The Yazumèi estate was unusually quiet that morning. Fog clung to the gardens like ghosts whispering beneath the soil. Kaz sat alone in the family war room, a space once ruled by Seamus, now filled with digital projections and holographic interfaces. He was halfway through a cup of black coffee when his phone buzzed.
"Unknown Contact: Command Center Alpha."
He frowned, tapped it, and a holographic window shimmered into existence.
"Yazumèi Kazunai? This is Lieutenant Corva of National Defense Operations. You've been selected for a high-priority assignment. Code Black." Her voice was clipped, urgent. "You are to report to Sector 7 Military Command Center within the hour. Clearance Alpha-Prime. This is not a request."
Kaz raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Send me the coordinates."
Sector 7 - Military Command Center, 90 Minutes Later
The war table glowed with projections of fire-scorched forests and charred valleys. A beast, too large for any stable screen, flickered in red across several maps. It was an absolute colossus—a walking apocalypse of molten muscle and volcanic rock.
Kharzun, the Molten Maul.
"Sovereign-class Radie-Beast," the commander said grimly. "One of only three we've ever confirmed. Estimated height: twenty-four meters. Weight: unknown. Radiant core estimated to be over four hundred percent critical mass. It feeds on geothermal energy and converts it into hellfire."
"So what's the job?" Kaz asked, arms crossed.
Ryusei stood beside him, hair tied back, face stone-cold. "We push it back. Or put it down."
The room fell silent. Everyone knew it wouldn't be that easy.
"We've mobilized five battalions. Heavy artillery, Radie-gear units, drone and satellite support. But the real strike team... is you," said Lieutenant Corva, turning to face the center group.
Kaz. Ryusei. Shin. And four of the highest-ranking field commanders from the capital.
A tactical display flicked on showing each member, along with their Radie-abilities:
• Ryusei: Flame Manipulation Mastery
• Shin: Gravity Manipulation
• General Halden: Earthquake Pulse - generates seismic quakes through his body
• Sergeant Mira: Wind-blade Projection
• Sergeant Hanso: Earth Manipulation
• Captain Goro: Reinforced Ironhide Skin
• Lieutenant Astra: Telekinetic Field Control
"Your objective is to draw Kharzun away from the southern city border. Do not engage directly unless absolutely necessary. If he makes it to the city... casualties will number in the tens of thousands."
Kaz gave a sharp nod. "When do we leave?"
"Now."
The Drop Zone - Edge of the Northern Badlands
The air reeked of smoke and sulfur. The team descended from the carrier in silence, armored and armed to the teeth. Ka8z wore his new Radie-infused gauntlets, etched in glowing crimson veins, and his custom revolver strapped to his back.
They didn't wait long. The ground rumbled. Trees snapped like twigs in the distance.
And then it came.
Kharzun.
A lumbering titan of obsidian scales and volcanic muscle. Glowing cracks in its body pulsed with magma. Its eyes blazed like miniature suns. Every breath was a furnace roar.
Kaz barely had time to yell before the ground exploded beneath them.
"MOVE!"
The team scattered.
Goro charged first, slamming into Kharzun's leg like a living battering ram. The beast stumbled back half a step before retaliating with a sweeping claw of molten stone, sending Goro flying into a cliffside.
Ryusei was next, unleashing a focused wave of fire—only for it to be absorbed by Kharzun's core.
"He's feeding off it!" Shin shouted, bouncing off falling debris with kinetic boosts.
Mira launched slicing wind arcs, Astra tossed up defensive barriers, and Halden shattered the earth to unbalance the beast.
Kaz charged forward, gauntlets glowing black-red. He vaulted off a broken tree trunk, spiraling midair as his revolver clicked.
BANG!
The bullet struck Kharzun directly in the eye. A small explosion burst out—not enough to kill, but enough to piss it off.
It roared.
Kaz landed hard, rolled, and braced as its tail whipped around. Ryusei intercepted with a pillar of flame to redirect the blow. Kaz caught his breath beside him.
