[RAY LEON (RAYON KRATER)]
The ground cracked beneath us as my sword met the demon's claw, shockwaves rippling outward with enough force to shatter stone. Dust was scattered around us, and trees groaned under the pressure.
I covered myself with a layer of lightning, compressing it around my limbs to amplify my speed. My movements blurred. Without missing a beat, I started conjuring a multiple of earth arrows and unleashed them at the demons.
They batted away some with their claws, but not all. The earth's arrows tore through their flesh—bit by bit, cut by cut. But it was still not enough. They kept regenerating. Every wound sealed within seconds. The sight was maddening.
"Tch… how many times do I have to tear you both apart before it sticks?" I muttered under my breath.
Then I noticed something. One of them constantly guarded a spot just below where a human's heart would be. And the other one was protecting his left chest. Even as they healed, they were shielding those points.
'So… that's your weakness.'
I didn't hesitate. I started targeting those areas relentlessly, switching from earth to ice arrows—mixing elements for disruption and impact. Ice would slow regeneration. Earth would shatter bone.
The demon guarding his chest dashed toward me, deflecting my arrows. The second remained behind, casting volley after volley of fireballs. He tried to neutralize my magic, canceling my ice and earth spells with pure heat—but not all. Some broke through. Some struck. He wasn't protecting himself—he was shielding the one charging at me.
And then—he blurred.
Before I could fully register it, the first demon was already in front of me. A sharp kick slammed into my torso. I flew back, bones rattling, before crashing into a thick tree. Bark exploded, branches cracked.
"Shit… not again," I hissed through clenched teeth, dragging myself upright, blood trickling down my chin.
But the moment I got to my feet, the second one was already there—his fist buried into my gut.
"GUH—!"
I coughed blood again and was launched several meters, skidding across the earth like a broken doll. The impact was brutal. My aura dulled it, but not enough.
As I lay there, the world spinning, my gaze flicked toward Aur. She was watching me with wide, anxious eyes—tucked beside the Master. And he… he was frowning.
He raised two fingers and subtly pointed toward the demon's left chest. I understood instantly.
'So that's it… That's what they're guarding. That's their weak point.'
I forced myself to my feet again, even as pain surged through every nerve. My enemies approached, smug expressions plastered across their bloodstained faces. They thought I was finished.
I smirked. "I'm still standing."
I raised my hand and snapped my fingers.
CRACK—!
A burst of sound exploded from the snap—raw, compressed sound magic. The force blasted the demons off their feet and sent them crashing into the trees behind them.
Before they could recover, I stepped forward. One slow, deliberate step at a time. The ground trembled beneath my boots. My mana flared to life around me—hot, wild, and unrelenting.
I conjured fire. But not ordinary fire. It was Blue flames. They curled around my fingers like living serpents, their heat far surpassing anything. These were flames that devoured the very concept of resistance.
"Let's end this."
The demons' eyes widened in pure, primal fear. One of them turned and ran. The second, after a heartbeat's hesitation, followed—panic overriding arrogance. But it was far too late. I raised my arm and flicked the blue fire forward.
WHOOSH—!
The flames howled as they moved, surrounding them in a vortex of burning azure light. They screamed for some movement and then… silence. Nothing remained there, not even the ashes. Not any piece of bone nor a single small charred flesh. Nothing but scorched earth where they had stood.
"No more running," I muttered, my voice low and final, eyes locked on the scorched earth where I had reduced them to nothing. The silence that followed. The stench of burning mana and char lingered in the air.
Behind me, Master spoke. "Why didn't you strike their chest when I pointed it out?"
I smirked without turning. "Because you said it."
A beat of silence. Then Master asked, more curious than angry, "And the blue flames? Why hold them back?"
I turned slightly, letting the last wisps of blue fire flicker out from my fingertips. "We were in a forest. As you know, blue flames don't discriminate—they burn everything, even mana itself. But fighting with demons, most of the trees were flattened. The space was clear. There was no more risk of setting the entire forest ablaze."
Master crossed his arms and nodded slowly, a hint of respect in his gaze. "Smart. Controlled power is true power."
I exhaled deeply, the rush of battle slowly ebbing away as the tension in my shoulders faded. Then, a small voice chirped beside me. "I can speak now like you all! Hehe!" Aur beamed, her eyes sparkling with pride.
She leapt onto my shoulder in one graceful bound, curling her tail gently around my neck. Her warmth wrapped around me like a soft scarf.
I asked curiously, "How?"
She said, "After eating that beast."
Master stepped forward, his expression was unreadable. He lifted his hand, and a soft red glow enveloped his fingertip.
"Hold still," he said simply.
He pressed it lightly against my forehead. A wave of warmth surged through me. I felt the pain vanish instantly. The soreness in my bones, the bruises, the stinging scratches—they all dissolved into nothing.
I blinked. "What… Did you just do?"
Master gave a lopsided smirk. "Just a little healing trick. It costs a decent chunk of Source, but I don't need to conserve it in this realm. Think of it as a cheat code."
Before I could respond, movement caught my eye in the distance. Krent and Kylon emerged from the treeline, dragging their feet, clothes torn and soaked with blood. They were limping, their weapons dull and battered, but their expressions—those held victory.
Kylon raised a trembling hand, his lips forming a tired grin. "We won." Then, without warning, both of them collapsed face-first into the dirt.
I moved forward instinctively, but Master raised a hand. "They'll live," he said calmly. "Just pushed too far."
I thought, 'Dungeon is still left. Fu… pose I can't even think of that word.' Aur speaks to me through a mental link. 'What was that fu word?'
I smirked mentally, 'Nothing.'
After that, Master carried them both to the place we were fighting. And darkness falls.