CHAPTER 256: SPIRIT AND SLAYER ( 256 )

Hazuki sat cross-legged on a flat rock, the roasted desert lizard skewered on a stick as he took another big bite.

Munch munch...

"I didn’t know desert lizard was this good, Ridan!!" he said with his mouth half full.

Floating nearby, Ridan reclined midair like a lazy cloud, smug as always. "See? I told you the meat is good! Juicy, chewy, and slightly spicy."

Hazuki grinned, grease on his lips and satisfaction in his eyes. "Man, lucky when I woke up and saw that lizard creeping near the fire... I slashed it before it even blinked!"

"Heh. That lizard was trying to eat you, Hazuki," Ridan snorted.

Hazuki puffed his chest with mock pride. "Well... now I eat him first!"

He raised the half-eaten skewer like a trophy.

"You’re not gonna eat? You can touch and eat the food I touch or cook, right?"

Ridan floated lazily closer, arms behind his head. "How can I eat if you keep devouring everything without letting me?"

"Hah!? Before, you just dove in and took it from me while floating around like some smug flying squirrel, munching on meat."

"That’s because it was drake meat, duh," Ridan grinned. "You can’t compare this lizard meat to drake meat! Drake’s got that juicy, smoky flavor with magic-imbued fat that just melts in your mouth... mmm~"

Hazuki stared at him, deadpan. "You said this meat was good five minutes ago."

Ridan sniffed and crossed his arms. "It’s good. Drake is divine."

Hazuki gave a slight shrug. "Drake meat was also weeks ago."

"True." Ridan looked out at the dark desert. "Still... not bad for a survival meal."

They sat quietly for a moment, the stars clear above and the wind settling into a calm breeze.

Hazuki leaned back slightly.

"So, Ridan... how long do you think we’ll walk like this?"

Ridan hovered just above the ground, arms behind his head. "Hmm... can’t say for sure. Deserts stretch weird, but my mapping skill will keep us from walking in circles. That much I’m confident about."

"That’s good to know." Hazuki glanced at his sword, half-buried in the sand beside him. "I can keep pulling water with elemental control. Still tastes like rusty pipe water though."

"At least you’re not going to die from dehydration," Ridan said with a shrug.

Hazuki nodded. "Yeah. And those big lizards? Not bad either."

"Of course they’re not. Monster meat in this world is... different. Packed with mana, if anything. Makes it tastier." Ridan floated lower, snagged a piece of grilled meat off the stone slab, and took a bite. "Still... it’d taste better with spice."

Hazuki chuckled. "Heh. No way I’d eat lizard meat back in my old world. But here? The meat’s red, sparkly, and big. Grill it over fire, sprinkle a bit of salt if you’ve got it, and boom—tastes like steak."

"You’ve adjusted fast," Ridan commented while chewing.

"Not like I had a choice," Hazuki replied. He leaned his head back and looked at the sky again. "But... it’s not all bad. Quiet nights like this are kinda nice."

Ridan didn’t say anything for a moment, just floated nearby.

"Still," Hazuki added, "if we had spices, or even sauce... man, that would hit different."

"We’ll make a stop in the next town. Dwarves love their flavor," Ridan said with a smirk.

Hazuki smiled slightly, gaze still on the stars. "Let’s hope we reach there in one piece."

Ridan narrowed his eyes. "Hazuki."

"Hmm?" Hazuki turned slightly, still chewing on a strip of meat.

"I sense something... the mana flow up ahead. It’s off."

Hazuki stood, brushing sand from his pants. "What kind of off?"

"Just trust me. Let me take over."

Hazuki sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Spirit Link—activated."

In an instant, Hazuki’s eyes sharpened, his stance changing. It was still his body, but his presence felt... heavier.

"Alright," Ridan’s voice echoed slightly through Hazuki’s throat, "time to get serious."

He raised his palm. Several fireballs formed instantly—no chant, no delay. With a slight twist of his wrist, they shot forward in rapid succession, illuminating the dark desert like miniature suns.

From the sand, a massive tremor followed. Something burst out with a shriek—its armored body tall as a two-story building. A monstrous scorpion, black carapace glinting under the moonlight, its massive pincers clicking, and its tail ablaze with magical fire.

The monster roared, its eyes glowing with malice.

Hazuki leapt high into the air, heat rising from their form like a mirage. A single twist of the hand summoned another burst of elemental magic. Wind compressed, flame swirled into it, and-

"Flare Lance."

A piercing spear of fire magic shot toward the burning-tailed monster.

"You ever eat insect like this in your old world, Hazuki?" Ridan asked, floating just behind as the massive scorpion hissed, scorched sand steaming under its claws.

