"Walhberg, I hope this isn’t a waste of time."

Kaldo gripped his sword with both gloved hands. Black flames danced along the blade, radiating a heat that didn’t burn like ordinary fire but disintegrated everything in its path. Those cherished flames would soon rid of the monster before him.

The monster advanced with a howl, attempting to crush the Divine Visionary with its hand, or whatever that was. Kaldo spun on his heels, dodging gracefully. With a fluid motion, he delivered a horizontal slash, and the black flames from his sword extended like a fiery whip. The monster’s limb was severed cleanly, evaporating before it could touch the ground.

The roar meant to intimidate turned into a scream of agony. Kaldo stepped forward with measured strides, unleashing a flurry of swift strikes.

For such a massive creature, the monster was far too weak. Weakened, it tried to retreat, but Kaldo gave it no chance. With a precise leap, he ascended the beast’s torso and plunged his sword into what appeared to be its head. The black flames erupted, engulfing the monster in a vortex of pure destruction. The creature writhed, its shrieks echoing like cries in an unfathomable void, and then... silence.

When it was over, Kaldo stood tall, his sword still ablaze. Around him, only ash floated in the air. His narrowed eyes gazed toward the horizon, waiting for something.

The silence blanketed the forest, broken only by the crackling of the black flames.

"I know you’re there."

The black flames on his sword dimmed slowly as Kaldo sheathed it. He knew the danger still lingered, latent. The monster was nothing more than a distraction—he was certain of it.

Walhberg had warned him of a greater threat than that insignificant beast beyond the towering walls that protected the town. Another ally of Innocent Zero, a Criminal Cane bent on wreaking havoc. Not that Kaldo hadn’t anticipated it—if they sought death, then death they would have. But a dignified death? That was not guaranteed.