"Fight!" Akito shouted sharply.
In the next instant, Targus charged forward, delivering a crushing blow with his axe at the spot where Arden had just stood.
But Arden had vanished — as if he'd dissolved into thin air.
Targus looked up and saw him at a distance — standing still, as if waiting.
"Skill activated: [Lapet's Impulse]."
Arden's body trembled from the raging energy inside.
His speed increased by 350%.
He dashed forward, leaving behind a blurred black trail.
Targus's eyes barely caught the movement — impact! But the massive shield absorbed the strike.
"You've gotten faster… but your strength still isn't enough," Targus smirked.
"Skill activated: [Jotunn's Blood]."
Now, two energy flows — dark blue and reddish — whirled through Arden's dimension.
Their movements were so fast, even Akito struggled to follow them.
The air trembled with each blow.
Arden slid left, trying to pierce the shield — but it repelled the attack.
He immediately activated [Fang of Deceit].
"No weak points detected."
"What the hell?" Arden thought.
"Does he seriously have no vulnerable spots?"
"You're hesitating, fox!" a voice rang out behind him.
Targus was already mid-swing, but Arden blocked it at the last second.
His strength was at its limit.
At that moment, a system notification appeared in front of Akito:
[New Quest Received!]
[Defeat: Zalgroom, King of Destruction (0/1)]
[Time Limit: 1 hour]
"What? Another King? So, it really is an entire organization…" Akito thought, watching the battle.
The fight reached its peak.
Arden dodged the axe, darted left, struck — again the shield.
His energy was draining, and as both took a sudden step forward, their modes deactivated.
"Stop," Akito's voice rang out.
"Draw. Arden is faster. Targus is stronger. You're both at your limit."
Arden silently held his breath.
If the fight had gone on, I would've lost, he admitted to himself.
But Targus approached and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Little fox, you've become a true warrior. Glad you can fight as an equal now."
And for the first time in a long while, Arden genuinely smiled.
They returned home.
Akito informed the others of the new quest — the appearance of another King.
Tension began to rise again.
Meanwhile, in a car outside…
"So this is where Akito Kurosawa lives?" Ren asked again.
"Mhm," Rei nodded. "I'm glad you're with me again."
"I just couldn't leave my son alone."
"It's okay. Naoki's still just a little boy," she answered softly. "Let's go."
They climbed to the correct floor and found the apartment.
Doorbell.
Akito himself opened the door.
"Hello. I'm Ren Natsuki. We'd like to talk with you."
Upon entering, they nearly lost their words upon seeing a massive man in the room — Targus.
"You said you lived alone…?" Rei asked suspiciously.
"He's a distant relative. Just arrived," Akito replied.
But before anyone could say anything more, a powerful shockwave rocked the building.
Everything shook, and Ren and Rei fell to the floor.
"What the hell is going on?!" Ren shouted.
Akito rushed to the window.
There, in the city center, stood a giant monster destroying buildings.
And on its shoulders — a humanoid figure with unnaturally long arms and a distorted face.
Damn it… I can't reveal my power in front of them… Akito cursed mentally.
But Targus was already on his feet, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Jarl… it's time."
He summoned his weapon and leapt out the window without hesitation.
Akito stepped forward, but a cold voice rang out behind him:
"Don't move, Akito Kurosawa."
He turned — Rei was pointing a gun at him.
But he didn't stop.
With a sudden motion, he jumped after Targus — forward, straight into the chaos.
They raced across rooftops, the branches of the ruined city flashing beneath their feet.
Ahead loomed the colossus — a stone monstrosity towering over the buildings like a symbol of the end.
Closer… and closer.
To his right, almost silently, Arden and Elian joined him.
"Master, I will support you from above," the elf said calmly and took off toward the nearest skyscraper.
Meanwhile, Rei and Ren, having run outside, watched the unfolding catastrophe with stunned eyes.
"Rei… are you seeing this?.. This has to be a dream. Stuff like this only happens in movies," Ren muttered, unable to believe what he saw.
At the front, charging like a battering ram, was Targus.
"Skill activated: [Jotunn's Blood]."
A blue aura enveloped his body, and with a furious roar, he began smashing the smaller humanoids crawling out of the ground.
They were crudely formed from stone, but aggressive and fast.
"Come on, all of you at once! That'll be more fun!" Targus shouted, grinning wildly as he crushed another enemy with a swing of his axe.
Akito, moving across the rooftops, focused on the main target — the humanoid standing on the giant's back.
He could feel it: this was the one controlling all the horror.
But before Akito could reach him, the humanoid suddenly leapt toward him.
In the next moment, its stone hand closed around Akito's neck.
He didn't have time to draw his sword — it was too late.
With a roar, the humanoid sprinted forward, dragging Akito through concrete and glass.
His body smashed through walls like a bullet.
They stopped abruptly — the humanoid held Akito in one hand, eyes burning with madness.
"I'LL ERASE YOUR STORY, AKITO!!" he screamed, spinning and hurling him with force.
Akito crashed through several buildings before finally hitting the ground.
[-350 HP]
Blood burst from his mouth. His body was battered and bruised.
"Akito!" Elian tried to rush to him — but Arden stopped him, activating [Lapet's Impulse].
The fox dashed forward and appeared before the attacker.
Impact!
The enemy's stone face cracked, a piece of its cheek breaking off.
"Filthy creature…" Arden hissed.
"How dare you!"
A furious battle began.
Arden easily dodged, parried, and countered.
He held the momentum — until his mode ran out.
In that brief moment, the humanoid landed a heavy kick, sending Arden flying into a building.
His body smashed into the wall, leaving a silhouette-shaped dent.
"HA-HA-HA!" the humanoid roared.
"I'LL DESTROY EVERYTHING!"
He ran up to the half-conscious Akito, raised his foot, and tried to crush him.
But… the blow passed through.
"What?" the monster jerked in surprise.
Akito seized the moment.
His sword [Cryoz] sliced through the air and plunged into the enemy's body.
[Target Slowed: +1%]
[+1%]
[+1%]…
Each strike added to the slow effect.
But suddenly, the enemy roared and slammed the ground — dust exploded upward, throwing Akito off rhythm.
"Master!" Elian shouted from above.
"My skill has expired. I won't be able to activate it again anytime soon!"
He summoned a green crossbow, switching to support mode.
He began shooting at the smaller humanoids crawling out from underground.
"Why are there so many of them?!" Elian shouted.
He noticed something: the massive monster beneath the humanoid was radiating a strange energy — a warped aura that triggered a destructive instinct in humans.
"I must warn Akito…" he turned.
But he didn't get a chance — a strike landed directly in his face.
The stone fist shattered the air.
"I TOLD YOU! I'LL DESTROY EVERYONE!" the monster roared, advancing.
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!