At this moment, inside a dilapidated one-story shack in the civilian district.
"That kid Enel has been missing for over three months now…"
"Still no news at all?"
A middle-aged man in a Birka Royal Army uniform was pacing through Enel's dust-caked house.
His gaze swept around the room. His right hand idly brushed the dust on the table, then lightly flicked it away. Without turning his head, he questioned the Royal Army soldier following behind him.
"Not yet. But there's something pretty strange—that kid from the Blue Sea vanished at almost the exact same time as Enel. And according to our investigation, more than three months ago, Enel seemed to have been taught a lesson by that Blue Sea kid…" The soldier behind the man shook his head. An odd look rose on his face as he continued. "More importantly, quite a few residents said the last time they saw Enel, he was heading toward the forest. And at the time, he seemed really down because he'd lost money gambling."
"So you suspect Enel either got killed and eaten by a ferocious beast in Birka Forest, or he was killed by that Blue Sea kid?" The middle-aged man turned around. There wasn't the slightest ripple of emotion on his hard-set face as he coolly tossed the question back.
"From all the signs we've got so far, it's very likely Enel was murdered by that kid from the Blue Sea. And during this time, we also sent people to check the forest outskirts. Aside from finding that someone definitely damaged some bushes there, we didn't find any other clues. As for deeper in the forest, it's too dangerous—we didn't dare rush in, so…" The soldier reported truthfully.
The middle-aged man waved a hand, his tone cold. "Enough. If you find that kid, arrest him and interrogate him thoroughly. If he really ran into the deep forest because he killed Enel, then with him being just a brat—even if he's got a bit of cleverness and some strength—there's no way he survives more than a month in there. Let alone three."
"As for Enel… leaning on that little connection between me and his old man, he spends all day loafing around and acting like a punk. More than once he nearly got someone killed. Someone who goes around making trouble every day—if he dies, he dies. If his father hadn't once done me a favor, I wouldn't even bother with his mess."
…
Meanwhile, golden rays slanted down in strands, and a slightly crimson sunset was slowly sinking toward the horizon. Deep within the shadowy belly of Birka Forest.
"ROAR—!"
Along with an ear-splitting bellow, a hulking saber-toothed tiger appeared.
It stood nearly three meters tall, and its body stretched eight or nine meters long. A pair of blood-red, vicious eyes bulged wide as it glared at Mieko, who was standing on a tree ahead. It opened its gaping maw and let out a terrifying howl, the sound rattling ears until they ached. Those two long fangs—razor-sharp and needle-point—were enough to make anyone's scalp crawl.
That roar boomed through the forest like thunder. Two or three li away, several wild spotted leopards heard it and were scared out of their minds, fleeing in all directions like headless flies.
"Even if you scream your lungs out, you're still getting eaten by me today!" Mieko stood steady on a thick branch five or six meters above the ground, staring down at the saber-toothed tiger with unwavering eyes. He extended his right index finger, pointing straight at the beast's head.
"Whoosh—!" Electric arcs crackled. From Mieko's fingertip, a bolt of lightning as thick as a thumb erupted in an instant, shooting toward the saber-toothed tiger like a flash of light.
Faced with the sudden lightning, the saber-toothed tiger instinctively sensed extreme danger. Its massive body tensed, and with astonishing jumping power, it sprang away from its original position in a blink.
"BOOM—!"
That bolt slammed into the Island Cloud, instantly blasting out a bottomless, charred little hole, wisps of black smoke curling up from within.
"ROAR—!"
Unwilling to be outdone, the saber-toothed tiger roared again. Its razor-sharp claws shredded a wide swath of Island Cloud into powder. Its gigantic body bounced upward once more, leaping five or six meters high and charging at Mieko like a black bolt of lightning.
"Shh—!"
Electric arcs flickered over Mieko's body. In the next instant, he vanished from the branch—and in the blink after that, he appeared above the saber-toothed tiger. His right foot moved like lightning, swift as the wind, and he stomped down hard onto the tiger's back.
"BANG!!!"
The saber-toothed tiger's huge body, which had been soaring in a parabolic arc, was smashed by the heavy blow and immediately crashed down onto the Island Cloud below, carving out a small crater. It howled in pain, its roar echoing through the forest.
"This hide is really thick!" Mieko flickered in midair and shot to a spot a few meters in front of the saber-toothed tiger, standing tall and proud.
"Thunder Blade!" Mieko shouted.
"Bzzzt… bzzzt…" Brilliant arcs erupted instantly from his right palm. Countless electrons gathered, rapidly condensing into a glowing sword that shimmered with dazzling lightning, hissing as it formed.
As if sensing a massive, imminent danger, the saber-toothed tiger let out a low, threatening rumble. Its blood-red eyes locked onto the motionless Mieko, yet its massive body couldn't help but slowly back away.
"Next, it's your turn to be dealt with." Mieko's gaze turned icy as he murmured.
On the edge of the Thunder Blade, countless thin, dazzling arcs leapt and crackled with sharp snaps, sending chills down the spine and making the scalp prickle.
Mieko kicked off hard. His entire body shot toward the saber-toothed tiger like a streak of lightning.
"ROAR!" Faced with such blatant provocation, the forest's overlord exploded in fury. It bellowed, lifting its enormous paw and slamming it down at Mieko with vicious force.
"Savage Dragon Slash!" Mieko barked low.
His body sprang up like a nimble hunting leopard. The Thunder Blade in his hand swung like a gale—fast, ruthless, and clean—as he cleaved down through the air at the saber-toothed tiger.
"Whoosh!"
A pale blue slash three to four meters wide burst from the blade's razor edge in an instant, carrying shocking arcs of electricity as it crashed into the saber-toothed tiger's neck.
"BOOM!!!"
Blood sprayed. A tiger's head flew off.
The pale blue slash didn't lose momentum—continuing downward, it slammed into the Island Cloud below, carving out a massive, scorched-black gash in a single stroke.
The saber-toothed tiger's enormous body toppled with a thunderous crash, kicking up a flurry of fallen leaves.
The lightning glow of the Thunder Blade in Mieko's hand gradually dissipated, and the surroundings—washed pale by its radiance—returned to normal.
He didn't even glance at the hideous severed head to the side. He grabbed the saber-toothed tiger by the tail, heaved with a single jerk, and flung the massive corpse up, settling it steadily across his back.
That eight-to-nine-meter-long carcass pressed down on Mieko's seemingly slender frame, making it hard not to worry the weight might crush him.
Yet astonishingly, with the huge body on his back, Mieko moved as if it were nothing—striding fast, then swiftly vanishing from the area…
(End of Chapter)
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