People watched in shock
a single man stopped two S-ranks barehanded.
His aura pressed down like a storm, intimidating.
The two hunters instantly pulled back, creating distance.
"Oyy! Why another S-rank hunter interrupt our fight!?" Rowel shouted angrily.
"Do the both of you not think?" Kael's calm voice cut through.
"There are civilians here."
"Civilians? There's a barrier!" Rowel snapped back.
Anthony's eyes darted around him
the barrier was up, but the destruction inside was devastating. Cracks, rubble, people screaming, fleeing in panic.
"…shit." Anthony muttered.
Rowel's eyes narrowed.
"…Who are you?"
"Me?" Kael tilted his head.
"Is getting S-rank making you lose your memories?"
Rowel froze. His eyes studied the man: chinky eyes, sharp features, deep black hair. Something familiar.
"Who's that S-ranked fella?" Freidrich asked curiously from the back.
"Do you secretly have another national-level S-rank in the Philippines? He's… so strong."
Then—someone behind the Vice Guild Master waved excitedly.
"OIIIIIIIIIIIII! KAEL!!!"
Rowel's eyes widened.
"…Kael?"
Anthony stepped forward. "Kael…"
"Kael Virel?" Rowel asked, disbelief in his tone.
"Yes, I am." Kael smirked. "Why so surprised?"
Rowel's face twisted.
"…Weren't you an F-ranker? How did you stop our swords?"
Kael raised his hand. "I blocked it."
"With what!?"
"…With my hand."
"How....?"
Then both of them felt it.
Kael's aura.
Pitch-dark red, swallowing theirs whole.
Rowel and Friedrich's expressions hardened as realization struck.
"Yeah, just almost two months and you're stronger than me! How did you do that?" the Vice Guild Master asked with a laugh.
Kael scratched his cheek. "Ahhh… nothing special."
"Nothing special my ass!" Rowel jumped in, grinning. "Kael! How did you get this strong?"
"Me?" Kael tilted his head innocently. "Ten kilometers of running, a hundred push-ups, and squats. Morning and evening."
"Pffft!" Friedrich, the S-rank with an aura that seemed to warp the air, let out a booming laugh. "Hahahaha! You've got a good sense of humor, boy."
But then Friedrich's expression sharpened, eyes glinting. "You are strong. What's your name?"
"Kael Virel," he replied calmly.
Friedrich's eyes widened. "I've never seen a young man like you. You stopped those attacks with your bare hands… In all my eighty-seven years, not even Victor your so-called national hero would dare block a blade barehanded! Hahahahaha!"
Despite the number, Friedrich still looked like a man in his late twenties. S-ranks aged ten times slower than ordinary humans, and Kael could feel the vitality in the old man's grip when they shook hands.
"My pleasure, Kael," Friedrich said, smiling as he returned the handshake with firm pressure.
One by one, other S-ranks descended from the stands, curious about the farmer-boy who stood among them.
"Anthony. Long time no see," Kael said casually when he spotted his old friend.
Meanwhile, Rowel stood silently at the edge, his lips pressed tight. Outwardly calm, but his mind was chaos.
How did he get so strong? Isn't he just an F-rank Farmer? Not even a combat class. His hands stopped my sword like it was nothing…
Am I really strong? Or have I just been boasting? Did neglecting training make me weak?
For the first time in years, Rowel's pride wavered.
Bro, you look different now! Thankfully, you managed to find your path, said Anthony.
He levitated in the air, the aura of the Blue Dragon Guild surrounding him.
"In behalf of Blue Dragon Guild, I'll pay all of the hospital fees and the damages I caused. I apologize for the act I displayed as guild master. I will reflect on my wrongdoings surely, I'll never do it again."
People stared at Anthony.
The panic stopped.
Relief washed through the crowd. The clash between two S-ranks had ended. The barrier protecting them flickered before dissolving into thin air.
"Big bro!" Maya rushed toward Kael and hugged him tightly.
She clung hard, trembling, her fear clear.
"It's okay, Maya. Don't worry," Kael said softly.
Even though she was now an S-rank, Maya had felt the suffocating pressure of two S-ranks fighting right above her head.
Guild recruiters stepped forward quickly.
"Miss Maya, Mr. Kael, do you want to join my guild?" one said.
Others followed in a chain, voices overlapping.
The crowd started to form, buzzing with excitement.
Rowel's pride shattered. His face pale, he slowly walked out of the entrance, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes.
But Kael stopped him.
"Sorry."
Everyone turned.
"But we can no longer be part of any guild." Kael's voice was calm, steady.
"I founded a guild. I am its guild master."
Gasps echoed.
"Maya already promised to join my guild. And to everyone here our guild isn't official yet."
"Ohhh, such a shame…" murmured one recruiter.
"We're sorry," said the others reluctantly as they stepped back.
"Ohh, such a waste…" a Phoenix Guild recruiter muttered.
"Miss Maya, please reconsider. At least accept my contact card."
Kael glanced at Maya and gave a small nod.
Maya accepted the card with graceful composure.
"Me too, Miss Maya take mine."
"Take mine as well!"
"Here, mine too!"
Recruiters crowded in, eager to hand their cards over.
Without another word, Maya and Kael moved toward the entrance, where his mother was already waiting.
As Kael walked outside, the S-rank hunters behind remained in quiet conversation.
"That young man… Kael… he's strong," Simeon murmured.
"Strong indeed," another agreed.
"If a fight broke out one on one between him and any of us here… do you honestly think you could win?" Simeon asked.
The guild leaders fell silent.
"How about you, Mr. Freidrich?" someone finally asked.
The old man laughed. "Hahaha… that kid is terrifyingly strong. But for now, I'm still stronger." His eyes sharpened. "It won't be long, though. He'll surpass me soon enough. After all, I'm already old. Perhaps it's time for the youngsters to show their resolve."
He glanced toward the guild masters of Blue Dragon and White Tiger. "Those two are extraordinary talents. But Kael… that boy is a monster on another level. The defeat of the young guild master today is a great thing.
They will realized that they shouldn't be complacent because they are still not strong enough some one is always stronger than you, they might just push them even further. And when that happens, I can finally rest easy, knowing capable hunters are ready to replace us pioneers."
"Yes, Mr. Freidrich thank you for your insights," the others said in unison.
They bowed their heads out of respect not just to his words, but to the man himself.
After all, Freidrich was no ordinary hunter. He was the man who had once fought a calamity-class monster alone and won, twenty-five years ago.
They called him the Swordsman Without Limits.
The longer he fought, the stronger he became.
Without Freidrich, America would have never reclaimed Texas from the claws of the Red Dragon, a calamity-class beast one rank below the dreaded God-class monsters.