The ground was already broken, scorched with fire and carved by light. Arden's mist lingered across the clearing, curling low like a predator watching its prey.

The bandit leader's half-beast form burned with an unstable aura, his body twitching as if it couldn't decide whether it belonged to a man or a monster.

Arden's chest rose steadily. His blade hummed faintly with the resonance of his life energy. "You're already faltering," he said, his voice calm, almost taunting. "Did you think a borrowed strength would keep you standing against me?"

The bandit leader snarled, flame bursting from his claws. He lunged, fast enough that the ground cracked behind him. Arden met him halfway, life energy flowing into his steps.

"Radiant Pulse Vein," Arden whispered, weaving it into Serpent's Veil Coil. His blade blurred, and mist wrapped the strike until it bloomed into a Radiant Mist Shatter, bursting light and vapor against the leader's chest.

The man staggered, his flames sputtering. Arden pressed without pause. He fused Gleamcoil Reversal into the mist again, forcing his afterimages to lash with electrified trails.

The leader slashed wildly, claws tearing through one illusion after another, never catching the real strike until Arden's blade nicked his arm and drew blood.

"Damn you!" the leader roared, but each shout grew more desperate as he took blow after blow.

From the side, Rael's fists tightened. "Arden's tearing him apart."

Nyra, though, shook her head. "Wait. He's holding something back still. Look at his aura, it's not fading, it's gathering."

And she was right. The leader, though stumbling, wasn't finished. His fire swelled, not in steady bursts but in one massive draw. His beastly frame swelled as veins of fire cracked across his skin, gathering into one final attack. His voice was harsh, inhuman.

"If I die here… then I'll drag you with me!"

Flames wrapped his entire body, twisting into a burning vortex that screamed with unstable power.

The air warped as the inferno condensed into a single massive claw, his last card, ready to consume everything in its reach.

Arden felt the weight of it immediately. His blade hummed, but he knew simple strikes wouldn't hold this back. The heat pressed against his skin, and for the first time in the fight, his smile faded just a little.

"So you've got one last bite left in you," Arden said, steadying his stance. His eyes sharpened behind the mask. "Fine. I'll meet it head on."

Life energy flared inside him, rushing through his veins like a second heartbeat. The lotus mark on his core pulsed, and with a thought, the skill unfolded.

"Lotusfang Aegis."

Crimson-gold light bloomed around him, petals of energy unfolding like a shield of fire and sunlight. The petals spun outward, forming a barrier that glowed with quiet power. The leader's eyes widened as his burning claw crashed forward—

And the lotus petals drank the fire.

The vortex slammed into the shield, heat roaring loud enough to rattle the trees. For a heartbeat, it looked as though the petals would shatter, but instead they pulsed, absorbing, bending, drinking every thread of the man's flames. The barrier rippled and shimmered, and then, with a sudden bloom, it reflected part of the energy back.

Spectral lotus fangs tore out, lashing at the leader in a storm of crimson-gold shards. He staggered under the assault, burned by his own fire twisted into something sharper.

Arden stood at the heart of it, aura steady, voice calm even as the world shook. "Your strength isn't yours to keep. But mine… mine grows with every strike you make."

The leader roared in frustration, clawing through the backlash. His body was shaking now, his hybrid form tearing at itself, fire flickering wildly as though it couldn't keep him stable.

And then, he smirked.

Before Arden could close the distance, the man slammed a small black disk against the ground. A sharp pulse of light erupted, swallowing him in a sudden distortion. The device crackled with a faint hum, tearing space just enough to cover his retreat.

"Tch." Arden stepped forward, blade raised, but the man's form flickered and vanished through the device, leaving only smoldering air where he stood.

Silence fell for a moment. The forest groaned faintly, scorched and broken.

The remaining bandits, those who had seen their leader disappear, dropped their weapons and scattered like rats, terrified to even look at Arden's party.

Rael cursed under his breath. "He got away."

Nyra's gaze lingered on the charred earth, her voice quiet. "That device… it wasn't ordinary. It was made for escape."

Zephyra growled low, flames flickering from her nostrils as her wings twitched. The heat in her throat was clear, she hated prey slipping away.

Arden exhaled, letting his aura dim. The lotus petals faded slowly, drifting into sparks before sinking back into his chest. His tone was calm, though edged with quiet irritation. "Doesn't matter. He's shown us more than he should have." He lowered his blade, then let a faint smirk creep onto his lips. "I placed a life tag on him while we traded blows. He won't hide for long. Sooner or later, we'll be the hunters, not the prey."

He glanced at his group, eyes steady. "But for now, we finish what we came here for. The escort comes first, and we'll use this trip's harvest to grow stronger. The rest can wait."

The others nodded, though none of them could shake the weight of what they had seen. Nyra's gaze lingered on the scorched ground, Rael flexed his hands as if trying to shake off the tension, while Zephyra huffed a low growl that rumbled in her throat. The fight was over, but its shadow lingered with them.

The journey back to Greyhold was smoother. The road held no major threats, and the air around their caravan carried a different weight. They had not just survived, they had claimed victory over trials that most would not even dare to attempt.

By the time they rolled into Greyhold, whispers were already spreading. People stopped to stare, some with awe, others with unease. They were not fully welcomed, not yet, but their strength had carved their names into the city's murmur. The masked man, the dual affinity users, and the beast that breathed blue flame, recognized, if not embraced.

When the wagons finally settled, the group stood together only briefly. Words were short between them, the bond already deeper than anything spoken aloud. One by one, they separated, each drawn to their own path within the city, yet knowing that sooner or later, the hunt would call them together again.

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