(POV: Third-Person)
"You… y-you!! What are you?!"
Svendr staggered back, shocked at the sight of the terrifying mechanical humanoid in front of him.
"A human?! Thank goodness! I thought you were a monster, man!" Zeren replied with enthusiasm, which only confused Svendr further.
"Shut up, monster! What are you?!"
Zeren metaphorically scratched his head, unsure how to answer.
"GRR… Brat! Tell me what that thing is!"
Svendr yanked the boy's chain, shoving him forward. The boy winced from the pain.
Zeren's blood—if he had any—began to boil.
"Hey, hey! What on earth are you doing?!"
Zeren stepped forward, rage swelling in his nonexistent eyes.
"Shut up, monster! Brat! Speak!"
Svendr growled, yanking the chains again.
"Let go of the boy… now…" Zeren muttered, clenching his mechanical fist as if preparing to throw something.
"KUHAHAHA! Or what? Wha—"
BLAST!
CRASH!!
Svendr was sent flying several meters back, his armor scraping along the dungeon wall.
"How'd that taste, sick f*ck?! It's a new technique I made—condensed a Manablast into a ball using my Manashield."
Zeren's voice turned cold as he advanced, another glowing sphere—roughly baseball-sized—in his hand.
"I call it… Singularity Pitch."
The boy stared in awe, slowly standing.
"KUHAHAHA! Impressive for a metal-head!"
Despite the bleeding from his forehead, Svendr's confidence didn't waver.
"How about you taste one of my techniques…"
With a growl, Svendr wound up his blade and unleashed a savage vertical slash.
"Blood Cutter!!"
SLASH!!
Zeren barely blocked with his Manashield, the impact cracking his forearms as he dropped to a knee.
"How did that taste, swine?!"
Svendr cackled while Zeren rose slowly, his metallic arms already beginning to repair themselves.
"You're not the only one with skills, jackass!"
Zeren raised his middle finger.
"Blood Cutter!"
SLASH!
"Sheesh… you gonna keep spamming that?"
POOF!
The blood-red magical slash vanished before it hit its mark. Svendr's eyes widened.
"How?!"
"That technique might work on goblins… but not on me."
Zeren raised his arm, winding up for another pitch.
"I've got more tricks than you—that one's Manabre—"
CLANK!
"Eh?!"
Zeren suddenly collapsed as something bashed into him from behind. His energy ball rolled across the ground.
"I-I'm sorry, mister!"
The boy cried out, wincing as a magic circle glowed on his chest.
"Heh… bet you didn't expect that!"
Svendr grinned as he approached.
"That boy's got a slave contract with me! He has to follow orders. That magic circle guarantees it!"
"I see… so that's how it works."
SPARK!
The magic circle on the boy's chest flickered—then vanished.
Zeren stood, dusting off his metal frame.
"H-how?!"
"Dude, I saw that swing coming. I've got eyes on the back of my head! Not literally though…"
He shrugged, mechanical shoulders rattling.
"And if I can break the mana structure of your dumb skill, what made you think I couldn't snap a magic contract?"
"D-damn it!"
Svendr began to panic, stumbling backward as he raised his blade once more.
"BLOOD CUTTER!!"
SLASH!!
"Oho…"
The magic dissipated again before it could even launch.
"YOU BASTARD! DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!"
Svendr screamed, desperation in his eyes as he staggered.
"I AM THE DREAD BUTCH—"
BLAST!!
CRACK!
A loud explosion erupted behind him—one of Zeren's Singularity balls had gone off—sending Svendr crashing face-first into the stone wall.
"Oops… guess I tripped one of them.."
Zeren placed both hands over his mouth mockingly. "My bad~"
The boy stood still, eyes wide with awe.
Zeren stepped toward him and knelt down.
"Hey kid… what's your name?"
Tears welled in the boy's eyes as he bowed his head.
"I… I don't have one, sir…"
"I see…"
Zeren studied the boy's features.
"Grey hair… grey eyes…"
"Ash. From now on, your name is Ash."