I woke due to an unexpected surge of magic which flooded my body, and localized around my injuries. I opened my eyes to a momentarily blurred world, but it didn’t take long for the translucent veil to lift and the figures surrounding me to manifest familiar details.

It took me a while to regenerate... I haven’t received damage like that in a long time.

Master stood over me, looking down with fading worry in his eyes, and readjusting the oversized article of clothing that now covered me. This is an unbefitting position for a servant, especially one that was unable to control her temper and nearly died because of it. I would move, but master would most likely insist that I remain still. I’ve caused him more than enough headache for a while, and besides... this is...

“Ah! Brook, you’re alive again! What’s Raven like- is she pretty?”

The elf wandered over from my left side, confidently halting just across from master with an overly enthusiastic smile broadly displayed on her face. This level of positivity is damn near infectious.

I watched as Ella’s attention was drawn away by some nearby insect, it’s horns and blue patterned shell completely capturing her emerald eyes as all previous curiosities melted away into nothing. She was genuinely one of the most incredible beings of this world, and I don’t say that lightly. Putting her physical and magical abilities aside, the elf-girl’s child-like innocence may prove to be the least conquerable force to ever exist.

Wait... something’s wrong. What is it, though? I cant... quite...

“Okay, dibs on that dirt-eating water-mage! I’m gonna make him eat that goddamn staff- let’s go!”

Water-mage? That’s right, we were on our way to the Moriaki Vel when some mage surprised Ella with an attack. I guess she was somehow able to tell what kind of magic he used during their interaction.

Where is she going now? Oh... shit, where’s our forth member? Master wouldn’t have left if she was still alive, right? No, even Ella wouldn’t be this happy if Grace had just died, and master doesn’t look like he’s lost a fight recently.

“Ah... look, I know you both care about Grace. She’s your friend just as much as mine, and while I’d much rather go alone, Ella has insisted on coming with me to fight whoever those two dipshits are. Now that Brook’s awake, and in surprisingly good shape, I think it should be safe to leave her here while we head back.”

Master’s words sounded from my right, his words slightly confusing, but the way he spoke about Grace leads me to believe she was captured back at the Vel. He was most likely forced to leave because I was unconscious, and defending me during a battle would have given them a severe handicap against a dangerous enemy. It seems I’ve caused quite a bit of unnecessary trouble with my foolish actions. If only I’d been more prepared, that blow could’ve been absorbed or dodged easily. I guess being unopposed for such a long time has made me weak.

“Brook can come too! It’ll be like a date, but with two... or maybe three girls, and three.... err... maybe more guys. Also, we’d all be trying to kill each other, and the other guys wouldn’t have a chance against Ash.”

“That doesn’t even resemble a date... besides, Brook still needs to recover.”

Master responded half-heartedly to Ella’s nonsensical proposition, clearly anxious to leave. However, the elf-mage didn’t seem to hear his words, and simply turned towards me with a slim brow raised expectantly. A brief pause followed before a long smile slid across her face, and one of her large green eyes flicked a mischievous wink in my direction.

“You’re not gonna let someone like that get away with threatening and humiliating your master are you?”

“Err... Ella, it’s fine. Just let her rest; I can take care of that guy myself.”

She’s right! It is my fault for acting out, but it was also that... thing who incapacitated me with a surprise attack. He probably threatened to do the same to master and the others after I was unconscious too!

The magic inside stirred in response to my growing frustration, gradually inundating my admittedly small muscles in it’s boundless energy. I don’t care to avenge myself, but I definitely won’t allow anyone to cause master pain or even discomfort to the only person I promised to help. Ah... now I sound like master.

“I’m coming too.”

“Yay! Let’s go kick some ass! Off we g-hm?“

Ella nearly exploded with excitement when I spoke, but master’s worry had already resurfaced, catching the elf’s hand just as she turned away. With a hesitant, but pensive expression, master turned his eyes in my direction as if to read my health. I have the ability to regenerate faster, and on a much larger scale than any other creature I’m aware of, not to mention the advancements that are now available to me since I’ve reaccessed my magic. It makes sense that he would search for some excuse to leave me here, especially considering how I was pulverized by a single attack from the very person I would most likely fight. However, I will never let something like that happen again. I’ve never really had the opportunity to use my full strength in a fight, definitely not against an opponent who might survive.

