"Wendy, Kaizen, how's the situation?" Achilles asked.
Wendy responded quickly.
"The attackers were from the Republic of Mimbo. Their objective was Rosgel's head. The Dark Hunter base was hit hard, and the casualties were severe. Gaunt-sama was restrained."
"Kaizen and I took down one of the pursuers," she continued. "But there might be more of them in Keek City."
Achilles' expression darkened slightly. "Come with me."
He then turned to Kaizen, as if anticipating doubt. "The few individuals from Mimbo who could actually threaten me wouldn't come to Keek City. If they had, Gaunt wouldn't have been able to hold out at all."
"As for the rest, they won't be able to harm you while I'm here."
Achilles exuded complete confidence in his strength.
"Wendy, boost my speed."
Wendy nodded. "Got it."
A gust of wind wrapped around Achilles, enhancing his movement. At the same time, Kaizen and Wendy followed suit.
"Move!"
With that command, the three of them raced toward Keek City at an incredible speed.
Unlike before—when they had been pursued and forced to flee—Kaizen and Wendy now moved with renewed confidence, following Achilles' lead.
Kaizen glanced at him. I wonder just how strong Achilles really is…
"Logically speaking, he should be stronger than Dominica-sama," Kaizen mused. "Achilles is the son of the Beast of the Dojo of Beasts, after all, while Dominica-sama isn't the son of the Dragon of the Dojo of the Dragon. The son of the dragon is someone else."
"Wendy, Ted, and Roben are obviously stronger than most of their peers… but how does Achilles compare to Uncle Silva?"
Kaizen didn't even bother comparing Achilles to Zeno. He knew Zeno's strength far surpassed Achilles'.
The difference in experience is on another level. And in terms of talent, Zeno isn't any weaker than Achilles either.
Keek City came into view.
Panic had already spread. A large number of people were fleeing, alarmed by the battle at the Dark Hunter base. However, they had no idea what had actually happened—they only knew it was dangerous and wanted to get as far away as possible.
But oddly, there were no visible signs of ongoing combat.
Kaizen's gaze landed on the Dark Hunter base.
Or what was left of it.
It was completely in ruins.
His eyes narrowed. So quiet…? Did the Mimbo forces already leave?
Did they get Rosgel's head?
And what about Gaunt?
Achilles led Kaizen and Wendy toward the destroyed base.
Then—
A powerful aura burst outward from Achilles, spreading in all directions.
Kaizen's pupils shrank.
Wendy went pale.
Achilles' face twisted in anger.
At the center of the wreckage, a wooden pole stood tall, planted firmly into the ground.
Atop it was a severed head.
Gaunt's head.
His eyes were wide open, frozen in disbelief.
"Gaunt!" Achilles roared.
To him, Gaunt wasn't just a fellow warrior from Fiora—he was also a comrade from the Dojo of Beasts. More than that, he was a friend.
Achilles instantly appeared before Gaunt's head.
Blood dripped down. A single drop landed on his shoe.
Achilles' eyes sharpened. "Not far."
He turned in a specific direction.
"Then we end this now."
In a flash, Achilles transformed into something monstrous.
His legs shifted into sharp, golden talons, resembling an eagle's claws.
Thick red fur spread across his body, muscles swelling with raw power.
Sharp horns emerged from his head and shoulders.
His hair turned stark white.
An overwhelming, terrifying aura radiated from him.
BOOM!
The ground trembled.
Then, Achilles vanished.
Kaizen looked at Wendy and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
He had seen death many times before.
In Meteor City, in Heavens Arena, in the underworld, and in the Taris Kingdom…
He had witnessed so much death that he had grown used to it.
Wendy had seen many corpses as well.
But Gaunt was different.
He was royalty—like Ina before him.
"Wendy, let's search for survivors."
"Right."
Both of them expanded their En, scanning the area.
But all they sensed beneath the rubble were lifeless bodies.
Then—
Kaizen detected a faint trace of life.
"Akutagawa Ryunosuke!"
A figure emerged.
Ryunosuke's dark red claws moved the debris aside.
Kaizen observed him and thought, His ability isn't just for combat—it's also incredibly useful for search-and-rescue. It's like having a mechanical arm: powerful, precise, and flexible.
As more rubble was cleared, another figure came into view.
Ralph.
He lay motionless, a massive scar over his heart. But something was odd—the wound seemed like it had once been a hole, forcibly patched up.
Kaizen's eyes flicked to Ralph's right hand.
As expected, the aura from it was far weaker than before.
So that monster used its own power to heal Ralph's fatal wound?
It makes sense… Kaizen thought. If Ralph lives, that monster can live. If Ralph dies, the monster dies too. It was the only choice.
Kaizen directed Ryunosuke to move Ralph to a flatter area. Then, he pulled out a bottle of water.
"Give him some."
Ryunosuke carefully helped Ralph drink.
"Cough! Cough!"
Ralph's eyes fluttered open. He saw Kaizen.
"Kaizen?"
"You're okay now. Drink more, and eat something. You need to recover. I'll fill you in after you rest."
Ralph weakly nodded.
After eating, his breathing steadied.
Then, Kaizen told him everything.
Ralph's face went pale.
"You mean… I'm the only one who survived? The entire Dark Hunter squad…?"
Silence hung heavy between them.
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