Boom! Boom! Boom!

Up above the clouds of Rosendun, numerous explosions burst out as a figure tore through the speed barrier without care for the unfortunate beasts which collapsed to the earth, blood leaking out of busted eardrums.

Upon closer look, one could roughly make out the figure of a man with dark hair, and an equally dark cloak. A pair of night-colored, bat-like wings manipulated the wind around the man, shooting his speed beyond human comprehension.

If Kashi was here, he would have recognized this dark-haired man whose hardened expression leaked cold fury, the grotesque image worsened by visibly pulsing veins on his arms and neck; all of which was further evidence of how heavily the man was currently restraining himself from doing something he would doubtlessly regret.

Rider’s eyes grew even colder as he recalled the Adjudicators’ smug faces as they proclaimed their superiority over the Maggots. Once again, those bastards had shown their faces before him. It wasn’t enough that they attempted to kill her all those years ago. Now, they even dared to threaten his only hope of getting her back.

Gritting his teeth, Rider came to a hard stop over a familiar stretch of trees. Ever since Fladnag unlocked Nama Woods, the easiest way to access it was through the sky. Unfortunately for most people, a formidable illusion spell formation covered both the sky and earth. Unwelcome guests would find themselves trapped for eternity if they tried to force their way in. Only those with the formation master’s permission seal were permitted entry.

Naturally, Rider possessed Fladnag’s seal, allowing him smooth access to the closed forest. The Hybrid Lord stretched his hand over the forest, solemn gaze searching for something within. If a mage was nearby, they would have recognized the low-frequency mana pulses escaping his outstretched palm to be the tell-tale signs of [ Detect Life ] , a beginner level spell which allowed a mage to detect living beings in their surroundings.

What would have left them shell-shocked, however, was the impossible distance the mana pulses covered. From Rider’s position, the pulses stretched over several kilometers, blanketing the entire forest. They even dug beneath the earth, reverberating through those hidden passageways, leaving no living being unscanned. Most mages would be very pleased with themselves if their detection managed to reach a two hundred meter radius, yet, there was someone here pushing it for several kilometers. This was a true example of no skill is useless if trained to the utmost.

A myriad of scattered information gushed into Rider’s brain, as he became aware of every living thing currently in the forest. A lesser man would have lost his sanity to the torrential overload, but to the Hybrid Lord, this was a piece of cake. Sifting through the mana signatures, he finally settled on a particularly bright but chaotic signal.

“Found you,” Rider muttered, a ghost of a smile finally warming that unbearably stoic face. Rider’s wings burst into mana particles, then with a single step, his body shifted through space, appearing over two kilometers away. His expression softened, even more, when he saw the little daeben perched at the top of a hundred-meter-tall tree, her attention razor-focused on something ahead of her.

Weeks in the forest had dug up the beast-like ferocity within Zuri. To the extent that looking at her, Rider could not help but liken her posture to that of a prowling beast, waiting for the perfect opportunity to rip its prey to shreds. The pants and shirt Kashi had casually given her back at Aygorzi had held on surprisingly well in the harsh environment, although the trousers had been cut down up to her knees. You didn’t have to look far to find out the location of the torn pieces. Wrapped around both arms were pieces of cloth which had long since turned red from absorbing too much blood.

Even the stoic Rider felt a pang of guilt in his heart. In his quest to prepare his heir, had he sacrificed her innocence? Recalling the little girl who called him gray ojii-san, he could not help but feel he had failed Kashi. He was about to take a step forward when Zuri suddenly shot to her feet, an unmistakeably childish excitement glittering in her eyes.

Rider’s eyes went wide with shock as a massive shadow shot up from with the forest and landed next to Zuri on the tree’s peak. Black beak and feathers, save for stretches of silver at the tips of its wings which spanned six meters. All the characteristics of a Silverwing Eagle. Rider’s shock was understandable. The Silverwing Eagle was a high existence among the beasts in the forest. Even if it wasn’t at the peak, it wasn’t too far off. Judging by the standard metric, an adult Silverwing Eagle was somewhere around Lv. 250-300. It was not an existence a childlike Zuri could handle.

