"Hahaha…"
The creature's laughter echoed hoarsely through the burning air, its voice like iron scraping stone.
"You're strong, human. Very strong."
"Yes," Elara replied coolly, her eyes blazing with feral light. "I am."
Before the creature could speak again, her fist flashed forward — faster than lightning.
The impact cracked the sky itself. The dark being was hurled backward, vanishing beyond the horizon in a shockwave of shattered air.
The soldiers nearby stood frozen, their faces pale, staring toward the fading echo of the strike.
Elara lowered her head.
The wounded soldier who had clung to her moments ago lay motionless now, eyes empty.
She gently pulled her leg free from his stiff grip, then raised her gaze once more — sharp and burning with focus.
Far ahead, dust and smoke rippled where the creature had crashed.
In the next instant, Elara Queen launched herself skyward.
A thunderous boom tore through the battlefield as her power ignited the air behind her, leaving a spiraling wake of fire and debris.
"Hahahahaha! Strong! So strong!" the creature howled even as its body was flung across the wasteland, crashing through hills that crumbled into clouds of dirt and stone.
Its formless body burst apart — fleshless, boneless, nothing but pulsing black mass — scattering across the ground like spilled ink.
But the fragments quivered, then began crawling back together, merging and reshaping, pulsing with an unholy rhythm.
The wet sound of regenerating matter echoed eerily through the air.
It pressed a clawed hand against the ground, gripping hard enough to split the earth beneath it — just to stop itself from sliding further.
Slowly, it lifted its head, that eyeless face turning toward Elara.
But before it could utter a sound — she was already there.
Her punch landed square in its chest.
A concussive blast ripped through the land. The ground heaved, and the dark figure exploded again, reduced to a rain of liquid shadow that scattered into the wind.
But the black fragments didn't fall.
They spun in midair, swirling, gathering, reforming once more.
And as its body reassembled, a soft, guttural laugh seeped through the haze.
Before its shape even stabilized, the creature lashed out — launching a wave of razor-sharp black blades, each curved like a scythe, slicing through the air toward Elara.
She didn't move.
The scythes shattered the moment they touched the invisible barrier around her, disintegrating into dust and light.
Elara stood tall, unmoved, her expression hidden behind her visor.
Her gaze fixed on the dark being writhing in the sky, flinging one futile attack after another.
Then, slowly, she raised her right hand.
Her fingers curled into the shape of a gun.
"Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom."
From the tip of her finger, streams of energy burst out in rapid succession — relentless, blazing, tearing through the air like machine-gun fire.
Each shot struck the creature dead-on.
Each explosion ripped another piece of it apart.
And still… it laughed.
"Hahahaha!"
Its voice rang out through the smoke — amused, deranged, almost ecstatic — even as its body disintegrated again and again.
Not far away, Rugal stirred from unconsciousness, jolted awake by the deafening blasts echoing across the battlefield.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Up above, a lone figure — armored, radiant, her helmet gleaming — was fighting the same dark creature that had crushed him and his brother earlier.
"Brother! Brother!" Rugal shouted, shaking Ragel's limp body.
"Wake up!"
Smack!
A sharp slap echoed.
"What the—?!" Ragel jolted upright, dazed and blinking.
"What's going on?!"
"Look!" Rugal pointed skyward, his eyes wide.
Ragel staggered to his feet, still unsteady. He squinted, his vision refocusing on the blazing sky above.
"Who… who is that? That power—"
Rugal shook his head slowly, awe tightening his voice. "I don't know. Maybe someone from the SS Organization."
Ragel frowned. "Impossible. From here, she looks too young. It doesn't make sense."
----
High above the ruined wasteland, Elara kept firing without pause.
Each blast tore through the dark creature's body, shattering it into countless fragments — yet each time, the black mass reformed, crawling back together as if death itself refused to claim it.
The creature laughed — a deep, ragged echo that rolled through the sky.
"Are you satisfied yet, human?"
Elara said nothing.
Only the thunder of her attacks answered, light exploding again and again, reflecting off the surface of her energy field like shards of a dying sun.
The creature's tone shifted — lower now, heavier, vibrating with menace.
"Interesting… such extraordinary power. But it's a pity."
It tilted its head, a crooked smile twisting across its formless mouth.
"You have no idea who you're fighting."
Elara lowered her arm slowly. Through the golden glare of her visor, her gaze sharpened to a deadly calm.
"Then stop talking," she said coldly. "And show me what you've got."
The black creature went still.
Then, the corners of its mouth curled upward — an almost human smirk.
"Very well, human…"
The voice rolled like distant thunder gathering in a storm.
