Carai stood over the fallen forlorn bodies, her chest heaving as silence reclaimed the battlefield. Blood stained her hands. She wiped it away without looking back.
'Two months of fighting. Two months of waiting.'
She returned to the camp, her steps heavy. Inside, Kayon lay exactly as she had left him, still and pale.
"It's been two months… and you haven't moved," she muttered. "I'm starting to think you're dead."
She knelt beside him and leaned closer.
A faint rise in his chest.
Slow. Weak.
She exhaled softly, her shoulders slowly dropping.
"Alright… still alive."
She stepped back outside, gripping the iron rod she had been using as a sword. Its surface was scratched and worn from relentless training.
"For two months now…" she murmured, lifting it.
The air stirred around her.
Her aura wavered. Still unstable. But no longer wild.
"I'm starting to control it."
The wind tightened around her frame as if answering.
Carai prepared her meal in silence, the small fire crackling softly beside her. She ate slowly, her body aching from the day's battles, her mind already drifting to tomorrow.
"Tomorrow… I should go further out," she murmured. "The forlorn here are too weak for me now."
When she finished, she set the bowl aside and stepped inside the shelter. Kayon was seated in still meditation, his body unmoving, his presence distant.
She lay down beside him, close enough to feel the faint warmth of his body.
"Kayon…" she whispered softly. "Please wake up soon. I'm starting to miss you."
Her fingers curled gently into the fabric near him, as if grounding herself.
"I kept my promise," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Sleep took her soon after.
Moments passed in silence.
Then.
Kayon's eyes opened. Calm. A faint bluish glow lingered within them.
A mechanical voice rose from within him, cold and emotionless.
"Notice. Promise confirmed."
A small smile formed on his lips.
"Master will be pleased," he murmured.
His hand lifted slowly and rested against Carai's head, his fingers brushing her hair with quiet approval.
"You did well, Carai."
The light in his eyes faded.
His hand fell still. Silence returned.
Morning light spilled into the shelter.
Carai stirred, stretching her arms as she woke. Her eyes drifted to Kayon, and she paused.
"…Mmm."
She frowned slightly.
"I could have sworn… I heard him speak last night."
She leaned closer, waving her hand gently in front of his face.
No response.
She stared a moment longer, then shook her head softly.
"I must have been mistaken."
She stood, fastening her clothes with quiet focus.
Outside, the morning air was cool and still.
She looked toward the distant horizon, her eyes narrowing as she chose her path.
"Alright… I went that far last time."
She pointed north.
"This time, I'll go further."
Without hesitation, she set out.
Hours passed as she hunted, Her movements sharp, efficient, controlled. The forlorn fell one after another, no longer the threat they once were.
By the time the sun began to sink, painting the sky in fading gold, she finally stopped.
"Alright… that's enough for today."
Carai turned and began the journey back, the last light stretching her shadow across the ground.
A sudden shift in the air, she turned instantly.
A blade tore past where her neck had been. She twisted mid-step, dropping low as her hands struck the ground, dragging against the earth to cancel her retreat. Dust scattered beneath her fingers as she slid back and rose smoothly to her feet.
Her eyes locked forward.
A woman stood there, blade resting lazily on her shoulder, a grin spreading across her face.
"Wow," Carai said calmly. "I didn't even notice that strike."
She laughed.
"Hahaha… you can't fool me. You noticed us a long time ago."
Carai's gaze shifted.
They were everywhere now.
Men surrounded her on all sides, weapons drawn, their presence thick and suffocating.
"Well," she murmured, settling into her stance, her breathing steady. "This is interesting."
Inside, her mind raced.
"There's about a hundred of them…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But those two… they're the real problem."
Her focus landed on the woman standing in front of her, A cat hybrid. Tall holding a massive sword. composed. Dangerous.
At least a four-star… maybe more.
A chill ran down her spine.
The other presence.
She frantically tried to locate it, then a voice spoke behind her.
"Are you surprised by my physique… or is it my skin color?"
Carai turned sharply.
The woman stood there, her dark skin scarred and rough, her presence unnervingly silent. Carai had been looking directly at that spot a moment ago and the other figure had vanished.
Carai blinked.
"Yes," she admitted. "How is your skin that dark… is it dirt?"
The woman laughed, amused.
"Hahaha… I don't know. My ancestors were called Africans, or something like that."
Her smile faded.
"Enough talking. Boys… get her!"
They rushed her.
Carai moved, precise, efficient, every strike dropping another man. They fell one after another, unable to touch her.
Then she saw it.
A sword.
Her lips curled slightly.
She burst forward, faster than the man could react. Her hand struck his jaw with crushing force, snapping his head back as he collapsed. The blade slipped from his grasp, and she caught it effortlessly.
She held it in front of her, feeling its weight.
"Good," she whispered. "Finally."
Her fingers brushed along the blade. Her other hand followed, and a translucent aura spread across its surface, wrapping it in flowing air.
