Chapter 4
Flashback (15 years ago)
The sky was shrouded in a dense blackness, with heavy clouds piling up, reflecting the state of a broken world. Rain poured relentlessly, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for their loss. The faint light of the moon seeped through the window, revealing a tragic scene.
Moryo, a mere seven-year-old child, stood frozen, staring at the lifeless bodies of his parents. His face was pale, as if life had drained from him. His wide-open eyes were filled with sheer terror, as though everything around him had crumbled. Sweat dripped down his face, while blood covered the ground around him, as if an ocean of crimson had swallowed everything.
As he stared at the horrific sight, an overwhelming shock gripped his body, leaving him unable to react. He staggered to his feet, his body swaying in eerie silence:
"Mom?... Dad?"
He whispered, his voice trembling, as if the very words had betrayed him:
"What...?"
At that moment, a thunderous roar tore through the sky, adding to the storm's wrath, echoing the pain in his heart. The rain intensified as if to console him, but his soul burned with grief, unable to endure the cruel reality. He could no longer contain himself.
A desperate scream erupted from his lungs, splitting the silence of the night in two:
"NOOOOOO!"
---
Present (15 years later)
Green sparks danced around Moryo's body, carrying an invisible energy that hinted at an unfamiliar fate. Suddenly, he vanished from his team's sight, reappearing in the sky like a bird soaring toward the monster attacking him. The sparks intensified, transforming the night sky into a radiant storm of light battling against the darkness that surrounded it.
With explosive force, he crashed into the colossal monster, sending shockwaves rippling through the air, as if the very heavens trembled with rage. The impact sent the monster flying backward. Moryo's eyes locked onto the monster's, burning with deep-seated hatred:
"Monsters took my family! I will exterminate them all!"
His voice thundered like the storm itself, carrying a promise of annihilation.
As he hovered in the sky, the ground beneath the monster trembled with every step it took, as if anticipating imminent destruction.
Just as the monster lunged forward, its massive hand froze mid-air, as though time itself had stopped. It stared into Moryo's cold eyes, while green sparks gathered around its limb, trembling before exploding, severing its arm from its body.
Blood gushed from the deep wound, and the detached hand dissolved into liquid, spilling rapidly.
From a distance, the team watched in shock.
Baysal gasped, her voice filled with disbelief:
"He's using his clan's technique!"
Veb, speaking in a calm yet awestruck tone, remarked:
"The Time Technique… from the Raipozi Clan!"
Kamyo's eyes gleamed with fascination:
"What incredible power... I want it!"
Baysal glared at him, snapping angrily:
"Idiot! You're not from the Raipozi Clan!"
Kamyo smirked, unfazed by his outburst.
Just then, a deafening explosion erupted from a distant building, drawing the team's attention. The structure began tilting, its collapse inevitable. Panic filled the air as people inside clung to anything, desperately trying to survive.
Baysal's expression tensed:
"The building?!"
Moryo's eyes fixed on the falling structure. His pulse quickened, his expression tightening with clear tension.
The monster, seizing the opportunity, lunged once more, aiming to strike with its remaining hand. But Moryo, with unparalleled reflexes, evaded the attack at the last second. Without hesitation, he thrust his hand toward the monster's face.
In a flash, the monster's head exploded, its lifeless body crashing to the ground, headless.
Baysal shouted urgently:
"We have to help! The building is collapsing!"
Kamyo nodded:
"Yeah!"
Just as they prepared to rush in, Moryo's sharp voice cut through the air:
"Stop!"
The team halted, turning toward him, confused.
His eyes were locked onto the building, seconds away from crumbling.
Then, Moryo's irises glowed an eerie green as he declared with unwavering authority:
"Realm Expansion: The Time Realm."
Instantly, a transparent barrier enveloped the city. Everything froze. The people inside the building, mid-fall, were suspended in time. Even the second hand of a watch on someone's wrist had stopped.
Without warning, Moryo disappeared.
A fraction of a second later, he reappeared, streaking through the sky toward the building. He entered faster than the human eye could perceive, moving through the structure like a ghost.
In an instant, he evacuated every person inside, carrying them out at incomprehensible speed. It was as if time itself had halted for everyone but him.
With the last survivor safely on the ground, the transparent barrier vanished, and time resumed. The building continued its descent, finally crashing into the earth in a cloud of dust and rubble.
A terrified survivor gasped:
"What happened?! We were just inside!"
A girl beside him, equally shaken, stammered:
"I... I have no idea!"
Meanwhile, the team searched for Moryo. Kamyo, still processing what had transpired, muttered:
"What just happened?"
