The dinner table was small, the wood worn smooth from years of use, but that night it held something it hadn't in a long time — laughter. Zerath had managed to cook a half-decent meal with the groceries, grumbling the whole time about how dragons weren't meant to be kitchen servants. Still, the rice was warm, the meat well-seasoned, and Ciel kept stuffing his cheeks like a squirrel, his wide eyes shining with joy.
When the plates were finally cleared, the four of them sat in the cramped living room. The glow of the television bathed their faces as Khae stared at the strange device with deep suspicion.
"This," he said, pointing a claw at the black box, "shows pictures and voices? A portal of some kind?"
Caelan chuckled, holding up the remote. "Not exactly. It's just… entertainment. Or news. Here, I'll show you."
He pressed a button, and the screen flickered to life. A female anchor's voice filled the room, her tone sharp with urgency.
"Breaking news — a high-level Gate has manifested in the southern district. Residents are advised to evacuate immediately. The Association has classified the Gate as S-rank. Hunters that are A-rank and above are being dispatched as we speak."
Ciel gasped, his little fingers gripping Caelan's sleeve. "Brother… that's near here."
Khae tilted his head. "Gates have… ranks as well?"
Caelan nodded slowly. "Yeah. The Association grades them — E-rank, D, C, B A, S, SS, Abyssal. S rank is… dangerous. Abyssal Gates are almost impossible to clear."
Before Khae could respond, the walls trembled. A dull, heavy rumble shook the floorboards, and the ceiling light swayed violently.
Zerath leapt to his feet. "Tch. That's no tremor. The Gate has already destabilized."
Khae stood, brushing dust from his shoulders, his expression unchanging. "Stay here. I will check."
Caelan moved as if to follow, but Khae's hand pressed lightly to his shoulder. "Protect your brother. That is your duty."
The boys fell silent as Khae strode to the door and stepped outside.
The night air was heavy with the metallic tang of mana. Not far down the street, where rows of houses ended and the asphalt road curved toward the city, space itself warped. A rift glowed, jagged and pulsating, as if the air had been slashed open by an unseen blade. The oval-shaped Gate was enormous, its center swirling with crimson and black light, spilling unnatural mist into the neighborhood.
Residents screamed and scattered, dragging children, clutching bags. Some froze, paralyzed with fear. A few reckless hunters were already gathering, their weapons drawn, but the sight of the glowing symbol etched across the Gate's surface made even the bravest hesitate.
Without walking, Khae vanished. Shadows rippled — and he appeared beside the hunters, who nearly dropped their weapons in shock.
"W-who—?" one began, but the Gate pulsed violently before he could finish.
A beast lumbered out. It was a grotesque fusion of lion and lizard, scales crawling across its shoulders, its maw dripping acid. The ground cracked under its weight.
The creature didn't even acknowledge the other hunters. Its glowing eyes locked straight onto Khae.
It lunged.
Khae didn't move. His expression remained calm, almost bored. At the last moment, he lifted his palm.
A massive purple-black blast erupted, swallowing the beast in shadow and flame. When the light faded, nothing but dust remained, scattered into the night air.
The hunters froze, staring in disbelief.
"He… he erased it… in a single hit…"
"That wasn't magic. That was—" the other stammered, unable to finish.
The Gate trembled again, screeching. More monsters clawed their way forward, eyes burning, their bodies twisted in unnatural ways. The hunters braced themselves, though their legs shook.
Khae stepped toward the rift, shadows curling at his feet. His lips curved into a faint, sharp smile.
"So this is an S-rank Gate? Hmph. Show me something worthy of my time."
The Gate pulsed harder, as if answering his challenge.
The Gate pulsed like a living heart, each beat spilling more mana into the air. Cracks spread across the asphalt as twisted creatures spilled forth — hounds with bone protrusions, winged carrion beasts with too many eyes, and hulking trolls dripping with black ichor.
The hunters tightened their grips on their weapons.
"T-there's too many—!" one shouted.
"Fall back! We can't handle an S-rank wave without reinforcements!" another yelled.
But Khae stepped forward, utterly unconcerned. His voice carried over the chaos, calm yet commanding.
