The sun blazed high over the cliffside, casting long shadows across the jagged rocks. The ocean roared below, but the only sound on the plateau above was grit, breath, and flame.
Rikuya's body dipped low, muscles screaming as he performed one-arm push-ups — a giant boulder balanced across his shoulders and legs, held steady by sheer will.
"Eight thousand nine hundred ninety-three…"
His voice was hoarse, but determined. His sweat sizzled on the hot stone beneath him.
A few feet away, Tsuki crouched low, his eyes locked on a pile of small wooden targets stacked in a row. The little dog inhaled deeply — then released.
"Fffft!"
A tiny blue fireball shot from his mouth, hitting a wooden plate and lighting it up with a soft whoosh.
"Nice one," Rikuya muttered between breaths.
Tsuki barked proudly, tail wagging, then locked onto the next target.
"Again."
Another push-up. Another fireball.
Again.
They trained in perfect rhythm — man and beast, bonded by fire and struggle.
After what felt like hours, Rikuya collapsed onto his back, breathing hard, boulder sliding off with a dull thud. Tsuki waddled over and plopped beside him, panting.
"Not bad, flame pup," Rikuya said, ruffling Tsuki's head. The dog let out a puff of smoke in response.
Rikuya gazed at the sky, chest rising and falling.
"We're not there yet, but we're closer than yesterday."
Rikuya laid still, the heat of the sun soaking into his skin, his breath slowing with each passing second. Tsuki curled beside him, blue wisps of smoke rising gently from his nose as he dozed in content exhaustion.
Eyes fixed on the vast sky above, Rikuya spoke softly—more to himself than anyone else.
"Even if you break today… you rise again tomorrow. The climb only ends when you stop looking up."
The wind tugged at his hair like a silent nod from the heavens.
Tsuki let out a sleepy bark, as if in agreement.
Rikuya smirked. "Guess that means we're not done yet."
Rikuya pushed himself up, brushing dust from his arms as he glanced at Tsuki.
"Time to hunt, buddy."
Tsuki's ears perked, a spark of fire flicking from his snout as he barked eagerly. With a grin, Rikuya adjusted the cloth wrapped around his fists, the wind brushing past them as they stood at the edge of the cliff.
Without another word, the two leapt down — Rikuya with a powerful dive, Tsuki bounding after him like a comet of blue flame. The forest below awaited, shadows shifting and prey stirring.
The hunt had begun.
They landed with grace in the forest's edge, leaves crunching underfoot. Tsuki growled low — and ahead, four stone golems emerged from the underbrush, each the size of a man but slightly taller, carved from jagged rock and glowing faintly blue at the joints.
Their heavy footsteps thudded like drums as they approached.
Rikuya cracked his knuckles, a grin forming as he stepped forward.
"Really?" he said, eyeing them one by one. "You've got boulders for brains, clay for faces… and you thought you were gonna stop me from eating breakfast?"
The golems stiffened, sensing danger — but Rikuya's eyes had already narrowed with focus.
"I've stepped on pebbles tougher than you."
He dropped into a stance, Tsuki flaring with small blue fireballs at his side.
"Let's break some rocks."
As Tsuki spits small fireballs at the golems, the little blue flames barely singe their rocky surfaces. It only seems to anger them more. The golems roar in unison, their deep, guttural growls shaking the earth beneath their feet.
Rikuya watches them closely, unfazed, as their slow, heavy movements become predictable. With a smirk, he leans back and exhales, his muscles coiling in readiness.
He steps forward as the first golem swings its massive fist toward him. With fluid precision, Rikuya sways to the left, the punch missing by mere inches. In the same breath, his right fist strikes out with lightning speed, landing a jarring cross to the golem's jaw. The blow rattles it, the golem's body wobbling slightly from the impact.
Before the creature can recover, Rikuya's left fist follows, a devastating jab straight to the golem's face. The punch is so powerful it pushes its head back, opening up its defense. The golem stumbles, dazed by the force.
