Riban stood before them like a nightmare made of stone and fury, his massive shadow stretching over the trio. High above on the wall, Grivear remained motionless, his arms folded across his chest as he watched the scene with cold, detached interest.

  Miss Reyu looked at the monster, then at the two bruised young men at her feet. Her voice trembled, thick with tears and terror. "Kale... Izuna... thank you. Thank you for staying with me this far. But please... I cannot watch you throw your lives away for a weak, helpless woman like me. Please, run! Leave me behind! You have nothing to do with this!"

  Kale and Izuna looked at each other, then back at her in disbelief. For a moment, the only sound was the wind whistling through the cracks in Riban’s stone skin.

  Slowly, Izuna pushed himself off the ground. He winced at the pain but began dusting off his tattered uniform with a steady hand. "It's okay, Miss Reyu," he said, his voice surprisingly calm. "I know you’re scared. I know you think we're going to die because of you. But you've got it wrong."

  He looked her straight in the eye and gave a bright, confident grin—the same signature thumbs-up he always used. "We aren't doing this because you asked us to. We’re doing it because we want to. Even if I were to fall here today, you wouldn't be the one to blame. That’s my choice."

  His expression softened as he thought of the little boy waiting for them. "Besides, I made a promise to Kevin. I told him I’d bring you back safely, no matter what. I don’t break my promises. Right, partner?"

  Kale let out a small, tired laugh and stood up beside him, his eyes sharpening as he refocused on the giant. "Yeah. You're right. We have a debt to settle, after all." He turned to Izuna, his tactical mind already working. "So, what’s the plan, partner?"

  Miss Reyu stared at them, stunned. Throughout her life, she had been betrayed, fooled, and abandoned by those she trusted most. She had learned to expect the worst from people. But these two were different. For the first time in years, the crushing weight of loneliness began to lift. She realized there were still people in this world worth believing in.

  "Guess we have to work a bit harder now," Kale muttered, stepping into a fighting stance.

  The ten men in black suits began to close in, their weapons drawn, but Riban let out a deafening roar that shook the very gates.

  "STAY BACK!" the stone giant screamed at his own allies. "If any of you get in my way, I’ll kill you all myself! This brat is mine!"

  The men froze in fear, leaving the path clear for the final showdown.

  "Okay, Izuna," Kale said, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "One of us needs to cover Miss Reyu. Only one of us can face that thing."

  "All right, I get it!" Izuna stepped forward with a wide, fearless smile, slamming his fist into his palm. "I'm on it!"

  "Wait," Kale interrupted. "The one staying behind is you, Izuna. You’re the one who covers Miss Reyu."

  Izuna froze, looking back at Kale in disbelief. "Are you serious, Big Bro? You know I’m the stronger fighter between us!"

  "I know," Kale replied calmly. "And that’s exactly why I’m relying on you to stay back. Think about it, Izuna—if the strongest falls first, who is left to protect the weak? The game would be over before it even truly began. If you fall, I don't have the strength to keep her safe. But if I fall first... there’s still a chance you can protect her and escape."

  Izuna’s eyes widened as the weight of the words hit him. "Don't tell me... are you planning to sacrifice yourself?"

  Kale reached up, placing a single finger against his lips to silence him. "Shhh."

  Izuna bit his lip. He hated the plan, but he knew Kale’s logic was flawless. They were outmatched, and they had to play their cards perfectly.

  "Fine," Izuna whispered, his voice thick with reluctant respect. "But you’d better meet me again. Don't you dare die."

  "Fine, partner," Kale responded.

  As Kale turned away, Izuna watched him closely. Something was... different. Kale didn't look like the cautious boy who had been lead-climbing the mountains or worrying about rations. A strange, dark energy seemed to radiate from him—a sudden, piercing thirst for battle. It was as if his very presence was shifting, expanding into something far more dangerous.

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  Kale began to walk toward the towering stone giant. Each step was measured, silent, and heavy.

  "Please... be careful," Miss Reyu called out, her hands clasped in prayer.

  Riban looked down at the approaching boy and let out a mocking snort. "So, you're the one fighting me first? The small one?"

  Kale didn't respond. His expression was a mask of pure emptiness. There was no fear in his gaze, no regret, just a young man in a tattered uniform walking toward a monster.

  What is this feeling? Kale wondered to himself. The fear is gone. It’s just... gone. I want to fight this man. I want to tear him down.

  His heart beat with a slow, rhythmic thud that felt like a war drum. This doesn't feel like me... is it happening again? Is it like that time in the store?

  As the gap between them closed, the air around Kale began to chill. The strategist was gone. The survivor had arrived.

