What Damien said made Ruck raise an eyebrow, then his wide grin stretched even further.
"Well, well," Ruck said, chuckling. "You're Damien Cross? I expected more. You don't look like much—thought the fire mage would be some terrifying beast, not some short kid playing dress-up."
Dorn, standing beside him with arms crossed, nodded slowly. "I thought you'd be taller. Older. You look like a child."
Damien's brow twitched. Steam hissed from his shoulders.
"They really called me a kid? I've faced monsters already—and these clowns think I'm a joke?"
Damien took a step forward, a smirk on his face. "I'm not exactly thrilled to be looking at your ugly faces either. You two look like someone roasted pigs and gave them weapons."
Ruck burst into laughter. "So you're the one who gave my minions a little workout yesterday?"
Damien's eyes narrowed. Flames licked at his arms.
"Those bastards hurt Leo's family. Threatened a peaceful village. And they laughed while doing it..."
Ruck leaned his head back. "Aw, is the little fire boy angry now? Gonna throw a tantrum?"
Damien's jaw clenched. Flames erupted briefly across his arms and shoulders.
"Don't... call me LITTLE FIRE BOY!!!"
He began marching toward them, his whole body starting to shimmer like heat on asphalt. His form flickered as fire burst off of him.
Garret, still leaning against a wall, shouted, "Damien! Calm down! Don't lose your head! You're not just some weapon—you've got to THINK!"
Damien froze mid-step. He stopped, breathing heavily.
"He's right... Ignis warned me about this. If I let rage control me... it'll consume everything. I can't afford to go wild."
Damien slowly exhaled. The flames around him faded. The steam dissipated.
Ruck groaned. "Aww, come on! All that fire and no action? I was hoping for a show!"
He shrugged and turned to Dorn. They exchanged a nod.
And then they moved.
They vanished from sight in a flash of motion.
Damien's eyes widened. "They're fast—faster than before—where are they—"
"BERSERKER CRASH!"
Ruck appeared in front of him in a blink and slammed his head into Damien's chest like a battering ram.
The impact knocked the wind from Damien's lungs. He flew backwards, crashing through the street, skidding across the stone, and slamming into a building wall with a loud crack.
Blood splattered from his mouth as he gasped, stunned.
"Heh!" Ruck laughed, stepping forward. "You really are just a sparkler!"
Damien sat up slowly, clutching his ribs. "That... hurt. Didn't think it would happen so fast. I wasn't ready."
He tried to rise, only to feel a tremor through the ground.
His eyes darted up.
Dorn.
"ANVIL SMASH!"
Dorn soared through the air, hammer raised. Damien's eyes widened.
"Flame Dash!"
He vanished just as the war maul slammed into the ground where he'd been. The street cratered, a shockwave blasting outward, cracking nearby walls and sending smoke into the air.
Dorn looked around, eyes narrowing. "Missed."
Farther away, Damien reappeared, breathing hard, singed and shaken.
"That was close... that would've killed me. I've only been in this world two days. I can't die again. Not now."
Ruck burst out laughing. "Did you see that? Missed him by a hair! Damn, brother, you're slipping!"
Dorn replied, voice even. "He's faster than expected."
Damien clenched his fists.
"I need to be smart. No rushing in blind. Gotta know who I'm really dealing with."
"Appraisal!"
Two status screens appeared before Damien. Twin profiles of the enemies he now faced.
[Enemy: Ruck – Twin Brute – The Fang]
Level: 45
Class: Shock Trooper
Strength: 210
Endurance: 195
Speed: 170
Magic Resistance: 120
Skills: Bonehowler Cleave, Berserker Crash, Chain Momentum, Flame Resistance, Power Overwhelm
Unique Trait: Bloodbound Berserker – Gains increased speed and power the more damage he takes. Shares awareness and movement patterns with his twin.
[Enemy: Dorn – Twin Brute – The Maul]
Level: 45
Class: Shock Trooper
Strength: 220
Endurance: 210
Speed: 160
Magic Resistance: 140
Skills: Anvil Smash, Earthbreaker Stomp, Chain Lockdown, Impact Guard, Tactical Mind
Unique Trait: Bloodbound Sentinel – Shares a neural combat link with his twin. Automatically adjusts stance and counters based on enemy patterns.
Damien's jaw tightened.
*"Twelve times stronger... physically, magically... they're leagues above me. But I'm not backing down. Not now. Not ever."
Damien stood still, trying to catch his breath, thinking hard about what move to make next. His body ached, his mana was running low, and the twin monsters Ruck and Dorn were still standing.
"What can I do... they're faster, stronger, and I'm getting tired. I need something... anything."
Ruck laughed with a mocking grin, "What's wrong, little flame boy? Running out of tricks already? You scared or something?"
Dorn added flatly, "You hesitate. You fall."
Damien's eyes twitched. His annoyance flared. Then, his eyes caught sight of two swords lying on the ground—blades dropped by fallen bandits. He grabbed them quickly and stood up, holding one in each hand.
He closed his eyes. "Divine Flame Manipulation!"
Fire surged into both blades, wrapping them in golden-red flame. The metal shimmered and pulsed like molten lava.
Ruck raised a brow. "Huh. Looks fancy. Let's see if that'll keep you from getting crushed."
Dorn narrowed his eyes. "He channels divinity."
Damien opened his eyes, glaring at them. "I'm ready. Come at me."
With a roar, Ruck and Dorn dashed forward.
Damien sprinted to meet them head-on.
