The march toward the burnt village felt heavier than the distance itself.
Kairo walked at the front, Shiri beside him, the army of ghouls lined neatly behind in rows of two. Each ghoul clutched a club and shield, their patchwork armor clinking with each step. Though the undead had no true expressions, the uniformity of their march and the sharp discipline gave off a strange sense of presence—as if they were eager for what was to come.
At the very front of the ghoul line strode the fire-mabager ghoul, still without a name, but with unprecedented intelegence, its faintly glowing eyes fixed forward. Kairo had long since recognized it as his battlefield anchor, a captain in all but name.
"Left, toward the rise," Shiri said, raising his scaled arm and pointing. His voice was steady, though the faint tension in it betrayed the memories clawing at him. "That's the way I came when I fled. From there, you'll see the plains stretching out to the village."
"Got it." Kairo adjusted his stride. The land opened up gradually as they passed beyond the last ruined structures of his claimed territory.
Ahead stretched a dry plain. Vegetation clung desperately to life—blackened shrubs, cracked earth with tufts of brittle grass, and trees that were more charred skeletons than living things. In the far distance, like a scar that refused to heal, stood the remains of the village. Black beams jutted upward, collapsed rooftops slumped over, and a faint haze of ash still hung in the air even after all this time.
Kairo slowed for a moment, his eyes narrowing at the desolation. "That thing really put a dent into this place," he muttered.
Shiri's jaw tightened. "A dent? That monster erased lives here. Families, soldiers, children. Burned down everything." His yellow serpent eyes flashed with a glint of anger. "They didn't even have a chance."
Kairo looked at him for a moment, weighing his words. He felt the weight of Shiri's grief but also something stirring inside himself. He wasn't just here to claim a relic. He wasn't just expanding territory. He was walking into a graveyard.
"…Then we'll do this right," Kairo said, voice firmer than he expected. "Not just for us. For them. For the people who should've been safe here." He immediately cringed internally—was that too cheesy? Too much like something from one of those games or stories he used to read?
But Shiri's eyes softened, and the naga gave him a small nod. "Although I don't know what you are talking about, which isn't new at this point, yes.. that was very cheesy."
Both of them smiled faintly, finally looking like true comrade.
The ghouls followed close behind, their steps steady and unbroken. For all their lack of emotions, the sight of twenty armored undead marching through the wasteland gave Kairo confidence. This wasn't just him fumbling in a strange world anymore. This was an army.
They reached the burnt village gates. Or rather, what remained of them. The watchtower to the right had collapsed onto its side, half buried in ash. The gate itself hung twisted from one hinge, blackened to the core. Beside it lay the remains of what must have been a guardhouse, its interior scorched beyond recognition. Through the broken timbers, Kairo could see the outline of corpses still trapped inside—skeletal, charred, and fused to their posts.
Kairo exhaled slowly. "So this… was once you're home."
Shiri's scales bristled as he looked. "Not home. But people still lived here. They deserved more than this."
Kairo nodded grimly and gave the order. "Pairs. Spread out. Search the ruins."
[ Command Accepted – Unit Formation Adjusted]
The ghouls broke into groups of five, moving with eerie synchronization. The fire-marked ghoul remained by Kairo's side, silent but alert.
The silence of the village was oppressive. Each crunch of boots against ash seemed to echo. As they passed houses, Kairo took in the devastation. What had once been bustling streets were now littered with collapsed beams and broken pottery. The smell of char lingered even though the fire had long since died.
It was too quiet. No birds, no vermin, not even the wind. Just silence, like the world itself had chosen to abandon the place.
"Kairo!" Shiri called out suddenly.
The naga had stopped in front of a large, burnt frame of what must have once been a caravan wagon. His eyes darted over the ruined structure, desperate, searching. He leapt forward, shoving aside beams and debris, looking inside.
Kairo followed quickly, watching as Shiri's hands moved frantically. For a moment, the naga looked like someone clinging to the last hope of a dream.
But all he found were charred remnants. Blackened seats. Ash.
"No… no, no," Shiri whispered. His claws clenched. (They may have exiled me. They may have treated me as a burden. But they still fought for me. Died for me. And now—) His voice cracked.
Kairo frowned, watching Shiri's frantic searching. "What are you looking for?" he asked, confused but sensing Shiri's desperation.
Shiri didn't answer, but his tail lashed against the ground, scattering dust.
Then his eyes caught something inside the wagon. Supplies. Bags untouched by fire. And within them, faintly glowing blue shards. His breath hitched.
