Road of Interception
Ruko stood in silence. The battlefield of Axel was… finished. Completely. Corpses of the Devil King's army littered the ground—burned, shattered, and decayed into ash by holy magic. The air still carried heat, and the earth beneath him was cracked from the force of his last attack. He stood on top of what remained. Calm. Still. Cold. "…Done already." For a moment, there was nothing. Then—He exhaled slowly. "…Next is Serena." Just as he was about to move—A distant rumble echoed. Ruko turned his head. "…You've got to be fucking kidding me." More forces. A fresh wave of the Devil King's army approaching from beyond Axel. The nearby adventurers froze. "…We're done for…" "There's too many this time…" "…We can't handle that many…" Ruko stared at them. Blank. Then his eyes narrowed slightly. "…You guys serious?" They looked at him. "…What do you expect us to do?!" Ruko sighed. "…Rig.oht." A pause. "…You're weak pussy." Straight. No filter. The adventurers flinched. "…Tch, stupid kid." Ruko ignored the small fry and look at the battlefield were the devil kings kings army at. "How the fuck should I get rid of these demons shit heads."
Then—A lightbulb moment. "…Oh." Ruko vanished. Wiz's Shop – Quick Stop. The door burst open. Wiz looked up— "…Eh?" But before she could speak—Ruko was already moving. Grabbing materials. Mixing. Pouring. Alchemy in motion. "…Done. Bye." He dashed out just as fast. Wiz blinked. "…What just happened…?" Back to Battlefield. Ruko returned instantly. Potion in hand. "…Let's test something." He drank it. A surge of mana flooded his body. "…Ohohoh, good indeed. I out did myself." "...Ok I wanna try something." Then— "Wind Breath." A small gust formed in front of him. Basic magic. Weak. Normally. Ruko tilted his head. "…Redirect…" He aimed it—At his feet. Boom—He lifted slightly—Then dropped. "…Hmm." He stood up. "…It worked." Second attempt. Jump—Wind Breath—WHOOSH—He shot upward. "…There we go." Then—Another cast—Forward propulsion.
He launched himself toward the incoming army. From Axel—To them—In seconds. The adventurers stared. "…What—?!" "…He's flying?!" "…With basic magic?!" Engagement. Ruko landed in front of the army. They laughed. "A single human?" "He came to die?" "…Pathetic." They charged. Ruko raised his hand. "Wind Breath." Redirect—Arm—Fist—Compressed air pressure—BOOM—A shockwave blasted forward. Demons were sent flying. The adventurers in the distance— "…NANI?!" "He turned that into an attack?!" Ruko frowned slightly. "…Not strong enough." The demons regrouped. He clicked his tongue. "…Qyite annoying shit heads." They rushed again—Ruko launched upward. Wind redirect—Feet—Airborne. "…Alright." He pulled his hair back. Eyes sharpened. Serious mode. "I don't have time to think." "…So I'll end this fast." Magic Sequence "Freeze Bind." Ice spread instantly—Locking a large portion of the army in place. "…What—?! We can't move—!" Some escaped. They ran.
Ruko hovered above them. "…Where do you think you're going?" "Tornado." A massive vortex formed—Pulling everything inward. "…Not enough." His hand ignited. "Inferno." Flames engulfed the storm—A blazing cyclone. Demons screamed—But still—Some survived. Ruko's eyes darkened. "…Then—" He stretched his arms outward. A cross-shaped stance. "Holy… Flaming Tempest." Light erupted. Fire. Wind. Holy energy combined—Crushing everything. Burning. Purifying. Erasing. The ground collapsed into a crater. The air itself trembled. Far away—Adventurers watched in shock. "…What kind of magic is that…?" "…That's on par with an adventurer name Megumin's level of explosion magic…" "…No… it might be worse…" "…He could destroy a city…" Aftermath. Silence. Ruko dropped from the sky—Spun once—Landed clean. The magic faded. He exhaled. "…Hah, done." He stood still for a second—Then farted lightly. "…I need to refine that." A breeze passed. Nothing else. He straightened up. "…Alright." "Pussy Serena is next."
He turned—Used Wind Breath again—To boost his speed—Then jump— "...Let's move." Forward launch. Ruko thought it wasn't gonna work but he had it in control. Mid-Travel Thoughts. As he moved across the terrain—His mind wandered. "…They're probably traveling now." He pictured them. Kazuma, Megumin, Darkness, and Yunyun. "…Without Aqua…" A small chuckle. "…They must be boring without me and Aqua around." Then—His focus returned. "…Serena." Serena. "…How can I catch you…" Strategy Thinking "…Route to Arcanretia…" "Maybe she has to pass through or not." "…But how to block it." He continued moving. "…Well Vanir 999e track her…" Vanir came to mind. "…Nah, too slow since it will take long to ho there and back." "…Oh her weakness…" "…Kazuma tell me about how her level reset to 1 by drinking a potion…" His eyes sharpened. "…That means she's so vulnerable." Then—"…A shit... Curse of Vengeance…" He clicked his tongue. "…Yeah definitely an annoying ability."
Yew appeared briefly. Text floating. [Direct combat is risky.] [Use interception or group capture.] Ruko frowned. "…Not helpful." More text.
[Axis Order could capture her easily.] "…No." "…They'll target me too for my head." The text changed. [Intercept her before she reaches the city.] Ruko paused mid-air—Then smirked. "…That's it." Final Decision "…Main road." "…Between the Royal Capital and Arcanretia." He nodded. "…I'll wait for her there." Time Skip – Travel
Days passed. Ruko moved steadily. Using wind magic efficiently. Resting when needed. Hunting. Training. Even using his phone occasionally. "…This is boring." But he stayed focused. Finally—He reached the road. And waited for the encounter. Afternoon.Footsteps. Voices. Ruko's eyes opened. "…There she is." Serena. Walking. Escorted. "…Just like I thought." He prepared to move—Then paused. "…Wait." Another figure. Hidden. Watching her. Ruko narrowed his eyes. "…Who is that…?" Something felt off. His inner wolf sharpened to hunt a dungeon. "…This might get interesting." A faint smirk appeared. "…Alright." He stepped forward slightly. "…Let's see how this plays out."