Unfortunately, I’m already a failure in his eyes, and given him every reason to see myself as completely useless in a fight. I’ll have no choice but to obey his request, and hopefully regain some small amount of self-respect. After finishing his assessment, master lifted his gaze to match my own, his mouth emitting a defeated sigh before speaking.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but if your certain that you can win, then I won’t try to stop you. Just know that I may be too preoccupied with whatever else might be in there to offer any help, so don’t take on an opponent if you’re not completely sure that you will win. This goes for you as well, Ella, but I’m pretty sure you’d just burn me if I interfered in your fight.”

“Damn right! That staff will be in my hand, and mine alone when it’s jammed into one of that bastard’s many holes.”

I paused for a moment before blinking away my confusion. I couldn’t help but feel shocked that the same master who was -no- IS so protective of those close to him would allow such a risk. I can remember how frustrated he was when Ella disappeared, so this decision was clearly not made easily. I’m glad he did though. If I stayed here or just decided not to fight, I would have only made things worse for everyone. Now, while there is still a lot of room for failure, I have the option to partially atone for the mistake I made.

“I’m coming too.”

- Five Minutes Pass -

My foot sunk into the dirt, exploding out behind me as a loud clap of air carried it away. With my senses sharpened, I quickly scan the surrounding forest for any large pools of magic that might indicate an enemy.

It took some time because of how rarely I utilize it, but I could now summon magic with ease and effectively distributed throughout my entire body. For someone with my natural strength, the use of body-enhancing magic might seem impractical, especially since ogres generally have such a low supply and understanding of magic in the first place. However, the years I spent in that terrible arena seeded a fear of defeat that outweighed practicality, and I soon decided to learn something that only a handful of opponents would understand. Shockingly, I found that body-enhancing magic increases one’s own strength exponentially, rather than simply adding on to it. Even the smallest application to myself resulted in a destructive force that discouraged many of the aspiring contenders.

I wonder if, with magic, I could face master on equal terms... that is- if I go all-out... but, it doesn’t matter. Right now we have to free Grace from the Moriaki Vel.

“Hm?”

A well-disguised figure rushed towards me, its magical power appearing to be no more than that of a small rodent, but its speed is faster than any normal person could see. I subtly risk a glance in the presence’s direction to confirm my suspicions, and sure enough, a light breeze, swiftly traveling faster than any gust of air should, skillfully brushed pass the scattered leaves.

Adrenaline spiked up into my chest, but quickly drained into an intense focus which cleared the muddled thoughts spinning around inside my head. Magic flowed through my tense muscles as the enemy approached, habitually preparing for a fight. Strangely, five simple words from the mouth an overly-excitable elf popped into my mind, almost as if to encourage me.

‘Let’s go kick some ass!’

I smiled to myself, sheepishly thinking about how many people must have died with that very thought on their mind, and how foolish I must for it to work this well.

I pulled my head back just before the attack hit its mark, and drove my left fist up into the center of the attacker’s mass in a measured blow. An odd sound flung the nearby brush between several surrounding trees, reminding me more of warping metal rather than the dull crunching that usually followed each of my attacks, and the scene which appeared immediately after was equally unexpected.

Siti’s body had stretched on impact to absorb most of the momentum, leaving his hands, feet and head just within an arm’s reach above me, while the rest of him stretched so that it nearly brushed the branches above. Though blindsided, the morphing warrior’s face relentlessly maintained a placid expression, apathetically watching as I was propelled back towards the ground. Bastard.

Pulling my hand around with a burst of wind, I reoriented myself, and struck my foot against the ground with enough force to completely redirect my momentum forward and up to the recovering figure. Using the forward momentum as a guide, I flipped backwards while simultaneously whipping my leg around to where the recovering enemy hovered.

A second attack landed, this one traveling with enough force to shatter the nearby trees, and send the two of us rocketing off in opposite directions. The oversized shirt I wore beat wildly against the wind, but just as the salesman who sold it to master had promised, it wouldn’t tear away so easily.

I blew through the first obstruction as if it wasn’t even there, but caught the trunk of the second with my knees, allowing me to straighten out and preparation for the third. Something came from my left just as I was about to strike the next burly tree, and noticed my opponent’s outstretched arm hooked around a distant tree, pulling him in an arc from where our previous interaction took place. I twisted, feeling the impact on my palms barely a moment after breaking through the wooden surface, and wrapped my arms around his fist. I quickly wedged my feet against his face and hip, then pulled its arm outward.

