"What the hell?" Uzoth muttered, dazed, as he stumbled to his feet—600 meters from where he'd been launched. Through the shattered terrain and broken trees, he spotted a figure standing still at the far edge.
Inside the subspace, Saiken's voice came through, tense.
"No way..."
"Hm?"
"That... that Radia. That form... It resembles that of an Amphinite."
"Like you?"
"Yes. But... that shouldn't be possible. I'm the only one who was sent here from my world."
"Didn't they send you to hunt down another Amphinite?"
"True, but I highly doubt he's here. This planet was never on the radar."
"Then who the hell is that?"
"He's... purple."
"The hell does that mean?"
"...Trouble."
---
"What the hell is that?" Kierra muttered, staring at the approaching Amphinite. It turned toward her. She was too shocked to move. No matter how much she tried she just couldn't move a single muscle. As the amphinite got closer she closed her eyes and accepted her fate.
The amphinite was now next to her. The thudding footsteps stopped. It was over.
The deep unsettling yet calm voice of the creature broke the silence.
"Are you okay?" It asked
Kierra gave one look at the rest of her body.
"Still in one piece."
"What about the other?"
"The other...you mean the chameli?"
"Yes."
"He's...I don't know. He got launched deep into the forest so he could be dead..."
The Amphinite's expression shifted—blank neutrality replaced by fury. It raised its foot and slammed it down. From the impact, a wave of jagged ice spikes erupted from the ground, shooting toward Uzoth with devastating speed, destroying everything in their path.
"Uzoth... run." Saiken urged.
Uzoth's eyes snapped wide as he spotted the incoming barrage. He dove aside just in time—but as he faked right, the spikes curved, homing in on him.
"SHIT!" He raised his arms to block, but they pierced clean through his hands.
Thinking fast, Saiken morphed into Uzoth's feet, forming massive stone pillars that launched him high into the air—barely escaping.
But the spikes didn't stop. They followed, twisting up the stone like serpents.
"Why the hell am I not healing?!"
"Amphinites can inflict lasting damage on each other. This one is your natural enemy I fear."
"Great. How long till you can go full form?"
"At least 30 minutes. Those flames did a number on me."
"Wonderful."
"I'll do what I can to patch the weaknesses. But be cautious. This one's dangerous."
"What type is it?"
"Frost. Arguably one of the most powerful classes."
"Stronger than you?"
"...We'll find out soon enough."
Suddenly, the ice spikes began to shatter, one by one. Something was coming up.
"He's already here?!"
Uzoth detached his feet from the pillar mid-air and spun, kicking segments off the structure and launching them down like missiles. But they never landed. In a blink, every chunk was sliced clean in half by the rising Amphinite.
Before Uzoth could even react, he was snatched mid-air in a chokehold and launched into the earth.
Saiken quickly formed a ramp that softened Uzoth's fall, allowing him to skid into a crouch.
But no time to breathe.
Again, like lightning, the Amphinite appeared—and delivered a devastating kick that launched Uzoth into the untouched forest, pulverizing everything in his path.
"We're too injured!" Saiken snapped. "We can't face him like this!"
"What are you saying... that we run?" Uzoth growled through bloodied teeth, struggling to rise.
"You'll die. Let go of your ego for now. Live to fight another day."
"Ha... don't make me laugh." He stood, trembling, blood dripping from every limb. "I'm the Monarch of Havoc. Uzoth knows no defeat."
He cut off Saiken.
The Amphinite broke through the forest like a living missile. Ice began to swirl around its fist, solidifying into a massive frozen gauntlet.
It came for the kill.
Uzoth roared, caught the punch with one trembling hand—his body buckling, blood splattering the ground. The Amphinite's eyes widened.
"So this is a Monarch… how exciting." it thought.
"My turn."
Uzoth's other arm twisted and morphed, Saiken coating it in heavy stone. He grabbed the Amphinite, pulled it in, and drilled a punch into its gut that triggered a ground-shaking explosion. The enemy was sent flying.
Mid-air, the Amphinite twisted, stabilizing itself. From its hands, water flowed—then flash-froze. With flickering speed, it launched a flurry of razor-sharp ice spikes back at Uzoth.
"You just don't stop, huh?" Uzoth grunted.
He tried to dodge—but he was too slow. Too broken. The first two spikes impaled his arm. One drove into his abdomen. Another shattered his femur.
He collapsed. Breath ragged. Movement impossible.
The Amphinite landed with a thud, slow-walking toward him.
"Who are you… and what the hell do you want?" Uzoth hissed.
The Amphinite didn't answer. It merely approached, gaze locked on him—taunting.
Then, its face shifted. Metal pulled back like liquid.
And there—beneath the surface—was an unconscious Yuri.
Uzoth's eyes widened in shock. "So it was you..."
"It was."
"So? What now?"
"Isn't it obvious?" The Amphinite's hand morphed into an icy dagger. "You're of no use to me anymore."
Uzoth gave a quiet laugh. "So be it. I've lived long enough."
The Amphinite raised the dagger—and struck.
But in a split second, Uzoth vanished.
"Hm?" The Amphinite looked around.
A blue blur tore through the battlefield.
