?”

  Silence fell. A young man in the back furrowed his brows:

  “Hey… Didn’t the God of the Void just send Torgrim flying with magic? But how… if there’s a seal under us? It blocks spells…”

  Before anyone answered, Garret and Katsu burst through the stone walls. Out of breath, their faces etched with worry. Katsu leaned against the wall, rasping:

  “You guys okay? Seen our friend?”

  Before the others could answer, a powerful blast shattered the walls—a sonic wave like an explosion rocked them. The ceiling began to collapse.

  “Damn!” Garret shouted. “No time for talk! Untie them and run! Now! We’re going to get buried alive!”

  Dust cleared to reveal Torgrim, landing hard. A crater formed beneath him. Blood poured from his mouth as he coughed, wiping it with the back of his hand. Despite the pain—he was smiling.

  “Quite the punch…” he thought, looking toward Hiro. “Well then, God of the Void… time for a proper manly talk.”

  Hiro didn’t answer. He vanished.

  A burst of air cut through. Hiro appeared before him and struck. Torgrim replied instantly—their fists collided, the air shuddering. A flurry of strikes, blocks, steps aside, more blows. Their movements were so fast they left visible trails, as if the elements themselves couldn’t keep pace.

  At first, they seemed matched. But within seconds, Torgrim realized the truth. He threw powerful blows, but Hiro blocked them effortlessly. Meanwhile, Torgrim’s flesh and skin began to bear cuts and scratches.

  “He fights strangely…” Torgrim thought, stepping back. “Uses unarmed style, but different. Light. Weightless… I’ve seen this before…”

  And then he saw it. In a blink—reality wavered—Hiro stopped looking human. His silhouette turned white, glowing. Featureless. Clothed only in pale light—perfect purity.

  Torgrim froze. A memory flashed.

  ---

  Torgrim’s Flashback

  It was daytime, high sun. I climbed a slope to an old cave. A friend—a sorcerer hermit, a philosopher—said I’d find answers to the world’s structure there. I swore to visit him.

  Inside, I froze. Before me stood a white silhouette. Smooth, hairless, faceless. And my friend at its feet. Dead. Beside him lay a book.

  I shouted, attacked. But the entity didn’t even turn—just raised its hand, and my blow was stopped. Then it lifted it again—and I flew out of the cave, as though thrown by nature itself.

  We fought. Its movements like a dance, each strike a storm. Even boulders moved from its touch. I was losing. Then I summoned the Creator’s Armor—Armor of Creation—from Creator Ore. A rare substance. My sword could cut through anything. The armor deflected all physical damage.

  I struck it. My sword passed through. It didn’t harm it.

  Fear gripped me. I fled like a coward.

  When I returned a month later, the cave was empty. Only a scrap of paper remained:

  > “When the world was created, the Creator pricked himself on Chaos. A drop of blood fell to the ground and became Creator Ore—the only material made entirely of mana, without chaos.”

  I realized—the warrior of light was made only of mana. My sword couldn’t touch him. He controlled mana around him, as if commanding physics itself.

  ---

  Return to Battle

  Could the God of the Void possess the same power as the Warrior of Light? Torgrim wondered.

  ---

  Scene: Collapse and Fracture

  Torgrim swung his left arm, aiming for Hiro’s temple. But Hiro, as if predicting it, bent sharply back. His body hovered nearly parallel to the floor, balanced only on his legs. Torgrim’s fist passed inches from his face.

  Hiro didn’t miss his chance. His right glove—an artifact containing one of the most dangerous curses—shattered, dispersing as ashen flakes.

  He touched Torgrim’s forearm with his bare palm.

  For a brief moment—just a moment—black nails flickered. Then a crack sounded, as if glass had shattered. Torgrim’s forearm literally crumbled into shards, vanishing in a wave of destructive energy.

  “Damn…” Torgrim recoiled about one hundred meters, clutching the charred remains of his arm. “Again… like before. This guy is dangerous.”

  He breathed heavily, but… smiled. A real fight—what he lived for.

  “Let’s see how you stand up to magic!” he muttered, pushing his left hand forward.

  “Power of mighty ice, grant me your chill… to freeze all. Curse of frost!”

  A glowing ice orb formed in his palm, thrown forward. When it hit the ground, the cave exploded in cold. The floor cracked with icy spikes reaching toward Hiro.

  But Hiro calmly raised his thumb and middle finger in a flick.

  Click.

  A shockwave rippled through the cave. The ice shattered into dust. One gesture—and Torgrim’s spell dissipated.

  “He just negated my magic…” Torgrim said, awestruck.

  At that moment—Hiro vanished.

  “Here comes a strike,” Torgrim realized—and pulled his hand back, shifting into Hiro’s stance.

  Their fists met again.

  Their bodies unmoved—but Torgrim’s arm… lost everything. Skin, muscle, flesh—evaporated, leaving only bloody bone. The cave trembled as if in a cataclysm. Cracks and debris rumbled. The floor collapsed beneath them—but they still stood.

  > Torgrim (thinking):

  So good… A pure, fierce battle. God of the Void… You’re a formidable opponent. But this cave won’t hold. Damn, Lara—she’s in one of the rooms. I must hurry.

  > Hiro (thinking):

  The cave is collapsing… What about the hostages? They could still be in there. I have to move.

  “God of the Void. We will meet again—many times,” Torgrim said before darting into a dark tunnel.

  Hiro ran in the opposite direction—dodging, parrying, racing toward the ruined chamber where the students had been held.

  Everything lay in rubble, but he sensed the students’ mana. He traced it leading outwards.

  ---

  Scene: At the Cave Exit

  At the entrance, Garret and Katsu stood with their swords behind their backs, tension thick in the air.

  “Someone’s coming,” said Garret, listening. “Get ready!”

  Hiro emerged from the shadows. Just before their blades struck, a shockwave radiated outward, tossing away swords and assailants like waves. A hidden force like armor.

  “Hiro?!” Katsu exclaimed, getting to his feet. “You’re alive!”

  “Should I have died?” Hiro replied calmly.

  Garret laughed—low, wheezing, but genuine.

  ---

  Scene: On the Road into the City

  They walked together along a rocky trail as the sun dipped toward the horizon.

  “Well, we finally caught those bastards,” Katsu said, rolling back his shoulders. “All thanks to you, Hiro.”

  “I enjoyed working with you too,” Hiro replied quietly.

  “Then it’s decided!” Garret roared. “Tonight we drink and celebrate—until our last coin!”

  He threw his arms around their shoulders, and the trio broke into boisterous laughter.

  ---

  Scene: Torgrim’s Fortress Throne Room

  In a dark stone throne room sat Torgrim, his arms slowly regenerating—twisted but healing.

  Before him stood Lara, cool and focused.

  Torgrim smirked:

  “Today is a glorious day, Lara. Even though we didn’t get to have a chat with the Reborn… I’ve found our future ally.”

  —End of Volume One (or the first half of Season One)—