The clash echoed like thunder.

  Steel met chitin with a violent clang that shook the vast throne chamber. The impact burst outward in a violent shockwave, sending dust and loose fragments of stone skittering across the floor.

  Several meters away, Hana raised her arms, bracing against the sudden blast as wind roared past her.

  Her golden eyes darted rapidly, trying to follow the blur of motion unfolding before her.

  She couldn't keep up.

  Yet the wide grin spreading across her face said everything.

  Another deafening clang rang out.

  For a split second, the two figures froze in a deadlock.

  Haruto's ink-black katana pressed against the ant's enormous blade-like claws, sparks dancing wildly where the weapons scraped together.

  "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT, DRAGON-BORN?" the ant roared mockingly.

  "IF SO, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED!"

  Haruto gritted his teeth, his grin widening despite the pressure.

  With a sharp twist of his wrist, he adjusted the angle of his blade, redirecting the claws just enough to keep them from cleaving through him.

  Then he stepped aside.

  The ant's claws sliced through empty air as gravity pulled them down.

  But the creature recovered instantly.

  Its wings buzzed violently as it propelled itself several meters backward, avoiding the counterattack that never came.

  Haruto watched carefully.

  He had almost no real swordsmanship experience. Learning during a life-or-death battle wasn't exactly ideal.

  But it wasn't like he had any other choice.

  In that sense...

  The ant absolutely had the upper hand.

  But Haruto wasn't planning to win this fight with swordsmanship alone.

  A sudden burst of wind blasted beneath his feet, launching him backward across the chamber.

  He grinned confidently and raised his left hand toward the ceiling.

  Hana's eyes widened slightly.

  A faint blue glow flickered around him.

  Tiny droplets of moisture suspended in the air began to shimmer. Water vapor condensed rapidly, gathering together as the temperature around them plummeted.

  Haruto forced the molecules to slow.

  Subatomic motion dropped.

  And within seconds, the floating droplets froze.

  Seven massive icicles formed in the air above him, glistening like crystalline spears.

  Haruto glanced down at the ant, enjoying the brief flash of surprise on its face while calculating the trajectory.

  Then he swung his arm downward.

  The icicles shot forward.

  They tore through the air like artillery shells.

  The ant scoffed.

  It didn't move.

  This wasn't arrogance.

  Without hesitation, it coated its claws with its own blood. Thick green fluid flowed across the blade-like limbs, sizzling as its corrosive properties reacted with the surrounding Astrons.

  One swing.

  The first icicle shattered into mist.

  The second followed instantly.

  Third.

  Fourth.

  All seven were sliced apart and vaporized before they could even reach it.

  Haruto simply watched.

  Of course it wasn't going to be that easy.

  He brought his left hand up again.

  This time forming a simple ninja hand sign purely for show.

  Then he tilted his head slightly, observing the ant with analytical curiosity.

  The blood coating its claws was fascinating.

  Highly acidic.

  Extremely reactive.

  And strangely compatible with magical energy.

  In another situation, it might have been incredibly valuable.

  But Haruto merely shrugged.

  Its value didn't matter if the creature died here.

  His hand sign shifted.

  Temperature surged around his feet.

  Wind began to gather.

  A powerful vortex spiraled around him, whipping his coat and hair wildly.

  Then flames ignited.

  They erupted upward, engulfing him completely.

  Hana blinked in shock.

  Then her grin returned.

  He had copied it.

  Without being taught.

  Without even trying.

  Just by watching her flames earlier.

  Inside the swirling vortex, Haruto slowly rotated his wrist.

  The flames obeyed.

  They twisted, stretched, and coiled together as if responding to a silent command.

  Within seconds, the vortex took shape.

  A massive serpent of fire.

  Its blazing body coiled around Haruto before rising above him, roaring silently with infernal heat.

  Haruto glanced at the ant with an amused expression.

  "Isn't this interesting?"

  For the first time...

  The ant looked genuinely alarmed.