Veb, his eyes filled with astonishment, murmured:
"Did he just use... the Time Realm?"
Baysal, still tense, nodded:
"Yes... he did!"
Then, from behind them, Moryo's voice rang out:
"Oi! Let's go."
The group turned, eyes widening as they saw Moryo walking away, calm and composed.
A smile spread across Baysal's face:
"Guys! Let's follow our commander!"
Kamyo grinned, while Veb remained silent, watching as they all moved forward, following Moryo toward whatever fate awaited them.
—
In the Schoolyard
Suero stared at his teacher in shock and stammered:
"Fight you?... But… you know I can't defeat you, right?!"
Sbyam smirked, his expression unwavering as he simply said:
"Enter."
Hesitating for a moment, Suero stepped into the arena with uncertain steps, stopping at the center. His gaze locked onto Sbyam, who stood firmly in place, his flawless smile unshaken.
With a calm voice and an unchanged expression, Sbyam asked:
"Are you ready?"
Suero looked at his teacher with fear. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he felt the weight of the moment pressing in on him. The air itself seemed to grow heavier. Before he could respond, Sbyam moved—so fast it was as if he had vanished, a streak of speed beyond comprehension.
Suero gasped: "He's too fast!"
In an instant, Sbyam appeared before him, grabbed his face with one hand, and slammed him into the ground. The force of the impact sent deep cracks through the earth beneath Suero's back. Pain surged through every nerve in his body.
Watching Suero sprawled on the ground, Sbyam smirked. Suero, his voice shaky with pain, muttered:
"Isn't… isn't this a bit too much?"
With incredible speed, Sbyam lifted Suero by the collar as if he were nothing more than a ragdoll and hurled him toward one of the arena walls. The moment Suero collided with it, a loud crack echoed as the wall shattered. He crashed to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth as he looked up, his body wracked with pain.
Sbyam slipped his hands into his pockets, looking down at Suero with an indifferent gaze before speaking in a firm tone:
"Oi, Suero… why are you here?"
Suero barely managed to whisper, his voice faint:
"To protect humans..."
But Sbyam's voice turned sharp, like the edge of a blade:
"Don't lie to me! With that weakness… that hesitation… you won't protect anyone!"
Suero's heart clenched with fear as Sbyam continued:
"What will you do when you see your family die before your eyes?"
Then, with a weight that seemed to crush the very air, he added:
"The monsters will come, and you will be powerless to stop them!"
Suero's entire body trembled, his emotions boiling over. With a furious roar, he shouted:
"SHUT UP!"
His face contorted with rage, his eyes burning with an intensity he had never felt before. Sbyam watched as Suero struggled to stand, his breathing heavy. Then, as Suero lifted his head, he saw something he had never witnessed before—Sbyam's eyes filled with an unfamiliar fury, a gaze so intense it made the very ground seem to tremble.
With a voice steady and filled with resolve, Suero declared:
"I will protect them! I will kill every last monster! I will become… stronger and stronger!"
Sbyam's smirk widened, his voice calm yet filled with challenge:
"Show me."
A faint blue spark flickered around Suero's body, crackling and surging like flames caught in a raging storm. The glow intensified, growing stronger with every passing moment, until the very air seemed to shudder beneath its power.
With a defiant roar, Suero lunged at Sbyam. But Sbyam stood firm, unfazed, his expression unreadable.
Suero's fist struck Sbyam's stomach with all his might. The sheer force of the punch cracked the ground beneath them. And yet, to Suero's shock—Sbyam did not budge. He didn't flinch. He didn't even react.
Suero's eyes widened in disbelief:
"What?! That was everything I had… Why didn't he move? Why didn't he even feel it? He's the strongest sorcerer, but… how is he so unshaken?"
Sbyam's gaze drifted to the ruined battlefield around them before he turned back to Suero with a smirk:
"We really wrecked this place, didn't we?"
Suero, breathing heavily, glared at him and shouted:
"And you're just now realizing that?!"
Sbyam let out a soft chuckle before locking eyes with Suero once more. His voice, now firm and commanding, carried an undeniable weight:
"I want you to become the strongest sorcerer… so that one day, you'll be able to face me."
Suero met his teacher's gaze, his determination burning hotter than ever. His voice was steady, filled with absolute conviction:
"One day… I will defeat you. That's a promise!"
Sbyam laughed again, his smirk carrying both amusement and something almost like admiration:
"Do your best. You'll need a hell of a lot more strength to make that happen."
The two stood in silence, gazing at the moon that bathed the ruins of the battlefield in its pale glow. The echoes of Sbyam's laughter faded into the night, leaving behind a lingering sense of finality.
---
End of Chapter.