The Unseen Protector: Part Two

Sara had barely awakened her powers. The water shield she formed around herself was weak—too thin to withstand the roaring Fire Lion in front of her. The beast's molten eyes burned with untamed fury, its massive frame radiating deadly heat.

She knew she wasn't strong enough.

Fear rooted her in place.

Her mind raced—not about how to fight, but about her family. Her father, mother, and older brother. If she died here, would they ever know what happened? Would they ever learn how she had faced her end?

The beast lunged.

Sara flinched, bracing for the inevitable—

But the fatal strike never came.

A rush of heat and force exploded in front of her.

A figure appeared, standing between her and the monster, blocking the attack with sheer force. Covered in mech armor and wreathed in flames, the warrior stood firm, unshaken despite the impact. His presence was overwhelming, his stance unwavering. The design of the armor looked advanced—far beyond anything she had seen in their shelter.

For a fleeting moment, relief surged through her. She was saved.

Then, she saw him stumble.

Sara's heart clenched. What if he wasn't strong enough?

She tightened her fists, trying to summon more power, but the reality was clear—her strength wasn't enough to make a difference. The Fire Lion was too strong. The warrior was struggling.

Who was he?

And more importantly… would he survive?

She had always believed that heroes were untouchable, unstoppable forces of nature. But standing before her wasn't some legendary warrior—he was real, fallible, and fighting with everything he had to protect her.

And that terrified her more than the beast itself.

Roy's Stand

Pain burned through Roy's left arm. The Fire Lion's attack had seared through his armor, leaving an open wound beneath the mech plating.

But he couldn't stop.

The mech's built-in guns activated, unleashing a rain of bullets toward the beast. The attack slowed it only slightly.

It wasn't enough.

Roy gritted his teeth. Think.

Then, a memory—

His brother's sparring match. Mimi's training. The way fire could be condensed into a single, devastating strike.

Roy forced all his remaining energy into his right hand.

A sword of pure fire ignited in his grip, its edges flickering with untamed power. Heat waves rolled off it, the air shimmering with energy.

The Fire Lion lunged again.

Roy moved.

Faster than before, his mech-enhanced body blurred through the air—a streak of red-hot flames closing the distance in a heartbeat.

With a single, explosive strike, he drove the flaming sword straight through the beast's heart.

BOOM!

A shockwave blasted through the battlefield as the Fire Lion collapsed, lifeless. The once-mighty beast never saw the attack coming.

Silence followed.

The Aftermath

Roy's energy was nearly gone. His breathing was heavy, sweat trickling down his face beneath the mech.

Then—

"Roy, quickly! Take the beast core!" Mimi's voice rang in his earpiece.

She was right. He couldn't waste time.

He staggered toward the fallen beast, his fingers digging into its still-hot chest. With a final pull, he ripped out the Beast Core— a pulsing, fiery orb, still radiating heat.

To Roy, it felt… natural. Like it belonged to him.

But he couldn't stay here. People were coming.

He rushed into the shadows, deactivating his mech. The sleek armor faded away, leaving him in his regular school uniform. His left arm still burned from the injury, but he ignored it.

By the time he returned, the scene had changed.

Sara was surrounded by teachers and students, checking if she was hurt.

Roy silently took his place among them, watching her. Making sure she was truly safe.

Then, a government agent arrived. His uniform was pristine, his presence commanding.

"The beast strike is over," he announced. "The shelter is stable."

A wave of relief swept through the students. But the agent's eyes narrowed.

"This Fire Lion was incredibly strong," he said. "Too strong for anyone here." He glanced at the teachers. "Who killed it?"

The teachers hesitated.

One of them finally answered.

"A warrior fought it," the teacher said. "But… they disappeared before we could see who they were."

"A hidden fighter?" the agent muttered. His gaze swept over the crowd, searching.

Roy clenched his fists, remaining silent.

He had won. But he wasn't ready to be known.

Not yet.

Elsewhere in the Shelter

Within the shelter's command center, a group of government agents analyzed security footage of the battle.

"I guess it was a student," one agent murmured, watching the intense struggle.

"Whoever took down that Fire Lion… they're not an ordinary student," another agent said, his eyes narrowing.

"He must have had advanced equipment or an exceptionally strong elemental power," a third agent speculated.

One of the senior agents leaned back in his chair. "There's no need to investigate further. Whoever they are, they clearly want to remain hidden. If we expose them, we could end up on the wrong side of this situation. And if someone powerful is backing them, we don't want to provoke unnecessary trouble."

He let out a slow breath before concluding, "The beast break is over. That's all we need to report to the other shelters. Whoever this person is, it's fortunate they were born here. If nurtured properly, they could become the backbone of our shelter in the future."

His gaze lingered on the screen, trying to catch a glimpse of the unknown warrior who had vanished into the chaos.

Roy and Sara's Walk Home

As the shelter settled back into calm, Roy followed Sara at a distance. She was walking with her friends, but when they finally parted ways, he took the opportunity to approach her.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay?" he asked.

Sara turned, surprised but then smiled. "Hi, Roy. Thanks for asking, but I'm good now." Her gaze flickered to his left arm, noticing the injury. "What happened to your hand?"

For a moment, suspicion flashed in her mind—hadn't the warrior who saved her also been injured in the left arm? But she quickly dismissed the thought. The Fire Lion had been too powerful. There was no way a student could have taken it down like that.

Roy, sensing the danger of her suspicion, quickly came up with an excuse. "I was near the fight and got caught in the aftermath. Just bad luck."

Sara nodded, accepting his explanation. "Be careful next time." Then, after a brief pause, she asked, "By the way, what's your element power?"

"Wind and fire," Roy answered smoothly. "What about you? Which military camp did you apply to?"

"I applied to Military Camp 12 in the Northeast. It's specialized for healers and support units," she said.

Roy's heart skipped a beat. That was the same camp he had chosen—not just because of his family's legacy, but because his recurring nightmare seemed to be pointing him in that direction. And now, there was another reason.

"I applied there too," he admitted. "My family are scientists, and they all trained at that camp."

Sara smiled. "That's great. Maybe we'll be in the same squad."

Roy hesitated for a moment. He had wanted to confess his feelings today, but now… it didn't feel like the right time. Between the battle, the government's growing suspicion, and their upcoming journey, this wasn't the moment.

Besides, since they were both going to the same military camp, he'd have more chances in the future.

They walked together, talking about their upcoming journey. When they finally reached her house, Roy stopped a few steps away.

"Take care," he said.

"You too, Roy," she replied, before stepping inside.

Roy watched for a moment, then turned and made his way home, his mind racing with thoughts of the battle, the government agents, and the unknown future awaiting him at Military Camp 12.