Mana flared violently around himâwhite lightning crackling from his boots to his shoulders.
Even the adamantite knights backed off momentarily.
The monsters hesitatedâ
Then charged.
And Javier dashed into them, twin swords raisedâ
A blur of rage, light, and blade.
Within secondsâ
The battlefield was a butchery.
Monsters lungedâ
But they never landed.
Javier moved like a phantom.
Twin white blades flashed, arcs of silver light tearing through flesh, bone, and mana cores in a blur.
Bodies didnât fallâ
They were shredded.
Diced.
Reduced to nothing but flecks of meat scattering through the rain.
The earth beneath him was no longer mudâ
It was soaked with steaming remains.
Chunks evaporated midair, unable to hold their form against the violent precision of his strikes.
Javierâs voice roared above the chaos:
"I donât care if your meat is expensive!"
A clean horizontal cut cleaved through five creatures in one strike.
"I donât care if your hideâs rare, or your parts are worth a fortune!"
He spunâthe second sword following instantly, cutting down a charging beast before its claws even reached him.
"You picked the wrong enemy to block with!!"
Mana exploded from his feet as he leapt forward againâclearing ten meters in a blink, his blades crossing in an X, slicing clean through a towering serpent-type monster mid-roar.
It collapsed into vapor before it even hit the ground.
"Even if youâre fully celestial!!"
Javierâs roar shook the air.
Mana erupted from his body like a tidal waveâ
Raw. Blinding. Furious.
The very ground beneath him cracked and glowed white, unable to withstand the pressure of his unleashed magic.
"Even if you fully combine your power!"
He raised both blades, his cloak torn and soaked, his eyes burning with pure killing intent.
"Iâll crush you!!"
He took a step forwardâ
The air rippled.
"If you stand between me and my girlsâ"
He swung his swords out to the sidesâ
The very wind howled.
"THEN YOUâRE ALL DEAD!!"
A shockwave burst from his body, rippling out like a divine explosionânot just mana, but rage incarnate.
The remaining monsters froze.
Their instincts screamed.
Their bodies trembled.
And thenâ
They scattered.
Those with legs ran.
Those with wings vanished into the mist.
And some, too slow or too close, simply turned to vaporâ
Unwilling to challenge the storm.
The once-crowded forest was now silent.
The only thing left standingâ
Was Javier, drenched in rain, breathing hard, blades still glowing.
Javier dropped to one knee.
One of his white ore swords stabbed into the ground, holding him up as his body trembled.
The rain kept falling, washing away the blood and ashâbut not the ache inside him.
His breaths were ragged.
He hadnât slept in over a day.
His muscles screamed. His mana reserves throbbed from overuse.
But more than thatâ
His heart hurt.
He bowed his head, shoulders shaking slightly.
Tired.
Not just from the battle.
But from the constant, unbearable image in his mindâ
Liana.
Standing beside someone else.
Wearing white.
Smiling at another man.
His fingers tightened on the hilt buried in the ground.
"Liana..."
His voice cracked.
"Please..."
The words barely left his mouth.
"Please donât leave me..."
He slumped forward, his knees sinking into the mud, body heavy, spirit worn.
For a momentâhe just knelt there.
Collapsed.
Broken.
But thenâ
A soft sound reached him.
"Cuquawked."
He looked up slowly.
Buddy stood nearby, eyes focused, feathers fluffed slightly from the rain.
Javier gave a weak smile.
"...Buddy..."
He raised a shaking hand.
"Lift me up..."
Buddy stepped closer, lowered his body carefully beside him.
Javier grabbed onto the reins, pulling himself onto the saddle with all the strength he had left.
"Weâre not done yet..." he whispered.
"We continue moving."
Meanwhileâ
Inside the grand royal palace of the Beastkin Kingdom.
King Lioness sat tall on his throne, cloaked in rich gold-trimmed robes, a stern expression on his face as he read through a parchment in his hand.
The distant sound of rainfall echoed faintly through the high windows.
"So..." he said slowly, eyes narrowing.
"During this heavy rain season, these monsters have started appearing more frequently?"
"Yes, my liege," replied one of the royal officials, bowing deeply.
"The phenomenon has grown worse this year. The rain seems to act as a summoning catalyst for water-elemental monsters."
King Lioness set the parchment down, his fingers tapping the armrest in thought.
"And our knights? The adventurer guilds? Theyâve yet to find the cause? Or a way to stop it?"
The official hesitated.
"No, my liege."
"We cannot predict the rainâs behavior accurately... nor determine where the monsters will manifest."
He looked up solemnly.
"All weâve managed is to increase patrols and keep units on alert whenever dark clouds form."
The King let out a frustrated sigh.
He stood slowly, hands behind his back, gaze turning toward the palace balcony.
Rain slid down the tall glass panels.
"Dispatch more elite scouts.If anything strange appearsâreport immediately."
"My liege..." the royal advisor spoke, stepping forward with a sealed envelope in both hands.
"A letter has arrived. From Count Garius De Armand."
King Lioness raised a brow.
"Hmm? What is it now?"
He chuckled softly, resting his cheek on one fist.
"That man was just here last week."
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Alright, hand it over."
The advisor bowed and presented the sealed letter.
Lioness opened it.
The wax broke cleanly beneath his finger, and he unfolded the parchment with ease.
He read.
His eyes moved slowly, absorbing every word.
He smiled.
A deep, satisfied smile.
"Hmph. That man... really doesnât waste words."
He handed the letter back to his advisor, then turned toward the rain-soaked window.
"Make sure all patrol units are maintained. Keep the towns safe. Stay alert until the season passes."
The advisor blinked.
"My liege? Thatâs it?"
Lioness chuckled.
"Gariusâs youngest son is already en route to the Elven Kingdom."
He looked over his shoulder, eyes gleaming.
"And in his letter, he saysâ"
"âAs for our little monster problem... consider it done.â"
The room fell quiet.
The advisorâs eyes widened.
Lioness smirked, arms folding across his chest as he leaned back against the throne.
"Donât overthink it too much." he said casually.
He glanced sideways.
"By the way... whereâs Chieftain Gumarak right now?"
The advisor bowed slightly.
"My liege," he began respectfully,
"He and his daughter are in the guest chamber."
"Last I checked, Princess Felicia and Princess Mimi were accompanying Princess Ferine."
Lioness raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So the three girls are bonding with each other now, huh?"
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Felicia, Mimi, and Ferine... all getting along."
He leaned on one armrest.
"Interesting combination."
The advisor nodded.
"Yes, my liege."
Lioness chuckled lowly.
"Good. Itâll make things easier later."
He waved his hand casually before glancing toward the back of the throne hall.
"And what about Gumarak? The proud chieftain himself?"
The advisor gave a faint sigh.
"Heâs... eating, my liege. Happily."
A beat.
"A lot of grilled meat. Again."
Lioness let out a bark of laughter.
"Of course he is. If thereâs one thing that dwarves do right besides forging, itâs inhaling meat like itâs the end of the world."
He stood up slowly, stretching his back with a grunt.
"Let him rest. Weâll deal with the diplomacy later."
( End Of Chapter )