Ren stumbled back with ragged breath. His leg burned where the beast's claws had scraped him. He glanced down.
Blood.
His own.
When did that happen? During the last attack? The rush of adrenaline must have hidden the pain. But now, with the monster standing right there, every throb in his leg reminded him that he was weak.
But the pain wasn't the worst part.
The creature's eyes which was once a dull lifeless yellow were now glowing red. And it wasn't just looking at him. It was locked onto him.
Shiku tightened her grip on her spear and her heart raced. She saw it too. Her knuckles went white as she clenched the weapon. She had to act fast.
Then, an idea hit her.
"HEY, YOU UGLY PILE OF ROTTING TRASH!" she yelled, her voice sliced through the thick tension. "I'VE SEEN SWAMP MUD SCARIER THAN YOU!"
The beast didn't even blink.
She scoffed and took a bold step forward. "What? You deaf too? Or did Kurugami send his dumbest, weakest mutt to this world?"
Still, nothing.
No snarl. No shift. No reaction at all.
The thing didn't even care.
The monster kept moving toward Ren.
Shiku's frustration turned into something colder. Something was off. Monsters always went for the strongest fighter first. That's how they worked. So why was this one ignoring her?
Then, a memory flashed in her mind. A book she had read long ago.
Her stomach dropped.
Red eyes. Monsters don't evolve without reason.
They only change when they sense immense magical power.
Shiku's breath caught in her throat.
The monster wasn't ignoring her. It wasn't going after Ren because he was weak.
It had sensed something. Something big. Something powerful. Something it wanted to consume to make itself even stronger.
It had realized Ren wasn't powerless.
Shiku's fingers tightened around her spear. No. That's impossible. Ren had no magic. He was just—
But then…
The monster's muscles tensed.
Ren's body stiffened. His instincts screamed at him to move.
He stepped back.
Then again.
Then again.
The monster followed, slow and steady. Its heavy claws scraped against the ground, leaving deep marks in the dirt.
It was hunting him.
The monster didn't even look at Shiku.
It was locked onto Ren.
It was going to attack.
Shiku's heart pounded. "Ren! Get up! Move!"
But Ren couldn't.
His breathing was ragged and his chest was rising and falling too fast. His arms shook as he tried to push himself backward, but his injured leg throbbed with every little movement. It hurt so bad that he could barely think.
He couldn't run. He couldn't fight. All he could do was crawl, desperate to get away. And yet again, his desperation for survival kicked in.
The monster's red eyes glowed, locked onto him like he was the only thing that mattered. Its claws dug into the dirt as it crept closer. Its hot, disgusting breath filled the air, making Ren want to puke.
Shiku shouted again, but her voice felt far away. All Ren could hear was the pounding of his own heart.
Move? Do what?
He had no magic.
He never had magic.
That was why he was always the weak one. The one who had to be protected. The one who always needed saving.
And now, no one was going to save him.
The monster crouched low, ready to strike.
Shiku screamed. She ran toward him with her spear in hand—
But she was too far.
She wasn't going to make it.
Ren clenched his teeth, his whole body shaking. He threw his arms up to shield himself.
So this was it, how he dies?
Frustration gnawed on his like a second skin. Maybe his life was worthless after all. Even Akane didn't deem his worthy to access the Evolving System till a certain age.
He braced for the pain.
For the teeth.
For death.
Then—
BOOM!
Then something in him stirred, a whirlwind of emotion and the next thing he knew was a blast of heat shot from his hands, and out of nowhere, fire exploded. It was bright, wild, and out of control. But this wasn't normal fire. It wasn't orange or red like regular flames. It burned gold, with streaks of blue and crimson twisting through it, moving like something alive. It didn't just spread, it attacked.
The monster let out a horrifying scream and its deep growl turned into a high-pitched shriek of pain. It thrashed, clawing at the ground, trying to back away, but it was too late.
The fire swallowed it whole. Thick, black smoke filled the air, carrying the awful stench of burning flesh.
Ren stood frozen. His chest heaved. His arms still stretched out. His hands trembled. His whole body shook. The fire had come from him. But how? He had never used magic before, not once. Not even a tiny spark.
But Akane had said…..
Shiku took a shaky step back, gripping her spear like it was the only thing keeping her upright. Her heart pounded in her ears. She had seen powerful magic before, but this? It was phenomenal.
This fire didn't just burn, it devoured. It didn't spread wildly, it moved on its own, like it had a mind, like it knew what it was doing. Even after the monster collapsed into a pile of ash, the fire still flickered in the air, crackling softly, almost as if it was… waiting.
Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.
Silence.
Ren stood there, breathing hard, his arms falling to his sides. His vision blurred. His body felt like it had been drained of everything.
Shiku skidded to a stop. She clutched her spear so tightly her that her fingers throbbed, but she didn't care. Her wide eyes darted between Ren and the dying embers around him.
This… this wasn't possible.
But she had seen it with her own eyes. She had felt the heat on her skin.
That fire wasn't normal. That kind of fire only existed in myths.
In legends.
And Ren… Ren was—
The weak one.
The boy with no magic.
The one everyone had to protect.
Then how?
How did he just do that?
Shiku's throat was dry. She forced herself to swallow, her voice barely more than a whisper. "That fire… it can't be…"
Her mind raced, searching through everything she had ever learned, stories of warriors, history of ancient power.
Was this it?
Was this the moment?
Had Ren just proven himself to be… the Dragon Lord?
Before she could even wrap her head around it, Ren swayed. His arms dropped to his sides.
Then his legs gave out.
"Ren!" Shiku rushed forward, but she wasn't fast enough.
He hit the ground, hard.
And this time, he didn't get up.