At a distance now stood a figure, clutching Uzoth—fast, silent, and precise.
"I'm under orders. Don't think I did this as a favor." The figure holding Uzoth spoke with a robotic voice.
Uzoth gasped. "BB!"
"Don't sound so happy. It's disgusting."
The figure stood tall in the clearing, dressed in a high-grade leather suit engineered to endure the brutal friction of high-speed travel. His boots, crafted from malleable titanium, made almost no sound as he touched the ground. A faint blue hue tinted his short hair, and his face was masked—sleek and predatory, shaped like a falcon's beak. From his back, enormous wings pulsing with raw energy extended outward, humming in the silence.
He locked eyes with the Amphinite for a second.
"…We'll have our fun some day."
And then—he vanished.
A sonic shockwave exploded in his wake, shattering nearby trees like twigs.
For a moment, there was nothing. No sound. No movement. Only the hush of the forest mourning its destruction.
The Amphinite stood still, eyes scanning the devastation. A light rain began to fall, dampening the charred earth. It looked down at its body—fractured, twitching, flickering. It was running out of time.
It crouched low, a surge of power flowing into its legs, illuminating the ground beneath its feet.
With one mighty leap, it vanished.
—
Kierra ran.
Still naked. Still trembling. None of it mattered now.
All that mattered was Nico.
The rain barely touched her—held back by the trees—but she could hear it. Distant drops pattering through trees. Every breath was shaky, every muscle burned, but her mind refused to register it.
She was following Nico's trail of destruction, tracing the path where he had been hurled. Something in her chest wouldn't let her stop. She had to see him. She had to know.
The ground shook beneath her.
She looked up—
Too late.
She collided with something massive and cold. Her body hit the earth hard.
When she looked up…
It was there.
The Amphinite.
It didn't even glance at her as it strode forward, its feet splintering the ground beneath with each step. Power radiated from its frame—unstoppable, primal.
Kierra scrambled up, heart pounding. The Amphinite's arms began to glow, energy surging to its hands as it approached Nico's still body.
"No… no, no, no—"
She ran past it and threw herself in front of Nico, arms raised, eyes shut tight.
She waited for death.
But it never came.
Instead, she felt something gentle.
The Amphinite brushed her aside—not cruelly, but firmly—and knelt beside Nico.
Its glowing arms moved toward the massive hole in Nico's chest. The branch was pulled free, tearing a fresh spray of blood. Kierra screamed.
"STOP! PLEASE! DON'T HURT HIM!"
But the creature remained calm. Focused.
A small piece of its own body detached—amorphous and glowing—slipping into the wound. Slowly, the gash began to seal.
The Amphinite turned to her at last.
"He's lost a lot of blood. Let him rest. Stay near him. And keep watch—his scent has drawn predators. I suggest heading for the nearest body of water."
"Why can't you just carry him?" she asked, voice shaking. "You seem strong enough…"
"I wish I could," it said. "Uzoth wasn't easy. I'm out of energy. I have to detransform now. Please… take care of both of them."
"Both of them?" Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean both of—"
She froze.
The Amphinite's form rippled… and began to collapse.
And from within the fading shell…
A face emerged.
His face.
Yuri.
He was unconscious. Limp. As the last fragments of alien flesh vanished, his human body tilted forward.
Kierra rushed to catch him, cradling him against her chest.
The weight of everything—Nico's near-death, the chaos, the truth—hit her all at once.
Tears streamed down her face.
She held him tightly.
"…My hero."
The situation was hopeless.
Kierra was battered and bruised, her body on the verge of collapse. Her still clinging to consciousness at all spoke volumes about her resilience.
But sheer will wasn't enough. Carrying two full-grown men in her condition? Impossible. And time was against them—drawn by the scent of blood, the unholy side of the forest was closing in fast.
A dark thought slithered into her mind: "Maybe I could leave them behind..."
She shut it down instantly, disgusted at herself for even considering it.
Then came the sound that shattered the stillness.
A blood-curdling roar tore through the air.
Kierra froze. Her whole body trembled.
"I know that roar all too well..." she muttered, eyes wide with terror.
A male Great Lynx. It had to be. Possibly seeking vengeance for its slain mate.
She glanced at Yuri. Then at Nico. Then down at her own exposed, blood-smeared body.
"Going out naked, huh..." she whispered with a broken laugh and sank down between the two.
There was no fighting it. No outrunning it. Even at full strength, no one escapes a Great Lynx.
She sighed, defeated, and lowered her head.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to the amphinite. "I let you down."
But just as the thunderous ground shakes signaled the creature's final approach—
They stopped.
Suddenly, the air turned dense. Unbearably dense.
A wave of Radia crashed through the atmosphere like a tidal force.
Every hair on her body stood upright. Her skin prickled. Her lungs tightened as the pressure built around her.
Something—someone—had arrived.
"What the hell..." she breathed.
Then, the smell hit her.
Foreign tobacco. Charred trees.
And an overwhelming surge of Radia so intense it felt like the planet itself was cowering.
Her breath caught.
"...This is...why is he here??"
A presence she knew far too well. Far more terrifying than any Great Lynx.
