Long ago, during a cold winter.
Inside a small, aging cabin, they had to climb ladders—even in the dead of night—to clear snow from the roof whenever its ominous creaking warned them that the weight of the snowfall was becoming dangerous.
There lived a pair of tightly bonded hunter siblings.
The younger sister, who had begun coughing lightly a few days ago, picked up a moderately cooked leg of an unidentified bird and nibbled on it before pushing the rest toward Bennett.
“Bennett, I’m full. You should eat the rest.”
“⋯⋯Don’t lie. I can still hear your stomach growling.”
“It’s not a lie.”
“Adults can see right through that. You’re lying. I ran into kind Uncle Hans today, and I ate a whole mountain of food outside thanks to him. So don’t worry about me—just eat.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Young Bennett set his face into a stern, resolute expression, one he had copied from his father. Although their father had passed away early, he had left behind more than just memories.A hardened look that concealed exhaustion, calloused hands, and a heart that cherished family—these were the virtues of a head of household, someone responsible for protecting their own.
Verda, his younger sister, studied his face carefully before hesitantly pulling her plate back and chewing with her small mouth.
Both Bennett, and his sister actually knew the truth.
That the Uncle Hans Bennett constantly mentioned didn’t exist. That he was starving today too.
That since Bennett had to go hunting again tomorrow, he should be the one to eat more.
And that, at this rate, they would both starve to death. If either of them had any hope of surviving, one would have to be abandoned.
They knew everything. This unspoken reality was plain in their eyes. There was no relief in surviving another day—only sadness for each other.
But they were the last remaining members of the Hilton family. If either one disappeared, the word “family” would be erased, leaving only a lonely individual. And that was something Bennett feared more than hunger itself.
He didn’t want to be alone in this cold, merciless world.
After their meager meal—brief only because their portions were so small—Verda huddled close to Bennett. It was a necessity. The winter was so brutal that sharing body heat was their only means of survival.
Verda opened her mouth.
“Hey Bennett.”
“⋯⋯Use honorifics. I’m your older brother.”
“If I grow big enough to catch birds⋯⋯ if I become strong enough to draw a bowstring⋯⋯ will you teach me how to hunt?”
“I was planning on it anyway. If we hunt together, we might actually get to eat until we’re full every day.”
That would be really nice , they thought. In the freezing cabin, the siblings dreamed.
A few days later, Verda fell ill with tuberculosis.
Bennett left his sister to the alchemist of the village, and the alchemist, seeing the potential beauty Verda would grow into, sold her to a slave trader.
By the time Bennett learned the truth, it was too late. He killed the alchemist and began hunting for any trace of his lost sister.
And then──
===============================================================
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“Bennett? Are you feeling sick?”
Crazy Wizard studied him with his usual vacant yet oddly perceptive gaze. Bennett blinked, pushing the past away.
He responded instinctively.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“You zoned out for a moment⋯⋯ and while I’d like to be understanding, the situation is what it is. Even if you’re not feeling great, please stay focused for now.”
What⋯⋯ was that just now? It felt like the past had surged up from the depths, like water drawn from a long-stagnant well.
Why had he suddenly remembered that bitter winter? Had his soul sensed something? Some twist of fate?
Or—was he simply waiting for an unfinished reunion?
Bennett rubbed his face once and steadied himself.
Crazy Wizard, noticing his eyes clear up, resumed the briefing. He seemed to have picked up on some sign of danger.
“According to the Sacred Artifact Tracker, Red Flavor’s assassin has stopped moving. When I checked with Heat Detection magic, I also picked up some oddly shaped ‘forest friends.’ She’s probably not just resting from exhaustion—I suspect she’s preparing a counterattack.”
“A counterattack instead of escaping? That’s odd. Since that Dark Wizard participated in the tournament, she should know that at least two of us are at the Metamorphosis level.”
Cicel Yurensto, Bennett, and—while not Metamorphosis level—Crazy Wizard himself had all competed in the tournament. Even without considering Selvier, whose abilities remained unknown, they were still an elite force.
Was she confident enough to take them head-on despite the numerical disadvantage, along with a tricky Metamorphosis? Or was there something more to it? Probably not.
The Puppet Master of Redburn had gone to great lengths to conceal her identity. It was unlikely she had suddenly turned into some battle-hungry lunatic.
Crazy Wizard nodded.
“Exactly. She must have something up her sleeve.”
A hidden ace. A trump card capable of flipping the odds in her favor.