"If that's what you want… I'll get serious."
This time, its movements were no longer sluggish or chaotic. Every motion left ripples in the air, distorting light itself. The pressure of its presence alone seemed to twist the sky.
Each of its attacks came in the form of crescent-shaped scythes of pure black energy — sharp, fluid, and devastating. Every swing unleashed shockwaves that split the ground, churned the clouds, and shattered the landscape below.
But Elara Queen did not flinch.
Her body shimmered with a steady aura of blue-white energy, pulsing like the heart of a star. Each attack that reached her dissolved harmlessly — as if the furious storm was no more than a soft breeze brushing against her skin.
She didn't step back.
She moved forward.
"Pathetic," she whispered under her breath.
Then, she struck.
Her fist sliced through the air — and the world detonated.
The shockwave expanded outward in a blinding ring of light, obliterating everything in its path. The creature's body disintegrated once more, bursting apart like liquid tar struck by lightning.
It tried to reform, but before the black mass could fully knit itself together, another blow landed. And another.
Elara's attacks came in relentless rhythm — precise, merciless, beautiful in their brutality.
The dark being faltered, retreating backward, each strike breaking it apart again and again. It could no longer retaliate — only evade, desperate to escape the storm of destruction descending upon it.
"Why… why is this human so powerful…" it whispered, its voice trembling between awe and fear. Only now did it truly understand — the being before it was far beyond human.
"Hey!" Elara's voice rang out, casual but thunderous across the burning sky.
"How long are you gonna keep dodging? I'm getting bored, you know that?"
Her tone — effortless, almost teasing — made the creature's rage boil.
It straightened, floating higher, power boiling off its body in waves of black smoke.
"You are strong, human," it said darkly, its voice thick with hatred.
"But let's see… how long you can survive."
Elara tilted her head, a faint smirk forming behind her helmet. Her shoulders lifted in a lazy shrug.
"Yeah, yeah… hurry it up. I don't have all day."
----
At the same time, inside the Main Building of Novacrest Academy—
The room echoed with the sound of a table being slammed.
President Albert Hayes stood with his face flushed red, his breathing heavy with anger. Several government officials, along with Sir Severus Trelawney, the headmaster of the academy, tried to calm him down.
He had been waiting for nearly an hour—yet his granddaughter still hadn't appeared.
"Calm yourself, Hayes…" Severus said quietly, his voice steady as he looked at his old friend.
"Calm?" Albert slammed the table again, his voice trembling with fury. "That's my only granddaughter, Severus! Do you understand?! The only heir to the Hayes bloodline!"
"I understand…" Severus replied softly but firmly. "But I'm certain she's all right."
Albert took a deep breath, struggling to contain himself. Just as he was about to sit down, the main door burst open.
A woman in a black uniform hurried in, followed by several officers. She stopped in front of the president — standing straight, her face pale and tense.
"Well? Did you find her?" Albert demanded sharply.
The officer swallowed hard. "Yes, Mr. President… but—"
"But what?" Albert barked.
The officer lowered her gaze, barely able to speak.
"The last recorded location… was near the crash site of the carrier."
Silence filled the room. Every eye turned toward Albert Hayes.
"What?!" Albert roared, his face turning from pale to crimson. "How could my granddaughter be there?!"
"Hayes—calm down!" Severus tried to restrain him, but Albert had already stepped forward, pressing his forehead with a trembling hand.
"Get Douglas on the line—now!" he shouted. "Tell him to deploy everything—ships, aircraft, special forces—I don't care how! Bring my granddaughter back. Now!"
"Yes, Mr. President!" the officer replied quickly before rushing out of the room.
Albert stood frozen for a moment, his shoulders heaving as he tried to steady his breathing. Severus watched silently, then placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder.
"She's strong, Hayes… stronger than you think," Severus murmured.
Albert said nothing. His eyes were sharp, yet clouded with worry.
"Yes… but even so—she's still just a girl."
----
Elara stood tall in the middle of the shattered field, dust swirling wildly around her boots.
Her eyes locked on the sky — on the dark creature floating silently above, surrounded by a vortex of shadowy energy.
"Hey!" Elara shouted, straightening her stance, her voice echoing through the roar of the wind.
"How much longer are you gonna take to show your real power?"
The dark creature gave no reply. Its body trembled faintly, and from its form, thick waves of black aura began to radiate outward.
Then came its voice — booming, furious, and inhuman.
"You dare mock me, human?!"
The ground beneath it started to quake again — a sign that something vast and terrible was gathering.
