With every step he took, the pressure grew stronger and stronger.
It was a crushing force—at least ten times stronger than Oghlo's aura.
He walked down the path, and as he got closer, the houses on both sides began to crack.
Louis and I started sweating, and I found it hard to breathe.
He wasn't big like Oghlo; he was the size of a normal human. He wore a cloak, had the face of an orc, and a body sculpted with muscles, but he held no weapon—not even a staff.
Louis couldn't move. He stared at the orc leader with intense focus, but the leader didn't care. It was as if we were just insects in his eyes.
He stopped, looked at Oghlo lying on the ground, then looked at us. There was no doubt—this was the Orc Floor Leader.
Then he spoke in a calm tone, hiding deep anger:
"So, you weaklings were the ones who defeated Oghlo?"
"You underestimate humans, you freak,"
Louis replied, trying to hide his fear.
"Oh? You're brave enough to speak even though you know you can't beat me."
"Even if I die here, I'll take you down with me!"
Louis dashed forward, swinging his scythe from above. But the leader stopped it with just his fingers, then raised his other arm toward Louis's face.
[Flame Spell: Burn]
The orc cast a fire spell, but it wasn't like Oghlo's. This fire was blue, thick, and incredibly hot—I felt the heat even from far away.
I thought Louis had been burned alive, but to my surprise, he dodged at the last moment, letting go of his scythe to move faster.
He stepped back a few paces, dropped to one knee for a moment, then charged again. Using his speed, he kicked the orc in the face, quickly grabbed his scythe, and jumped back.
The kick didn't do much. The orc didn't even flinch.
"Hahaha… You're really fast—I couldn't even follow you with my eyes. But your strength is weak."
"Thanks for the compliment, beast, but I really don't need to hear that from you."
Louis dropped to one knee again, but before he could move, the orc charged toward him.
[Flame Spell: Arrows of Hell]
Blue flame arrows appeared around the orc and shot toward Louis. But their paths were straight and easy to dodge. Louis avoided them all.
It was just a distraction.
The next moment, the orc was right in front of Louis and punched him in the stomach. Louis flew through the air and crashed into a house wall.
He didn't stay down—he couldn't afford to. If he wasted even a second, it could cost him his life.
Using the dust from the crash as cover, Louis launched himself at the orc again, slashing with his scythe several times before jumping back and dropping to one knee for a third time.
He managed to land a few cuts, but they were shallow. Meanwhile, Louis looked exhausted. Blood came from his mouth from the earlier hit.
"Now the game is over, monster—and it looks like I'm the winner."
[Electric Field: Activate]
Louis wasn't just fighting randomly. He had a plan.
Each time he dropped to one knee, he placed an electric device. He formed a triangle around the orc, trapping him inside.
When he activated it, lightning struck the orc leader, paralyzing him.
"You're not as weak as I thought, kid."
But it wasn't over yet. Louis rushed toward him to cut off his head.
His scythe was just millimeters from the orc's neck—
BOOM
The orc stomped the ground, sending out a shockwave. It broke the electric field and threw Louis back.
He failed to finish him off.
"Hahaha… If you were just a bit faster, you could've cut my neck. I see you're tired now. Those little tricks were useful—but now, playtime is over."
"I haven't given up yet. Even if the plan failed, I won't back down."
Louis said that, but his legs were shaking from exhaustion.
[Flame Spell: Dragons of Hell]
The orc used a wide-range spell, forming three blue fire dragons.
Louis ran straight at me and kicked me in the stomach to knock me away from the spell's path.
He stood tall, planting his scythe into the ground like a flag. He was ready to take the full force of the spell alone.
The dragons charged at him. He didn't move. Only a few centimeters remained—
BOOM
A massive explosion. Dust filled the air, making it hard to see.
I couldn't see Louis.
No… It can't be. I didn't think he'd turn to ash…
Wait—
I feel a new aura. A heavy one.
It's not the orc's…
It's not Louis's either…
The dust finally settled, and my vision cleared.
The source of the powerful aura was coming from the rooftop of that house.
What was going on? The orc leader stood motionless, his expression grim as he stared upward.
There, standing atop the roof, was a young man.
His presence alone was enough to signal he was no ordinary person—his aura was that of a guardian, yet he wore no uniform.
Instead, he was dressed in a sharp black suit, his long black hair falling neatly to his neck.
At first glance, he carried no weapon—
But then I noticed—someone was draped over his shoulder.
Louis!
How was this possible?
How had he managed to save Louis and escape the explosion in just a split second?
Wait... these signs...
Could it be?
Yes, now it made sense.
He had to be one of the Three.
An S-rank Guardian.
That explained everything.
"I see the real opponent has finally arrived," the orc leader growled. "Let's see what you can do."
"Don't be so eager to meet your end. I'm on my way," the young man replied coolly.
The air between them grew heavier as their auras clashed—
An invisible battle that pressed down with such force, I could barely remain conscious.
And then, as suddenly as it came, the overwhelming pressure vanished.
The young man chuckled darkly.
"Hahahahaha.....My name is Galon, the last Flame Sorcerer. Tell me, human, what is yours?"
As he gently set Louis on the ground, he answered in a calm, steady voice:
"My name is Saros. S-rank Guardian."
The true battle was about to begin.....