*** Wall Street, USA In a quiet and tense room, a sharply dressed man spoke with a cold and firm tone to an adult man standing before him. The pale expression on the man's face reflected his disbelief and despair. "Due to your deteriorating performance lately and the company facing a crisis, the senior executives have decided to terminate your employment," the suited man said hoarsely, delivering the bitter news. However, the man receiving the news couldn't accept the decision so easily. He convinced himself that his performance had outshined others, even propelling the company beyond global competition. His anger surged as he gritted his teeth and glared angrily at the suited man. "But why am I being fired?! I have made significant contributions to this company! I have proven myself!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling as he fought against what seemed like an unjust decision. Yet, the suited man could only lift his head with regret. His voice sounded weak and filled with remorse
***Returning to Kazuki, after soaring with Velda at full speed for 2 hours, they finally arrived at the location indicated by the Location Ring: the capital of the Arthia Empire, called Nivaria. A city whose size truly amazed Kazuki."Wow... How big is this capital?" Even when Kazuki was flying thousands of meters above ground level, he still couldn't see the end of the city.Honestly, Kazuki was greatly impressed by the architecture and buildings there. However, he didn't have time to dwell on all of that!Then, he swiftly flew to the exact point where the Location Ring had clearly marked it!Swoosh!!!!Kazuki instructed Velda to fly a bit lower so that he could see the exact point of the location."Shift slightly to the right," Kazuki commanded, preparing himself in case a battle occurred. "Fly a bit faster..."As soon as he saw it clearly, Kazuki gave a loud command to Velda, "Alright, dive now!"Fly dive!!Swooshhhh...!!!They both descended at an incredible speed, so fast that e
His gaze returned to Michael, who was walking towards him with his sword raised.Kazuki knew exactly what words would be spoken. He was prepared for it.He grinned...Smiling confidently, Kazuki spoke with a playful tone, "Hey buddy, I just arrived here voluntarily. But now, you want to kick me out? How cruel~!"A vein popped on Michael's forehead upon hearing this. "You scoundrel! How dare you insult the Imperial Knights of Arthia?! You deserve to be punished!!"Instantly, Michael swiftly lunged towards Kazuki, swinging his sword horizontally with great speed!Swing!With calmness, Kazuki effortlessly dodged the attack.Avoid...Seeing his strike miss the target, Michael swiftly spun his wrist and swung his sword again and again!Swoshh...Slashh!Jump!Easily evading several attacks, Kazuki leaped to the side.Observing the intensity of Michael's attacks, Kazuki knew that he was merely being tested. This meant that these were just opening strikes, and the real onslaught would come a
***"Coughed...!! Coughed!!!"After being thrown several meters and crashing onto the ground, Michael struggled to rise, using his sword as support."Urrghhh..."Step... Step... Step...Standing unsteadily and facing his opponent, Michael could only gaze at Kazuki, who stood before him casually, shouldering his spear.Kazuki now returned the gaze at Michael, who appeared different from before, no, he even seemed like a completely different person.Disheveled hair, shattered armor, a torn right hand, and a face covered in blood.Observing Michael in such a state, yet still willing to fight, Kazuki couldn't help but admire his determination. However, what makes you think that way?"Are you still willing to continue this fight?" Kazuki calmly inquired as he approached.Michael, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.Stagger..."Urgghhh... Face me, I'm not afraid, even if you'll kill me. For the Arthian Empire!!!" he shouted, raising his sword again, which he had been using as
Without answering to that question, Kazuki's gaze remained fixed on the Location Ring adorning his finger, its gentle pulsating still persisting.Raising his hand slowly, an air of anticipation filled the room, drawing the attention of Helena. Her eyes lingered on Kazuki's hand, a flicker of recognition crossing her face as she pieced together the significance of what she was witnessing."That... It's a Location Ring!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of surprise and familiarity. Of course, she knew the ring well, for she was the one who had bestowed a pair of Location Rings upon her daughter. The rings were among the treasured possessions of the Agistria family, holding deep meaning and purpose."You're right, it is a Location Ring," Kazuki affirmed, his voice resonating with an almost reverent tone. "Livy once told me that this ring can not only pinpoint the whereabouts of individuals but also emit emergency signals when necessary."A sense of hope flickered in Helena'
***Dashing through the city's sewer tunnels at lightning speed, Kazuki was accompanied by Velda, who had transformed into her lizard-like form once again.He came up with this idea after vaguely noticing some openings in the streets while flying over the capital.Having obtained a map of the sewer tunnels, Kazuki decided to take this route.Despite being warned by Helena about the presence of hidden and foul-smelling monsters, Kazuki chose to proceed.As for the stench, Kazuki could easily endure it. And as for the monsters, he had Velda, whose aura alone could make high-level monsters tremble. How could the creatures in these sewer tunnels possibly be a threat to him?Well, if they were at the same level as the ones in the Erchellot Forest, Kazuki might have been cautious. However, after learning that the monsters here were not even on par with a Slime King, he had no worries at all!After dashing for half an hour, Kazuki finally arrived at his destination. Opening the manhole cover
"Is it really so effortless for them to betray me? Are they capable of acting against me without hesitation?"Livy couldn't comprehend it. She had earnestly planned to reunite them, even if their support had waned. She had been willing to accept that, to preserve their bond as friends.Unbeknownst to her, tears streamed down her cheeks, tracing a path of sorrow."Why has everything crumbled like this...?" she whispered, her voice raspy from the impact that had affected her throat.Her heart ached with a profound sense of betrayal. She had placed her trust in them, believing they would remain by her side despite her disadvantaged position as their friend.Sob~ Sob~ Sob~Livy reflected on it all, her tears mingling with the anguish pulsating within her wounded organs."How could I have been so naive to trust them... Such foolish faith..."And in that moment, the trust she had vested in her once-loyal subordinates shattered into countless shards, leaving her desire to ascend as Empress a
Kazuki, witnessing this attack, swiftly deflected the path of the sword with his tilted spear! Parry! Sriinnngggg!!!!!! "Ughh..." Kazuki whispered softly as he felt the terrifying weight of the attack, realizing that it could have potentially broken his hand if he had taken it head-on with his horizontally raised spear! Sringgg...!!! Seizing this opportunity, the knight's companions swiftly darted towards Kazuki with remarkable speed, each employing their own skills! "Sword slash!!" "Arrow stone!!" One of them, whose attack Kazuki had previously parried, now lunged at his side, swinging his sword towards his waist once again. Aware of their relentless assault from all directions, Kazuki quickly deflected the pressure to the side and swiftly leaped backward! Avoid! Jump back!!! Jumping back multiple times, shattering several stone arrows, Kazuki created some breathing room for himself. That's what he thought, before a sudden attack swiftly soared through the back of his hea