Their blades and weapons clashed in a flurry of speed, sparks, and flame. For twenty minutes they fought—sword to axe, sword to maul. Damien weaved, blocked, slashed, and kicked, barely holding his own.
Bruises formed across his body. Cuts oozed blood from his arms and cheek. But the twins were marked too—burns, scrapes, and dented armor.
With a final crash, all three collided again in a thunderous strike. They flew back in opposite directions.
Damien skidded, blades grinding against the ground until he stopped. The flaming swords shattered from the impact.
"Damn... swords broke. What now...?" he thought, breathing hard.
Suddenly, Ruck appeared right in front of him.
Damien gasped, raising his arms.
But no weapon came—Ruck threw a punch instead.
Unarmed combat erupted.
Dorn soon joined, and Damien found himself in a brutal hand-to-hand fight. Twenty more minutes of punching, blocking, kicking—every move met with resistance. Every dodge felt like luck.
Damien ducked a haymaker, twisted, and landed a flame-infused punch into Dorn's side. Dorn didn't flinch.
Ruck growled. "Bonehowler Cleave!"
Dorn roared. "Anvil Smash!"
Both swung their weapons down at once.
"Flame Dash!" Damien shouted.
He vanished in a streak of fire.
The twin strikes missed, hitting the ground with a colossal boom that cracked the earth and sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
Damien reappeared far back. He spread his legs and dug into the ground.
"Volcanic Pressure!"
Power surged through his limbs.
He thrust both hands forward. "Fireball!!!"
A massive fireball exploded from his palms, colliding into the twins and sending them flying, slamming through a building wall.
Damien smirked, breathing hard. "How do you like that...?"
Rubble shifted.
Ruck and Dorn stood up, bruised and bleeding—but grinning.
"That actually hurt," Ruck said, cracking his neck. "You got a bit of sting in you."
Dorn nodded. "Minor. But real."
Damien faltered. "Even that wasn't enough... I'm out of time..."
The twins launched forward.
"Combustion Field x20!" Damien growled.
Flaming rings erupted around him just as the twins arrived.
"Flame Dash!"
He disappeared again.
Ruck and Dorn looked around—then heard Damien's voice:
"Ignite."
The field exploded, launching them into the air.
Damien leapt high.
"Flare Kick!"
He dove feet-first into the mid-air twins, launching them down like comets.
"I'M NOT DONE!"
He raised his hands. "Fireball x60!!!"
A swarm of fireballs rained down on the twin brutes as they hit the ground. Each blast rocked the area, smoke and flames rising high into the sky.
Garret, watching from a distance, sat against a wall, eyes wide.
"He's... amazing. That kid... he's a monster in the making."
Damien landed hard, panting, almost collapsing.
His mana was gone. His vision blurred. He forced himself to smile.
"That's it... they're done. I beat them... those two ugly monsters."
He limped over to Garret, who was still struggling.
"You okay, old man?"
Garret laughed, voice strained. "You tell me, Firehead. Think I'm peachy with three broken ribs?"
Damien chuckled. "Same boat."
He helped Garret up.
Garret smiled. "You saved the village... and my family. Thank you."
Damien was about to reply when a deep rumble echoed.
Two figures burst from the rubble.
"TWIN CYCLONE SMASH!"
They roared as they dashed forward.
Damien turned too slow.
Garret moved in front of him.
Blades flashed.
Blood sprayed.
Garret fell.
Time slowed.
As he was falling, Garret looked back over his shoulder at Damien... and smiled.
In that moment, only Damien could hear his faint whisper:
"Live, Damien... protect them... like I couldn't."
Damien's voice cracked. "Garret...?"
He reached forward instinctively—but too late.
Garret's body hit the ground, unmoving.
Ruck grinned, bloodshot eyes wide. "Oops. Wrong guy. But who cares! I got to kill someone!"
Dorn said, "Collateral. Acceptable."
Behind Damien, Mira, Lila, and Leo screamed in horror.
"FATHER!"
"DAD, NO!!"
"WAKE UP! PLEASE!"
Tears streamed down their faces. Their voices cracked with pain.
Leo dropped to his knees beside his father. "You said you'd be okay... don't leave us..."
Mira held Lila tight, shaking. "Garret... no... you can't leave us."
Lila whispered, eyes wide. "Daddy... please..."
Damien stood frozen.
"I failed. Again. I promised I'd protect them... and I failed."
Ruck laughed cruelly. "That old man deserved it. And now it's your turn. You, and that brat family of his!"
Damien's eyes went wide.
Tears fell.
Steam rose.
Flames burst from his body.
His aura expanded. Heat distorted the air.
"You'll... pay for this," Damien whispered.
Ruck laughed louder. "Did you say something, little fire boy? You crying? You gonna cry again?"
The ground cracked beneath Damien.
Emotion Sync – Activated
Flames erupted like a volcano.
Mira, Lila, and Leo stood back, frightened.
"What's happening?!" Mira cried. "That flame—I've never seen anything like it!"
"Big bro Damien... he's... he's changing," Leo said, eyes wide in awe and fear.
Lila's voice trembled. "He's losing control... he's not the same anymore..."
Smoke surrounded Damien like a swirling storm. His head was bowed. His hair hung over his eyes.
Ruck stared into the haze. "Did we piss off the little flame boy? Hah! Good!"
But Damien didn't move.
Tears hit the dirt. The silence grew heavy.
And then...
He screamed.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR HURTING MY FRIEND!!!!!!!!"
To be continued...