Malric held his sword—still pointed at Nolan's neck. He raised it slightly, power flaring once again. This time, his eyes locked onto Nolan's—the only place he could truly see the power. But what stared back at him was strange. It was telling him—error, error, error.
He couldn't see anything clearly.
"Tell me what you are," he said, pressing the blade closer to Nolan's throat. His voice was steady.
I already have this power. I know how to use it. So let's see which is faster—my voice or his hand, Nolan thought.
Then, louder, Malric shouted, "Speak! Who are you, and what are you?!"
With the sword at his neck, Nolan gave a slight smirk. "Are you sure you want me to speak?" he asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, he yelled, "Time Disruptor!"
Malric froze instantly.
Nolan stepped back, away from the blade. What the hell is he saying? Why is a tiger-looking guy trying to kill me? he thought. Well, let me take that sword away from his hand.
He walked up to Malric and calmly removed the sword from his frozen grip.
I'm with his sword now, Nolan thought. Should I resume time now?
He paused, still pacing with Malric's sword in hand. There was a strange symbol etched into the blade—a scale—and in the center, a red engraving of a dragon. He stared at it.
"What does this mean?" he muttered, studying it closely.
Then he glanced back at Malric.
"In my world, this thing is called a tiger… but I'm sure it's a demi-human," he said. "Back in my old world, I saw stuff like this. In anime. In manga. Demi-humans."
He lifted the sword again, inspecting its weight and detail.
Should I resume time? Nolan thought again. He remembered how fast Malric was. If Malric were standing when time resumed, he might regain the upper hand.
Making a quick decision, Nolan walked over and shoved Malric onto his back, pressing him flat into the mud. The frozen Malric collapsed like a statue, still locked in the stance of holding the sword. Nolan then placed his foot on Malric's armored chest.
"Well… I think this is good."
He raised his voice. "Time disruptor."
Instantly, the world lurched back into motion.
"What is going on?!" Malric gasped, blinking rapidly. He was moving again—alive, confused, and clearly not in control.
"What the hell? What's going on?" Malric repeated, still in shock.
Nolan stood over him, holding the sword with confidence. "Hey. Don't move. Don't even think about it. If you do, I'll make sure you die by your own sword." His tone was calm, but his eyes were cold. "Why did you try to kill me? Explain it. Clearly. Because if you don't, I swear you'll die before you can speak another word."
Malric, still lying in the mud, stared up at him in disbelief. His eyes widened when he saw Nolan gripping the sword.
"What… what did you do? How are you holding that sword?" he said, his voice trembling. "No one can hold it. There's a dragon sealed inside that blade. If someone can lift it—and that person isn't me—that means… they have more strength than the dragon itself."
Nolan frowned. "I don't get what you're saying. Stronger than a dragon? Whatever." He stepped closer. "Now it's your turn to feel what I felt."
He bent down, slowly bringing the sword toward Malric's neck.
But in a flash, Malric vanished.
His movement was so fast it blurred—faster than light. Nolan barely caught a glimpse.
"What the hell?" Nolan muttered, stunned.
Before he could react, Malric reappeared behind him, his clawed hand aimed to slash Nolan's back. But then something strange happened—Nolan's body moved on its own.
He dodged.
"You don't know what you're holding. You don't know the true power—or the danger—that sword carries. Give it to me," Malric said.
"Wait… wait a minute," Nolan replied, eyeing him. "Looks like this sword means something to you."
He kept his fighting stance, holding the sword tightly while stepping back slowly. Malric mirrored him, moving forward with careful steps. Nolan matched his pace, eyes locked on him.
Then suddenly—Malric vanished.
In a flash, he appeared again, aiming another slash at Nolan. But before the blade could touch him, Nolan's body moved on its own, dodging just in time.
"How dare you?!" Malric growled. "How are you able to read my movements?!"
Nolan stumbled slightly as his body skidded to a stop. It barely held him up, but then, somehow, he found his footing again.
"I don't know!" Nolan snapped. "Stop asking me that! I don't even know if I am able to see you. I wasn't! It's like… like my body has a mind of its own."
"I don't care what it is," Malric hissed. "I'm going to kill you now. This time, I'll make sure you're dead."
As Malric tensed to strike—
"Don't you dare move!" Nolan shouted. "I'll break your precious sword—with my bare hands!"
He held the blade up, tightening his grip. "I'm sure this thing matters to you. I hope she doesn't make you regret it. Move—and I swear, I'll destroy it."
There's a dragon sealed within this sword… a dragon that once caused calamity across the world, Malric thought as he paused, lowering his stance. He no longer wanted to attack.
Nolan noticed and smiled. "So… is this sword really that precious to you?" he asked. "If it is, then leave me and go. I'll give it to you—but only if you promise to let me go."
"I can't let a creature like you go," Malric said coldly. "You're dangerous, and you need to die. Either way… this ends now."
That was when a sound echoed through the forest—something fast, running.
They both turned to their left.
Nolan's eyes widened. "Zuru…"
It was his boar.
Zuru charged toward them at full speed.
Malric immediately took a fighting stance, preparing to slash whatever was coming. But just before contact, the boar began to glow and shift—activating its evolved power once more.
Its body grew larger, energy pulsing through its frame. It charged at Malric with even greater force, knocking him backward.
He planted his right leg forward and his left leg behind, trying to reduce the impact, but he was still pushed several steps back. His hand stayed in front, guiding his sword—but it wasn't enough to stop Zuru's momentum.
"What the hell is that?!" Malric shouted, lowering his arm and staring in shock.
"That's a boar," Nolan said calmly.
"A boar?! How can a boar be that big… and that powerful?!" Malric exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.