In the distance, Raiden watched him approach: crisp white shirt with sleeves pushed up to his elbows, a rich burgundy waistcoat, brown pants, and hair smoothly combed back.

The figure looked familiar, yet Raiden couldn't quite place him. His mind seemed reluctant to surface those memories. Still, he found himself wondering what this person might be.

His hand fidgeted, desperately trying to recall who this human was. But then… after a brief moment, Raiden smirked upon seeing the person before him smile so openly.

It came back to him suddenly: this was MK, the Rulekeeper's guardian. The recognition brought a wave of relief, his body relaxing as if he'd been unconsciously waiting for this encounter.

But the moment MK caught a clearer sight of Raiden and Nico, he stopped dead. His hands balled into fists as Raiden watched his fury intensify dramatically.

"How could you?" MK said, his eyes narrowing. "You've caused my lady all this stress, and what, you are here having a blast?"

Raiden's face darkened with confusion. He couldn't grasp what MK was referring to; his damaged memory could barely manage to identify MK himself, let alone understand his accusations. What was he even talking about?

MK assumed his stance, "I've had enough of your nonsense, always hurting my lady." He clenched his teeth, clearly irritated by Raiden's silence. "After I kill you, she will return to who she used to be."

"What does he mean, Hero?" Nico asked with a frown, but Raiden barely glanced in Nico's direction.

His golden eyes tracked MK's movements as a strange urge surged through him. He felt compelled to fight MK, as if settling some long-neglected score. Yet he couldn't remember the reason.

Had he wronged Noelle somehow? Or violated some agreement between the Rulekeeper and her guardian?

After a brief moment, he let out a sigh and gestured for Nico to stand by.

"But… Hero," Nico said with hesitation, but still, Raiden barely spared the kid a glance.

"This is a mistake I must fix alone… just leave him to me."

A prolonged silence passed as Nico stared at him, then he gave a slow nod and began retreating to provide adequate room for their impending battle.

He couldn't identify what mistake he intended to correct, but before he had time to comprehend the moment, MK's golden energy started forging itself into thick armor across his body. Complete coverage enveloped him, from his feet to his crown, while he blazed with golden luminescence.

Raiden stayed calm nonetheless, yet before long, MK lunged at him with fierce intensity. He delivered strike after strike without pause, his attacks slicing through the air with whip-like sounds while Raiden evaded each blow by mere inches.

The gap in speed and power was immense. Raiden spotted obvious weaknesses in MK's defensive blind spots—places where one quick strike could finish everything—but he chose to stay measured, letting the fight extend beyond what was required.

Should he have actually hurt Noelle in some way, then MK's rage was completely warranted as her guardian. Though Raiden had no intention of letting himself die, he thought it prudent to convince MK that he had fought with everything he had.

Over the next few seconds, MK could sense he held no advantage in their confrontation. Clenching his jaw aggressively, he leaped back to put space between himself and his opponent.

"Come on… let's get this over with," Raiden said, gesturing toward MK to come at him, his golden eyes locked directly into MK's.

With a dismissive scoff, MK stretched out his arm, and his golden armor started to reconfigure. It suddenly morphed into a golden war hammer attached to an extended chain, while his free hand took hold of the chain for control. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

Within a heartbeat, MK whipped the chains toward him, surprising Raiden as they ensnared him in their grip. The cutting edges of the metal links pressed against Raiden's body as he strained against his bonds, while MK lifted his hammer and sprinted toward his trapped opponent.

A sneer crossed Raiden's face as he managed to grab hold of the chain. Just before MK could reach him, he pulled with violent force, hauling MK forward and planting a devastating kick to his midsection that launched him backward into the sand.

As MK's chains loosened and fell away, Raiden's gaze sharpened with recognition. He recalled MK's power now—Form Shift. The ability to mold his golden aura into whatever shape he wanted, combined with his natural talent for earth magic.

Such impressive capabilities. Yet MK's overwhelming anger was clouding his judgment and limiting his tactical execution.

As he observed MK's efforts to stand, Raiden felt an unsettling familiarity, as if he had experienced that same helpless struggle before. Though his mental dissociation had stripped away countless memories, this feeling of déjà vu persisted with painful clarity.

The fight needed to end now, before MK recovered his wits and made victory truly difficult. Raiden focused his mana into his legs and moved with lightning speed, materializing in front of MK while a blinding sandstorm erupted behind his passage.

In one continuous motion, he delivered blow after blow to MK's torso, limbs, and head, then stood over him as he collapsed into the sand.

The blows had been more than physically punishing—they had struck at MK's very essence, breaking his spirit and soul along with his body.

Raiden knew with certainty that MK's fighting spirit was extinguished for the foreseeable future. His prone form gasping weakly for air was a testament to the complete nature of his defeat.

Still, Raiden wasn't going to wait around. He still had the edge to avoid his comrades.

However, just as he was about to turn toward Nico, Sulli's voice rang out in his thoughts once more, but now it sounded almost human, with an unsettling familiarity that he couldn't quite place.

[ALERT]

[You've grown stronger, Papa.]

[True Dragon: Grows]

A sinking feeling gripped Raiden's chest as his jaw dropped slightly. Something about the voice and gestures struck him as achingly familiar, though he couldn't place where he'd encountered them before.

Fragmented thoughts crashed through his mind while his face openly displayed his bewilderment. He desperately tried to contact his system, Sulli, but his mental chaos made it impossible to form coherent communication. The few scattered words he managed to produce were met with complete silence from Sulli.

However, as he stood there perplexed, Nico hurried toward. "What's going on, Hero?"

He grabbed Raiden's hand and began dragging him. "Let's leave. We have to leave before more people come to kill you."

Despite being overwhelmed by confusion, Raiden found himself unable to resist obeying.