Chapter 1: A Fiery Entrance and an Unexpected Ally

The forest was quiet—too quiet. Leaves rustled overhead as the afternoon sun peeked through the gaps, casting shifting patterns on the dirt below. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, oblivious to the tension hanging in the air.

Katsu Blazewood stood frozen, his muscles tight. Three scruffy bandits circled him, their grins stretched wide with malicious intent.

"Hand over the coin, kid," one of them sneered, twirling a jagged knife between his fingers. His voice dripped with confidence, like someone who had done this a hundred times before.

Katsu's jaw clenched. His newly earned Ranker badge hung from his belt—a symbol that he was officially part of the Rankers now. But right now, it felt more like a curse than an achievement.

"A toll fee," the bandit continued, smirking.

Katsu frowned. "A toll? For what?"

"For breathing in our forest," another bandit chimed in, his grin exposing several missing teeth. "And, uh… for existing, I guess."

Katsu exhaled slowly, his patience hanging by a thread. Small flames began to flicker at his fingertips, dancing along his knuckles. "You sure about this?"

The bandits exchanged a glance. Fire users weren't common. Especially not ones who looked this… calm. But there were three of them—and only one of him.

"We'll take our chances," the leader muttered, stepping forward.

"Suit yourself."

Before Katsu could act, a whoosh sliced through the air.

A blur of motion.

The bandit leader hit the ground hard, groaning in pain.

Katsu blinked. "Huh?"

"Wow," a smooth voice drawled. "You guys really don't know when to quit."

Katsu turned. Standing just a few steps away was a man with messy long silver hair and an easygoing grin. His dark long coat flapped slightly in the breeze.

"Who the hell—"

One of the remaining bandits charged, but the stranger didn't even flinch.

Bad idea.

A swift kick to the gut sent the bandit flying back. The last one barely had time to react before he was knocked unconscious with a casual swipe of the staff.

Katsu stared, his flames flickering out. "…Uh. Thanks?"

"No problem." A silver-haired man offered a hand. "Simon Shepard."

Katsu hesitated, then shook it. "Katsu Blazewood."

Simon gave him a once-over, his gaze lingering on the badge. "Fire user?"

"Yeah."

"New ranker?"

"…Yeah."

Simon's grin widened. "You're gonna need some help."

Katsu crossed his arms, defensive. "I had it under control."

Simon glanced at the groaning bandits, one of whom was still trying—and failing—to crawl away. "Oh, yeah. I could see that."

Katsu's eye twitched. "You wanna say that again?"

Simon shrugged, his grin never fading. "Relax. I'm just saying… you didn't even notice me move back there."

Katsu frowned, his pride taking a hit. "So what?"

"So," Simon said, cracking his knuckles, "I'm wondering how someone with flashy fire powers managed to get this far without learning basic awareness."

Katsu's expression darkened. "You trying to pick a fight?"

Simon tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "Hmm… tempting."

A brief moment of tension filled the air.

Then, Simon smirked. "Nah. Not worth it."

Katsu blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Simon was already walking away, waving over his shoulder. "Come on, hothead. If you're serious about ranking up, you're gonna need more than a few fire tricks." He glanced back with a teasing glint in his eye. "Stick with me, and you might survive long enough to actually matter."

Katsu stood there, fists clenched. Every instinct screamed at him to ignore this smug idiot…

But after a few seconds, his feet moved on their own.

"Whatever," he muttered, trailing after Simon.

To Be Continued…