Just as I suspected, Siti’s arm became smooth and flexible in a way that resembled a pliable metal, twisting and stretching oddly as he tried to wrench himself free of my grasp. Using his face as a platform, I was able to kick off, and throw us once more in opposite directions, but did not release the appendage.. A dark line now connected us, extending for what seemed like miles before suddenly going taut, locking as the creature snapped out of its daze. Interesting... I could use this to-

“Wh-“

A sharp pain slid across my hands, and the mutilated arm left my control, rocketing back to it’s iron-faced master. I looked down as my descent gradually began, and saw that both arms had deep gashes that ran from my forearms down to my palms. I returned my attention to my opponent just in time to see the massive creature’s long claws revert back to normal fingers.

He was heavier, and naturally landed just before me. Though I’ve already healed thanks to my magic, this new development might prove to be quite troublesome. I suppose I should delve further into my magic supply, though it’s a bit sad... I rarely get an opponent who can keep up.

“You are strong, little one. Few have the ability to strike me, but you have done so many times over.”

The towering man nodded to indicate his respect, nonchalantly stepping backward to a slightly more defensible position in preparation for any sudden moves I might make. In another situation, these gestures would have been quite flattering to a warrior like myself, since it is a humble acknowledgement of my strength. However, this thing clearly has no respect to offer.

“I can still feel Vetara’s magic flare not far from here, clashing with -from what I’ve gathered- your fire mage friend. He may be a fool, but opposing his magic requires power, and no amount of strategy can change that.”

I’m sick of listening to this. He wants me to strike first, but I refuse to be impaled, split, or trapped because of this unorthodox taunt. I can wait.

“You three are far too dangerous to have just appeared out of nowhere, especially the one you refer to as ‘master’.

My left eye twitched, and a brief moment of irritation escaped the face I had previously kept blank. I’m aware that he’s trying to incite a reaction, but speaking poorly of my master who has shown me nothing but kindness despite how useless I’ve been, is not something that may pass without consequence.

Despite his evident familiarity with battle and notable skill, he uses his gifts more like a child who is just learning to walk. Talented, but regrettably undeserving of that dangerous artifact he wears. Or at leas-“

“Your cowardice is annoying.”

The phrase slid from between my pursed lips, and noticeably caught his attention. He shifted in an attempt to shake away his initial reaction, leading to a brief lull as he tried to form a response. Despite my opponent’s efforts, there were obvious traces of anger which pulled threateningly at his metallic features.

“What was that? You think I’m afraid of-“

“Yes.”

A sharp inhale forced him to change his breathing pattern to a slower, deeper, and more drawn out pace in a furious effort to calm his nerves.

“And what, exactly, do you think I fea-”

“Your friend’s staff, my master’s power, Ella’s magic, and my strength. You refuse to fight me head on, deceiving yourself into believing these surprise attacks to be “tactics” or anything other than a pitiable embodiment of your own cowardice.”

I felt the heat of his eyes burrowing into mine and sense his dark intentions, which he no longer bothered to hide from me. It seems my assessment was more accurate than I thought.

The hulking creature’s dark arms bulged as magic rippled across its surface, enlarging and reshaping the creature’s entire body into a darker, less civilized form. Naturally, I responded in kind, and accessed my own magic’s deeper stores while retaining control over my outward appearance.

I’ve been fighting a creature with the ability to manipulate its own physical properties at will, that much has been obvious from the beginning, but this amount of control is an entirely different story. I have little experience with this outside world, and no clue what a shapeshifter’s limits might be, but I have a feeling that I’m about to find out. Well then, let’s see what it’s capable of.

“How da-“

“-You, who has no right to even approach the dirt beneath his feet, belittled my master who wasn’t even present to defend himself. Comfort yourself as you like, but mere words will not cripple master’s hands... or save you from mine.”

The monster in front of me no longer took the form of a man, but now resembled a demon from one of the old legends my mother used to tell me about. She often spoke of the ancient wars when thousands of ogres would hunt down and slay the demons who dared threaten our realm. She claimed that it required a thousand ogres to eliminate one demon.

I know it’s an immature reaction, but I couldn’t withhold a momentary smile as the exciting realization washed over me.

“You arrogant child! Have you not yet realized what I am?!”