  "You stand there like a man, kid! Now show me if you can fight like one!" Riban screamed, his voice a landslide of gravel and fury. He lunged forward, his massive stone fist descending like a falling meteor.

  Izuna’s expression was tight with dread. "Big Bro, move!" he shouted, his heart hammering against his ribs.

  Kale didn't flinch. He remained rooted to the spot, his breathing slow and even, his face a mask of unnatural calm. To Miss Reyu, it looked like a suicide. She watched with a trembling heart, more worried for these two boys than for her own safety. In all her life, she had never met anyone willing to stand in the path of a monster for her sake, and the thought of Kale being crushed was more than she could bear.

  BAM!

  Riban’s fist slammed into the earth with enough force to crack the cobblestones, sending a plume of debris into the air. The giant grinned, certain he had pulverized the boy—until the dust settled.

  His fist had landed on empty ground.

  Kale was standing inches away from the impact zone, his hands relaxed at his sides. He hadn't jumped; he had simply stepped into the giant's blind spot with a movement so fluid it defied logic.

  "What?" Riban growled, his crimson eyes widening. "I didn't even see him move!"

  Enraged, Riban launched his other hand in a wide, horizontal sweep. Again, Kale moved. He didn't retreat; he drifted. He flowed over and around the attacks like water moving around a stone.

  High above, Grivear’s arms uncrossed. His cynical smile vanished. That movement... that’s not ordinary, he thought, his eyes narrowing. To move like that using pure physical strength requires years of brutal training. It requires a perfect center of gravity and absolute control over every muscle fiber. Is this kid a prodigy? It shouldn't be possible at his age unless he’s been training since he could walk.

  Grivear watched, mesmerized. Kale wasn't moving fast, nor was he moving slowly. It was Perfect Motion—a total synchronization of mind and body.

  Izuna and Miss Reyu were equally stunned.

  "I never knew Big Bro could do that," Izuna whispered, his worry turning into awe. "It’s like... I’m watching Lady Nymeria. That perfect balance... that grace."

  Riban, losing his mind to his own ego, went into a total rampage. He began striking everywhere, a whirlwind of stone and horns, desperate to catch the "dancing spirit" in front of him. But Kale was untouchable. He drifted through the storm of fists like a leaf caught in a gentle breeze.

  It was so beautiful that for a brief moment, Reyu and Izuna forgot they were in the middle of a battlefield. They weren't watching a fight anymore; they were watching a dancing spirit, a young man who had finally mastered the chaos around him.

  Even Grivear found himself distracted by Kale’s rhythm. The boy was in constant motion, yet he seemed motionless; he moved like a current of fresh air, flowing slowly and steadily without crushing a single blade of grass. It was like a soft wind that brings a sense of calm before the strike.

  "That’s amazing... and it should be impossible," Grivear whispered to himself.

  Down below, the eyes of Izuna and Miss Reyu brightened. "I have never seen anything like this in my life," she murmured, her fear momentarily replaced by wonder.

  "Me neither," Izuna responded, his jaw dropping.

  The battlefield was a study in contradictions. Riban was a raging storm—striking everywhere, kicking up clouds of choking dust, shattering trees, and making the very earth tremble under his weight. Kale was the calm center of that storm.

  How is he moving like that? Riban thought, his frustration turning into a lapse in focus.

  In that split second of distraction, Kale moved. He didn't punch or kick; he reached out and gripped Riban’s massive, stone-clad wrist. With perfect balance and a sudden, fluid twist of his hips, Kale used Riban’s own momentum against him. Without using a single drop of Mantra or magic, Kale redirected the giant’s massive weight.

  With a grunt of effort, Kale threw the multi-ton giant several meters through the air. Riban soared backward, his massive form crashing into a thick tree, snapping the trunk like a dry twig.

  "What?! How did Big Bro do that?" Izuna shouted. "He’s tough, but I didn't think he had the physical strength to throw a Level 3 giant!"

  Grivear actually smiled. He remained standing on the wall, arms still folded, but a strange spark of happiness flickered in his heart. He didn't understand why he felt it—perhaps it was the joy of a predator seeing a worthy prey, or an old soldier seeing a rare talent—but he was genuinely impressed.

  Riban grunted as he rolled out of the splintered remains of the tree. How... how did he do that? he wondered, his head spinning. I weigh a ton, but he threw me like I was a pebble.

  The giant took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew now that if he stayed in a mindless rampage, he would lose. He stood up slowly, his crimson eyes narrowing as he locked onto Kale with a new level of respect.

  "You're a skilled kid, I'll give you that," Riban said, his voice dropping to a serious, deadly growl.

  He didn't charge blindly this time. He knew that Kale had used his own strength against him. The "monster" was now thinking like a "warrior," and that made the situation twice as dangerous.