Faithless_reader

In a world where strength determines status, Katsu Blazewood dreams of climbing the ranks and proving himself as a powerful fighter. With his fire abilities, he steps into the dangerous world of rankers—warriors who battle for prestige, wealth, and survival. But just as his journey begins, he’s nearly robbed by bandits, only to be saved by Simon Shepard—a ridiculously strong fighter with no elemental powers but enough brute force to flatten mountains.

Simon sees potential in Katsu but quickly realizes the rookie is reckless, cocky, and in desperate need of guidance. As Katsu fights to rise through the ranks, Simon begrudgingly takes him under his wing, helping him navigate rival rankers, deadly creatures, and the ever-growing threats lurking in the wild forest.

With each battle, Katsu gathers allies, faces unexpected enemies, and discovers that power isn’t just about flames and brute strength—it’s about strategy, determination, and a bit of luck. But as stronger foes emerge and hidden forces begin to move, Katsu will need more than just fire to survive.

His journey has just begun, and the road to the top is anything but easy.

The Stone Mask

The dirt path twisted through the thick forest, sunlight breaking through the canopy in scattered patches. Katsu followed behind Simon, grumbling under his breath.

"You're really not gonna explain what you meant back there?" Katsu asked.

Katsu groaned. "You can't just say you wanna beat someone up and then not do it."

Simon finally turned, eyeing him with mild amusement. "Oh, I still kinda want to."

Katsu rolled his shoulders, letting a small flame flicker to life in his palm. "Well, then? What's stopping you?"

"You're too weak." Simon stretched, yawning. "It'd be like kicking a puppy."

Simon shrugged. "A particularly angry one, sure."

That did it. Flames flared around Katsu's fists. "Alright, buddy. Let's see if this puppy can bite."

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Y'know, that doesn't sound as tough as you think it does."

Katsu didn't bother responding. He dashed forward, fire surging around his arm as he threw a punch—fast, but not fast enough. Simon barely moved, tilting his head to the side as the attack missed by an inch.

Katsu barely had time to register the whoosh before—

Something smacked him in the back of the head. Not a punch, not a kick—just a casual tap. Katsu stumbled forward, nearly faceplanting into the dirt.

He spun around. "Did you just—did you just slap me?"

Simon grinned. "Nah. More of a bonk."

Katsu growled and swung again, faster this time. Simon sidestepped effortlessly.

Katsu clenched his teeth. "Alright. Let's see you dodge this."

He slammed his palms into the ground, releasing a burst of fire. The explosion kicked up a thick cloud of smoke, obscuring everything.

A sudden force crashed into Katsu's stomach. His vision blurred as he was sent flying.

Katsu groaned from his new spot on the ground, staring at the sky. "…That was not supposed to happen."

The smoke cleared. Simon stood in the same spot, hands in his pockets, completely unimpressed. "Neat trick. Didn't help, though."

After a minute of groaning, Katsu sat up, shaking his head. "Alright, fine. You win."

Simon crossed his arms. "That was fast. No 'one more round' or 'I wasn't ready'?"

Katsu shot him a look. "You want me to say I was totally ready for whatever that was?"

Katsu dusted himself off. "So. What now?"

Simon turned, already walking away. "Now? We find you a real challenge. If some random bandits almost gave you trouble, you're gonna need more than flashy fire tricks to survive."

Katsu sighed, following. "Oh, great. Can't wait."

Simon smirked. "Oh, you really shouldn't."

As the two disappeared into the forest, a pair of unseen eyes watched from the shadows.

Their real journey had just begun.

Chapter 2: Lesson One—Don’t Be Slow