  That attack directly exploited one of its greatest weaknesses.

  And on a scale far larger than expected.

  Coincidence?

  No.

  Definitely not.

  The creature understood immediately.

  The boy wasn't simply attacking.

  He was studying.

  Analyzing every clash and adapting in real time.

  Haruto extended his hand.

  The fire serpent lunged forward instantly.

  The blazing construct tore across the chamber like a living inferno.

  The heat distorted the air itself.

  Yet the ant did not retreat.

  Instead, excitement flickered in its many eyes.

  It charged forward.

  While rushing ahead, it coated its claws with even more of its own blood, manipulating the fluid through sheer control.

  With a powerful slash, it split through the serpent's head.

  Flames exploded outward.

  But instead of destroying the fire completely, the creature plunged its claws deeper into the inferno.

  Its wings roared.

  Using the flames as momentum, it shot forward like a missile.

  Haruto's eyes narrowed.

  He saw through the trick instantly.

  The ant had turned its weakness into strength.

  Blood-coated claws now burned with raging flames, the acidic fluid feeding the fire rather than dissolving beneath it.

  The creature's entire body ignited with scorching heat, stabilized by its own circulating energy.

  The flames deepened into a violent crimson.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  And in the next instant, it crossed the distance between them.

  But Haruto was already waiting.

  He snapped his fingers.

  The ground beneath the ant suddenly collapsed.

  A massive hole opened beneath its feet.

  The creature scoffed.

  It had wings.

  A simple pit trap meant nothing.

  But then its instincts screamed.

  Something was wrong.

  It tried to pull back.

  Too late.

  With a deafening roar, an enormous torrent of water exploded upward from the pit.

  The pressurized surge engulfed the ant completely.

  The force launched it upward like a cannon shot, slamming its body violently against the ceiling before gravity dragged it crashing back down onto the wet stone floor.

  The water vanished almost instantly.

  But the damage had been done.

  The ant rose slowly, shaking water from its body.

  Then it smirked mockingly.

  "How disappointing..."

  It shrugged with exaggerated confidence.

  The boy had wasted his trump card.

  Now it understood his tricks.

  It wouldn't fall for them again.

  Still...

  One thought lingered in its mind.

  The way the boy manipulated fire, wind, water, and ice so effortlessly...

  It almost looked as if he were commanding nature itself.

  This wasn't merely the power of a Dragon-Born.

  No.

  This boy was something else entirely.

  An anomaly.

  Haruto suddenly burst out laughing.

  "Well... I guess I can't expect an ant to understand something like that."

  The insult barely left his mouth before he vanished.

  A blur.

  The ant's head snapped around instantly.

  Something felt wrong.

  But it couldn't locate the threat.

  Then-

  Haruto appeared directly in front of it.

  His right arm pulled back.

  That same mocking grin still on his face.

  And then he punched.

  The impact was catastrophic.

  His fist slammed into the ant's abdomen with overwhelming force.

  The thick exoskeleton shattered instantly, cracks racing across its armored body like lightning through glass.

  A burst of energy detonated from the point of contact.

  The shockwave blasted outward, launching the creature across the chamber.

  Its body smashed into the far wall.

  Stone exploded.

  The impact carved a massive crater into the reinforced dungeon wall as fragments of rock and debris rained across the chamber floor.

  The ant slid down from the crater and collapsed onto the ground.

  Broken.

  Its regeneration struggled desperately to repair the damage.

  But it was too slow.

  Far too weak.

  The power it had gained from devouring the Labyrinth Core hidden within its heart was already fading.

  Its monstrous form shrank as the energy dissipated.

  Despair crept into its mind.

  Worst of all...

  It didn't even understand what had happened.

  Its legendary exoskeleton...

  Shattered by a single punch.

  Impossible.

  Its instincts screamed.

  This was bad.

  Very bad.

  It needed to escape.

  It needed to warn the Empress.

  A new force had been born in the Great Forest of Lunar.

  And if she didn't learn about it soon...

