Solara stood in shock, blade still dripping, her ears ringing after cutting down the previous White Death. Before she could even process what had just happened, a shockwave knocked her off her feet and sent her sprawling. As she staggered upright, blinking through the haze, she saw him—Caelan—already shouting something to Aidan and Milo. They must have understood, but Solara still couldn’t hear a thing.

  What was that just now? Her mind scrambled for the memory—just a few seconds ago, she’d seen it: the emerald monster’s fog had moved, but its body hadn’t. Only for a second. She hadn’t gotten a clear view—she’d been too busy with the hordes of White Death in front of her. “Come on, faster, Solara.” She went for another low swing at the beast’s belly; Caelan was already to her right, about to meet another monster head-on.

  And then—the massive bang. It couldn’t have been more than two seconds before that shockwave hit. You have to be kidding me. In the time it took me to land a single attack, he’d destroyed two of those monsters and moved fifty feet. And that face he has right now… I’ve spent nearly six months at his side, and I’ve never seen him look like this, not even once.

  You might never see it, Caelan, but every moment I watch you, I see—again and again—why they follow you, even if you can’t. Seeing you like this, I finally understand why they aren’t afraid in a place like this. I have no doubt in my mind that you’d lead us through this hell. So while you do what you need to, I’ll clear the path. I’ll make sure we’re there when you need us most. As long as you walk this path, Caelan, I’ll make sure it’s clear for everyone else—Captain.

  With practised ease, she took a small, calm step to her right as the White Death thundered past, and in a single motion sliced the beast clean down the middle. She flicked her sword, spraying the monster’s blood clear of the blade, as the White Death broke into golden orbs around her, her eyes already searching for the next target.

  As for Caelan, he stood motionless, staring at the emerald monster. He noticed his own hand shaking, so he grabbed it with the other, forcing it still.

  “Come on, Caelan, calm down. This is do or die. Stop fucking around,” he muttered under his breath.

  Breathing out, he set his shoulders and started to walk forward, eyes locked on the monster. A little louder, voice tightening with anger, he called out, “Want to pick on her? Why don’t you try me on for size, you piece of shit?”

  As Caelan closed the distance, not even the White Deaths dared to step between them. The emerald fog around the monster began to shift, condensing and twisting into the shape of a katana—mist made into a blade. The creature matched Caelan’s slow, deliberate pace, every step in perfect sync.

  “So that’s your game, is it?” Caelan growled. “Let’s fucking see, then.”

  With a burst of speed, Caelan launched himself forward. The monster’s fog blade whipped up to meet his overhead strike, and the collision sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing. Steel and mist shrieked as they clashed, the sound echoing across the battlefield.

  Locking with the monster’s hollow, glowing emerald eyes, Caelan spat, an unnerving grin cracking across his face. “So this is the legend she was talking about. Let's hope I don't break you too easily.”

  He unleashed a flurry of rapid attacks, each one met with uncanny, unflinching precision by the monster’s fog blade—blow for blow, the emerald monster unblinkingly stared, never faltering.

  Clash after clash, Caelan’s barrage sent shockwave after shockwave rolling through the clearing. Each collision of steel and fog echoed like thunder.

  Veyra shouted over the chaos, “Captain, be careful! These things are hard enough to fight without whatever that is!”

  Braen called out, “Just hold on, Captain—we’ll be there in a moment!”

  Caelan didn’t dare turn away, eyes never leaving the monster. He barked over his shoulder, voice hard as steel, “Handle the White Deaths first. Do not worry about me. That is not a request.”

  A split second later, the monster’s fog blade came down in an overhead strike. Without looking away, Caelan caught it on his sword, sending another tremor rippling through the air.

  Takeshi, ducking behind cover, muttered, “Oh yeah, because things aren't bad enough right now without that lunatic losing it again!”

  With a pivot, Caelan spun and kicked the monster full force to the side. The mist shifted—no sword now, but a barrier of fog that absorbed the blow, even as the monster was hurled into a tree. The impact bent the trunk, but the creature just used it like a springboard, launching itself back at Caelan with impossible speed.

  Caelan stepped backwards, tracking the emerald’s movements—when suddenly, a White Death charged right past him, making for Solara. For an instant, the emerald monster’s sight was blocked.

  Caelan gripped his sword with both hands, muttering, “Let’s see if I finally got this right, Solara.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  In the blink of an eye, he moved—bringing his sword down in a savage arc, slicing clear through the White Death and aiming straight for the emerald monster where it should be on the other side.

  But before his attack could land, a kick slammed into his side—sending Caelan crashing into the treeline. He hit the ground hard, dropped to one knee, and gasped, “Fuck this, man. Its reflexes are completely outrageous.”

  Staggering to his feet, he stretched his shoulders and locked eyes with the emerald monster, a wild grin slowly becoming impossible to hide.

  “So speed and power won’t work, huh?” He laughed, loud and unhinged. “Well, lucky for me, I’m batshit fucking crazy. Just wait until you try this one, asshole.”

  The monster, silent as ever, drew another sword from the swirling fog and began stalking toward him, slowly and deliberately.

  The monster flashed forward, thrusting its fog blade at Caelan. He slipped to the side, just missing the strike, and pulled back into the trees. The emerald monster followed relentlessly, slashing through trunks, splinters flying with every miss. Caelan weaved around the forest, dodging and baiting attacks, the monster’s heavy barrage never slowing.