Who knew what kind of blade would be hidden within the folds of her cloak?
But Crazy Wizard, too, had his own secret contingencies.
Rustle.
An ominous sound echoed as the bushes shifted.
“Heat source approaching. Prepare for combat. We’ll push forward while fighting. Our top priority⋯⋯ eliminate the white-haired girl. Capture her if possible.”
“Understood.”
“And as I explained earlier⋯⋯ Bennett, focus on defense when Selvier activates her Metamorphosis. And Dame Cicel, go wild as much as you want.”
“Got it.”
A silent forest.
No birdsong, no rustling of small creatures—only the whisper of shifting underbrush breaking the heavy stillness echoed, amplifying the tension.
Then, at the very moment when that tension reached its peak—
“Kieeeaaaah-!!”
“Grrrrk, grk!”
Monsters erupted from the shadows, letting out twisted, unnatural cries.
Creatures that looked like grotesque hybrids—half-deer, half-bear abominations, enormous toads with eight legs, spiders with human arms instead of limbs.
These monstrosities were the product of Faceless’s Metamorphosis: 『Flesh Manipulation (精肉自在)』.
It was a power intentionally designed to invoke sheer horror. Those lacking experience would recoil, their attention divided by the sickening sight, some even succumbing to nausea.
But Cicel and Bennett were veterans who had seen stuff even worse, and Selvier had long since been hardened by Crazy Wizard’s tentacle labyrinths and other horrors.
None of them flinched.
“『Living Grasp(生挾擧)』.”
Dedededeck .
With a sudden shift in gravity, Cicel Yurensto vanished in an instant, propelled forward at impossible speed. By the time her blurred form reappeared, a monster’s head was already soaring through the air.
Her massive greatsword, wielded with effortless ease, cleaved through the battlefield with crushing force. The blade, swift and heavy, held enough power to shear through solid steel. One by one, she marked the most threatening creatures and cut them down.
“Alright, let’s incinerate these disgusting things⋯⋯ and keep moving. 『Flame Angel(焰天使)』, activate!”
Whoooosh!
As a burning halo formed above her head, Selvier unleashed a barrage of flames wreathing her entire body in fire. Even a basic Fire Arrow, amplified by her power, became a devastating force.
Chieeeek-!
A spiraling Fire Arrow tore through the creatures, searing holes through them as the air sizzled. With flames at her command, she swiftly reduced their numbers.
And the few that managed to slip past the storm of steel and fire—
“Duck, Crazy Wizard.”
“Uetcha.”
Swish, slash-!
Bennett’s 『Guardian’s Dream』 moved with precise control. Ever since vowing to protect Tara and Niolle, his swordsmanship had evolved toward a more defensive style.
A deformed monkey-like creature with grotesquely swollen upper body lunged at him. Bennett deflected its clawed strike with calculated precision, then drove his blade cleanly through its cervical vertebrae, severing its spine in one fluid motion. It was simple, efficient and lethal.
Together, they cut through the endless swarm of monsters.
Crazy Wizard observed the scene, his mind racing. Each modified creature was as deadly as an ogre, yet they were nothing more than fodder against the elites.
Why was the Red Flavor assassin wasting her forces like this? Was she setting up an ambush? Or was she buying time while draining our strength?
Since her ability didn’t create something from nothing—she had limits. Even if she transformed every animal in this forest, she couldn’t keep this up forever.
If she really wanted to land a decisive blow, she should have focused on quality over quantity—fewer, stronger creatures would have been far more effective.
So why was she prolonging the battle? And in combat, you never play into the enemy’s hand.
A wicked smile curled across Crazy Wizard’s lips.
“Selvier. There are lots of bugs in the forest, should we disinfect it?”
“⋯⋯You’re want me to use 『Brilliant Wave(輝瀲)』 don’t you? But elves or allies could get caught in the blast. Honestly, I’m not confident I can control it.”
Due to its peculiarity, Selvier’s Metamorphosis Flame Angel spared only Crazy Wizard who was connected to her. Everyone else—friend or foe—was fair game.
Bennett was already drenched in sweat from the blazing heat. If she unleashed a relentless bombardment of miniature suns, neither their allies nor the forest would survive.
Crazy Wizard snapped his fingers.
“I’ve got that covered. Right now, I’m a flame wizard too and⋯⋯ and, thanks to the crow, I’m kinda back in shape, so?”