  It might already be too late.

  ---

  Haruto just stood in front of the throne, observing the monster for its next course of action.

  Hana walked toward him calmly.

  Haruto stood in silence before the defeated insectoid warrior. The black blade in his hand rippled like liquid ink before shrinking back into its original form.

  A fountain pen rested between his fingers once more.

  Hana stopped beside him.

  Her golden eyes studied the battered ant lying several meters away.

  Something about this felt… strange.

  She knew the creature was dangerous. A being like this would bring ruin to everything around it if left alone.

  And yet…

  Something about killing it right now didn’t feel right.

  She glanced at Haruto.

  He was hesitating.

  So he felt it too.

  The ant slowly forced itself upright. Its body trembled as it rose to its feet, cracks running through its exoskeleton.

  “You…” it muttered hoarsely.

  Its eyes burned with rage and humiliation.

  “How did you do it?”

  Haruto exhaled casually.

  “Thermal stress,” he replied.

  He gave a faint shrug.

  “Heat makes things expand. Cold makes them shrink. I forced your exoskeleton to do both at the same time… so it cracked.”

  A small smile tugged at his lips.

  “Basic science.”

  The ant stared at him blankly.

  It understood none of those words.

  But one thing was painfully clear.

  This boy was an anomaly.

  No.

  Something worse.

  A monster.

  Its body was still bleeding from dozens of fractures caused by the backlash of its forced evolution.

  Yet its thoughts raced rapidly.

  The boy had fought it with almost no Astron reserves left.

  And still won.

  It felt as if he hadn’t relied on his own energy at all.

  Almost like…

  He had been controlling the environment itself.

  Just like—

  The Crimson Empress.

  The thought sent a quiet chill through the creature’s mind.

  For the first time, a disturbing possibility formed.

  The Empress… might one day be threatened by someone like him.

  The ant’s gaze shifted slightly.

  It noticed Hana standing beside Haruto.

  The creature’s expression twisted.

  A slime.

  Yet this one stood upright, wearing a perfect humanoid form.

  It spoke.

  It used advanced magic.

  It even wielded flames powerful enough to reshape the battlefield.

  This alone should have been impossible.

  Everything about this situation was wrong.

  The ant’s instincts screamed a single command.

  Run.

  Return to the Empress.

  Deliver the Labyrinth Core.

  Report what had happened here.

  If not—

  Her position might be threatened.

  Haruto’s cold voice interrupted its thoughts.

  “You said you’re from the Crimson Battalion, right?”

  The ant looked up.

  “What is your goal here?” Haruto continued calmly.

  “Why did you eliminate the magic beasts inside the labyrinth?”

  The ant scoffed.

  “And what makes you think I would answer any of those questions?”

  Haruto remained completely unfazed.

  He had expected that answer.

  The ant slowly flexed its fingers, stretching them with an unsettling crack.

  “It’s a shame,” it said, staring directly into Haruto’s eyes.

  “Someone like you could have easily taken a place beside our queen.”

  It rolled its neck lazily.

  “But in the end…”

  Its voice hardened.

  “You’re still worth nothing before our great Empress.”

  By now its regeneration had already sealed many of the cracks in its body.

  The creature pressed a hand against its chest, confirming its form had returned to normal.

  It had stalled long enough.

  Haruto watched silently.

  He knew exactly what the creature was doing.

  He lifted his hand.

  The fountain pen pointed straight at the ant.

  “I don’t care what your Empress thinks,” he said coldly.

  “I don’t care what you think either.”

  His eyes were calm.

  “But if your people get in my way again…”

  His voice turned sharp.

  “Don’t expect mercy.”

  Haruto turned his back and began walking away.

  “…Get out of here.”

  The ant froze.

  It hadn’t expected that.

  Not after everything.

  “Are you really letting me go?” it asked cautiously.

  Haruto didn’t even look back.

  “I don’t see any value in taking your life.”

  The words made it sound as if the creature’s life meant nothing to him.