"You call this an S-rank Gate? Pathetic."
With a lazy wave of his hand, shadows surged outward like a tidal wave, swallowing the nearest pack of bone-hounds. When the darkness receded, not even bones remained — only scorched earth.
The hunters gawked.
"He erased them in an instant…"
"Who the hell is he?"
But more poured out — a dozen at once. The trolls roared, swinging massive clubs made of bone and stone. A winged beast swooped, claws gleaming in the dim light.
Khae didn't flinch. Instead, he turned his head slightly.
"Zerath."
A blur of motion. The "human" dragon appeared beside him, his dark purple hair catching the light of the Gate. His lips curled into a grin as his body glimmered faintly with draconic mana.
"Finally," Zerath muttered. "A warm-up."
He lunged forward, punching straight through the chest of a troll. The monster screeched before crumbling into ash. Another swung its club down, but Zerath caught it casually with one hand — and crushed the weapon like brittle glass.
Meanwhile, the winged beast dove toward Khae. He lifted a single finger.
A spear of pure abyssal energy pierced through its head, pinning it midair before the body dissolved into nothingness.
The hunters stumbled back, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"These… these two are monsters themselves…"
"Are they even human?"
From the house across the street, Caelan and Ciel peeked through the cracked door. Caelan clenched his fists, his heart hammering.
"That's… that's the power of the one Mother summoned…"
Beside him, Ciel whispered, wide-eyed, "Brother… Khae looks scary… but also… really cool."
The Gate pulsed violently again, the ground trembling as a massive figure began to emerge. The air grew heavier, suffocating, forcing the hunters to their knees. Even Zerath's grin faltered.
From the rift crawled a creature easily the size of a house — a hulking beast covered in obsidian armor, its eyes glowing crimson, horns curling like jagged blades. Each step it took shattered the road beneath it.
The hunters paled.
"A Gate Guardian…"
"N-no, that's not possible…! S-rank Gates don't spawn Guardians that size—!"
But Khae's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Finally. Something worth crushing."
The Guardian roared, the sound like an earthquake, then swung its massive clawed hand down at Khae. The shockwave blasted dust and debris everywhere.
Khae didn't move until the claw was inches from his face. Then, with a casual raise of his palm, he stopped it. The impact split the ground beneath him, yet he stood unshaken, as though swatting away a child.
"You dare raise your hand to me?"
The Guardian snarled, pushing harder. Khae's smile widened.
"Then perish."
With a flick of his wrist, a colossal surge of abyssal energy erupted from his hand, vaporizing the Guardian's arm entirely. The beast howled in agony, staggering back.
Before it could recover, Zerath leapt, his fist slamming into its chest with enough force to cave in its armor. Khae followed, lifting both arms as if tearing something apart. The shadows obeyed, spears of darkness impaling the Guardian from every angle.
It let out one final, deafening roar before its entire body collapsed into ash, fading back into the Gate.
The street fell silent.
The hunters were frozen in place, their weapons trembling in their grips. None dared speak.
Khae dusted off his hands, his expression calm once more. "So this is the measure of Earth's so-called 'threats'? Hmph. Hardly worth stretching."
Zerath landed beside him, cracking his neck. "Pathetic."
The Gate, still pulsing, began to destabilize. With a final wave of his hand, Khae wove abyssal energy into it, forcing the rift to collapse in on itself. With a thunderous crack, the Gate sealed, leaving only silence and scorched earth.
The hunters stared at him in disbelief, whispers breaking out.
"He… he closed the Gate himself…"
"No one can do that… not even the S-ranks…"
"Who is he?"
Khae ignored them entirely. He turned back toward the small house where Caelan and Ciel waited. His expression softened faintly. "It's over."
Ciel ran out first, clutching his lollipop tightly, his eyes wide. "Khae! You're okay!"
Khae crouched, ruffling the boy's hair. "Of course. I told you, didn't I? As long as I exist, nothing will harm you."
Behind them, the hunters finally began to approach cautiously, their leader stammering.
"Wait—! At least tell us your name!"
Khae didn't look back. Shadows rippled at his feet, and in an instant, he and his small family vanished into the night, leaving only fearful silence in their wake.