I could feel it — the rage boiling inside Kaine, thick and venomous. He wanted nothing more than to kill me in that moment. His eyes weren't just glaring; they were trembling with fury.
I didn't flinch. I waited.
He made the first move, just as I expected.
Three fireballs hurled toward me — one aimed at my head, the other two at my chest. I could've dodged them all easily, but where's the fun in that? If I always avoided danger, how would I know the limits of this new body?
Still, I didn't want Maya to panic and do something reckless, so I took a step back, widened my eyes, and pretended to lose balance — like some helpless boy in over his head. I faked a trip and twisted out of the way of two fireballs. The third clipped me dead in the chest.
Pathetic.
The heat stung a bit, sure, but... this? This was what people called a hunter in training?
I brushed the spot on my chest, annoyed. It was warm. That's it. My fingers twitched. My eye twitched. My patience snapped.
"Ughh…" I muttered under my breath, letting my irritation seep through. "This is it? Really?"
My tone must've hit him hard, because his face flushed red with embarrassment. He clenched his jaw, then raised his hand. A ring on his finger pulsed, and a sleek, fiery sword materialized.
Ah. An item box artifact.
Of course. The rich always have their little toys.
He let out a yell and lunged forward, swinging wildly in a vertical arc. I ducked to the side, let the blade pass, then caught his arm mid-swing and twisted it back sharply. His eyes widened — in pain, in disbelief.
I was testing my strength. Seeing how far I could push without snapping something.
He fought back harder than I expected. I'll give him that. But it still wasn't enough.
With a sharp hook of my foot, I tripped him. He fell flat on his back with a grunt. The sword clattered from his grip, and without hesitation, I snatched it up and pressed the tip gently against his throat.
It was quiet for a beat.
I felt it.
A pulse. A hunger. Every cell in my body screamed that this wouldn't end until one of us was dead. And in that moment, I was ready. Not out of hate… no, it wasn't personal. It just had to happen. It felt inevitable. Natural.
A voice inside me — scratchy and cruel — kept repeating:
Do it. Do it. DO IT.
My hand tightened.
Then—
"Brother… are you okay?"
Her voice.
Soft. Fragile. Real.
Maya.
I blinked. The haze cracked. That girl… she really is my anchor to this world.
I let out a long breath, dropped the sword, and turned toward her. She looked pale, worried, scared. Her eyes shimmered like glass on the edge of breaking.
I smiled — a real one this time. Calm. Gentle.
"Yeah… This is fine."
I reached out, held her hand, and gently pulled her away from the crowd. I just wanted to leave. I got what I came for — my answer. There was nothing left.
At least... that's what I thought.
But I forgot something.
Something important.
The one reason I managed to survive even as a beast in my previous life.
A single, golden rule burned into my bones:
Never. Turn. Your back. On your enemy.
My senses roared.
The mana in the air shifted — twisting toward Kaine.
I turned my head just in time to see it — a blazing bird of fire rushing toward me.
Of course. Just as I predicted.
That's why I flicked his forehead earlier and slipped a thread of my mana into his body. People like him? Predictable. All ego, no spine.
If I gave the signal, my mana would melt his mind from the inside.
But I didn't need to.
Because I'm not the only one who wants this idiot dead.
A lion — pure flame — burst into existence and lunged past me. It roared as it devoured Kaine's firebird midair in a dazzling explosion of heat and smoke.
I turned to where it came from.
Yep.
That lunatic.
That mad witch.
I smirked.
"Of course… she just had to get involved."