"Auuuuu!" The howls of the wolf monsters echoed as around thirty of them appeared, surrounding the mysterious figure from all directions.
"Harrggggghh!" The growls of the wolf monsters and their pack were filled with anger after one of their own had been slain by the mysterious figure. The wolves were ready to attack.
The mysterious figure stood his ground, chanting a spell and activating his skill.
"Lightning power, huuuuaaaaa!" he shouted, clenching his fist tightly, and bolts of lightning crackled around the metal gauntlet on his arm.
"Hiiiiaaa huaahahahhah, this is getting interesting, I'll use my full power too," the mysterious figure said, shouting with excitement.
Suddenly, the area around him was filled with flashes of lightning that struck in every direction, accompanied by gusts of wind that sent flowers and leaves flying.
"Auuuu!" The wolves howled again, signaling their intent to attack from all sides.
Swooshhh... The wolves charged, leaping and throwing their claws and fangs toward the mysterious figure.
Just as they attacked, a sound rang out.
Sreeeessss, suiiit, ccsssssss, buugss—The mysterious figure's counterattack struck one of the wolves coming from the west.
One wolf leaped at the mysterious figure, but with incredible speed, the mysterious figure was already under its stomach, now in mid-air. He unleashed a punch that sent a powerful electric shock through the wolf, instantly burning it to a crisp.
The remaining wolves didn't back down. Three more wolves had positioned themselves behind the mysterious figure—one leaped at his head while the other two charged from either side.
The mysterious figure quickly spun around, delivering a punch from above to one of the wolves and using his legs to kick the other two on each side. One wolf was burned by the lightning surge.
With rapid movement, the mysterious figure pursued the wolf flying toward the right and launched a punch.
Suuuuit, ssreesst, bugss—The second wolf was sent flying into the nearby lake.
Without hesitation, the mysterious figure soared to the left, his position now directly above the wolf still floating from the previous kick. He struck down with a mighty punch.
Wunggg, wungg, wunggg... The lightning in his hands grew brighter and more intense as he prepared to land a crushing blow to the wolf.
Bugggh, braaakkkk, blaar duuuuaar! The impact of his strike created a thunderous noise.
The wolf was blasted into the ground, shattering the earth beneath and causing it to crack. In an instant, three wolves fell, defeated by the mysterious figure.
The mysterious figure accelerated and continued attacking the remaining wolves.
Suuut, buggh, wushhh, bugg, blaaaaarrr, shhhhhh—In a flurry of strikes, the remaining wolves were quickly dispatched, each one burned by high-voltage lightning and thrown into the ground, the lake, or crashing against rocks.
Ariel, who had been preparing to help, stood frozen in awe, unable to speak as she watched the mysterious figure save their lives.
"Wow!! Haha, yay, yay! We won! We're saved! Big Brother Ariel, that was so cool! We need to thank him!" Sri exclaimed. "But... I feel an uneasy aura coming from the forest... It feels like a huge energy heading our way."
"What aura, Sri? I don't understand what you mean," Ariel responded, confused by Sri's warning of a danger approaching them.
Birds flew frantically, and the wind grew stronger.
Suddenly, a massive orange light burst from the forest, striking Ariel, Sri, and the mysterious figure.
The once green and beautiful valley and lake were now scorched, leaving only cracked, smoldering earth and piles of ash, followed by swirling smoke after the attack.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, bubbles began to form in the area, slowly extinguishing the fiery ground.
"What just happened, Sri?" Ariel asked, still in shock, not realizing the full extent of the terrifying attack they had just survived.
"I don't know, Big Brother. I only saw that shining orange light, and after that, it's like... this! We're surrounded by smoke. Big Brother, where are you?" Sri asked, unable to see Ariel through the thick smoke.
"Just wait, don't go anywhere, and be careful," Ariel instructed as they stayed still, unsure of what was happening.
"Okay, Big Brother," Sri responded, carefully scanning her surroundings.
Slowly, the smoke cleared completely, and Ariel, Sri, and the mysterious figure were stunned to see the green grass they had been standing on. Everything around them was scorched, the land cracked and barren.
"Where are we? And why are there bubbles around me and you, Sri?" Ariel asked in bewilderment.
"We were just hit with a huge attack. Luckily, you have that unique skill, Young Master," the mysterious figure said, bowing his head respectfully to Ariel.
"Wait, are you... Aunt Melisa?" Ariel asked in surprise.
"Yes, Young Master, I am Aunt Melisa," Melisa replied, confirming her identity.
"But how could you look like this? How are you so young? What happened? Why are you here? Don't tell me you've been following us, Aunt," Ariel continued, firing off a series of questions.
"Hmmm, if you know Aunt Melisa, then I guess I'm no longer a mystery," Sri remarked, squinting slightly.
"Yeah, you don't look unfamiliar, but... Aunt Melisa was supposed to be much older. Why do you look like this?" Ariel added.
Just as they were chatting, a figure emerged from the dissipating smoke. A woman with three red tails, dressed in an elegant European royal gown, walked gracefully and with authority. She stopped 20 meters in front of Ariel, Sri, and Melisa, lifting her elegant aristocratic hat and introducing herself.
"Let's save the questions for later, what is that thing, Big Brother? A beautiful woman, but with three tails? And she looks angry," Sri interrupted, her voice trembling with fear.
"Hey, hey, looks like you're having fun! Sorry to interrupt your reunion," the woman with three tails said with a soft tone, her voice dripping with venom as she emitted a murderous aura, surrounding them with intense heat.
"Allow me to introduce myself—my name is Linda. The reason I'm attacking you is that you must take responsibility for your actions! You've entered my territory and killed all my subordinates. You will pay for it!" The woman with three tails shouted, her aura growing more intense, radiating heat in all directions.
"Wait! We were only defending ourselves from the monsters, and we accidentally ended up here," Melisa quickly explained the situation to the beautiful woman with three tails.
"That's right, Aunt! If it weren't for the person who helped us, both Ariel and I would have become the monsters' next meal!" Sri added, pointing toward Melisa.
"What?! How dare you, little fairy, call me 'Aunt' so casually! You have no manners!" Linda, the three-tailed woman, snarled, her aura growing even more intense.
"Kyaaaa, no, Aunt, I mean, beautiful sister! I didn't mean it like that! Please forgive me, beautiful sister! Oh no, Big Brother Ariel, this is getting worse!" Sri cried in fear, hiding behind Ariel, who was floating in a bubble a meter off the ground.