The creature raised both of its hands high into the air, and in an instant, the earth convulsed violently — dust and rocks lifted off the ground as if caught in a storm.
Rugal and Ragel, watching from a distance, struggled to keep their footing.
The once-clear sky turned dark. Clouds twisted into a wild spiral above, and from the cracking earth, something enormous began to rise — a black, gleaming structure shaped like a colossal scythe, reaching upward until it pierced the heavens.
It was so massive that it could be seen even from miles away — even from the decks of the Southern Haven carrier fleet.
---
Inside the command deck of the Southern Haven.
General Douglas stood before a massive holographic display beside Captain Solaris, who was monitoring the incoming ships from World Alliance, The Radiant Wall, and Northern Frontier that had just landed.
Suddenly, a pillar of black light erupted on the horizon — tearing through the atmosphere like a flaming shadow.
"What the hell is that?" Douglas stiffened, his eyes widening.
"The energy levels are… off the charts," Solaris replied quietly, her gaze frozen on the readings that flickered across the holo-screen. "It's… unreal."
"General!" a crewman called out from the control console.
Douglas turned sharply. "What is it?"
"Incoming call from SilverSun Command, sir!"
The crewman handed over the comm device. Douglas grabbed it — and the moment he heard the voice on the other end, his face went pale.
His deep, commanding voice broke into panic.
"Deploy our Super unit now! Send them to that location — and bring back the President's granddaughter, immediately!"
Solaris turned toward him, eyes wide.
"The President's… granddaughter?"
----
"Die, human!"
The dark creature roared, shadows swirling violently around its hands — but before it could unleash the attack, a powerful shockwave burst before its face.
In an instant, Elara was already there — standing right in front of it.
"I've been wondering…" she said calmly, though her eyes gleamed with lethal sharpness. "What exactly are you hiding inside that body of yours?"
The creature froze mid-air. Slowly, its head tilted downward — and it realized, with horror, that Elara's arm had already pierced straight through its chest. Thick black smoke hissed from between her fingers.
"Wait—wait! We can talk about this!" the creature's voice quivered, trembling between fear and pain.
"Talk?" Elara's tone turned cold.
She yanked her arm free. In her hand glimmered something small and luminous — a sphere, pulsing faintly with a living light.
"No! Don't! I'm not ready to die!" the creature screamed, its body convulsing before collapsing toward the ground, dissolving into a puddle of slick black ooze.
Elara stared at the glowing orb in her palm. The light throbbed softly, almost as if it were breathing.
"What… is this?" she whispered, her eyes reflecting the mysterious shimmer flickering between her fingers.
"Hey! Up there!"
A voice called from below.
Elara glanced down, scanning for the source.
"Who's that?"
Below, a man with crimson hair — dressed entirely in red — waved at her casually, a faint grin on his face.
Elara descended slowly, landing a few meters from him.
"Who are you?" she asked, her tone cautious, eyes scanning him from head to toe.
"Me? I'm Kenshin," he replied, the grin still lingering.
Elara frowned. "Strange. I don't recall seeing your face before."
"Oh, this?" Kenshin pointed at his face with a chuckle. "I modeled it after something from human books. You people call them… comics."
"Modeled?" Elara raised an eyebrow.
Kenshin chuckled softly. "You're strong. Not many could take down Wiser."
"You knew that creature?"
"Of course. I used to be one of them," Kenshin said quietly. "But I chose to become human instead. Though…"
Elara crossed her arms. "Though what?"
"The price was steep," Kenshin replied with a faint, tired smile. "I lost half my strength — forever."
Elara's expression remained unreadable. "So, you came here for revenge?"
"Oh, no." Kenshin shook his head. "I was exiled long ago. They saw me as weak… unworthy to stay among them."
Before Elara could say more, two familiar figures appeared in the distance — Rugal and Ragel, walking steadily toward them.
"Hey, Samurai boy! You move fast," Ragel called out as he stopped beside Elara.
"Samurai boy?" Elara turned toward him, her voice echoing faintly through her helmet.
Ragel shot her a look. "What? Don't tell me you've never seen a Japanese guy before?"
Elara didn't answer. Behind her visor, the helmet's display scanned Kenshin's face — but no data appeared. Yet when she turned her head toward Ragel, the screen instantly filled with detailed information about him.
Elara sighed softly. "Can someone take this thing off? It's getting hard to breathe."
She tried tugging at the top of her helmet, but it wouldn't budge.
Without a word, Rugal stepped forward and pressed a small switch at the side of the helmet.
With a soft click, it loosened and unfolded smoothly, two panels retracting backward.
Elara inhaled deeply, finally able to breathe freely.