"Mana crystals…" His hands trembled as he lifted one. "They… they survived."
Kairo crouched and picked one up.
But then Shiri noticed something and froze. The crystal wasn't whole. A jagged crack split down its center.
Shiri's eyes widened, his throat tightening. "N–No! Put it down!" His voice shot up into a sharp scream. "That's a bomb! A cracked crystal—it could explode at any second!"
Kairo immediately stepped back, his heart leaping. "What?!"
Shiri's voice broke into a panic. "Get down!" He threw himself to the ground, claws over his head. Kairo followed, adrenaline surging. He expected the world to erupt into light and fire.
But nothing happened.
The crystal pulsed faintly… then stilled.
Shiri slowly raised his head, trembling. "W-Why didn't it detonate?" He crawled forward carefully, inspecting it. "Cracked mana crystals always detonate. They're unstable power sources… like compressed bombs."
Kairo frowned, his breathing heavy. "So why didn't this one go off?"
"I don't know," Shiri muttered. His tail flicked nervously as he turned the crystal over. "Something is suppressing it. Maybe… maybe the same monster that caused all this? Or something tied to the relic?"
They shared a long look, both shaken but relieved. Kairo chuckled weakly. "Feels like the universe just put a grenade in our laps and decided not to pull the pin."
Shiri let out a rough laugh. "Not funny. I don't know what a grenade is but… i think that would be accurate."
Before they could dwell on it, two ghouls jogged into view, their movements urgent. One of them gestured sharply, beckoning.
Kairo and Shiri exchanged a look, then followed quickly. The ghouls led them into the shell of a house at the edge of the village. Inside, half buried under rubble, lay a boy.
He was unconscious, his breathing shallow. Ash covered his body, but what drew their eyes immediately were the horns jutting from his forehead and the patches of scales creeping down his arms. His hands were bloodied, his clothes torn.
Shiri's eyes widened. "A… dragonoid? Here? But he looks almost human…"
Kairo crouched beside him. The boy's chest rose and fell, faint but steady. "He's alive. Somehow."
Before they could say more, the ground trembled.
Then came the roar.
A guttural, ear-splitting sound that shook the ash from the beams above them. The ghouls stiffened immediately.
The roar grew closer.
And then, stepping into view beyond the house, came the monster.
It was massive—easily three times the height of a man. Its body was built thick and broad, like a warrior sculpted from obsidian. Black scales shimmered with a crimson outline, and from its shoulders jutted plated ridges that glowed faintly with heat. A jagged crest like a mohawk ran from its skull down its spine, burning faintly with embers.
Its maw opened, flames licking at the edges as smoke poured out. The heavy tail swayed behind it, thick enough to crush stone.
Kairo's eyes snapped to his Command Nexus.
[ Name: Karhux ]
[ Classification: Tier 4 Beast ]
[ Traits: Fire-scaled, Close-Range Predator ]
[ Detected Skills: Flame Burst / Tail Slam / Molten Charge / Heatwave Roar / Ash Armor ]
Kairo's blood ran cold. "Tier… four," he whispered.
Shiri hissed in disbelief. "That's what destroyed the village. No wonder no one survived."
Kairo's heart pounded. They weren't ready. Not for this. But there was no choice.
"Formation!" he barked.
[ Command Accepted – Ghoul Units Align ]
The ghouls snapped into ranks, shields up, clubs raised. The fire-marked ghoul strode forward, silent and ready, like it had been waiting for this moment.
Karhux let out another roar, the flames from its maw casting the broken village in a red glow. Its heavy steps shook the ground as it advanced, towering over the ruined houses.
Kairo grit his teeth. "We're not backing down."
Far away, another group approached the village.
Renn adjusted the strap of his lute-like instrument—the violent—against his back as the wind carried the echo of the roar toward him. His hand brushed against the slit across his neck, a permanent reminder of his bargain.
Behind him, armored figures with long ears and twitching noses—the bunnymen soldiers—stiffened at the sound.
"That's it," Renn said, voice low. "Karhux. Move. Quickly."
The soldiers obeyed, sprinting across the plain. Renn kept his eyes fixed on the distant column of smoke and fire, his expression unreadable. Lord Lyra had sent him to investigate the disappearance of a powerful aura near the ruins, but he hadn't expected this.
And he certainly didn't expect that, within the ruins, another Lord was already preparing to face the beast.
Kairo didn't know Renn was coming.
Renn didn't know Kairo was there.
But the burnt village was about to become the stage for a battle neither could ignore.
And Karhux, the destroyer, stood ready to fight.