CHAPTER 25: [READY]

"Alright then."

Kairo exhaled slowly, breath curling faintly in the air like smoke. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his blood-forged sword, veins pulsing red as if the weapon itself were an extension of his bloodstream.

The shift in his stance was minimal—but unmistakable. Weight centered. Shoulders loose. Gaze locked ahead like a predator about to pounce.

He was ready to move.

And his team? Already falling into sync. No hand signals. No verbal commands.

Just instinct.

Mio raised both hands, thin silver threads materializing between his fingers like spider silk. They caught the dying sunlight in quick, lethal flashes.

He wove them effortlessly, forming a mesh that hovered and swayed with his every gesture, tension lining the space around him.

Zaira tilted her head, her irises gleaming faintly violet. Her lips twitched—not quite a smile, not quite a warning.

She blinked slowly, like she could already see a reality beyond this one, and was waiting for the world to catch up.

Mel, crouched just behind Kairo, rolled his shoulders with a crack of joints and a grin.

Bioluminescent green tattoos—runes shaped like vines and petals—flared to life along his forearms. The concrete beneath him shifted as roots slithered from the cracks, curling hungrily in anticipation.

Eli, still cradled against Kairo’s chest, could feel the hum of power around them all—like being inside the eye of a storm.

His breath hitched, heart pounding—not from fear. Not entirely, anyway.

He inhaled deeply. Once. Twice.

’We’ve got a full team now. S-Class and A-Class elites. We can split the enemy. Control the field. We might actually have a shot—’

But then his stomach clenched. That familiar spike of dread tore through his spine like static electricity. It hadn’t faded, not for a second. His body was adapting, numbing, but that didn’t make it stop.

That deep, primal thrum of danger was still alive in his bones.

’The roar...’

The boss ogre’s endless bellow vibrated through the ruins like a war drum. It echoed off every wall, rebounded through Eli’s skull, pressing against the inside of his mind with each pulse.

It wasn’t just noise anymore. It was invasive. Infectious.

Like the sound itself was alive.

’I’m gonna lose my mind...’ Eli clenched his teeth. ’I don’t even know what this body’s limit is—but I know I’m near it.’

They needed to finish this.

And fast.

"You’re really going to charge in like that—with the lady still in your arms?" Mio called out, teasing smirk curling on his lips.

Eli twitched.

"I’M NOT A LADY!" He wanted to scream that, but was hesitant to do so.

Kairo didn’t break stride. "Yes."

Zaira frowned slightly, her brows knitting with concern. "She might get hurt. Or slow you down."

You’ll see." Kairo said, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes glinted with a quiet confidence that made Eli’s stomach flip.

Eli’s breath caught. His ears burned.

’What the hell—that was so hot for no reason.’

He quickly squeezed his eyes shut, mentally slapping himself.

’FOCUS, Eli. Now’s not the time to geek out over Kairo!’

Kairo’s gaze dropped to him. "Ready?"

Eli nodded firmly, both hands fisting the front of Kairo’s jacket. "Ready."

And that was all it took.

Kairo moved.

The explosion of force beneath his feet cracked the pavement, propelling them forward in a red blur. Blood coiled at his heels like steam, sharpening his momentum. Mel was right behind them, feet light, vines weaving from every shattered tile he stepped on—trailing like living serpents.

Mio and Zaira broke formation, splitting off toward the entangled mutated ogre.

And the moment Kairo charged, the ogre reacted.

The mutated one shrieked—an earsplitting, distorted roar—its four club-like arms twitching back to life, muscles tensing.

But it didn’t get the chance.

Mio flicked his fingers.

The threads snapped tight—dozens of them—wrapping around the mutated ogre’s limbs mid-motion. Each thread embedded itself like surgical wire, halting movement instantly. The monster staggered, snarling, its clubs thrashing violently as it fought against the invisible bindings.

"Zaira!" Mio barked.

Already in motion.

Zaira raised one hand slowly, her aura pulsing outward like ripples on black water. The violet shimmer extended in all directions—quiet, beautiful, and deadly.

The air shifted.

Eli watched the change in real time.

The mutated ogre froze mid-snarl. Its arms drooped slightly. Its massive eyes blinked. Then again—slower. Confused.

Like it was suddenly unsure why it was angry... or who it was supposed to fight.

Eli felt the echo of Zaira’s ability even from where he was—a soothing, warm pressure like thick syrup wrapping around his mind.

’Illusion. Fog of war. She’s clouding its perception—maybe even altering its target priority.’

The ogre took a step back.

Then another.

Its roar twisted into something almost... panicked.

And then, it screamed—louder than before. The sound cracked the air, so loud it nearly rivaled the boss’s own monstrous bellow.

But it wasn’t over yet.

The boss ogre twitched.

Its glowing crimson eyes narrowed, locking on the chaos unraveling behind it.

