The evening sky had turned a crimson shade, and the air around the house was tense.

  The lead commander stepped forward, activating his quirk — his strikes were now twice as strong. From the ground beside him, a magical snake appeared, about the size of a dog. It hissed, slithered across the grass, and leapt, ready toattack.

  “Looks like I’ll have to deal with you myself,” the commander said, locking eyes on Kael.

  Kael gripped his sword, but the commander’s attacks were fast and deadly precise. He dodged some, blocked a few, but each blow pushed him back, the sheer force weighing on his body.

  “Protect the granddaughter!” Nika shouted, preparing to intercept the snake.

  The snake lunged straight at Kael. He jumped back, slashed the blade at the ground, and the magical creature was thrown a few steps back. The girls intervened: Elf threw a magical kunai, grazing the snake, while Rin formed a barrier to keep it from reaching the granddaughter.

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  “You little bastard!” Kael cursed, dodging the snake’s bites.

  The commander’s strikes didn’t relent, each clash of blades echoing through Kael’s chest. He barely managed to block and dodge. The granddaughter stood behind the barrier, holding her breath, eyes shining with fear.

  Suddenly, the old man rushed forward, stepping between Kael and the commander, blocking a deadly strike. But the commander’s magic was strong, and the old man was wounded — he fell to the ground, looking at Kael and saying, “Watch over her.”

  “No!” the granddaughter screamed, rushing toward him, but Elf and Nika held her back.

  Kael felt the sting of loss and fear for the granddaughter; his heart flared with rage. At that moment, his quirk activated. A surge of energy coursed through his body, time seemed to slow, and his movements became blindingly fast — every strike flew like lightning.

  He dashed at the commander, and a single punch sent the enemy flying. The commander hurtled so far that he barely stopped after crashing into four trees.

  He got up, smirking, enhancing his strikes again, but Kael dodged, moving almost instantaneously. Another hit — and the commander was slammed to the ground, headfirst.

  The magical snake tried to attack again, but Rin and Elf coordinated: a barrier and several precise kunai throws — and the snake vanished, dissipating into the air.

  Silence fell over the yard once more. Kael breathed heavily, his heart pounding, hands trembling. The granddaughter watched quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “It’s… over,” Kael whispered, lowering his hands, though rage still churned inside him.

  The old man never got up, but his words remained in Kael’s memory. Now, his strength was more than just combat power — it was a berserk fury, fueled by grief, vengeance, and the need to protect those dear to him.