Metamorphosis was about achieving the impossible through sheer willpower—whether it was overwhelming firepower, controlling gravity, or invulnerability.
Of course, with enough mana poured at a city-wide scale, or through powerful enchantments, one could replicate these feats without Metamorphosis. It was just that the difficulty and cost-effectiveness made it impractical.
In other words.
“It means if you’re smart enough, then you don’t need Metamorphosis.”
“⋯⋯Oppa, you do realize how obnoxious that sounds, right?”
“Let me show you something interesting, Selvier. I’ve got the theory down perfectly, so if you practice properly, you should be able to use it too.”
Crazy Wizard closed his eyes and focused.
Fwoosh, whoosh.
As flames flickered along the ground, he traced the outline of a magic circle with soot. The intricate, arcane design represented stability, control, and repetition.
This was fire magic he wouldn’t use again once he returned to the Purple Magic Tower. So, as a final act of catharsis, he wanted to go out with a bang—one last time.
Burn with love, burn with longing—what does it matter if only ashes remain in the end? Even those ashes, I shall love… by burning them once more.
Rumbleee ──!
The ground trembled as the massive head of a serpent began to rise from the magic circle. Selvier’s eyes widened. She had seen this before. She knew exactly what it was.
Exiled flame wizard Kravellin Render’s Metamorphosis—the pinnacle of fire control, a technique so precise it could reduce everything to soot without even igniting wood if he wanted that.
And Crazy Wizard had just reinterpreted and recreated it using pure magic alone.
“『Academic Flame Serpent of Courtship(求愛炎巳)』.”
Shaaaaaak──!!
The serpent writhed, its maw opening wide in a silent roar.
===============================================================
The Flame Serpent of Courtship wasted none of its energy. It absorbed every stray ember Selvier let spill, regulating and refining her overwhelming firepower.
K-something’s Flame Serpent had once exploded, unable to contain Selvier’s small sun—but 『Flame Angel』 carried the unique property of not harming me. That was why this worked. You could call it symbiosis.
“Sister-in-law Cicel! Casting’s done, so take it easy—I’ll handle the cleanup!”
“Understood. I’ll switch to a defensive stance and conserve my strength. But… what did you just call me⋯⋯?”
Even Cicel, who had been busy decapitating the more dangerous creatures, paused at my words. With the Flame Serpent unleashed, I began methodically incinerating the monsters.
We could fight all day like this while keeping our main forces intact.
Of course, I had no intention of dragging things out.
“Flame Angel(焰天使) Phase One—『Brilliant Wave(輝瀲)』!”
Woooong-!
A small sun, condensed from pure heat, materialized in the sky. It was as if a second sun had risen, its radiant glow nearly blinding. It looked cool, but in reality, most of that energy was being wasted.
“『Flame Serpent of Courtship(求愛炎巳)』—bite.”
Ssssssk-
The Flame Serpent lifted its head and gently closed its jaws around the floating sun. The scene resembled an imugi biting into a cintamani.
The blinding light dimmed.
The immense heat, instead of dispersing wastefully, was condensed into a single white orb held within the serpent’s mouth. That energy was then finely divided into multiple streams, which twisted together to forge individual spells.
As the white orb shrank, dozens—no, hundreds—of 『Flame Spears』 materialized in the air.
I threw up a barrier in front of me and cast heat-tracking magic.
Since every living creature in the area had already been transformed into monsters by the Red Flavor assassin, my job became easier.
All I had to do was fire at every heat source. One of them had to be the assassin, right?
“『Scattering Wave of Brilliance(輝瀲散散)』.”
Shrieeek──!
The Flame Spears launched in unison, scattering across the battlefield.
Bo- bo- bo- boom-!!
A series of rapid explosions tore through the forest.
This level of power could have easily incinerated everything in sight—but not a single leaf or tree burned.
And then, in the distance—
“──Kkeu, aaaack!”
Got you, you bastard.
“Heard that, right? Let’s go. I need to see that face for myself.”
“⋯⋯What exactly did you just do? No wizard on the Eastern Front has ever shown magic like that.”
“It’s the power of friendship and love. Something I researched quite diligently in passing—not bad right?”
“’Not bad’ is an understatement—“
Just as we were about to advance and confirm the identity of the Duke Red Flavor assassin, celebrating our success—
I felt something latch onto my right ankle.
I glanced down, expecting a tree root.
Instead, an emaciated, bone-white skeleton hand, radiating an eerie, frigid chill, was gripping me tightly.
***
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