"Any bright ideas, old man?"
Ryusei grimaced. "We hit it together. You, me, and Shin. The others buy us time."
Kaz smirked. "Now that's more like it."
The three of them surged forward. Ryusei's flames spiraled like dragons, Kaz's gauntlets igniting in black combustion, Shin building up momentum as every stone and strike bounced off him.
They attacked in perfect rhythm—
• Ryusei's fire
• Kaz's fists
• Shin's redirected shockwaves
Each hit left a mark. Each second burned away at the colossus. And then, finally, they saw it—the exposed radiant core in Kharzun's chest. Kaz raised his revolver.
Ryusei pulled back a massive blaze. Shin leapt, storing every impact.
One strike. All in.
Kazunai rushed in like a speeding train firing two shots at Kharzun's face but the bullets only bounce off of the beast tough hide, seeing the revolver as futile Kaz tossed it to shin and rushed in setting his fights a blaze with crackling black flames, Kaz jumped boosting himself forward with a stream of condensed flames from his feet.
WHAM.
Kaz connected a clean punch on the bear's jaw barely tilting it's head to the side, Kharzun retorted with a deep snarl followed by a paw sweep strong enough to wreck an small car.
Ryusei acted quickly shooting a small fireball in Kharzun's eyes that cause a small explosion temporarily disorienting the beast, shin quickly pulled Kaz back using his powers , once regrouped Ryusei wasted no time in scolding Kazunai for his recklessness "Are you insane, rushing in like that could have gotten yourself and everyone else here killed" He yelled.
"Sorry, just got a little excited" Kaz said with his head held down, Ryusei sighs "Not gonna lie that was a damn good punch though kid, but lets not stroke your ego now, we have a S class Radie-Beast to deal with, the plan is lets push forward with as much power as we can, we definitely won't be able to beat this thing, especially if we manage piss it off and get that thing in a bad mood".
"Of course, it was my punch after all" Kaz says pushing his chest out, proud as a peacock, "great plan but we're not gonna cut it as it stands I'm pretty sure your eyes haven't expired so you can see that yourself oldman"
Ryusei turns as red as a tomato "Y'know what....I'll just address all of that later...for now let's head back to the convoys and get properly geared up" He barely manages to says as the veins in his forehead bugle like their about to pop out .
Everyone starts heading back to the convoys while Kazunai and Shin laugh at the face ryusei made earlier.
"Stuck out here with scrawny vermin and stupid filth, having to work with a family of sewer rats and slimy bastards, Grigorovich should have just gotten rid of the lot of you" Captain Goro mumbled under his breath, Kaz turned glaring at the older man with an intense death stare, Shin nervously tugged on his sleeve.
"Kaz just ignore him, you know its not worth it" Shin whispers "No, he can talk shit about me under his breath all he wants, but I draw the line at family" Kaz shouts gritting his teeth in anger, he slowly walks towards Goro who instinctively steps back in fear, his back hits a stone boulder halting his retreat.
Kaz grabbed him by the throat lifting him off the ground with one hand "I will snap your neck you ugly little fuck, I am Kazunai Yazumèi and never for a second do you forget that".
Kaz's Anger was boiling to its peak, but unfortunately his outburst had caught the attention of Kharzun who after losing sight of its sudden attacker continued along its merry way.
Whoosh
A giant Fireball shot out at the group so fast they could barely react in time,Sergeant Hanso, a skill user of the earth Manipulation ability quickly erected a earth wall to defend the group, however the fireball melted right through the wall like a hot knife through butter, it hit Sergeant Hanso who was just a few feet behind the group, the ball of pure pyrokinetic horror burned right through him leaving only his lower half standing in place, it landed just a few centimeters away from the group leaving a massive crater and sending them all flying a few meters away.
Kaz lands hard hitting his head against a rock, his consciousness slowly slipping he barely manages to cough up a few words"Oh damn....if I die Amy's gonna kill me".
To Be Continued...