  And in truth…

  Haruto no longer felt the urge to kill.

  That bloodlust had vanished the moment he awoke from that dream.

  The insecure, desperate version of himself that once craved power above all else…

  Had been the source of that hunger.

  He had wanted strength because he feared weakness.

  When this new power appeared, that buried half of his soul had awakened violently, fighting for control.

  Now that it was gone…

  The bloodlust disappeared with it.

  Haruto had been raised differently.

  He believed in second chances.

  Forgiveness.

  But—

  Just as he slowed his steps to reconsider his decision—

  The ant moved.

  Its instincts took control.

  Without hesitation or shame, it launched forward in a sudden burst of speed.

  Not toward Haruto.

  Toward Hana.

  If it consumed her…

  It could regain enough strength to escape.

  But Haruto had already predicted it.

  He turned instantly.

  The pen pointed forward.

  Thought acceleration activated.

  The world slowed.

  Blood from the wounds on his body rose into the air, drawn toward the nib of the pen.

  It gathered into a dense sphere.

  The mass twisted violently, expanding and compressing at the same time.

  Not growing in size.

  Only in density.

  Its color turned pitch black.

  With only the faintest glimmer of red.

  Gravity warped.

  Pebbles and debris lifted from the floor and spiraled inward, crushed instantly as they were consumed.

  Haruto smiled faintly.

  “It's so predictable…”

  His voice was quiet.

  “Go, Chaos Eater.”

  The pseudo-singularity launched forward.

  It crossed the distance in an instant.

  Before Hana even realized the ant had attacked her—

  The sphere struck its chest.

  The moment it made contact…

  The exoskeleton collapsed.

  Limbs crushed inward.

  And in the next instant—

  The creature vanished.

  Devoured completely.

  No body.

  No remains.

  Only a faint echo of what should have been a deafening scream, swallowed before sound could fully escape.

  Silence returned to the chamber.

  Haruto didn’t even glance at where the ant had stood.

  Instead he turned to Hana.

  A slightly awkward smile appeared on his face.

  “I guess I’m a little late asking this…”

  He scratched the back of his head.

  “…but are you okay?”

  ---

  Hana suddenly stepped in front of him with a playful little hop.

  “Well, let's see… my big boy hero just saved my life just now, didn’t he? I should probably reward him~” she teased, flashing him a mischievous grin.

  Haruto immediately looked away, a faint flush creeping across his face.

  “…Why are you like this?”

  She leaned closer, tilting her head.

  “What?” she whispered teasingly. “Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that little taste earlier.”

  She tapped a finger against her lips with exaggerated innocence.

  Haruto turned his head further away, trying very hard to ignore her while hiding the growing redness on his face.

  But before he could retreat any further, she grabbed his hand.

  He turned back in surprise.

  Hana was smiling at him now, warmly. Not teasing. Just… affectionate.

  “You know,” she said softly, “I think you were pretty cool back there.”

  She leaned slightly closer.

  “I don’t mind seeing that side of you every now and then, tough guy~”

  Haruto sighed.

  “You’re so annoying.”

  Hana giggled.

  “Really?” she said, stepping even closer until she was practically in his arms. “You sure you don’t want a little smooch as a reward for saving me?”

  She looked up at him with a playful sparkle in her eyes.

  Like the mischievous gremlin she absolutely was.

  Haruto rubbed his forehead in defeat.

  “You’re really impatient, you know that?”

  Hana grinned.

  “I have to be,” she said shamelessly. “You’re already building your harem, aren’t you? I need to be extra selfish if I want to keep you mostly to myself.”

  Haruto froze.

  “H-harem?! What are you even talking about—”

  “It’s inevitable,” she interrupted calmly.

  She shrugged.

  “Even if you don’t want it. Being the idiot you are, you’ll probably end up giving hope to a bunch of girls.”

  She poked his chest.

  “You’ll have to take responsibility somehow, right? So... I have to mark my territory beforehand.”

