Thunder ripped across the sky, jagged and wild. The men chaining Amelia scattered in terror, stumbling across the sand. She looked up at Orimo, eyes blazing with hope, as his laughter echoed pure and unrestrained—childlike, yet somehow terrifying.
Ashyrn's frustration boiled over.
"Does this sound like a joke to you…?" His voice deep, dangerous, vibrating with raw fury.
Orimo's gaze sharpened, still laughing, eyes burning with playful menace.
Ashyrn's expression twisted in annoyance. "Enough is enough!" he yelled.
He lunged forward, aiming for Orimo's face—but the boy evaded at the last second, still giggling. Orimo's punch tore through the air, slamming Ashyrn through walls and buildings.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Ashyrn slammed into a crumbling wall, coughing blood. "His strength… it's increased," he muttered, chest heaving.
Before he could recover, Orimo was already there again, eyes blazing red, still laughing like a child. The sound, now eerily sinister, echoed through the battlefield.
THUD!
The wall shattered beneath Ashyrn as he hit the sandy ground. He quickly coated his arms in Aegis Mantra.
"Dry Requiem," he muttered.
Suddenly, every animal in the vicinity dried up instantly, their bodies desiccating as if the life had been pulled from them.
"This is the end, Orimo Kuzan," Ashyrn growled, his ash-grey skin reflecting the dim light, threadlike marks forming along his neck and arms.
Orimo stood unaffected, a sudden green flame burning fiercely across his back. Ashyrn's eyes widened.
"What… what is this?!"
Before he could react, Orimo slammed another punch into his face, crashing him onto the ground.
THUD!
A relentless barrage followed.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Blood dripped from Ashyrn's head as he endured the blows, witnessing Orimo's childlike laugh close-up—terrifying and unstoppable.
Ashyrn staggered to his feet, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Is there… nothing I can do?" he muttered, desperation thick in his voice.