CHAPTER 23: [BOSS’ MOVE]

’He’s not saying anything. Why isn’t he saying anything?’

Eli’s eyes darted to Kairo’s stoic face, then back to the mutated ogre still standing like a grotesque statue in the distance—watching them, breathing heavy, clubs twitching with residual tension.

But unmoving.

Behind it, the source of the unholy resonance continued to bellow.

The boss ogre’s roar hadn’t stopped since it started. Constant. Deep. Pulsing like a storm caught in its throat.

It made Eli’s skin crawl.

He instinctively flicked his gaze to the upper edge of his vision—hoping, pleading for some sign of the system.

A notification. A warning. Anything.

Nothing.

Not even the familiar flicker of a failed boot-up.

’Even if it did show up, what would it even say? "Good luck lol"? Useless thing...’

But beneath the sarcasm was a growing knot in Eli’s chest.

’We’re running out of time.’

He could feel it.

The tension in the air was thick. Kairo’s chest rose and fell beneath him—not fast, but deeper now.

His breath warmed the air near Eli’s cheek, hot and steady, but weighty.

Kairo was still strong. Still standing. But Eli had watched enough Hunter battles to know—there was a limit. Even for an S-Class.

And this battlefield... it was on the verge of collapse.

The streets were cratered. Buildings either shattered or barely standing. Streetlights hung limp from broken poles. Fire glowed in shattered windows. Dust choked the air.

’So much damage... and still no support.’

"Where are the other hunters?" Eli muttered, more to himself.

’Can’t they hear this ungodly roaring?’

But then he remembered—Mio.

When Kairo was trying to communicate with his team, Mio had mentioned their team encountered trouble, so they were running late.

’How many tear monsters are there right now?’

From Eli’s research, even major-class dungeon tears didn’t produce this many monsters, especially not ones above A-Class. And even then, only one or two variants emerged per breach.

But this?

This was something else.

Luckily—by some miracle—there were no human casualties. Only buildings. Property.

But that wouldn’t last forever if they didn’t contain these monsters. They were fortunate the boss and the mutated ogre only stayed in this spot.

"Tch.

"

The sharp click of Kairo’s tongue yanked Eli out of his thoughts.

He blinked, eyes snapping back just in time to see Kairo shift his posture.

His grip on Eli adjusted—easily. His forearm curled tighter under Eli’s thighs, lifting him higher, closer to his chest.

Eli instinctively grabbed for the nearest hold—Kairo’s shoulder, then his neck—as he was hoisted.

"W-Wait, what are you—"

He never got to finish the question.

Because Kairo moved.

In one explosive, seamless motion—no warning, nothing—Kairo launched forward.

The ground cracked under his boots, asphalt shattering behind him as he blurred ahead with superhuman speed.

"W-Wha—WHAT?!" Eli screeched, holding on for dear life as the scenery tore past them.

Straight ahead.

Straight toward the boss ogre.

And the mutated one.

"So suddenly?! You didn’t even—!"

"This was your idea, wasn’t it?" Kairo’s voice was calm, almost bored. "Why are you surprised?"

His tone was muffled beneath the thunder of footsteps and the blood-curdling roar that shook the air—but Eli still heard him. Felt him. The casual confidence in it.

’Are you CRAZY?! At least give me a warning before charging at a literal boss monster!’

But he bit his tongue.

Because this was Kairo.

The Kairo.

The "Crimson Shadow," "Silent Reaper," "Blood Wolf" of the Twilight Guild. Rank #1.

And Eli?

He was lucky enough to not be left behind.

So he forced down the panic clawing at his chest, nodded tightly, and snapped his eyes forward. No more hesitation.

If Kairo was moving—Eli had to match him as to not be a burden.

He scanned the battlefield rapidly, brain working in overdrive. Watching for shadows, shifts, movement.

Then he saw it.

The mutated ogre had noticed them. Its massive frame shifted—clubs raised. Shoulders hunched. Knees bent. It planted itself directly in their path.

Ready to fight.

Or... no, that wasn’t a fighting stance.

’Wait. He’s blocking us? Is he—’

It wasn’t going to let them through.

"Pulse Burst!" Eli shouted over the roar of the wind. "To his face! Blind him!"

Kairo responded instantly.

