CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47 - BATTLE OF THE HARBINGER

"*Sigh*," Mikail exhaled, cutting the woman off before she could finish her sentence.

Something shifted.

His stance straightened, not dramatically, but with a quiet finality that changed the entire mood.

The usual playfulness in his gaze vanished, replaced by a sharp, unyielding focus.

The atmosphere thickened.

The very air seemed to hesitate, as if sensing the storm brewing within him.

Even the shadows curled subtly toward him, drawn by the sudden swell of emotion.

"You saw everything... And you just watched," He said, his voice low but firm. "You only stepped in when I was one breath away from death. Seriously?"

Another sigh escaped him, quieter, more tired.

"Look... I do appreciate the help. I really do. But what’s your motive? Do you want me to owe you something? Is that it?"

There was a brief silence before he continued, his voice steadier now, controlled.

"Yes, you did help me. But the way you did it... That was all wrong"

His fingers clenched slightly at his side as he took in a slow breath.

"Haaa~..." He exhaled again, this time more calmly, his tone becoming introspective. "I haven’t accepted myself as a Harbinger. Not yet. But I do look forward to meeting the others..."

Straightening to his full height, Mikail inhaled deeply, his lungs drawing in the ambient Mana like a vacuum.

The process was elegant, almost unnatural. With practiced precision and razor-sharp concentration, he absorbed vast amounts of Mana into his body.

His control was frighteningly refined; each breath replenished what had been lost, fatigue melting away, wounds slowly closing beneath his torn clothes.

A final, focused exhale escaped him.

"I haven’t met the other Harbingers. Not yet. And I don’t want to judge them based on just you two," He said, eyes fixed and unwavering. "But if you two are any indication... Then what I see are powerful people with twisted priorities and skewed ideals"

"Kail..." Moona stepped forward cautiously, concern in her voice. "I think-"

"Kid, you better watch your damn mouth!" The man snapped, his face darkening with fury. "It’s good enough that we hel-"

"SO WHAT?!" Mikail roared.

His Mana burst outward in a raw, uncontrolled wave, shaking the ground beneath their feet like a sudden tremor.

It crackled in the air around him, whipping his hair and clothes as if caught in a violent gust. A shockwave pulsed out from him, distorting the air with heat and pressure.

"SO WHAT IF YOU HELPED ME?!" He shouted again, eyes burning with fury. "I already said I appreciate it! But what if it wasn’t me lying there? What if it were someone else? Someone weaker?! What would you have done then?! Would you still just stand and watch until they were one breath from death, too?! What would you have done?! HUH?!"

The silence that followed was thick, uncomfortable. No one moved. No one dared speak.

Mikail’s chest rose and fell heavily, the storm within him only just beginning to settle. But the fire in his eyes hadn’t dimmed.

"This kid... I was starting to like you," The man growled, cracking his knuckles as flames coiled around his fists like serpents. "But seeing how damn rude you are, I don’t give a damn if it was Sir Mahesa’s order. You need to be taught some respect, right now!"

Heat radiated from his body, distorting the air around him. His stance shifted into one honed by countless battles. He was serious.

Mikail didn’t flinch.

"Heee~" The woman chimed in, her voice laced with something between amusement and disappointment. "You’re quite naïve, aren’t you?"

She leaned forward slightly, resting a hand on her hip, her eyes shimmering with an unreadable gleam.

"... Yes, we are Harbingers. Yes, our ’duty’ is to protect the Earth from the Shadow Realm," She raised a finger, wagging it slightly. "But do you really think that’s all there is to it?"

Mikail’s eyes narrowed, the firelight from the man’s hands dancing across his face. "...What do you mean?"

The woman’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

"Being a Harbinger isn’t about being a hero. It’s not about saving lives or playing guardian angel." Her tone grew colder, more direct. "It’s about control. Influence. Balance. The Earth is just a piece on a board, one that’s teetering. And we? We’re the hands that decide which way it falls"

The man chuckled darkly beside her, still wreathed in flame. "That’s right. And sometimes, kid, to protect something... You have to be willing to break it first"

A tense silence followed.

Mikail stood firm, eyes flicking between them. His voice, when it came, was quiet—but resolute.

"...Then maybe we don’t define ’protection’ the same way"

The woman tilted her head, intrigued.

The man, however, stepped forward, fire surging hotter.