  Haruto narrowed his eyes.

  “Since when did you start planning my future?”

  Hana smirked.

  “For quite some time actually.”

  She leaned closer again.

  “What? I can’t help my bestie plan his life?”

  “Bestie? Right…” Haruto muttered.

  The way he said it made her immediately blush.

  She hid her face against his chest.

  “Just… shut up,” she mumbled. “It’s normal for best friends to help each other out in these situations.”

  Haruto smirked slightly.

  “Helping out? You literally stole my first kiss.”

  His tone turned dramatically offended.

  “I was saving that.”

  She immediately grabbed his collar.

  “For who?” she demanded.

  Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

  “Didn’t you just confess to me before we died?”

  She leaned closer.

  “Who else were you planning to give it to, huh?”

  Her voice dropped into a quiet threat.

  “Because you’d better start wishing for a third reincarnation if it wasn’t me.”

  Haruto chuckled.

  “Either way… I guess I should thank you.”

  She blinked.

  “Huh? For what?”

  He winked playfully and stuck out his tongue.

  “You tasted like a fruity gummy bear.”

  Her face turned bright red instantly.

  “Just—shut up!”

  She cleared her throat quickly.

  “You’ve used up all your relationship points,” she declared firmly. “Complete more quests to gain points and unlock the next rank: Boyfriend.”

  Haruto stared at her.

  “Did you just—”

  He sighed in disbelief.

  Then he grabbed her hand.

  “Listen. Do you actually want to go out with me or what?”

  Hana froze.

  For a moment she simply stared at him.

  Then her expression softened into a warm smile.

  “…Sure.”

  She gently took his hand and guided it to her cheek.

  Her skin felt warm beneath his palm.

  ---

  ---

  “But one thing,” she added quietly.

  “You better not let go like you did earlier. Got it?”

  She leaned closer.

  Their faces drew dangerously close.

  Close enough to feel each other’s breath.

  Both of them suddenly realized how close they were.

  Haruto hesitated.

  He wanted to kiss her again.

  More than anything.

  But this time… he didn’t want to rush her.

  So instead, he gently cupped her face.

  Then leaned forward.

  And placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

  When he pulled back, he smirked.

  “You wanted to see the cool version of me, right?”

  He tilted his head.

  “Look at you now.”

  Hana stood frozen.

  Completely petrified.

  Her brain lagged several seconds behind reality.

  Then she snapped back.

  “You meanie! I thought you were going to—”

  Flick.

  Haruto lightly flicked her forehead.

  “What? Only you’re allowed to tease people?”

  He shrugged.

  “Besides… even if it was technically saved for you, it still stung when you just took my first kiss like it was nothing.”

  Hana stared at him for a second.

  Then she chuckled softly.

  She stepped closer again.

  “I swear… some bad little boys are never satisfied.”

  Her voice dropped into a whisper near his ear.

  Before he could react—

  She grabbed his collar and kissed him.

  This time it wasn’t sudden or clumsy.

  It was slow.

  Warm.

  Gentle.

  Haruto’s mind went completely blank.

  For a moment, he forgot about the battle, the dungeon, the world outside.

  All he felt was the warmth of her lips and the way she leaned into him without hesitation.

  His fingers tightened slightly around her hand.

  And he melted into the moment.

  When she finally pulled back, Hana pointed a finger at him sternly.

  “There.”

  She tried very hard to look composed.

  “That’s all you get for now, okay?”

  Haruto nodded quickly.

  “F-fine…”

  But the warmth in his chest refused to fade.

  Because for the first time since coming to this world…

  The person he loved most was standing right in front of him.

  Alive.

  Smiling.

  And choosing him.

  Strangers.

  Then acquaintances.

  Then best friends.

  And now—

  Something far deeper than either of them had ever dared to hope.

  They're family now.

  It felt fulfilling. As if he had opened a whole new route to drag his life into.

  For the first time since arriving in this world…

  Haruto felt like he had truly come to his own home.

  ...