"Kid, haven’t you heard the saying from mythical texts? Wise birds choose their perches!"

"You chose to stand against the Volthus Empire. There’s only one outcome for you—descend to hell and be reborn!"

The aide sneered, never once diverting his focus from commanding the Tree Spirit to control the mudflow.

The avalanche of mud and rock surged downward with crushing force.

It was about to swallow Ansal, who seemed to offer no resistance.

Yet on the brink of life and death—

He let out a mocking smile.

"Mythical texts run deep. I recall another line: *A loyal servant serves only one master.* Throughout history, traitors have all met the same end—*a miserable death!*"

The next instant—

Ansal’s pupils sharpened.

He flipped his wrist, pulling out a small red orb that floated before his chest.

The orb rapidly expanded, soon growing into a crimson crystal sphere cradled in his palm.

"Heavenly Flame—emerge!"

BOOM—

An arcane glyph from mythical lore shot out of the crystal.

In the blink of an eye, flames erupted from the earth beneath Ansal’s feet.

They coalesced into a massive, fiery beast.

Its emergence also revealed why the aide’s horse had exploded earlier.

Clearly, it had been lying in wait underground all along.

Now summoned, it revealed its true form.

The moment the flame beast appeared—

The air temperature soared.

The churning mudflow, baked by intense heat, began evaporating instantly. Its momentum slowed as if time itself had thickened.

The aide knight stared in shock at the monster.

Resembling a Tengu from myth, it swayed its enormous white head. Thick, layered fur cascaded down its back, snow-white and translucent.

Its feet trod on molten lava, fiery patterns crawling up its limbs—a mesmerizing, otherworldly beauty.

Yellow flames blazed from its eyes like moonlight made molten.

"Who *are* you?!" the aide knight cried, his voice trembling with dread.

Beneath the colossal infernal beast, he felt utterly insignificant.

"What does it matter if you know or not?"

The golden-haired youth replied coolly, his tone laced with irony.

"What do you want?!"

"Who I am, what I seek—you needn’t care where I’m from. Because after tonight, you’ll have no place in this world."

"Big words! Let’s see who dies first!"

The aide’s body shook, yet he forced his voice steady, refusing to yield.

"Tch… How troublesome. Then I’ll use *that* move—**Crimson Inferno!**"

Ansal’s bored mutter was his only reply, followed by a command.

"ROOOOAR—"

A world-shattering roar echoed. Crimson flames flooded the sky.

Like divine punishment from the Fire God in myth, the heavens tore open.

Blazing fury replaced the sky.

It crashed down. The world seemed to fracture. Scorching heat set everything ablaze.

"What—?!"

"H-How?! You didn’t use a Command Token! And an Elven Sorcerer and Tree Spirit are bound as one after contract—how can you fight separately?!"

The scene left the aide reeling, bewildered.

"What a joke of a question! To preserve my mystery, I’d *never* answer that."

Ansal flipped his golden bangs with a flourish.

"Damn you!... Earth Command—**Stone Shield!**"

Instinct honed by years of battle kicked in.

A triangular earthen shield materialized instantly, encasing the aide knight within seconds.

But the mudflow, superheated by flames, boiled and evaporated.

In moments, it solidified into a pool of magma.

The aide knight gaped, horror-struck.

"Not bad. Now then—**Magma Barrage!**"

Ansal stood unscathed atop the flame beast, satisfied with his handiwork.

At his command, the beast threw back its head and roared.

Molten rocks lifted from the ground, hardening into countless fiery projectiles.

When enough had gathered—

*WHOOSH!*

All magma orbs launched at once, streaking low toward the aide.

*THUD! THUD! THUD—*

The triangular shield shattered after barely a dozen impacts.

*CRACK!*

"No!!"

A blazing magma ball whistled past the aide’s ear, jolting his heart.

"Earth Command—**Return to Dust!**"

Panicked but not frozen, the aide issued a new order.

The Tree Spirit channeled Nature Energy in response.

His body dissolved like a shadow, sinking into the earthen pillar beneath him.

The instant he vanished, a storm of magma orbs ripped through the space he’d occupied, carrying waves of searing wind.

"Hmph. Trying to run? Not so fast."

Ansal sneered. A military officer fleeing? Pathetic.

His flame beast leaped, trailing hurricane-force fire.

It crashed toward the towering earthen pillar where the aide had fled.

With a savage swipe—

Its blazing claws shattered the pillar in two strikes.

"*GYAAAHHH!!*"

The aide was spat out like a ragdoll, his body engulfed in crimson flames. He writhed on the ground, screaming.

*THUD! THUD! THUD—*

As he rolled desperately to smother the fire—

A wave of scorching heat washed over him.

A colossal silhouette landed before him.

Through the flames consuming his flesh, the aide saw the golden-haired youth standing atop the beast.

Those eyes—cold, disdainful, brimming with killing intent.

Not the gaze of one human to another.

But a predator mocking the stupidity of its prey.

*Fear.*

His body convulsed violently.

"Wai—!"

Before the plea for mercy left his lips—

The flame beast’s claw slammed down.

*SPLAT—*

The aide’s robust frame flattened into a bloody pulp.

"Crushing a cockroach on a dull night."

A casual smile played on Ansal’s lips, as if taking a life meant nothing.

He glanced at the mangled corpse, then bent to pluck a blood-soaked letter from the mess.

After a quick scan, he had the flame beast exhale a jet of fire.

Letter and corpse burned to ash.

"My dear friend Verlith... This is all I can do for now. The dead-last you remembered? I’m not that boy anymore. If even *I* can reach this height—you won’t fall behind, will you?"

Ansal faced the eastern horizon, wind whipping his hair.

"The rest is yours to walk. Good luck."

The colossal flame beast roared toward the east, then vanished into the night sky with Ansal astride it...