Red line

"You piece of shit…"

Daggers gleamed in his grip, one pointed squarely at the levitator's head.

"I'll kill you."

Sebastian's voice was low, deadly. His eyes — pools of pure hatred.

THUD!

Sukiro collapsed behind him.

"Good enough that you held out till we got here," Elijah said with a calm smirk, walking past the battered body.

"Sapphire should be here any second now. Probably just around the corner."

SWISH!

An orc lunged from behind but its head hit the dirt before it could roar.

Elijah hadn't even moved. but the orcs head was already on the ground 

"Let us handle the rest," he said flatly.

Then it began a symphony of slashes.

Cut after cut, streaks of silver cleaving through trees, rocks, beasts. The sound echoed through the sky. Each strike carried weight, judgment.

The levitator panicked.

It pulled everything into its orbit trees, boulders, animals, even broken pieces of terrain — using them as a desperate shield.

But nothing could stop Sebastian.

He cut through all of it. Like air. Like paper.

His steps didn't falter. His blades didn't slow.

His eyes gleamed red furious.

The levitator ran. Swerved. Twisted.

But it had realized too late…

It was no longer the hunter.

It was the hunted.

A hunter of monsters was now being hunted by a monster of his own.

"SUKIRO!!" a voice called from the woods.

He squinted, vision still blurred.

Then he saw them.

"Sukiro!!" "Sukiro!!" Three voices called out.

Sirius, Klaus, and Sapphire. Faces filled with panic as they ran toward him.

The levitator, distracted, hurled a wall of trees at them desperation made manifest.

But it wasn't enough anymore, it realized it had to do more.

the forest began to spin and spin 

Its eyes flared red the forest itself began to spin violently.

A tornado.

Sebastian's coat fluttered as the wind surged. He narrowed his eyes.

"What a drag…" Elijah muttered.

A-Rank Skill: Barrier of the Desert (80% Output)

He raised his hands. Magic spiraled upward. A golden dome burst outwards, covering sky and land shielding the party.

Flames from fire-beasts licked the trees, igniting them.

The tornado twisted, caught fire becoming a whirling beast of flame.

Sebastian stood in the haze, eyes scanning the chaos.

Then he saw it a flicker in the firestorm.

its bright too bright 

fire hurdles towards him over and over again 

he jumps slices dodges it effortlessly 

then he sees it in the midst of the chaos smiling at him

The levitator. Smiling. Watching.

"You BASTARD!!"

A-Rank Skill: RED LINE EXTINCTION 100% Output

A line of crimson light carved through the battlefield a path drawn straight to the levitator's head.

"ARRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!"

Sebastian exploded into motion.

He bounded through debris, springing off trees, gliding across falling stones nothing could stop his momentum.

His eyes burned scarlet. A predator locked on target.

His daggers glowed at his back, charging with violent energy.

The levitator's smirk faded.

It couldn't keep up.

Couldn't see him.

Couldn't move.

In a flash, Sebastian closed the distance the tip of his dagger at the stone creature's brow.

Its eyes screamed fear.

"ARGHHHHH!!"

SHINK!!

The winds stopped.

The flames vanished.

The tornado crumbled.

Silence.

only the sound of a stone falling was heard

Gravity reclaimed everything.

Debris, fire, bodies — all began to fall.

But not Sebastian.

He didn't fall. He descended slow, controlled.

He landed without a flinch. His blades bloodied, but steady.

The barrier shattered behind him like breaking glass.

Elijah walked forward, arms crossed.

"You went insane back there," he muttered. "Didn't expect you to push a skill to full output."

Sebastian glanced at him and smirked. "Jealous?"

"Hardly. I've got greater ones waiting," Elijah shrugged.

A few paces away, Sapphire tended to Sukiro, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

her face trying to speak out 

Sukiro blinked up at her. "Just say it already."

She looked stunned. Then furious.

"WHAT were you thinking fighting a levitator on your own?!"

"That thing is one of the deadliest monsters out there you're lucky you didn't die!"

"Is this some attempt to prove your stupid bravery?!"

"You could've"

Her voice cracked.

"You could've died…"

Her hands trembled. Tears broke free.

But Sukiro grabbed her hand, firm and warm.

His smile soft. His voice calm.

"I'm still here, aren't I? With you. With all of you. I survived."

He grinned, eyes shimmering.

"So let's just celebrate. Let's be happy."

Sapphire stared at him then nodded slowly, smiling through the tears.

"Just promise me one thing… never put yourself in danger like that again."

He couldn't speak. Just smiled and nodded.

"It's been two months since that day…" Sukiro murmured.

Sweat ran down his jawline. Blood stained his shirt.

"I'm stronger now."

He stared out at the forest.

Before him an entire army of monsters lay dead.

"I might not be able to defeat a levitator yet…"

He smiled.

"But now I can survive one."