Kumara stood frozen before the massive stone bound in shimenawa, her breathing ragged. Doubt clutched her heart like icy claws. On one hand, she wanted everything to end peacefully, just as her mother had hoped. But on the other, there was that whisper creeping in—subtle yet intoxicating—promising an end to all her suffering.
Behind her, the thud of blows and the scrape of feet echoed—Freedy and the monk were still locked in fierce combat. Their ragged breaths mingled with the sound of flesh meeting flesh and the ring of energy. Yet Kumara barely heard it. Her eyes were fixed on the faint red light pulsing through the stone’s cracks. There was a pull she could not resist, a subtle tug that seemed to invite, to beckon... to hypnotize.
Her steps moved forward without her realizing. Each inch she closed made the heat press harder against her chest. From the stone, dark energy manifested as black mist, curling around her legs, climbing slowly up to her knees, her waist, then her shoulders—welcoming her in a cold embrace.
"No... don’t go!" Freedy’s voice came out hoarse, muffled by the crash of another heavy blow. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kumara was now only a handspan from the stone. Panic gripped his mind.
With a growl, Freedy seized the monk by the neck, twisting his body so his face pointed toward Kumara. And he saw—clear as day—those tiny fingers stretching out, about to touch the stone’s surface.
But all the shouting became nothing more than fading echoes, lost in the stream of dark power caressing the girl’s ears and mind. Her fingertip finally brushed the stone.
In an instant, a biting cold shot into her skin—only to be replaced by a searing heat that burned from within. Reflexively, she released a trace of her miko power—pure energy passed down from her mother. And when that holy energy touched the stone’s dark core, fine cracks began to spider across its surface.
"Yesss!" the monk cried, his voice breaking with almost maddened joy. His eyes reflected the red light now spilling from the cracks.
Freedy snarled. With a single burst of force, he hurled the monk aside, slamming him into the stone wall and leaving him staggering. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward Kumara, his clawed feet striking sparks from the floor.
"Hey! Little girl!!" he shouted.
But the energy in the chamber was already out of control. Black mist from the stone spun faster and faster, forming a vortex. A sharp, ringing hum pierced their ears, followed by a pulse of energy that throbbed in every bone. The red light from the cracks beat like a giant heart ready to burst.
The vortex swelled... then abruptly narrowed, condensing, like a point of light before an explosion.
Freedy thought of nothing else. With all his strength, he leapt forward, grabbing Kumara just before the first flash struck the ceiling. His arms wrapped tightly around her, shielding her from the surge of energy about to tear everything apart.
And at that very moment—the stone... exploded.
"Urgh..." Trek groaned, his eyelids heavy as they slowly opened. A fierce throb pounded in his skull, and his vision was blurred. The roar of chaos, the sound of crumbling structures, and panicked screams all mixed together, stabbing into his ears. As his senses returned, fleeting memories of his last duel with that human surfaced. Ren’s punch... a strike that should’ve been no different from any other blow—except in the final instant, there was that strange sensation, as if gravity had collapsed into a single point. And then darkness had taken him.
He realized that human had truly outwitted him. The duel had been fought in the name of the gods, and as champion, he had accepted the challenge. By the ancient laws of the city of Eks, the title of Champion automatically passed to the victor—which meant, whether he liked it or not, Ren was now ruler of the city for the next term.
In most places, accepting a human as leader might be a joke. But in Eks, where beastmen made up the majority, strength was honored above all else. If one proved their might, blood, form, or origin didn’t matter. Ren had proven himself.
Yet this was no ordinary day of victory. As Trek rose unsteadily to his feet, he realized... he was no longer in the colosseum. The proud arena of the city now lay in ruins, its ground split open, most of its structure shattered. Worse still, the city around it was aflame. Black smoke rose into the sky, and amidst the chaos stood a towering figure—a nine-tailed fox rampaging, its fur wreathed in sparks of fire and shadows.
From afar, Trek caught sight of another figure—the man—leaping from rooftop to rooftop, trying to draw the monster’s attention. His movements were swift and daring, baiting strike after deadly strike.