Just as Rider was about to intervene, he was forced to come to a halt as an even more shocking scene played out before him. The Silverwing Eagle, an apex beast with little to no predators bowed its head before the little girl who patted it like it was her pet.

“Hehe, Mommy Silver did you have fun?” Zuri cheered with a wide grin as she ruffled the beast’s neck feathers. “Did you see Little Black and Little Gray.”

Mommy Silver let out a few cries as it fondly nudged Zuri with its beak, drawing a giggle from the little girl’s lips. It then bent over, letting out a couple of hurried cries as its eyes darted to the north.

A rare bout of anger sprouted in Zuri’s furrowed brows as she clambered onto Little Silver’s back with practiced movements. “Hmph, those Smelly Baboons still haven’t learned their lesson,” Zuri muttered as she patted the Silverwing Eagle’s back. “Mommy Silver, don’t worry. I’ll beat up those Smelly Baboons.”

The Silverwing Eagle let out an appreciative cry as it spread its wings. With a heavy flap, it took to the sky, zipping through the forest at speeds that would shock modern day pilots. Although the Silverwing Eagle was a top existence, there were still a few areas within the forest its influence could not reach.

For example, the dense cluster of trees in the northeast which served as a home for the Rockbiter Baboons. These monsters, averaging at about Lv.100-200 were quite numerous and enjoyed this section of the forest because of the tight cluster of trees which prevented avian predators from diving in to take them as prey. Furthermore, they could set up ambush points for low flying avian creatures, sniping them with rocks shot from their mouths.

This tactic had proven near fatal for Mommy Silver’s chicks, who, while engrossed in playing had strayed a little too far from their designated territory. Fortunately, through the innate connection shared by blood kin, Mommy Silver could tell its children, although frightened and heavily distressed were still alive.

Whoosh!

The Silverwing Eagle let out an anger-filled shrill cry as it dodged a massive a pebble that zipped passed at speeds approaching a bullet. Mommy Silver let out a crazed cry as it glared at the dense canopy of trees beneath it. How Hateful! Although these baboons were definitely not its opponent, it could not reach them because of the natural defenses. However, wasn’t this exactly why she requested the human’s help?

Understanding the panicked cries, Zuri patted the Silverwinged Eagle’s back. “Don’t worry. Zuri will get back Little Black and Little Gray.” She then stood upright on the beast’s back, peering into the dense forest below with an unusually sharp gleam in her eyes.

Watching from afar, Rider, who at this point felt he had nothing more to be shocked about, was suddenly forced to re-evaluate his thoughts as he watched the little daeben, without any protection whatsoever, jump off the Eagle’s back. Rider’s heart clenched, his palm suddenly turning unusually sweaty.

Just as the Hybrid Lord feared, the Rockbiter Baboons spotted the intruder falling towards their home unannounced. Dozens of Rockbiter Baboons rushed to the zenith of their trees, heavy crunches akin to crushed stone reverberating across the forest. All beasts knew this sound and had come to fear it. This was the precursor to the terrifying ability for which the baboons were named.

As expected, as soon as the baboons were aligned atop the trees, their cheeks puffed up, turning a purplish red. Then with several thunderous bangs, a heavy shadow was cast over the forest as several hundreds of rocks shot towards the falling daeben with the ferocity of speeding bullets. If she was hit, it could be imagined there wouldn’t be anything left for even the best healer to recover.

For the umpteenth time that day, Rider was compelled to take action, but once again he forced himself to hold on. It wasn’t that he thought this was a particularly effective training method. He wasn’t as Spartan as he father to ignore his student’s death throes for the sake of training. Rider could not bring himself to act because of the innocent look in the little daeben’s eyes. Eyes displaying an endless excitement mixed with a touch of arrogance.

Surely enough, just when it seemed Zuri would be turned into a pincushion, the little daeben pulled a sudden reversal. The very elements of the earth seemed to shift as torrents of mana suddenly exploded out of the little daeben. In the first place, this much mana should never have appeared in the body of a daeben who were known to be shunned by mana due to their sins against their own bodies, but there it was in the body of a little girl.

Rider could not be sure, but it seemed her mana pool vastly exceeded that of the mages in Hopeful Maggots even though her actual lower was on the lower end. Rider’s gaze stilled as a massive silhouette emerged behind her, taking a rough shape of a lion’s head. However, Rider could not attribute the glory and pride exuding from the lion’s gaze to that of any low-level creature he knew.

Unfortunately, before he could uncover more, the silhouette merged into Zuri’s back as she sucked in a deep breath, then…

ROOOAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!

The baboons let out panicked shouts and screams as a pressure capable of suppressing the earth itself crashed down on them without mercy. The sturdy tree tops cracked under the pressure, causing many of the baboons to fall several meters below. Those who remained could not afford to spare their brethren another glance as an even more terrifying sight greeting them above.

All the rocks they had fired off earlier; the rocks which had blotted out the sky; the projectiles which even a Silverwing Eagle would not dare take head on. All these rocks had been directly crushed to dust. No tricks or fancy techniques! This was a pure suppression of power! The baboons understanding this, wore panicked, frantic cries as they finally realized the true terror of the approaching being.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.

Zuri’s cute, animated laughter drew a direct contrast to the bloody scene that emerged once she landed among the trees. The little daeben, clad in a dense yellow cloak from densely concentrated mana dashed tore through the mass of baboons, sharp claws making short work of all enemies. Blood, dirt and grime caked the daeben’s features as she manoeuvered through the tree networks, swinging from branch to branch and sliding down large branches with movements that left the baboon feeling equal parts shame and despair. With Zuri’s superior movements, there was no chance for them to escape.

Luckily for them, Zuri’s purpose today was not to slaughter, but to rescue. Then again, if they were any smarter, they would have noticed that after that initial roar, Zuri had not managed any other great technique. This was not because she was being proficient, but rather, that initial move had already emptied most of her mana reserves. The dense mana cloak she had on was as a result of [Beast Soul Possession] but even that would not last forever.

However, if one was to ask whether Zuri had done all this on purpose, the answer would be a resounding NO. Indeed, when faced with all those rocks, a more experienced warrior would have chosen to destroy the few rocks out of the hundreds that actually posed a threat. Zuri, on the other hand just wanted to let out her strongest move to provoke the baboons. After that, she simply took on the soul which allowed her to fight the easiest, and the one she was most used to, the Desert Tiger.

A smile spread on Rider’s lips as he watched the little girl weave, tear, and rip her way through the dense forest, before managing to rescue the two chicks. Indeed, although she was immensely powerful, he could still see her glaring weak points. The little daeben called Zuri was a true unpolished gem. Indeed Zuri was very much like her.

Over a Millennia Ago,

NetherRealm.

The Nether realm was a chaotic world of death and hate. Baleful auras colored the sky black, the darkness broken only by momentary flashes of multicolored lightning, each accompanied by ferocious thunderclaps akin to the roars of a world-destroyer. The “Land without a Sun” was home to millions of immortal, nefarious beings ranging from demons to savage beasts, each with only one purpose in life: To destroy everything in existence. These chaotic desires lead to a land infamous for its literal rivers of blood, centuries of immortal blood become nourishments for the never-ending flow.

Despite the rampant violence, hostility, and hatred every denizen of this realm shared for each other, there was one place they hated even more. That was the Free Realm, a land of bliss and plenty, where the sun never dipped, the fruits ever ripe, and the waters ever clean. Even more than that, the Free Realm possessed the only gate which could directly link to the mortal plane without the help of summoners from that plane.

The citizens of the FreeRealm enjoyed the land of plenty, with the sole duty of protecting the gate from all invaders. On the other hand, the denizens of the NetherRealm, languishing in the harsh climates of their world, strongly desired to destroy the bountiful Free Realm as well as seize the gate for themselves so they could freely enter the mortal plane whenever they wished.

Of course, the citizens of the FreeRealm would never allow either of these to happen, which led to the current situation where both realms were locked in an endless battle, with territories seized and reclaimed every day.

Seated in a certain bar on the outskirts of the FreeRealm, a large, and thirty-something, gruff-looking man with flaming red hair and an impressive beard nursed his drink as he listened to the bitter curses and discussions of the patrons. His appearance evoked memories of the Nordic race in the mortal plane, but the long fangs in his mouth revealed he was anything but human.

The land the bar sat on had only been reclaimed by the FreeRealm a few days ago, so most of the patrons were part of those who had participated in the battle. Those who had lost friends and loved ones would typically spend a few days drowning their sorrows in drink before returning to the battlefield. Such was the endless nature of the battles in this realm that three to five days outside the battlefield was beyond every being’s bottom-line.

Naturally, the red-haired man was an exception to the rule. As a being who had crossed over to the FreeRealm after surpassing the limit his growth in the mortal plane, he did not feel the same urgency to battle as these beings who were born and bred in this land. His gaze shifted to two patrons lamenting about their sibling who had perished in the recent battle. These two looked very much like a mortal from the lower planes, and he would have thought as much were it not for the horns protruding from their heads. That was right. There was no hume in this plane. Although most of the beings here assumed a mortal appearance for the sake of convenience, they were all sacred beasts which would be worshipped by tribes in the mortal plane.

The red-haired man finished his drink, mulling over his thoughts. Yes, there was no hume in this plane. No, rather, there should have never been a hume in this plane, let alone one of the lowest of the humes, a mere human. But as reality would have it…

Clink!

The red haired man looked up from his drink, eyes squinting as a tall figure walked into the bar, causing the atmosphere within to drop several degrees. No one dared to look the young man in the eyes, fearful of getting burned by the smoldering embers. His expression was hard and taut, like a bowstring at full strength, seemingly able to explode with unmatched ferocity if lightly provoked. Hair the color of flames and sharp, sword-like brows enhanced the young man’s imposing demeanour, forcing all those around him to keep their distance. If there was one blemish, it would be the curious scar that ran diagonally from his right eye to his lower left lip, but even that added an air of mystery to his image. Although the man had a very simple dress code with no signs of armour or weapons, no one dared harbor any thoughts of attacking him. After all, they had all witnessed the end of those Nether demons who had fallen to weapons that appeared from thin air.

The man seemed to be used to the reactions, as without even a glance at the patrons within the bar, he steadily made his way toward the Nord.

The red-haired Nord raised a brow as the young man took a seat next to him. Exposing a little smile, he lightly greeted, “All hail Razznik the Destroyer, Conqueror of the NetherRealm.”

“Shut it Lucius.” The young man, revealed to be the infamous Razznik, grumbled as he snagged the pitcher on Lucius’ table and forcefully downed its contents.

The red-haired Nord, Lucius Ludarac, or as he was more commonly known, Rider, chuckled as he examined his only friend in this hellish plane, instantly able to guess the source of his irritation. “You challenged Skyrm again didn’t you?” Razznik’s instant frown gave away the answer much to Lucius’ amusement. “I’ve told you a thousand times, Skyrm is the top dog in all of FreeRealm. You need to have the ability to take a walk through the deepest parts of the NetherRealm before you can have a chance of narrowly fighting him to a draw.” The deepening of Razznik’s frown showed his reluctance to accept the truth.

Lucius could only shake his head. He knew the stubbornness of this peculiar human once he found a target he wanted to defeat. Wasn’t he himself a prime example? Still, the situation was quite different from then, so he had to advice Razznik against this line of action. “You need to understand that you’ve lost Aileera’s blessing. The next time you die will be the end of it. Do you understand? The only reason the immortals here can fight so freely is because even after death, they will be reincarnated after a couple of decades or centuries with their memory intact.”

Razznik stiffened at Lucius’ words. Indeed, the hybrid was right. Should he keep being this reckless, he would eventually die. A permanent death. In more ways than one. In some sense, due to his unique situation, he should be resorting to caution, searching for only the easy leveling spots until he reached a high enough level. If he did this, he would still reach the peak, albeit through a roundabout method. He could do this. It was indeed the best choice, but…

“I can’t.” Indeed, Razznik could not live that way. He was an existence that lived and breathed for battle. The day his blood stopped raging hot would be the day he prepared to lay down his life. For now the broken cheat that was the leader of the FreeRealm was his current goal. He knew that the day he defeated Skyrm would be the end of his life, but like a moth drawn to a flame, he could not cool down the raging blood within his veins which sought tougher and tougher battles.

Having spent quite some time with the battle maniac, Lucius understood the complex emotions beneath Razznik’s words. Knowing he could do nothing to change Razznik’s nature, Lucius decided to switch topics. “So, what did you lose to Skyrm this time?” Every time Razznik challenged Skyrm, he would be forced to listen to one demand from the dragon after losing. Razznik’s presence in the FreeRealm was as a result of one such demand after his first loss.

Razznik’s lips stiffened, a deathly aura emanating from his body. With a grim tone quite unlike anything Lucius had ever seen, Razznik muttered, “He made me a babysitter.”

Lucius’ brow shot up with shock, unable to understand what the hell he just heard. “What!?”

Razznik shook his head with a heavy groan. “He—”

Bang! Clatter!

Attracted by the loud sound, Lucius’ gaze travelled to the men whose chairs had toppled over as they rapidly shot to their feet. The vampire hybrid followed their gazes to meet the figure at the door. A figure which made his throat tighten, and his heart come to a momentary halt.

Lucius, like many of the patrons at the bar stared, mouths agape at the devilish beauty at the door. Violet colored hair fell like night curtains down her back, a lithe graceful figure emphasized by mouthwatering curves which even the strongest of men would find hard to resist. Playful anger lit up the lady’s violet eyes, supple, parted lips and reddened cheeks evidence of a hard run.

The young woman, clad in a simple purple robe ignored the gazes of the men oogling her and swiftly made her way to the table which held the two strongest monsters in the bar.

Lucius swallowed hard as the woman stopped at their table. He was intoxicated, not by her beauty, but the sheer amount of power she unconsciously leaked. Every step she took seemed to twist the very rules of reality! In his entire life, this was the first time Lucius had met a woman he was not sure he could defeat.

As if oblivious to the thoughts of his partner, Razznik glanced at the young woman who was glaring at him with a cute pout that would have slaughtered the hearts of most men. “You made it.”

“How could you be so mean!?” The woman complained, her voice carrying a rich austerity that evoked emotions of purity and innocence. “You just left me there! You know I'm not as fast as you.”

Razznik ignored her as he turned to his partner, only now noticing the awestruck look in his eyes. “Yeah, she is quite strong. It would be weirder if she wasn’t.” At Lucius’ questioning gaze, he dryly stated, “Lucius Ludarac, Hybrid son of Dracula, Supreme Ruler of the Vampires, meet Zeno, lone daughter of Skyrm, Lord of all Dragons and Supreme Ruler of the FreeRealm.”

“What!?” “What!?”

