"You evil man!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Jenna’s fists came crashing down on the doctor’s face. By now, his features had been reduced to a swollen mess, crimson blood pooling beneath them.

"P-please... st-stop... you’re going to kill me...!"

The doctor pleaded desperately, but the fire in Jenna’s gaze only burned hotter. Her fist came down again with even more force, until a firm grip suddenly caught her shoulder, halting her mid-strike.

"Jenna. That’s enough."

Jenna turned, meeting Zephyrion’s steady gaze.

"But—!"

"He’ll answer for everything he’s done. Not here."

Jenna gritted her teeth, but slowly nodded. She rose, turning away with a sharp huff. Zephyrion gave the doctor’s pitiful form a brief glance before stepping toward her.

"Are you okay?"

Standing before him, Jenna lowered her gaze, a trace of embarrassment crossing her face.

"...I’m sorry. I lost control."

"It’s fine. Anyone would. Just... not now. Understand?"

"...I understand."

"Good. Let’s take him and—"

Zephyrion’s expression shifted suddenly. Jenna turned at once, and her eyes widened in horror.

Ahead, the doctor had dragged himself closer to the pods. One arm clung to the wooden platform beneath it as he stared at them, his bloodied teeth bared in a twisted grin.

"I-i will make y-you ba-bastards pay!"

"No!"

Jenna was about to move when a sharp hum rang out from the man. Numerous runic symbols flared across the wood, racing along its surface before spreading to each pod and engulfing them.

The next moment, the pods snapped open.

ROAR!

A chorus of roars tore from the beasts as an overwhelming, oppressive aura crashed down over the cavern.

The ground trembled violently, fissures tearing through the floor and walls as chunks of debris broke loose and rained from above.

Jenna’s eyes were filled with panic.

"Oh no... no... this is my fault!"

In contrast, Zephyrion’s expression was indifferent.

The mutated beasts thundered out of their pods, fire erupting around their bodies as their gazes locked onto them.

ROAR!

Zephyrion moved in a blur, lifting the frozen Jenna in one motion. He shot toward the side of the cavern, sprinting along its wall and gaining height as a wave of fire swept past where they had just been.

He twisted midair, feeling Jenna’s panicked movements over his shoulder. His gaze flicked briefly toward the research papers, then, as he caught sight of the metal dome forming around them, he gave a slight inward nod.

Turning back, he met the beasts’ gaze as they tracked his descent. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

ROAR!

The next instant, a relentless barrage of metal spikes shot toward him at terrifying speed.

Zephyrion’s arm blurred as Demorian’s rod appeared in his grasp. His grip tightened, and it burst outward, reshaping into a dense dome.

The spikes slammed into it, sparks erupting across the cavern. The force drove against him heavily, but the dome held firm.

As the barrage ceased, the dome peeled away.

Jenna’s horrified voice rang out.

"T-the cave!"

Zephyrion glanced back instantly, his gaze sharpening. The barrage had struck the ceiling, and the entire structure had begun to collapse.

A glint passed through Zephyrion’s eyes.

’It’s perfect.’

Metal condensed beneath his feet as he dashed sideways. A massive chunk of debris tore past him the next instant, missing him by inches.

In one swift motion, Zephyrion pulled Jenna from his shoulder, gripping her firmly by the waist.

"Hang on tight."

Jenna’s eyes widened.

"W-what are you—?!"

Before she could react, Zephyrion spun, sending her body into a controlled swirl before hurling her upward the next instant.

Jenna shot through the widening gaps in the ceiling and burst outside.

The moment she landed on the nearest tree, she hastily turned back toward the collapsing cavern. Her eyes widened as she strained to see through the falling debris, barely making out Zephyrion within it.

"No no no no—!"

She dropped from the tree and rushed toward the cavern.

ROAR!

Multiple piercing roars echoed, and the last thing she saw was a tide of flames sweeping through the cave before it collapsed completely.

"Nooooo!"

Jenna ran forward and began digging frantically through the rubble. Even if the stones hadn’t killed him, the beasts were too powerful and too many. She didn’t have time!

Tears welled in her eyes as she clawed through the debris.

"You can’t die... you can’t die...!"

After everything he had done for her, he had still saved her. She had to repay him, no matter what.

Even as sharp stones tore into her arms and blood ran down her skin, Jenna didn’t stop.

A short distance away, another figure watched the scene with a complicated expression. It was none other than Kona, the Silversteel assigned to Zephyrion’s team.

The past few days had seen Kona witness one impossible situation after another, all centered around a single boy.

Zephyrion Calderalth.

From the moment they arrived at the village, especially after the beasts first attacked, Kona had immediately realized it was far beyond what the trainees could handle.

Yet he had watched this boy move through it as though it were nothing. Manipulating conversations to gather information, using the beast horde to save the villagers, exposing Guren, and uncovering the enemy base.

Every step pointed to extraordinary deduction, cunning, and a frightening level of insight.

In fact, placed in the same situation, Kona doubted he could have handled the mission with such ease.

It was hard to believe he had been watching a mere seventeen-year-old. It felt more like watching someone with decades of experience.

’He’s totally crazy...’

Zephyrion had shattered everything he thought he knew. In what world was a seventeen-year-old this terrifying?

Still, despite everything, Kona found himself staring at the scene with hesitation.

He could sense Zephyrion was still alive beneath the rubble, but being trapped in such a confined space with those beasts... no one should survive that, right?

"...I have to step in."

The moment he stepped in, the mission would be over. But there was no choice.

"You will do no such thing."

Kona froze at the voice. He turned sharply to the pin on his chest, shock flashing across his face.

Garrick, who had been watching the entire thing silently for days, had just spoken.