A flick of his wrist, and blood droplets split from his skin—hovering for a blink in the air before detonating in a flash of crimson light and concussive force.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the ogre’s head. Blood and heat splashed across its face as it staggered, shrieking in fury and swinging its clubs wildly in a blind arc.

But Kairo didn’t slow.

He ducked low, momentum cutting beneath the ogre’s flailing arms. His foot struck a chunk of broken pavement and launched them higher—up and over the ogre’s head as it roared blindly below.

Eli’s stomach flipped.

"Fuuuuck!" Eli cursed as the cold wind howled past them. The ground was no longer underfoot—it was far below.

His stomach lurched as he clung tighter to Kairo, eyes snapping down—

They were airborne.

Below them, the mutated ogre’s grotesque face twisted upward, its glowing red eyes locking onto them mid-flight.

Its jaws opened in a silent snarl, clubs twitching like it was ready to leap.

But Kairo wasn’t looking down.

His gaze was fixed dead ahead—at the roaring boss ogre.

Crimson energy bled from his arms as he manifested a long blood-forged sword in one hand, a fluid whip forming in the other. His entire stance screamed offense.

They were about to strike.

But then—white-hot pain lanced through Eli’s skull.

A twitch at first.

Then a pulse.

He groaned, one hand flying to his temple. It wasn’t normal. Not the adrenaline. Not from fear.

It felt like something in his head was tearing.

’What the hell is that—?!’

Something was wrong.

Something was about to go wrong.

"Kairo..." Eli croaked, voice barely audible over the wind as they began their descent. His head throbbed violently. His vision blurred at the edges like the world was glitching.

Kairo didn’t hear.

He landed with a heavy thud, legs bending to absorb the shock before immediately sprinting toward the boss.

"Kairo, stop!" Eli shouted, panic bursting through his chest. His voice cracked with raw fear.

Kairo’s head snapped toward him, about to speak, brows furrowed in confusion.

But it was too late.

Eli’s gaze jolted forward—and his eyes widened in horror.

The boss ogre—still roaring, unmoving for so long—raised its hand.

And in that moment—

A sword appeared.

A massive obsidian blade materialized in its grip, larger than a car, glowing with pulsing red lines along the edge. The air around it warped with the pressure.

Eli’s heart dropped.

The ogre’s neck snapped unnaturally, turning to face them. The motion was sharp, too fast. The roar never stopped—but somehow, the pressure intensified.

Eli’s entire body locked up.

’It’s going to attack.’

"IT’S GOING TO—!"

He didn’t finish.

With a blur of motion and a guttural rumble that tore the air in half, the boss ogre swung its enormous sword with terrifying speed.

A blur.

A flash.

"Motherfucker—!" Kairo growled, instantly snapping his blood sword up and yanking his free hand across the air.

A wall of blood surged upward to meet the incoming strike, congealing into a defensive dome.

It wasn’t enough.

The ogre’s swing was too fast—too heavy.

But then—

"Threadbound!"

A shout cracked through the air.

In a blink, invisible threads whipped across the battlefield, wrapping around the massive blade like ghostly cords.

The strike slowed, tension tightening just enough for Kairo to leap away, boots skidding across broken concrete as he landed in a crouch several meters back.

The ogre’s sword crashed into the ground behind them, carving a deep gouge through asphalt and sending debris flying.

Eli gasped—then exhaled in raw relief.

’That was... that would’ve split us in half.’

But there was no time to breathe.

A deafening roar rose from behind them.

Eli’s head snapped around.

The mutated ogre was moving again—its hulking frame pushing off the ground, all four clubs rising high.

His danger sense screamed.

"Kairo, the mutate—!"

But something else interrupted.

The cracked concrete beneath the mutated ogre split.

From the ground, thick vines erupted—twisting, blooming, growing at unnatural speed. Thorned flowers bloomed mid-air as the vines wrapped around the mutated ogre’s arms and legs, snapping tight like living restraints.

The creature roared in rage, thrashing—but it was locked down.

Eli blinked.

He knew that ability.

’That’s...!’

That ability was familiar.

He twisted in Kairo’s grip, looking back—

Three figures stood atop a half-collapsed building. Two males, one female. Dressed in sleek tactical gear, glowing with power, each of them waving like they just arrived at a party.

One of the males let out a loud, unbothered laugh. "Sorry we’re late, Kai!"

"Took you long enough," Kairo grumbled, breathing heavier now.

Eli’s eyes widened.

It was Kairo’s team.