A thunderous voice rattled the air as the creature’s lips spat its venomous words in my direction, spraying saliva and excess magical power across the ground as it did. Two brilliant white lights poured from where its eyes once were, contrasting with the now pitch-black skin surrounding them. The reflection off the dark surface looked as if it was made of steel, dancing beautifully over each crease and fold with every weighted breath that escaped the monster’s elongated maw.

Two large pointed ears, which had been pulled back in a threatening manner, smoothed over the wolf-like head as it rose from it’s vaguely humanoid body, and brought a massive clawed hand up to rest on the rough bark of a particularly massive tree.

“I... am called Siti... the One Who Ends... I am called... demon, for my roots... are not entrenched in this primitive reality... I am called servant by none but Moria... and I am commanded solely by his archbishop... I... am... almost a werewolf of the Blighted Mountains... but have been blessed... blessed with the blood of a Morph... a demon’s blood...”

I don’t care about his origins, but these butchered words are a courtesy that I’ve granted him, despite his failure to offer me the same.

“My first strike against you... little child, it left me feeling slightly ill... but...”

Lifting its head, the creature straightened to assume its full height, and emitting a low growl that was likely meant to intimidate me. The hand that rested against the massive tree tightened it’s grip, uprooting the growth with a symphony of crumbling stone and splintering wood which toppled to the ground next to me. Two blackened feet sunk deeper into the ground as the enormous head finally reached its highest point, and I found myself staring almost straight up at the towering beast.

“...this one will do quite the opposite!”

I glanced down, judging its overall size based on my own relation to the leg in front of me, and figured the werewolf to be around sixty to seventy times my height. Though, I only need to leap about two-thirds that distance if I move quickly enough.

The creature’s weight shifted over to its left foot, obviously preparing to kick at me with its right. Siti made no effort to disguise the attack, since its sheer size would give away even the smallest movement, relying solely on brute strength to finish me.

“Okay.”

As expected, the paw-like foot lashed out towards me with a surprising amount of speed, building up a wave of debris as it did. Siti will likely kick the debris outward if I evade back or to either side, leaving up, and towards its claws my only sure route. I do realize that this is most definitely a trap, but I had already planned to move in that direction anyway, so it doesn’t really change much.

With a deep rumble and a burst of wind, my ascent began. Streaking upward, I approached my target much faster than anticipated, and almost instantly passed by my opponent’s face.

Magic diluted the blood in my arms as I flung them behind me in a wide arc, while pointing my knees towards the foe who was still searching the ground in confusion. The air collided with my open palms, sharply angling my trajectory diagonally toward the center of my foe’s colossal head. Body-enhancing magic travelled down my torso to reinforce the point of each knee just before contact was made.

I tensed as the deafening sound of warping metal and the jarring exchange of momentum shocked my body, but not enough to relent the attack. I quickly twisted left, this time localizing the summoned magical power to my right leg and left arm before kicking

outward, and simultaneously throwing an arm back to keep me in place as well as intensify the damage it dealt. A second shriek resounded as the metallic head folded over on itself, stretched, then detached from the rest of its monstrous frame and disappeared into the dawning horizon.

What remained of Siti melted away into nothing, a demonic trait that even I could recognize. I landed heavily on the barren land below, my feet leaving an indiscernible mark on its distorted surface. Standing motionless, I took a few moments to regain my dulled senses and recover from the various wounds that most improvisations usually brought.

The brief silence that followed was quickly interrupted when a faint, but undeniable rumble escaped my stomach; an unpleasant reminder of why I typically refrain from the use of magic. Weakness flooded over me, the exhaustion forcing me to sit down on the back of my legs and lean wearily on my left arm for extra support.

“I wonder... if I put in everything, I might be master’s equal in a fair fight.”

The previously dismissed thought resurfaced momentarily, but disappeared as a long dark shadow slid across the terrain and overshadowed everything in sight. The world around me became like night as it blocked the sun’s light, and narrowed my thoughts.

I blinked, stupefied by the wraith-like figure that calmly drifted alongside the unrealistic scene, and slightly terrified at its unexpected might. This was a moment I knew would never be forgotten, by myself or any others who see it. I scolded myself for allowing seeds of delusion to enter my mind; it’s now clear that none but a god can stand against someone like him and live.

A bright flash of light exploded from the hovering object before removing it from sight, chasing away all shadows except the one cast by my master.