CHAPTER 64: FLAME SWORD.

For a moment, time seemed to slow.

Henry saw the sharp claws glint under the moonlight as they came down on him, the seconds stretching into an eternity.

His life flashed before his eyes.

’I have to prove Dad wrong... I have to prove everyone wrong. No—this can’t be how it ends!’

He pushed himself with everything he had, falling backward onto his butt. Raising the gun to eye level, he fired on instinct.

BOOM!

A sleek mana-forged bullet tore from the barrel, splitting the air with a sharp crack.

The force of it shook the ground, distorting the space it moved through.

It raced toward Amaya, who was still mid-air.

’Attacking while I’m airborne?’ she mused, watching the bullet come.

To anyone else, it was impossibly fast.

But to her...

’Too slow.’

She vanished from sight in a blur.

The bullet blasted past where she’d just been, crashing into a thick tree trunk behind her.

CRACK!

It bored through like a hot knife through butter, shredding the wood with a sharp scream.

Even then, it didn’t stop—it continued through the trees before the mana bullet finally dissolved into the air.

Henry blinked, stunned.

’It dodged...? Just like that?’

He stared at the empty space where she’d been, his chest heaving, breath shallow and broken.

For a moment, he thought he was safe.

’At least it didn’t—’

"Henry, behind you!" Natasha’s voice cut through.

He turned—and froze.

The beast stood right in front of him, sapphire eyes locked onto his.

’Nice try.’

He heard the voice echo in his head as the beast gently placed a claw on top of his skull.

"Wha—"

That was all he could manage before the shadow beneath him split open like water.

He was yanked downward, vanishing without a sound.

Gone.

Natasha’s eyes widened. Her voice trembled.

"What did you do to him?! Where is he?!" she shouted, fear surging in her usually calm blue eyes.

Amaya licked her paw leisurely.

’Don’t worry. You’ll see him... when you get there.’

The words whispered into Natasha’s mind just before Amaya vanished again.

Natasha’s gaze darted across the area. Her breath hitched.

Then she noticed it—faint, but unmistakable—her amethyst pendant was glowing softly.

’It’s sensing something...’

But there was no time to figure it out. Her instincts screamed, and she spun around.

There.

The shadowy beast lunged at her from behind, claws already mid-swing.

She reacted instantly, blade raised in defense.

CLANG!

The beast’s claws collided with her sword, and the force sent her flying back like a ragdoll.

But she flipped mid-air and landed gracefully, crouched like a cat—her reflexes saving her from being thrown to the ground.

Just as she steadied herself, she saw strands of her long hair drifting gently to the dirt.

Amaya landed opposite her, claws extended, sapphire eyes gleaming.

She held out her paw—and the severed strands of Natasha’s hair slid off, floating slowly to the ground.

"That’s good," Amaya said with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Natasha’s eyes trembled with fear.

’What level is this beast?!

_It can talk... it’s freakishly fast... and those powers—this definitely isn’t some low-grade creature!’

Panic was etched across her face.

For the first time, she wasn’t even sure she’d survive.

"Neon, scan beast!" she ordered.

The band on her wrist lit up brightly, and a system panel blinked into existence in front of her.

{Scanning beast...}

{Beast Rank: Common Beast!}

Natasha’s brows furrowed.

_’Is the system glitching? There’s no way something that powerful is just a Common Beast!’

She bit her lip, her mind racing.

Across from her, Amaya stood silently, amusement flickering in her glowing eyes, as though curious what Natasha would try next.

But she didn’t wait long.

In a sudden blur of motion, Amaya shot forward—faster than before—and reappeared right behind Natasha.

The amethyst pendant on Natasha’s chest flared to life.

’It’s sensing her!’ Natasha realized, spinning around just in time to block a sweeping claw with her blade.

CLANG!

Amaya vanished into shadow again, only to reappear from the shadow of a nearby tree.

The pendant pulsed again, and Natasha reacted without hesitation, deflecting the second strike.

Amaya’s sharp eyes caught the glow from the pendant mid-attack.

’Ah... so that’s what it is..." she thought, a playful smirk curling her lips.

Natasha used the brief pause to catch her breath.

The intensity of the fight hadn’t waned, but her fear had shifted into something else—curiosity.

’What is this creature? Why is Dad’s pendant reacting like this?’

Her grip tightened on her sword.

"What are you?" she demanded, staring directly at the beast.

Amaya paused, visibly taken aback by the question.

Her gaze shifted to the pendant again.

"Where did you get that pendant?" she asked instead.

Natasha’s brows drew together.

It didn’t look like Amaya had any intention of answering her question.

"You first! Tell me what I asked!" Natasha snapped, voice firm and fierce.

Amaya tilted her head, raising a brow.

"Well... I’ll get my answer when I take you back to the castle. Enough games."

Her claws extended again, long and razor-sharp, gleaming beneath the moonlight.

’Castle...?’

Natasha blinked, confused.

’What castle? What is she talking about?’

But before she could dwell on the thought, Amaya vanished.

This time, it felt different.

Not a blur.

Not a dash.

It was as if she’d completely disappeared from the world around her.

The pendant flared to life again—brighter than ever.

’She’s close! But where?!’ Natasha’s eyes darted around, heart pounding.

Then she saw it.

Just for a second...

Her shadow—moved.

’She’s coming from my shadow?!’

She panicked, instinct taking over.

But it was too late.

Amaya launched from the dark silhouette beneath her feet.

The distance between them was too close.

There was no time to block.

No time to think.

Only time to survive.

But even then—how was she supposed to survive?

She could only watch, frozen, as Amaya’s gleaming claws drew closer—mere inches from her face.

This is it, she thought.

But then—

A blazing sword tore through the air.

FWOOOSH!

Flames danced across the blade’s surface as it slashed between her and the beast.

She felt a force shove her gently aside—just enough to break the path of death.

And then he appeared.

A black-haired boy in a sleek, assassin-like battle suit.

His expression unreadable.

His presence—commanding.

His flaming blade clashed against Amaya’s claws in a flash of sparks and fire.

CLANG!!

"For someone so arrogant," he muttered, eyes still locked on the beast,

"I thought you’d have lasted longer."

His voice was calm. Icy.

But underneath it, power hummed.

He tilted his head slightly, speaking now to Amaya.

"But I can’t really blame you..."

He smirked, eyes narrowing.

"This beast... it’s strong. Plenty strong."

What the others couldn’t see—he could.

From her shadowy form, an ocean of energy surged outward—terrifying, raw, chaotic.

Kieran’s gaze sharpened.

He wasn’t just looking at her.

He was reading her.

He knew exactly what kind of monster stood before them.