Trek smirked. "Hahaha... so he’s bolder than I thought. Fine then, no way I’m just sitting here... Let’s make this celebration a little more exciting!" he said, starting to walk, his muscles tensing and his eyes burning with battle spirit.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Ren was completely overwhelmed. Fire and rubble blocked every path he tried to take. The screams of injured and panicked townsfolk rang in his ears. He evacuated anyone he could reach—guiding them to safer ground, sometimes carrying children in his arms or dragging them away from the path of destruction.
Though he knew it was impossible to save everyone, he could at least minimize the casualties. But his main focus was clear: draw the giant fox as far from the crowds as possible, while looking for a chance to call for backup.
Dodging falling rooftops and bursts of flame, Ren tapped the earpod in his ear. "Ultro!"
[I’m here, Master.] His AI assistant’s voice sounded calm, despite the chaos raging outside.
"It’s a real mess out here..." he said, leaping over a rooftop gap.
[Yes, I can see that as well.]
Ren stopped for a moment at the roof’s edge, narrowing his eyes. "Wait... see
From the darkened sky, he caught sight of a glint of metal. A drone shaped like a small aircraft descended, carrying a large payload beneath its belly.
[I’ve finished repairing the Mark II Armor. This should help you deal with the threat.]
A faint smile crossed Ren’s lips. "Okay, you’re the best, Ultro!"
The Mark III was still in its early stages—just an incomplete frame, nowhere near combat-ready. Fortunately, the Mark II, which had been badly damaged in a previous fight, was now fully repaired.
[However, I had to work in a rush, so I didn’t have time to fully re-equip the internal weapon systems.]
Ren let out a short laugh. "That’s fine. I’ll improvise." He knocked his fist against his gauntlet, activating the internal mechanisms. The muscles in his arm tensed, and thin steam hissed from the armor’s wrist vents.
The armor delivery drone swept directly overhead. But the giant fox had already turned its head, all of its eyes locking onto Ren. The beast’s breath became a stream of scorching energy.
"Time to play." Ren leaned forward, sprinting as fast as he could across the line of rooftops—many already cracked and slanted from the tremors. Three powerful leaps in succession carried him across the gaps like a steel bird in flight.
A massive shadow fell over him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sudden movement—a colossal claw swiping from the right, shredding the wooden roof behind him into flying splinters. Shards of tile spun through the air before crashing to the ground in sharp, brittle bursts. Ren ducked low, hugging the rooftop’s surface, then pushed himself into the highest jump he could manage.
Above, the Mark II armor delivery drone passed by. Time seemed to slow as the armor’s metal plates unfolded wide, forming a semicircle silhouette spinning in the air, waiting for its owner.
As Ren’s body passed through the center of the formation, the locking mechanisms engaged—click! click! click!—each piece snapping perfectly into place. The chest plate sealed tight, the shoulders locked, the gauntlets slid into place on his arms, and the leg plates clamped shut with a metallic thud. Sparks of blue electricity danced along the armor’s joints, signaling the internal systems going fully active.
He landed on the edge of the next rooftop, knees bending slightly to absorb the impact. Slowly, he rolled his shoulders, clenched his fists, making sure every part was functional. Inside the helmet, the HUD projected detailed readouts: wind speed, distance to target, and the energy signature of the rampaging giant fox behind him.
"All right," he murmured, his breath steady inside the helmet. "Let’s get him away from the city center."
Ren raised his right arm, a small panel opening on his forearm to reveal a micro-launcher. Three smart missiles shot out with a sharp hiss, leaving trails of light in their wake. They weaved through the air with precision, slamming into the giant’s face. Orange blossoms of fire burst in the air, the shockwave sending roof tiles scattering.
The beast growled, its low, thunderous voice mixed with the roar of a wild animal. The explosions didn’t do much real damage, but they were enough to stir the pure fury that radiated from its nine wildly swaying tails.
Ren swallowed hard. "Okay... now he’s mad."
The fox leapt, a single stride crushing two houses at once, sending dust and flame billowing high into the air. Ren immediately fired the armor’s leg boosters, his body rocketing forward across what little rooftop line remained.