Velna was completely drained. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, her body trembling, pain coursing through every joint. She sat slumped on the stone bridge, eyes locked on the massive claw raised above her head, ready to split her skull in two. In the final seconds before death, she squeezed her eyes shut.
(Is it… over? Is this really the end?)
But at that very moment, a deafening sound split the air. WHAM! A powerful kick slammed into the monster's head, forcing its enormous body sideways. The bridge cracked under the impact of its skull.
Velna's eyes flew open in shock. A man now stood before her—broad-shouldered, solidly built, with messy strands of coarse black hair hanging loose. He wore simple clothes, the kind common folk wore, not the academy uniform. Yet the aura radiating from him was anything but ordinary.
Kiriya turned slightly, his calm yet sharp eyes glinting in the darkness. His lips curved faintly as he muttered in a sarcastic tone:
