"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" A desperate scream echoes through the dark forest, shattering the silence and sending dozens of birds flying in terror.


    "What the hell?!"


    "Where is that bastard?!"


    "What is he doing?!"


    Several men cautiously advance, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of danger. Their disheveled leather clothes and light armor mark them as mercenaries, and an emblem of a ck hawk soaring over a ship identifies them as part of House Drummond of Saltstone.


    "Stay alert, he''s close." One of the men in the middle warns with a slightly uneasy tone. He nces toward the man leading them, a giant towering over two meters tall with muscles as thick as a horse''s.


    "Ss? Are you alright?" The man asks, and the others cast curious looks at the giant, but Ss doesn''t respond, continuing forward with heavy, quick steps.


    "Ss, answer me, are you okay?" The man in the middle grows more concerned, watching his friend''s erratic behavior. "If you let that bastard get into your head, we''re all dead here!"


    "Shut up!!" Ss growls, pointing his massive axe at the others. "I''m fine! Just leave that bastard to me!"


    "Boss''s orders were not to kill him, remember…" The man warns, intimidated by the giant''s fury but still fearful of their master''s wrath.


    "Tsk!" Ses scoffs and resumes his march forward, casting sharp nces around the forest.


    The men exchange nervous nces before turning their attention back to the man in the middle. He sighs, "Stay close. That bastard''s clever, but Ss is an experienced Champion. His strength is just below that of Master Marcus himself... if the boy shows up, he won''t stand a chance."


    The others nod and follow closely behind Ss, though the giant''s heavy breathing makes even his allies uneasy.


    "That bastard''s finished. He messed with the wrong guy…"


    "Poor Rhett, he didn''t deserve what happened."


    "Shh, don''t say his name, or do you want Ss to get even angrier and ughter us all?"


    "My bad, my bad…"


    The men whisper as quietly as they can, but Ss hears every word with his enhanced Champion senses. He spins around, his bloodthirsty re cutting through them. "Shut the hell up!! The bastard''s silent—I need to focus!!!"


    His roar shakes the very trees, and the men quickly back away, leaving a gap of several meters between themselves and Ss, who continues leading, pushing his senses to the limit.


    Each step is taken with caution, weapons drawn, and eyes sharp, alert to every rustle of the wind through the high trees. Yet no matter how far they advance, there is no sign of their target.


    Each second drags on like minutes, the tension growing as the darkness around them seems to thicken. At one point, the group loses sight of Ss''s gray wolf pelt coat ahead.


    "Where did he go?"


    "Do you see Ss?"


    "Damn it, we''re falling behind…"


    The men whisper nervously as fear grips their hearts, making their arms tremble and legs weak. The darkness around them seems to deepen, enveloping them in its cold embrace. Even the wind feels heavier, and the trees themselves seem toe alive, twisting and turning with an eerie presence.


    "Shit, shit, shit…"


    They share the same dreadful memories from just minutes ago: theirrades falling one by one from the trees, each with their throats slit—killed brutally, without mercy.


    And the enemy? They only saw him when he wanted to be seen.


    Fear clouds their minds, stripping away reason, leaving them feeling like sheep who have wandered into a wolf''s den.


    The man at the front of the group cannot resist the urge to run. He bolts in the direction Ss had gone, abandoning all caution in his panic.


    "Gavin, no!!" The man in the middle of the group shouts, but his warninges toote.


    *Shooosh*


    A de darts out of the shadows like a snake striking—a ck kunai, invisible in the dark and deadly in the right hands. It passes in front of the running mercenary like a breeze, swift and silent, before vanishing back into the shadows.


    *Thud*


    The other mercenaries only hear the sound of the wind being cut, but they see nothing. Gavin''s body drops to the ground.


    "Gavin!!!" One of the men rushes toward his fallen friend, checking his lifeless body before looking up in terror at the others. "Dead, throat''s been cut…"


    Gavin''s blood pools on the ground as the remaining mercenaries stand frozen in fear.


    "He… he…"


    "He''s here!!!"


    "Formation!!!!"


    The two remaining mercenaries quickly regroup around Gavin''s body, forming a tight circle with their shields raised and weapons drawn, eyes darting in every direction.


    One of them raises an ironntern, and the me inside flickers and intensifies, casting light over a few meters around them. But it only makes the distant shadows seem darker, more menacing.


    "Lower the light, I can''t see anything in the trees!!"


    "No… we''re going to die!!"


    "Fuck it!!"


    One of the men, filled with rage, thrusts his spear toward the darkness. "Come out of the shadows and fight like a man!!"


    "..."


    No soundes from the darkness, only a deadly silence.


    "You bastard, fucking brat!!!" The man screams, his hands trembling around the shaft of his spear, teeth clenched, legs growing weaker with every passing second.


    "..."


    The shadows respond with nothing but silence, so thick even the trees seem afraid to make a sound.


    "Where is he?"


    "Did he leave?"


    "Don''t lower your guard..."


    The spearman, unable to handle the tension, continues to point his weapon toward the shadows. "Are you there?? Stop with this—"


    *Shoooosh*


    Once again, the ck kunai darts from the shadows, but this time it''s not like a breeze cutting through the air; it strikes like lightning, piercing straight into the center of the spearman''s forehead, sinking into his skull and killing him instantly.


    "NOOOO!!!" The mercenary in the center tries to catch his friend before he falls to the ground, but the man is already dead.


    The others spin around in confusion, desperately searching for the source of the attack.


    "Where is he?"


    "Where??"


    "WHERE?!?"


    "..."


    "....."


    "Here," a cold whisper echoes from the shadows, and the group finally hears rapid, light footsteps approaching.


    One of the mercenaries catches a glimpse of something emerging from the darkness—two bright blue orbs and then strands of golden hair…


    "There—" He barely has time to raise his hand before another kunai pierces through his mouth, its tip protruding from the back of his neck—an instant death.


    "DAMN!!!" The central mercenary watches helplessly as hisrades fall one by one, and then the blond shadow leaps upon them like a lion striking its prey.


    *Whoosh* *Shoosh* *Zaap*


    The gleaming de slices through flesh and bone as easily as the kunai cuts through the wind—swift, precise, and deadly. The entire group falls before any of them can even see the full form of the predator.


    "Arrrgh..." Thest mercenary lets out a final breath before the blond shadow disappears with an agile leap, leaving only mutted bodies in a growing pool of blood. It all happens in less than a minute.


    "Guys???" Ss''s fierce voice breaks the silence again. The giant mercenary rushes to the scene, only to find what''s left of hisrades—a gruesome scene painted in blood.


    Ss kneels, checking for signs of life, but none of the mercenaries move. They are all lifeless, their bodies cold. The man who had tried to warn him has his face smeared with blood, his expression frozen in panic, his throat shed—a grim reminder of another brutal death.


    "That bastard..." Ss wipes the blood from the dead man''s face and clenches his fist, scanning the area. "I''ll find you!!"


    "..."


    The shadows give no answer, but Ss feels a chill crawl up his spine—his senses alerting him to something.


    He keeps staring into the darkness until a whisper reaches his ears.


    "Why?" The voice is an echo, neither masculine nor feminine.


    "Huh?!?" Ss springs to his feet, gripping his axe tightly, his sharp eyes searching the ck void.


    "Where are you??" Ss demands, but his voice betrays less fury and more unease.


    "Why, Ss?" The whisper returns, this time with a sorrowful tone.


    Ss''s mind spins in confusion, as if he recognizes that voice. "Rhett?" The name slips from his lips.


    But he quickly shakes his head, trying to shake off the feeling. "No, I saw you die..." Furious and confused, Ss raises his axe toward the darkness. "You won''t y tricks on me, you bastard!!"


    "Ss…" The whisper returns, echoing his name in the same familiar voice that had been present in the giant mercenary''s life for so many years. "Why did you abandon me?"


    "No! I didn''t—" Ss shouts at the shadows but realizes his mistake, trying to regain hisposure. "You''re not real! You''re not real!!!"


    "Ss, my love…" The voice draws nearer, filled with both love and sorrow.


    "No, no, no…" Ss shakes his head violently, trying to block out the whispers.


    "You were supposed to be *my* man… my protector…"


    "But you failed…"


    "You left me behind…"


    The voice seems toe from every direction, swirling around poor Ss in a macabre, shadowy dance.


    "What the hell??" Ss shakes his head harder, swinging his axe wildly at the darkness. "Get out of my head!! You demon!!!"


    He fights to regain control, but then something appears in front of him—a silhouette of a young, slender man dressed in fine leather clothes.


    "Rhett?!" Ss''s eyes widen as he sees his lover standing before him.


    "Ss…" The boy smiles gently, his expression soft and loving.


    "H-h-h-how…" Ss stammers in shock, disbelief etched across his face, but also a glimmer of hope sparks in his heart.


    "Come to me…" The boy extends an arm, beckoning the giant with a sweet, soft voice. "Protect me from him now… don''t let him take me away from you again…"


    "Rhett!!!" Ss instinctively rushes toward the boy, every fiber of his being crying out to save his lover.


    But as he reaches the boy, he notices something horrifying—his face and limbs are covered in blood, a sight that shatters Ss''s heart into a thousand pieces.


    "Rhett?!? Rhett?? No, not again!!!" Ss screams in desperation as he tries to check the boy''s body.


    But all he finds is blood—no wounds. He looks into the boy''s delicate face, frantically wiping the blood from his cheeks. "Rhett, what''s wrong? Where are you hurt?!?"


    Ss continues to ask, but the boy only smiles strangely. It''s then that Ss notices the boy''s brown eyes sh yellow for a brief second.


    "Rhett??" Ss steps back, pointing his axe at the boy. "No… you''re not my Rhett!!!"


    "Toote." Another voice speaks from behind Ss, and the giant is shocked that he hadn''t sensed the enemy approaching.


    Ss whirls around, swinging his axe in one swift, powerful motion. His speed is incredible, far superior to any elite warrior—as expected of a Champion.


    *Whoosh*


    But Arthur ducks, effortlessly dodging the axe, and counters with a small de that glints in the dim light, reflected in his sharp blue eyes.


    *Pah*


    Ss reacts just in time, grabbing Arthur''s arm with his free hand. His grip is so strong that Arthur''s sword slips from his hand, making Ss grin. "I''m going to teach you a lesson, bastard!!"


    Arthur doesn''t respond with words. Instead, he brings his other hand forward, wielding a small curved dagger.


    *Shooosh*


    Ss pulls his stomach back, and Arthur''s dagger slices in front of it, barely missing the giant''s torso—a surprising disy of agility from someone sorge.


    "You brat!!" Ss''s fury boils over as he lifts his knee and ms it into Arthur''s gut with immense force.


    *Bam*


    Arthur is thrown back like a ragdoll, *Whoosh-bam,* smashing into arge tree, splintering the trunk before crumpling to the ground in a heap.


    "ARTHUR!?!?!" Nyx bursts from the shadows, flying toward him in panic.


    "Damn!!" Arthur spits out a mouthful of blood, struggling to stand. His entire body aches as if he''s been crushed beneath a mountain.


    Nyx quickly lifts his shirt, revealing a bright red bruise across his abdomen. "He broke your ribs, damn him!!!"


    "I''m fine," Arthur reassures her, gently stroking Nyx''s cheek as he forces himself to his feet. He cracks his neck and smiles with confidence. "I guess I underestimated a Champion''s strength after all…"


    "Baka!!" Nyx pouts, her worry barely contained.


    Arthur kisses her on the cheek. "You did great, dear. Now, fetch my sword," he says, pointing to where the de had fallen a few meters away.


    As Nyx flies off to retrieve it, Arthur faces Ss. The giant is already stomping toward him, his face twisted in fury. "I''m going to rip your bones out, bastard!!"


    "Nah, I guess not," Arthur stretches his arms, cracking his knuckles, maintaining his confident expression. He holds up his ck dagger, revealing a thinyer of blood tinged with a faint blue liquid.


    Ss looks confused, then nces down at his torso, finally noticing the small tear in his shirt. From it, a few drops of blood drip, glowing faintly blue. "What? I thought I dodged—"


    He stops mid-sentence as something feels wrong. His body, usually so quick and responsive, begins to go numb, the sensation spreading rapidly. "This… what is…"


    "A little gift from Mom," Arthur says proudly as he approaches Ss. Nyx returns to his side, handing him his sword.


    "Damn you… I''ll…" Ss tries to throw his axe at Arthur, but the mysterious venom works swiftly, paralyzing his body. He''s left immobile, helpless.


    "Time to die," Arthur says with a sinister smile as he kicks Ss''s legs out from under him, forcing the giant to his knees.


    "No…" It''s thest word Ss can utter before the venom fully takes hold, leaving himpletely paralyzed.


    "You''re not the first Champion Mom has helped me kill…" Arthurments with a loving expression. "I''ll make sure to thank her properlyter…"


    ''What the hell??'' Ss''s mind reels in confusion as he watches Arthur''s dee toward his neck. For a fleeting moment, he also sees Nyx''s face shift back to that of the boy in an act of mocking revenge.


    That''s thest thing Ss sees before his eyes close forever. ''Rhett…''