"You’ve had a good enough rest, haven’t you?" the man sneered, taking one step forward. The flames around his arms roared to life, wild and hungry. "Then let’s see if your ideals can survive reality"

"Do as you like!" Mikail shot back, his voice unwavering.

In a flash, Mana surged through his body as he activated his Body Enhancement. His muscles tensed, energy crackled along his veins, and his senses sharpened like a blade unsheathed.

Ignivara flared into existence in his hands again, the air humming with its arrival. Its edge shimmered, heat dancing along the blade like sunlight over steel. Mikail took a single step forward, meeting the man’s approach head-on. Sparks leapt from their clash of auras before they even touched.

Steel and flame collided.

The impact shook the ground beneath them, sending a shockwave rippling outward.

Mikail’s blade clashed against the man’s fiery fists, neither giving an inch.

The Harbinger of fire grinned, teeth bared.

"You’ve got fire, kid. But let’s see how long you can hold on!"

He swung with brutal speed, his fists cloaked in spiraling flame. Mikail blocked the first strike, deflected the second, but the third grazed his shoulder, the heat searing through his barrier and burning the edge of his coat.

Mikail gritted his teeth, shifting his stance.

His feet slid back, then launched forward in a blur. He spun, bringing Ignivara down in a blazing arc, Mana pulsing through the blade.

The man caught it with his forearm, flame meeting Mana-infused steel in a burst of white-hot energy.

"You’re strong, but reckless!" The man barked.

"And you talk too much!" Mikail shot back, twisting mid-air and planting a kick into the man’s chest. The impact pushed the Harbinger of fire back several steps, but he barely flinched.

Behind them, the woman watched, arms crossed, a bemused smirk playing on her lips.

"Well... This just got interesting"

She stood with composed grace in front of Moona, Melisa, and the unconscious Ayu(The Girl), her palm gently raised.

A shimmering barrier of water spiraled around them, forming a protective dome that absorbed the violent shockwaves erupting from the clash of the two Harbingers.

Despite the tremors in the air, inside the dome was calm, a still bubble amidst a brewing storm.

Moona, fidgeting nervously, stepped closer to the woman. "...Anoo~ Is this... Okay?"

"It’s okay," The woman replied with a calm smile. "This is part of the test... Don’t worry. We won’t hurt your man"

"W-W-What?! H-He’s not m-my man!" Moona’s face went crimson, her hands flailing.

"Not yet, right?" Melisa chimed in, flashing a teasing grin from behind her.

"Not you too?!" Moona spun toward her, scandalized.

"Ahaha~ You two are cute," The woman chuckled, her gaze flicking briefly to the raging battle beyond the barrier. "But this is surprising"

"What? Mikail?" Moona asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the embarrassment.

"That too," The woman said, her tone shifting just slightly, still amused, but laced with curiosity. "But what surprised me more... Was finding out that Sir Mahesa had a granddaughter"

"...What do you mean by that?" Moona asked, her voice firm now. The playful tone was gone, replaced by quiet seriousness. Her eyes narrowed, focused on the woman. "He’s not my real grandpa, true. But what’s so strange about that?"

The woman turned slightly, catching Moona’s gaze. For a heartbeat, there was a flicker, amusement, yes, but also something else. A spark of recognition. But it vanished quickly, hidden behind a carefully composed expression as she looked away.

"Nothing..." She said, too lightly, her voice slipping back into nonchalance. "You’re overthinking things"

She gestured with her chin toward the raging battlefield beyond the watery barrier. "Look. The battle’s about to end"

But Moona didn’t look. Her gaze stayed on the woman, a question still lingering in her eyes.

Melisa, watching quietly from the side, didn’t speak, but her glance shifted between the two of them. She sensed it too.

Something isn’t right.

And outside, as fire and steel clashed one last time under the blackened sky, Mikail was on the edge, his breath ragged, his blade humming with overdrawn mana, and his body strained to its absolute limit.

The ground beneath his feet cracked from the pressure. Sparks flared every time Ignivara met flame-covered fists. The sheer intensity of their fight made the air ripple, distorted with heat and raw energy.

Within the protective dome, the woman observed with a faint smile playing at her lips, unbothered by the turbulence she’d stirred behind her.

"Wow~" She mused, arms still casually crossed. "To push Hugo to such an extent... Harbinger of Light is sure different"

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