It saw the distraction. And it moved.

A guttural growl rumbled in its massive chest—low, vibrating through the concrete like distant thunder—as it raised its obsidian sword. Not to strike. Not yet.

To shift. To charge.

Eli saw it before Kairo did.

His eyes snapped wide. "The boss—it’s going to move!"

Kairo didn’t hesitate. His gaze flicked toward the ogre. "Mel."

"On it." Mel slammed a hand to the ground.

With a sound like bones cracking beneath bark, vines erupted from the pavement. Thick, gnarled, and armored in sharp thorns, they surged upward and coiled around the ogre’s legs, crawling fast up to its knees, anchoring it with sheer living mass.

The boss let out a bellow of confusion, the sword wavering as it stumbled, trying to shake the vines off. Its footing shifted—wrong. For the first time, it was unbalanced.

’This is it!’ Eli’s heart thudded in his ears. ’While it’s off-guard—!’

Kairo didn’t wait.

He launched himself forward, whip coiling with crimson energy in one hand, blade gleaming in the other. His entire body was a blur of movement—precise, fluid, lethal.

The ogre responded.

The vines hadn’t slowed its reflexes. With monstrous speed, it raised its sword in a single, sweeping horizontal arc—right toward them.

Eli screamed, "Kairo! Duck—horizontal swing incoming!"

The world blurred.

Kairo dropped low, gliding beneath the sweeping blade just as it tore through the air with the force of a missile.

The wind pressure alone sent dust and shattered debris blasting outward like a shockwave. The pavement cracked in a jagged wave behind them.

Eli’s ears rang violently as he clung tighter to Kairo’s shoulders.

"There—its ribs!" he shouted. "There’s a gap under the arm!"

Kairo twisted into the air, drawing back his blade—and struck.

But the boss ogre spun with inhuman speed, using the recoil of its missed swing to whip its massive body in a counterattack.

"Shit—!" Eli shouted. "Backstep! Pulse Burst, now!"

Kairo stomped.

A detonation of blood-red energy exploded beneath the ogre’s thigh. The burst rocked the beast’s posture, forcing it to stagger backward—but it didn’t fall.

Instead, it reared up, howling in fury, and brought its sword down like a divine punishment.

Too fast.

Too close.

Kairo couldn’t dodge.

So he met it head-on.

"Crimson Echo!" he bellowed.

A wave of compressed blood erupted from his blade—dense, concussive. The two forces clashed in midair, a shockwave booming out in every direction.

The boss’s sword slammed into the ground just inches from their feet, throwing gravel and fire into the sky.

Kairo skidded sideways, chest heaving, red leaking from the corner of his mouth.

Eli wiped the grit from his eyes, his breath ragged. ’This thing... it’s too strong. That wasn’t even its full weight. And Kairo—he’s bleeding.’

But they couldn’t let up.

"This thing doesn’t have endless stamina!" Eli shouted. "Keep it moving! Make it burn energy! Wear it down!"

Mel nodded and raised both hands high. "Vines—lock the arms! Don’t let it lift again!"

From beneath the broken asphalt, new waves of green surged forward—spindly vines that stretched and wrapped around the ogre’s massive biceps, slithering up toward its wrists.

The ogre snarled.

It strained, preparing to rip them apart.

But then—

Mio’s threads sliced through the air like razors, as he assisted by wrapping around the hilt of the boss’s sword and yanking it backward. The ogre growled, struggling, but its arms were tangled, its grip faltering.

Zaira’s aura flared again—stronger than before, hoping it would affect the boss.

For one, breathless second—the ogre hesitated.

Its grip loosened.

Its knees shook.

Its roar wavered.

Eli’s heart leapt. ’We’re doing it. We’re actually—’

But then—

A sharp pulse cracked through his head like lightning.

Not from the boss ogre.

His danger sense spiked—but it wasn’t focused on the boss anymore.

His eyes jerked toward the other side of the field—toward Mio and Zaira.

Zaira was still holding the illusion down, eyes glowing, her hands steady. The mutated ogre stood trembling, still entangled. Its eyes were vacant.

Mio was expertly holding all four of its club arms with tight threads.

’Wait. Then where’s the threat—?’

His breath caught.

’The roar. The boss ogre’s roar—it just got louder.’

And then he saw it.

The mutated ogre’s stomach twisted. Flesh bubbled.

A fifth arm tore from beneath its ribs.

Clawed. Thick. Dripping with black-red mucus.

And it was aimed directly at Zaira.

"Zaira—DUCK!" Eli screamed at the top of his lungs, panic slicing through him like a knife. Zaira’s head snapped toward him in confusion.

"What—?"

The mutated ogre lunged, its grotesque new limb arcing straight toward her spine.

Eli’s heart stopped.

’Shit—she’s not gonna make it—!’