Another explosion thundered through the air.
BOOM!!
The building trembled violently, dust raining from the ceiling as cracks spread along the walls.
The girls panicked.
They rushed toward Kai, clinging to him tightly, their bodies pressing against him as they held on for safety.
Kai froze for a second, then looked down toward the battlefield below.
What he saw—
Was mesmerizing.
A creature stood amidst flames.
A chicken… no—
Something far beyond that.
It had evolved.
Its entire body burned with radiant fire, wings stretched wide like a living inferno. Its presence alone distorted the air around it.
A Phoenix-blooded beast.
Its power…
Comparable to the Thunder-Spiked Bear and the Blazing Bull.
The same monsters Kai had named himself.
(Yeah… I really do have a good naming sense… he thought.)
But despite everything—
Kai felt something else.
Helplessness.
The girls were still clinging to him, their grip tight, almost desperate.
"…Can you please let go of me?" he said softly.
He didn't push them away.
His voice was calm. Gentle.
Slowly, they loosened their hold and stepped back.
One of them spoke quickly—
"Shiy… ごめん…"
Kai blinked.
Then nodded.
"…Sorry, right?"
Years of watching subbed anime finally paid off.
He turned to the fox girl.
She looked confused. So did the others.
Without explaining, Kai picked her up carefully.
Then—
He jumped.
His wings burst open.
WHOOSH!!
He soared into the air.
The wind rushed past him as he flew away from the battlefield, landing at a safer distance where the fight was still visible.
He gently set the fox girl down.
Then flew back.
Again.
And again.
Within minutes, all of them were relocated.
Now—
Kai hovered in the air.
Wings spread wide.
The wind flowed around him, steady and controlled, holding him in place.
Below—
The battle reached its peak.
The man with the katana stood still.
Then—
He moved.
He slowly sheathed his blade.
A stance.
A classic one.
Hand resting on the hilt.
Body relaxed… yet coiled like a spring.
Kai's eyes widened.
"…No way…"
The Phoenix shrieked, flames gathering into a blazing sphere.
Then—
It fired.
A concentrated blast of fire shot forward like a bullet.
Time slowed.
Kai's Lightning Booster Charge was active.
Not chaotic.
Not wild.
Controlled.
Perfectly refined.
Because of that—
His perception accelerated.
Everything around him moved in slow motion.
The fireball tore through the air—
And passed straight through the man.
Kai's eyes widened.
"…Afterimage—?!"
Before the Phoenix could react—
The man moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
A single step.
A single motion.
SHING!!
The blade was drawn.
And returned to its sheath in one seamless movement.
Silence.
Then—
The Phoenix split in half.
Clean.
Effortless.
Its flaming body collapsed, fire scattering into the air like dying embers.
Kai hovered there…
Frozen.
"…That was… Iaijutsu…"
His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Damn… that's so cool… seriously cool…"
The man—
Wearing simple modern clothes.
Jeans.
A white shirt, sleeves neatly folded, revealing muscular forearms.
His hair—
Black, with strands of white.
Age mixed into strength.
Yet he looked no older than his thirties.
Kai stared in awe.
Completely absorbed.
Grrrrr…
His stomach growled loudly.
Reality hit.
Hard.
Kai sighed.
"…Yeah… I'm still human after all…"
One of the girls—the older one—stepped forward.
She opened her system inventory.
A soft glow appeared.
Then—
She pulled out a warm, steaming bun.
The smell hit instantly.
Rich.
Sweet.
Filled with mana.
Kai's eyes widened slightly.
"…That's not normal food…"
He took it.
Carefully.
Then took a bite.
"…!"
It was amazing.
Soft.
Warm.
Every bite melted in his mouth.
He could feel energy flowing through his body with each chew.
His eyes watered slightly.
"…This is… insane…"
For a moment—
It felt like a dream.
Watching an anime-like battle…
Eating real Japanese food…
Living it.
Then—
Reality struck again.
Just as he lifted the last bite—
Something small jumped.
SWOOP!!
"…Huh?"
Gone.
Kai blinked.
A tiny black kitten landed a few steps away.
It was—
Adorable.
Jet black fur.
Glowing red eyes.
Silver lines ran across its body like engraved runes.
Ancient.
Mysterious.
And—
It was eating his food.
Kai's eye twitched.
"…Oi."
The kitten ignored him completely.
"…That was my food."
Still ignored.
"…You little thief…"
Kai clenched his fist slightly, irritation rising—
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Kai froze.
You have encountered: Empress of Beasts (Host Form)
Do NOT engage.
"…Huh?"
Kai blinked.
Looked at the tiny kitten.
Then back at the warning.
Then back at the kitten.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The kitten licked its paw.
Completely unbothered.
Kai stood there—
Confused.
Hungry.
And now slightly angry.
"…Seriously?"
Kai stared at the small black cat.
A thousand thoughts crashed through his mind.
What the hell…?
That little thief is the Empress of Beasts?
Yeah… right.
Then—
Light.
A soft glow began to wrap around the kitten's body.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"…No way…"
The light intensified.
The small form stretched… expanded…
Changed.
Where the kitten once stood—
A woman appeared.
Long black hair flowed down her back like silk, swaying gently in the wind.
She wore a loose yukata, but it barely concealed anything, clinging to her body in all the wrong ways.
Cat ears twitched atop her head.
A tail swayed slowly behind her.
And across her pale skin—
Silver rune-like markings glowed faintly.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Kai froze.
…What is going on today…?
His wings shifted.
White—
To black.
"…Ah."
Yeah.
His thoughts were definitely not holy anymore.
Events just keep happening one after another…
He rubbed his face slightly, still staring.
Author… what are you trying to do to me?
Are you trying to make a goddess or something…?
Because it worked.
The woman puffed her cheeks slightly—
Still chewing the bun she had stolen.
Even that—
Was cute.
Too cute.
Too beautiful.
"…!"
A thin stream of blood ran from Kai's nose.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
He wiped it quickly, trying to regain composure—but his eyes betrayed him, drifting back to her again.
Meanwhile—
Not far away—
The swordsman stood still.
"…Hmm."
He turned his head slightly, finally acknowledging them.
"お前たち...まだ逃げていなかったのか."
(You people… you haven't run away yet?)
Kai blinked.
He understood that.
Perfectly.
The man continued, his voice calm but sharp.
"戦っている最中から気配は感じていた."
(I sensed your presence during the fight.)
"普通なら,とっくに消えているはずだがな."
(Normally, you would've been long gone by now.)
His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sheathed blade.
"だが..."
(But…)
His eyes locked onto Kai.
"逃げない理由があるのか?"
(Is there a reason you're not running?)
The air shifted.
Kai slowly lowered his hand from his nose.
His expression steadied.
"…So he's speaking Japanese…"
For once—
That useless habit of watching subbed anime actually paid off.
Behind him—
The girls stayed close.
Silent.
Watching.
To one side—
A swordsman strong enough to cut down a phoenix in a single strike.
To the other—
The so-called Empress of Beasts…
Still licking crumbs from her fingers like nothing mattered.
Kai exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah…"
"This is definitely getting complicated."