Hazuki narrowed his eyes. "No. But some countries treat bugs like delicacies."

Ridan’s grin widened. "Wanna try it?"

"No. Don’t want."

"Then allow me—" Ridan’s tone darkened, voice echoing slightly within Hazuki’s mind, "—to crush this motherfucker down!"

He laughed loudly, manic energy bursting as Hazuki’s body shot forward again—feet barely touching the sand. In one fluid motion, he drew his sword, elemental energy flowing into it. The blade shimmered, wrapped in faint blue flame and shimmering wind.

The scorpion lunged, stinger glowing with venomous fire—but Hazuki didn’t stop.

"Elemental Control: Flame Spiral."

A twist, a leap, and a slash—fire and wind spiraling outward in a controlled burst, slicing through one of the monster’s massive pincers and spraying black ichor onto the sand.

The beast shrieked, staggered back, tail coiling for another strike.

"You talk too much!" Hazuki shouted, sword burning bright. "Just crush it already!"

"With pleasure!" Ridan roared through him, and their shared body lunged again.

The beast had vanished beneath the sand, its tail the last thing to flicker below the dunes.

Hazuki narrowed his eyes. "Ah, now where’d that damn thing go?"

"Don’t worry about it," Ridan muttered, a sinister grin creeping into his voice. "I’ve got a trick ready."

Still possessing Hazuki’s body, Ridan floated slightly above the ground, raising one palm high. Crackles of blue lightning sparked to life at his fingertips, gathering into a long, slender spear of pulsing electricity.

Hazuki felt the mana surge ripple through him—precise and deadly.

"Whoa... that’s new," he muttered from inside.

Ridan chuckled darkly. "Spirit Spear: Thunder Fang."

Without delay, he hurled the electric spear straight into the sand at an angle—just where the scorpion had disappeared.

A split second of silence.

Then—

BOOM!

The sand erupted in a brilliant flash of white-blue lightning. The ground shook slightly, and the air filled with the sharp tang of ozone. Bits of scorched exoskeleton rained down, and a half-charred leg flopped out from a collapsed dune.

Hazuki blinked. "Damn. That actually worked."

Ridan smirked, releasing control and letting Hazuki’s body slump slightly as the possession faded. "Of course it did. I’m not just floating eye-candy."

Hazuki exhaled, steadying himself. "Next time warn me when you’re about to throw goddamn thunder javelins."

"Where’s the fun in that?" Ridan chuckled.

So the monster’s dead?" Hazuki asked, his gaze fixed on the scorched dune.

Ridan floated a little higher, eyes flickering with faint blue light. "Let me check..."

A pause, then the spirit let out a smug hum.

"Yep. One hundred percent dead. No mana signature left. Toasted to the core."

"Woo, you’re good, Ridan," Hazuki smirked without getting up.

"Of course I am! I’m an ancient spirit. Best among the best!" Ridan puffed his cloudy chest, drifting proudly.

Hazuki chuckled. "And a pervert spirit, too."

"Oi!! I was sealed in a dark cave for over a thousand years! You think I wouldn’t land on a pair of perfect melons when I get the chance!?" Ridan waved his arms in protest.

"Yeah, yeah..." Hazuki waved him off with a lazy grin. "So the monster’s buried under there?"

"Yep," Ridan said, spinning lazily in the air. "You gonna dig it up?"

Hazuki turned his head, still lying in the sand. "Me? No way."

He sighed contentedly, folding his arms behind his head. "Too damn hot for that. Let the sand keep it."

"What if it’s got some rare parts, huh? You know how merchants love exotic beast pieces."

"Then they can come dig it up themselves."

Ridan floated in slow circles. "You’re lazy."

Ridan floated in slow circles. "You’re lazy."

Hazuki looked up at the sky, the stars twinkling like scattered sugar on a velvet blanket.

"Ridan?"

"What?" Ridan drifted down and slowly landed beside Hazuki, lying sideways like a smug, floating pillow.

Hazuki sighed, his voice softer now. "I really hope we get out of this desert soon."

"Yeah, me too." Ridan stretched his arms, letting out a relaxed groan. "I want to land on more melons!"

Hazuki’s expression twitched. "That’s your reason!?"

"Of course!" Ridan grinned without shame. "You don’t know how it feels, man. After a thousand years sealed in a cave, my soul’s craving softness!"

Hazuki rolled his eyes. "You know what’s soft? A bed. A pillow. A roll of bread."

"A melon is the true pillow of paradise," Ridan declared, raising an invisible flag in his imagination.

"...I don’t know what’s more cursed. You or your taste."

"Oh please. You literally hugged me like a body pillow two nights ago."

"That was an accident!"

"Uh huh. Sure it was."

( End Of Chapter )