The weapon hummed softly.
And.
She took a man's arm at the elbow, stepped past his scream, and was already on the next. Men fell faster now cleaner, brutally efficient.
The cat-hybrid woman watched, her smile widening.
"Enough!"
Her voice cut through the chaos.
"All of you, fall back. You can't handle her."
She stepped forward, resting her blade against her shoulder.
"She's a fourth star."
Carai flinched.
The woman's eyes locked onto hers.
The men stepped back, voices rising with something between dread and excitement.
Dravena slammed her fist against her chest and roared, her voice echoing across the clearing.
"My name is Dravena Zulu, a Four Star, leader of the Black wolf bandits!"
She lowered her fist and pointed her massive blade at Carai.
"What is your name?"
Carai stood firm, her grip steady, her breathing calm.
"Carai."
She hesitated, then a faint, almost human smile touched her lips.
"Carai Grey."
Dravena's grin widened.
"Nice to meet you, Carai Grey."
Her eyes sharpened.
"Too bad you'll die here."
A violent red aura erupted from her body, surging outward like a living flame. The pressure alone forced the surrounding warriors to stumble back, shielding their faces from its intensity.
The air trembled.
Carai answered.
A translucent current of air spiraled around her, rising from her feet and wrapping around her blade. Her aura pushed outward, meeting Dravena's head-on.
The two forces collided.
Neither gave way.
Dravena's grin deepened.
"Excellent… this might be fun."
She moved first.
Her massive blade carved through the air in a wide, devastating arc aimed to cleave Carai in half.
Carai stepped in.
Her sword met the strike at its weakest point, deflecting it with precise efficiency. The moment the force passed, she countered, her blade flashing toward Dravena's abdomen.
Dravena jerked back, barely avoiding the full strike.
Carai attacked instantly.
She pressed forward, her blade moving in fluid succession, each strike faster and sharper than the last.
Dravena blocked one,
Carai was already inside her guard and drove her fist into Dravena's side.
The impact forced the air from her lungs and sent her skidding backward.
Dravena coughed, grimacing.
"Wow… I thought you were a knight," she muttered between breaths. "That was a low blow."
Carai's expression didn't change.
"Me? A knight?"
She let out a quiet scoff.
"Don't make me laugh."
Dravena steadied herself, her grip tightening.
"But wait…" she said, pointing her blade at Carai. "Aren't we supposed to be equal? What gives?"
Carai shifted her stance.
Her posture lowered. Balanced. Refined.
"In terms of power… we are equal."
Her aura sharpened.
"But technique…"
The air tightened around her blade.
"I am superior."
She vanished forward.
Her strikes came faster now. Cleaner. Each movement precise, deliberate, merciless. Dravena struggled to keep up as Carai's blade carved shallow cuts across her armor, her arms, her defenses, dismantling her strength piece by piece.
Frustration twisted Dravena's face.
With a roar, she brought her blade down with overwhelming force.
Their weapons collided.
A sharp crack split the air.
Carai's blade shattered.
For a single, fragile moment, her defense was gone.
Dravena's eyes widened with savage triumph.
She swung.
The impact was devastating.
Carai's body was hurled backward, her back slamming violently into the stone wall behind her. Cracks splintered outward from the point of impact. The ground trembled.
Dust fell around her.
The air went still.
"Yes! Finally, a clean hit!"
The men erupted into cheers.
Dust swallowed the impact site.
Nothing moved.
A figure stepped out from the haze.
Carai emerged slowly.
Something had changed.
The air around her grew cold. Still. Heavy. Her eyes locked onto Dravena, empty of hesitation, empty of warmth. She didn't look angry.
She looked distant. Like she was staring through her.
Dravena's breath caught.
A chill…
Her fingers tightened around her blade.
'Fear? No… that's impossible.'
She forced herself to stand tall.
Carai shifted the grip of her broken blade and vanished.
Dravena's eyes widened, "where..."
BOOM.
A crushing blow slammed into her from below, lifting her off her feet.
Her body folded around the impact.
'When did she get there?' Dravena grunted.
Carai didn't stop, Her movement was like a phantom, her broken blade flashing as it cut and stabbed with ruthless precision. Each strike drove deeper, breaking Dravena's defense, breaking her balance, breaking her control.
Dravena fell to one knee.
Carai stepped behind her, raised the broken blade, aimed for her neck.
Dravena froze.
Carai moved on instinct. Her body twisted and she raised the broken blade flat against her chest.
An arrow struck her blade exploding on impact. The force hurled her backward, her feet tearing through the dirt as she struggled to stay upright.
Dravena laughed weakly, blood running from her mouth.
"Haha… you blocked that too…"
Carai rose slowly, blood dripping from her lips.
"It seems…" she said quietly, "…you're getting desperate."
She spat blood onto the ground.
"You're sacrificing yourselves now."