"See, told you, brother," Ragel said, clapping Rugal on the shoulder with a laugh.
"She's still just a kid after all."
Rugal didn't respond. His gaze drifted beyond them — to the enormous black scythe still looming in the distance, pulsing faintly… as if it were alive.
Rugal's eyes fixed on the colossal black scythe still towering in the sky.
"Why is that thing still there…? Didn't the creature die already?"
"No," Kenshin replied calmly, pointing toward Elara's hand. "It won't die—not until she destroys that stone."
Ragel frowned. "And how do you know that?"
Before Kenshin could answer, Elara spoke. "Because he and that creature… are the same kind."
Instantly, Rugal and Ragel tensed, their auras flaring—ready to strike at any moment.
Kenshin quickly raised both hands, laughing softly. "Hahaha, relax. That was a long time ago. I'm human now."
Ragel shot a glance at his brother, then turned back to Kenshin. "What's your real name?"
"Kenshin," he said with an easy smile. "And yours?"
"Elara. Elara Queen."
Ragel cut in, uninvited. "I'm Ragel, and this here's my little brother, Rugal. We're among the strongest Superhumans on Earth."
Rugal exhaled softly, muttering under his breath, "You just love bragging, don't you…"
Kenshin chuckled. "Pleasure to meet you both. Hey, Elara—you're strong. But that thing you fought—Wiser—wasn't in his true form. Open your hand."
Elara opened her palm. In it lay the glowing orb, faint cracks spreading across its surface. Rugal and Ragel leaned closer to inspect it.
"See those fractures around the core?" Kenshin said quietly. "That's why Wiser couldn't use his full strength. But honestly… even if that stone was whole, I think you still would've won."
"All of those creatures have one of these stones?" Rugal asked.
"Yes," Kenshin replied. "We call it the Life Core. Taking one from a weakened foe is easy. But if you ever face another from the Legion—one of the stronger ones—that'll be a completely different story."
"Legion?" Ragel repeated, his face tightening. "Who are they?"
Kenshin lowered his gaze. "Among humans, they're known as the Origin-Class Apocalypse. That's the Legion."
Rugal and Ragel exchanged stunned looks.
"You mean… you were one of them?"
Kenshin laughed softly. "Not really. I was the last to awaken—and the weakest. They cast me out for being unworthy. That's why I turned myself into a human."
Rugal looked up, his tone serious. "How strong are they?"
Kenshin turned his eyes toward Elara. "Strong… far beyond anything you've seen. They're not the vengeful type, but if they learn that one of their own was killed by a human…" He paused, his voice lowering. "They'll come looking for her."
Rugal and Ragel exchanged worried glances, then both looked at Elara.
"Let them come," Elara said calmly. "I'm not afraid."
Kenshin smiled faintly, clapping his hands once. "Brave words. Alright, I'll take my leave. Be careful, Elara. If you ever face the Legion… don't fight them in a city. You'll destroy it. Either finish them with one strike—or don't fight at all."
"Wait!" Rugal called out. "If you ever come to Hamsyar City—the capital of The Radiant Wall—just mention our names."
Kenshin glanced back over his shoulder, smiling. "Got it. Till next time."
In the blink of an eye, his body vanished—scattered into the wind.
"Damn," Ragel muttered, shaking his head. "He's fast."
Rugal turned to Elara. "Aren't you going to destroy that stone?"
Elara gazed at the glowing dark sphere in her hand. "No. I'll keep it."
She turned and started walking away. Ragel and Rugal followed close behind.
"You're really something, little one," Ragel said with a grin. "And you're… kinda cute, too."
Elara immediately turned her head, frowning. "Cute?"
"Yeah. Don't tell me you don't know what that means?"
"Of course I do," she replied coolly. "But why are you two following me?"
"Think of us as temporary bodyguards," Ragel said casually.
Elara gave a small sigh. "Just keep what happened here a secret."
Rugal placed a hand over his chest. "Don't worry. We promise—we'll keep your secret safe."
"Hey, wait…" Rugal suddenly looked around. "Didn't that creature have a pet?"
Elara stopped briefly, glancing over her shoulder. "I already cut off its head in a single strike."
Rugal froze, staring at his brother in disbelief. That beast—the same one that had taken down three major alliance carriers and wiped out thousands of Superhumans—killed with one blow.
Ragel grinned, patting Elara on the shoulder. "You really are something else, little sister."
Rugal nodded. "From today onward… we'll treat you as our adopted sister."
Elara said nothing. The wind played with her hair as she gazed toward the horizon—where the light of the enormous black scythe still shimmered faintly against the clearing sky.