He had arrived.
Another roar rang out, but this one was different—piercing and filled with pain. A cry for help.
It was followed by a thunderous thud in the same direction.
The Lynx... had been the first victim.
Kierra's thoughts spiraled.
"He knows I'm here. He has to. He's coming for me..."
She could barely breathe. Her life was flashing before her eyes. That kind of overwhelming, godlike pressure—there was only one man she knew who could do this.
And then, just as suddenly, it vanished.
The scent of tobacco began to fade. The pressure lifted. The Radia in the air dissipated.
The forest returned to the gentle sounds of rain landing on the leaves.
"...Gone?" she whispered.
Maybe it wasn't him. Maybe she was wrong. Or maybe... he had changed his mind.
She ran a scan of the surrounding area, stretching her awareness outward.
Nothing.
For 15 kilometers in every direction—there was nothing.
"What in the actual fuck just happened..." she muttered.
The adrenaline faded. Her strength vanished. The moment the tension left her body, so did her remaining consciousness.
She collapsed, falling gently atop Yuri.
Morning arrived, grey and damp. Somehow, they'd all made it through the night.
Kierra was roused by a loud croaking sound. Something slimy had crawled onto her face, and as she blinked awake—
Croak.
She shot up with a gasp, fists clenched and ready to swing.
"...A toad? And it was on my face—"
Her brain caught up.
"AHHHHHH! EWWWW! THAT'S DISGUSTING!"
Without hesitation, she yeeted the poor river toad into the air with a scream-powered slap.
Still twitching from disgust, she frantically checked her body for more creatures. That's when she saw them.
Leeches.
Her blood ran cold. "I hate the fucking forest!"
Screaming and writhing, she fought to rip them off, flinging each bloodsucker with full-throttle horror. After what felt like an eternity of gross warfare, she finally got them all off.
Then she remembered.
"The guys!"
She spun around—and immediately froze.
Yuri and Nico's bodies were covered in leeches.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The dread returned full-force. She paced in place, groaning at the moral burden. "Why me? WHY ME?"
But in the end, her conscience won. With a dramatic sigh and visible cringe, she stepped toward them.
Then, just as her hand reached out, she felt it.
A surge of Radia swept through the air, buzzing against her skin. But unlike before, this one felt... warm. Gentle.
"What the hell?" she muttered, scanning the surroundings. "...Nico?"
She turned toward his body—he was the source. The Radia was coming from him.
"Why though?" she asked herself aloud, puzzled.
But before she could even form a theory, the Radia vanished. Instantly. And just like that, every leech on their bodies shriveled up and died.
She blinked, stunned. Was that intentional? A subconscious defense mechanism? A built-in reaction? Either way, she was fascinated.
But her thoughts were cut short by a soft grunt.
"Nico?"
His fingers twitched. Then his head. He stirred.
"YOU'RE AWAKE!" she shrieked, leaping beside him and squishing his cheeks.
"Easy there, dawg... You're crushing my facial structure..." he groaned.
"It's practically non-existent anyway," she shot back.
"What the hell does that even mean?" he muttered, too sore for this nonsense.
"Anyway, now that you're up, things just got a lot easier for me."
"Huh?" He pushed himself up slowly, face contorting from the pain. "What the hell happened here?"
"I'll explain on the way."
"On the way to where?"
"Can you walk?"
"Hold on, slow down. What is going on?"
"We need to get him—" she pointed at Yuri "—and you to the nearest water body."
"Why?"
"Because... he told me to."
"He who?"
"I... I don't even know."
Nico blinked at her. "You realize how insane you sound right now, right?"
She paused. Took a breath. And realized—yeah, she sounded crazy.
"I'm sorry. I'm just... overwhelmed."
He softened. "No worries. Just rest. I'll get us to the waterfall up ahead."
She raised an eyebrow. "How? You had a giant hole in your chest yesterday. You really think you're in shape to carry two bodies for two and a half kilometers?"
"I'm a Chameli," he said with a crooked grin. "We're known for our endurance."
Total lie. He could barely stand.
She stared for a moment. "…Fine. But I can walk. Just carry him."
Nico gave her a long, expressionless look.
"Where yo clothes at?"
Kierra froze. Then, with a squeal of panic, she covered herself with her arms.
"P-Pervert! Hmph!"
She spun on her heel and stormed off into the forest, face redder than the blood that stained the battlefield.
---
Branches snapped underfoot as she made her way deeper into the trees, scanning every leaf, log, and scorched stump for any sign of her clothes. But with the forest practically turned inside out from yesterday's chaos, everything looked the same—twisted, broken, unfamiliar.
"Ugh... where are my clothes?" she muttered, swatting away a vine. "This is like finding a needle in a haystack."
Then came a voice.
"Looking for these?"
She froze.
The voice drifted out from the shadows. Low. Confident. Familiar in the worst way.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart began to pound.
Slowly, she turned toward the voice—each second stretching like eternity.
And there he stood. Leaning against a tree like he owned the forest. Holding her torn clothes casually in one hand. That smirk. That look in his eyes.
"Yo," he said menacingly. "It's been a while... Ghost Princess."
"...Ryo."