Without a moment's hesitation, Rikuya sways to the right again, narrowly dodging another punch aimed at his head. He moves like a ghost, his body flowing smoothly, never staying in one place too long. As the golem's fist whizzes by, Rikuya's right cross lands clean to its temple, the strike sending it staggering sideways, its defenses shattered.
Rikuya steps back with a fluid motion, putting distance between them as he watches the golem's movements. It tries to recover, but Rikuya knows better. The golem thinks it has an advantage now, but it's mistaken.
As the golem lurches forward, thinking it can land a blow, Rikuya charges back in with the speed of a predator. With explosive force, he drives a thunderous uppercut into its chin. The impact sends the golem flying backward, its head snapping violently as it crashes to the ground, lifeless.
Rikuya stands tall, chest rising and falling with the intensity of the fight. He watches the golem crumple, his expression calm as if this was all in a day's work.
"Next time, try not to be so rock solid," he mutters, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
As the second golem charges, its massive fists swing down toward Rikuya with the force of a mountain. With practiced grace, Rikuya dodges, his body swaying to the side as the golem's punch crashes into the ground, splintering the earth beneath it.
Rikuya stands, barely fazed, his eyes flicking to Tsuki. The little wolf is darting around, her agile movements evading the golem's slow, lumbering attacks. She spits small blue fireballs with each dodge, the flames causing minimal damage but enough to infuriate the golem even further.
Rikuya smirks and watches the chaos unfold, his eyes narrowing as he speaks, almost to himself.
"You don't need strength to break your enemy's spirit... you just need persistence."
With a final glance at Tsuki's playful assault, he turns back to the golem. "Keep at it, Tsuki, we'll wear them down."
Rikuya watches the golem charge toward him, its heavy steps reverberating through the ground. His body tenses, every muscle coiled and ready to move as the golem's massive fist swings toward him. He dodges, his body flowing effortlessly to the side, just narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.
Without missing a beat, Rikuya closes the distance between them. He charges forward, moving like a blur, and slams his fist into the golem's midsection, exploiting the gaps in its rocky armor. The impact reverberates through the creature's stone body, sending a jolt through its massive frame. The golem stumbles slightly, stunned by the unexpected force.
Before it can recover, Rikuya spins around, using the momentum to deliver a sharp elbow directly into its lower back. The crack of his strike echoes, a shockwave of power coursing through the golem, causing it to lose its footing for a brief moment.
With a fluid motion, Rikuya raises his left fist high, bringing it down in a hammer-like strike to the golem's chest. The sheer power behind the punch shakes the stone armor, and the golem stumbles back, cracks forming in the rocky exterior as it struggles to maintain its balance.
Seeing an opening, Rikuya slides beneath the golem's defenses, his movements impossibly fast as he delivers a brutal upward punch to its jaw. The golem's head jerks back violently, its balance further thrown off as it lurches backward.
Rikuya circles around it, his movements a whirlwind of calculated strikes. With pinpoint precision, he kicks at the golem's knee joints and thighs, causing it to stagger with each impact. The stone legs begin to weaken under the assault, the golem struggling to stay upright.
Finally, with all of the golem's weaknesses exposed, Rikuya charges up for the finishing blow. He leaps into the air, his powerful legs propelling him higher. As he descends, his double-fisted punch slams into the golem's skull with devastating force. The sound of cracking stone fills the air as its head shatters into rubble, and the massive creature collapses, reduced to nothing more than a pile of broken rock.
Rikuya lands lightly on the ground, breathing evenly despite the intensity of the battle. He glances at Tsuki, who watches him with bright eyes, her small fireballs barely making a dent in the last golem. He chuckles, giving her a playful nod.
Tsuki landed softly after a nimble dodge, her paws skidding slightly across the dirt. Her ears pinned back with focus as she crouched low, growling softly. The last golem loomed ahead—towering and unyielding—but Tsuki didn't waver.
A soft blue glow began to flicker at the edge of her mouth.
Rikuya paused mid-step, watching curiously. "What are you up to, girl...?"
Tsuki's eyes narrowed. The glow intensified, swirling in her mouth until it formed a concentrated, pulsing sphere of blue fire. The ground beneath her paws cracked slightly from the pressure building around her. A gust of wind burst outward as the energy charged.