Both individuals stared at each other with no small amount of shock. The Hybrid son of Dracula. Who did not know of this absolute cheat existence? They said he had mastered the paths of Ki and Magic, opening a path no one had thought existed. The lone daughter of Skyrm. That title was enough for the heavens to split apart in shock. Skyrm was an existence that needed no introduction. An existence so close to Godhood, all realms feared his presence. The only consolation his enemies had was that he could not procreate, so there would be no one to carry on his bloodline and threaten them should he perish.

However, what was this? There was a daughter? An actual Daughter!? Could someone explain what the hell was happening!?

Sandwiched between these two major celebrities whose identities were enough to shake the entire FreeRealm, the human, Razznik Y’Terlow calmly drank from his pitcher as he mentally pictured the next battleground.

This chaotic mess marked the beginning of the ill-fated relationship between the duty-bound son of Dracula and the free-spirited daughter of Skyrm. It also marked the formation of the three way partnership which would run rampant throughout the NetherRealm until they caught the eyes of the Adjudicators.

Present Day,

Scree! Scree! Scrreeee!

Back at the Silverwinged Eagle’s nest, Zuri giggled as she watched two eagles just about her height lower their heads in shame while accepting their mother’s harsh scolding. The two chicks shared the same features as their mother, except one had a pair of cold, black eyes, while the other’s was light gray. Hence the names Little Black and Little Gray.

The two knew they had indeed done wrong this time, and didn’t bother trying to explain themselves. In fact, they were all too pleased to receive their mother’s scoldings. A few minutes ago, they never thought they would get to hear it again. If it hadn’t been for big sister…

They cast Zuri an appreciative glance, before hurriedly lowering their heads once more for fear she would catch them.

Zuri, pleased with her efforts for the day, said a cheery goodbye to the family then took her leave by jumping off the treetop. Fully aware of the little daeben’s ability, none of them were worried as she jumped over. Instead, they sent cries of appreciation to the tiny back as it descended from view.

As expected, Zuri expertly broke her fall by swinging on tree branches and changing the direction of her motion till she finally hit the ground with light footsteps. She dusted her arms, ready to head over to Mad Rhino’s home when a large figure suddenly blocked her path.

Whoosh!

‎ Zuri’s hair stood on end, her eyes swiftly adopting a ferocious glare as she examined the opponent. However, upon seeing the familiar face, a large smile blossomed on her lips. “Hey Gray Ojii-san! It’s been forever! Where’ve you been!?”

Rider scratched his chin, slightly embarrassed as he faced that purely innocent gaze. Indeed that gaze was just too similar. “I had something to attend to.” With a light cough, he swiftly changed the topic, “How about it? Are you ready to become as strong as Kashi?”

Zuri’s eyes went wide with excitement, her lips parting to reveal a large toothy grin. “Yes! Yes! Gray Ojii-san! Let’s start now!”

Rider’s eyelids slightly twitched. Tch, still with the Ojii-san? A slightly sadistic grin curled up his lips as he rolled up his sleeves. “Okay, we can begin immediately as you wish.” To Zuri’s surprise, his forearm began to morph, turning muscular and furry till what was left could only be described as a beast’s arm. Brandinshing, the knife sized claws, Rider said with a hidden flourish. “I hope you are ready. This is going to hurt quite a bit.”

Zuri’s determined gaze was all the affirmation he needed.

With her permission, Rider grasped her shoulder, his claws digging deep into her flesh. Zuri let out a sharp hiss, but forced herself to remain silent or else she feared Rider would stop. Seeing the pained expression on the little daeben’s face, Rider softly consoled, “Don’t worry, until you become strong enough, I will not leave your side.”

Real World,

Saeko studied the face of the man standing next to her on the balcony, his face so serene you would never believe he just said something so shocking a second earlier. Still, she knew his words were a reality. A reality he had lived through that still haunted him. So, rather than question his attitude, she simply asked, “How did it happen?”

Taiga’s lips curled up in a smile. But to Saeko, it was the saddest smile she had ever seen, one which seemed to mock his very existence. "To explain that, I have to start from the beginning…”