  He tried to counterattack—darting from behind cover, aiming quick strikes from different angles. But every time he closed in, the monster’s sword would dissolve, replaced by a barrier of swirling fog. No matter how he changed his approach, the shield snapped into place a split second before his blade could connect.

  Grimacing, Caelan clutched his side. “Damn, that kick really fucked my ribs. Come on, push through this shit, finish this—then you can moan, asshole.” He launched into a more direct assault, lunging from tree to tree at full speed. But the monster just stood its ground, moving its fog barrier to meet his every attack. Even last-second feints didn’t fool it.

  Frustrated, Caelan shouted, “Alright, fuck it, I tried, I'm done! Try this on for size!” He brought his sword to his side, settling into a new stance. As the emerald advanced, Caelan roared, “Fuck—you!” and swung his sword with such force that the air crunched, the trees behind the monster shuddered, as a line of trees started to collapse—clean cut, toppled in a perfect row.

  The monster just kept coming, walking through the destruction as if it were nothing more than a passing breeze.

  Caelan turned and sprinted back toward the clearing, the monster in no hurry, simply following at its own relentless pace.

  He called out, “Solara, how many do you have left?”

  Solara, thrusting her blade through another White Death, yelled back, “Four left—hold on, let me get this one!”

  Caelan shouted, "STOP! Solara, leave it to the others, they can manage it!" His voice cut sharply through the chaos, instantly calming the battlefield around them. He drew in a slow breath, visibly steadying himself in the moment as he met Solara’s eyes. "I need you right now."

  Solara, blade still poised in readiness, immediately responded, her voice steady but edged with urgency, "What's the plan?"

  Caelan’s gaze never wavered from the approaching emerald monster. "Watch me carefully. The moment I move, I want you to aim directly where I'm standing—you’ll have less than one second to strike."

  He laughed under his breath, barely more than a puff of air, as he crouched down, stretching his legs and bouncing on his heels. “Aww shit, I’m so going to fuck this up… well, fuck it—let’s see what happens anyway.”

  A thick quiet settled over the clearing. Broken trunks creaked as they shifted, bark flaking, dust drifting down in lazy sheets. Somewhere far off, the fog blade still slammed against steel, but even that sounded thin and far away now.

  The emerald’s blank, black eyes met Caelan’s and didn’t look away as it advanced, slow and steady. Each step thudded through the dirt, heavy enough to feel in his knees, the air around it tightening with every pace.

  Solara stood sixty feet behind Caelan, sword poised, her entire focus locked on his signal. The grass crackled beneath the emerald monster’s feet as it advanced, every step radiating intent. The air trembled with distant clangs and the shouts of the team struggling to hold their ground.

  Caelan’s mind raced. Right, this is reckless. But that tree over there—when this thing attacks, I’ll need to move. Use it as a springboard and be back here before Solara even begins to clash with it. This has to be its weakness—or we’re all fucked.

  With a sudden flash, the emerald foot touched the ground; in that moment, the entire ground beneath it cracked. Caelan exploded into motion, angling himself midair to hit the tree feet-first. For a split second, he saw the emerald, and Solara positioned exactly as he’d predicted. I need to use it again—fuck, it’s killer on my legs, but I need to move at mach speed. I’ll reach them in a fraction of a second. If this doesn’t work, I might be out here. Better make sure it's worth it.

  As he landed on the tree and began to curl, ready to launch himself directly back to where he once stood, a single thought flashed through his head—this is our chance...—but out of nowhere, something grabbed his leg. Before he could turn, something used his entire body like a whip, slamming Caelan face-first into the ground. The world started to spin. A savage kick drove into his left side, sending him flying through the treeline behind his team. Everyone watched in horror.

  With the worst possible timing, Solara began clashing with the emerald monster—blade meeting fog sword with a violent crack, even as Caelan was tossed aside so effortlessly. Takeshi shouted at the top of his lungs, “Captain!”

  Braen barked, “Deal with these first! Keep it together!” and slammed two pouncing White Deaths aside with her warhammer, sending them crashing into a broken trunk.

  Veyra, not missing a beat, nocked an arrow and fired at the man who had attacked Caelan. The figure—easily nine feet tall, shirtless, with a gaping wound in his chest—caught the arrow mid-flight. In the blink of an eye, he stood before them, moving almost as fast as Caelan but at least four times his size. He handed the arrow gently back to Veyra, voice flat: “Don’t waste this on me. I’m only here for the tyrant.”

  He began to walk, slow and deliberate, in the direction he’d sent Caelan flying, passing Solara and the emerald monster locked in their deadlock—neither side gaining ground, blades pressed tight, muscles straining. As he passed, Solara gritted through her teeth, “If you lay another finger on him, I will kill this thing, and then I’m coming for your head.”

  He barely glanced at her. “Delusional.”

  Solara shouted after him, “Stay the hell away from him! I swear—you won’t win. He’ll kill you, do you hear me?”

  Unbothered, the giant strode calmly from the clearing, heading toward where Caelan had vanished into the trees.

  As the giant vanished into the ruined woods, even the monsters seemed to hold their breath.

  Somewhere in the chaos, Caelan was already planning his next move, or so everyone hoped.