Then—with a sudden bark—she unleashed it.
The fireball tore through the air like a comet, smashing into the golem's chest with a thunderous boom. Shards of rock exploded from the impact, sending the towering creature staggering backward with a fractured chestplate.
Rikuya's eyes widened before breaking into a huge grin. He clapped his hands loudly, his voice ringing out with pride.
"That's what I'm talking about! Atta girl, Tsuki!"
Tsuki let out a triumphant bark, tail wagging as she proudly puffed her chest. Rikuya jogged over, ruffling her head affectionately.
"Looks like you've been leveling up too." He chuckled. "Keep that up and I might have to start calling you my secret weapon."
As the dust settled and the shattered remains of the last golem crumbled into the cliffside, Rikuya and Tsuki stood victorious. The wind carried away the last bits of stone debris—and then came the sound of footsteps.
From the edge of the woods, an adventuring party approached. Four figures, clearly experienced but with warm expressions, stepped into the clearing.
The one in front was a tall man with short black hair and a confident air. He carried a broad sword strapped to his back and wore light but sturdy armor.
"Whoa... didn't think we'd find someone out here sparring with rock titans," he said with a friendly grin. "You alright?"
Rikuya turned, nodding. "Yeah. Just training with my partner."
Tsuki barked once and wagged her tail proudly, prompting a chuckle from the group.
Behind the leader stood a wise-looking old man with a long white beard and a curved wooden staff. His robes shimmered faintly with magical runes. "Hmm... such controlled movement for someone so young. You fight with instinct, but discipline too."
Then came the two girls. One wore soft robes with a satchel of herbs and potions at her hip—clearly a healer, judging by her gentle demeanor and watchful eyes.
Beside her was an elven archer. Tall, elegant, and graceful, her long silver hair fell past her shoulders, and a beautifully carved bow rested at her side. Her emerald eyes scanned Rikuya with curiosity.
Rikuya glanced at her briefly—then again, slightly longer.
Her ears twitched. Caught staring.
The elf's cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink as she quickly turned her gaze away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear in a rare moment of flustered distraction.
Rikuya cleared his throat and smirked to himself. Interesting.
The leader extended a hand. "Name's Darius. We're just passing through. Didn't expect to see a lone warrior out here training with a blue fire-spitting dog. Mind if we rest with you for a bit?"
Rikuya took his hand and shook it. "Name's Rikuya. Sure, I don't mind."
The old mage stroked his beard. "Perhaps around a small fire... you can share tales. I've always believed stories are a form of training too."
As the firelight flickered and the meal was nearly done, the group leaned back against rocks and logs, full and relaxed. The sky glowed orange, the wind cool and gentle. Tsuki curled at Rikuya's side, eyes slowly closing.
Lira nudged Rikuya. "Your turn. You owe us a story."
Rikuya chuckled softly, looking into the fire. "Alright," he said. "It's an old tale I heard a long time ago. I don't know if it's true—but it stuck with me."
Everyone leaned in just a bit.
"There was once a warrior who sought strength. Not for power, not for glory—but because he wanted to protect the people he loved. Every day, he trained under waterfalls, battled beasts, and pushed his body past its limits. But one day, he lost everything in a single moment—his village, his friends… gone."
The fire cracked.
"He cursed himself. Thought strength was pointless. Thought he failed."
Silence settled around the group.
"But while wandering the world, he found a small child crying under a ruined tree. The child had nothing—but still offered the warrior half of a stale piece of bread. That day, the warrior didn't feel strong. He felt… human. And he realized that even after all the loss, there was still something left worth protecting."
Rikuya picked up a stick and gently stirred the embers.
"And so he rose again—not because he was ready… but because someone out there might need him."
He looked up, the firelight casting soft shadows on his face.
> "Even when you feel empty… someone might still see you as shelter. Be strong, not because you're unbreakable—but because you care enough to keep standing."
The group was quiet.
Even Darius looked thoughtful.
The elf glanced sideways at Rikuya, and this time, didn't look away.