Dravena wiped her mouth, grinning despite her injuries.
"Yes… I took damage."
Her grin widened.
"But it's a small price… if we kill a monster like you."
Carai tilted her head slightly.
"…Me? A monster."
Her voice was calm.
"But I suppose… I did let my guard down."
She lowered her body, muscles coiling.
Dravena's heart pounded.
'If she attacks again… I die.' Her eyes flickered. 'I need something…'
Then she smiled.
"Hey!" Dravena called out. "I'll give you one chance."
Carai paused.
"Give us everything you have… and we'll let you live."
Silence.
Carai straightened slowly.
Her eyes met Dravena's.
"It's funny," she said softly, "that you think you're leaving here alive."
Dravena flinched.
"Carai… was it?" she said carefully. "We know you're not alone."
Carai froze.
Just for a moment.
Her teeth clenched.
Dravena saw it.
'I was right.'
She raised her voice.
"All of you!" she shouted. "Search every building! Kill anyone you find!"
"No!"
Carai exploded forward.
"I won't let you touch him!"
She attacked, her strikes faster, heavier, driven by raw emotion. Their blades clashed again and again, shockwaves rippling through the air.
Her precision was slipping.
Dravena saw the opening.
'Yes… it's working.'
They exchanged another flurry of blows then Carai pierced the hand holding Dravena's sword and slammed a fist into her face.
A sharp crack.
Dravena collapsed, crashing to the ground, gasping for air, blood pouring from her right hand and nose.
Carai stepped over her, broken blade in hand. Her shadow fell across Dravena's body.
"Any last words?" Carai asked.
Her voice cold and flat.
"Wow… that was fun," Dravena laughed, wiping blood from her mouth. "But you know… you forgot something."
She raised her left hand.
Carai's eyes widened.
"I wasn't fighting alone."
Arrows shot out, piercing Carai's right hand and left thigh. She staggered, pushed herself back, narrowly avoiding the full impact.
"You got me again," Carai whispered, pressing against the wounds to slow the bleeding.
Dravena grinned, struggling to her feet, forcing her way toward Carai.
"Any last words?"
BOOM.
A building exploded behind her.
Carai's lips curved into a calm smile as she settled herself on the ground.
"Ahhh… finally, he's awake."
"What do you mean?" Dravena demanded, glancing around nervously.
"Look," Carai said, tilting her head. "I'll give you an option."
She smeared her own blood across her face and lay down, her expression serene.
"Serve under me… and I guarantee your life."
Dravena scoffed. "I don't serve anyone. And what exactly are you doing?"
"Nothing… really. Just showing you…" Carai's smile twisted into something almost maniacal. "What true fear looks like."
She let out a cry.
"KAYON!"
Rubble lifted from the wreckage, floating like it was alive. Among it, Kayon ascended slowly, his eyes sweeping over the men who had dared disturb him. He raised his hands. The sky darkened. Lightning tore through the air, thunder crashing into the ground, obliterating anyone near the building.
"What… is that?" Dravena whispered, trembling as she watched her men fall.
Carai's lips curved into a knowing smile.
Kayon's gaze shifted to the distance then found Carai on the ground. In a blink he was beside her, moving so fast it looked like displacement rather than speed. He bent down, gently checking her injuries.
"I leave you alone for a couple of months… and this is the state I find you in," he murmured, his hands carefully wiping her face.
Dravena's eyes narrowed. She surged forward, attacking him with full force and froze mid-motion.
Her body felt like it was not her own.
Kayon straightened, turning toward her.
"Ahh… I almost forgot about you."
"You… did this, right?" he asked calmly.
Dravena's mouth opened, but no words came.
"Foolish." A force slammed her to the ground and he stood above her, looking down at what remained of the battlefield.
"Your gaze was infuriating."
An arrow shot toward him and stopped in midair, suspended without him even looking.
"Interesting ability… Mian."
'Yes, Master,' a voice responded.
'Analyze it.'
'Noted… Would you like to copy it?'
"Yes."
His eyes locked on the archer.
She was already preparing a second arrow. Then the shadow fell over her.
"Huh? Where..."
"I see," a voice said behind her. "So this is where you were."
She drew a small knife, driving it toward his neck. Kayon's hand shot out, gripped her wrist, then her throat, and lifted her through the window in a single motion. He descended slowly, carrying her in one hand as though she weighed nothing.
"There are more of you," he murmured.
His aura expanded outward, enveloping the area. The pressure hit like a tidal wave, Dravena and her men collapsed under its weight, driven flat against the earth.
'What is this pressure? I can't move… it's like my body is ten times heavier.' Dravena's thoughts scrambled beneath the force pressing her down. "If this continues… we might all die." She spoke.
Her eyes moved across her people powerless, flattened, silent.
Kayon hovered above them, the archer dangling from his grip, her body trembling.
He lifted his gaze toward the south.
"They are coming."