Kael's golden energy flickered around him like dying embers, crackling with raw power. The air still hummed with the remnants of battle, the ground beneath us scarred from our clash.

"That's enough," Darius said sharply, stepping between us. "Can't you see he's barely standing?"

Even with Darius blocking his path, Kael's fingers twitched—restless, eager for more. His stance remained poised, like a predator reluctant to abandon the hunt. But then his gaze fell on me—battered, swaying, my breaths shallow.

The fire in his eyes dimmed.

His shoulders lowered as he exhaled. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I got carried away."

I blinked, caught off guard. Moments ago, he had been relentless—an unstoppable force pressing me to my limits. And now? His expression held something unexpected—regret. Maybe even guilt.

Before I could respond, Aria rushed to my side.

"Ethan!" Her green eyes were wide with concern. She hesitated, hovering just inches away as if afraid that touching me would make things worse. "Are you okay?"

I forced a grin. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

But my body betrayed me. Muscles burned, my vision wavered at the edges, and exhaustion pressed down like an iron weight.

Kael sighed, then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small, round, golden sphere that pulsed with a soft glow and held it out to me.

"Here," he said. "It'll heal your injuries. One of the best in our kingdom—crafted by our greatest healers."

I eyed the glowing orb with suspicion. "I don't trust you," I muttered. "How do I know this isn't poison?"

Kael groaned, exasperated. "It's not poison. I'm friendly—don't misunderstand me. One thing I can't do in this world is kill a human."

Friendly? I wasn't sure if he was lying or telling the truth.

Rolling his eyes, he popped one of the spheres into his mouth without hesitation, chewing it lazily.

"See?" He smirked. "Tastes sweet—like bananas." He held another toward me, raising an eyebrow, daring me to refuse.

I hesitated, glancing at Aria. Her wariness hadn't faded, but my body screamed for relief. Slowly, I took the orb, rolling it between my fingers before placing it in my mouth.

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The moment it touched my tongue, warmth surged through me. A powerful, soothing energy coursed through my veins, knitting torn flesh, sealing wounds, and washing away exhaustion as if it had never existed.

I exhaled sharply.

Kael watched me closely. "How do you feel now?"

I flexed my fingers, rolled my shoulders. The pain was gone. The weariness? Vanished. It was as if I had never fought at all.

"Better," I admitted.

Kael's smirk widened, his golden eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Man, you're incredible. I thought Kai was the only human with supernatural abilities, and yet here you are—someone stronger than I could have imagined ." He crossed his arms, studying me with newfound interest. "But you—you fight in a way I've never seen before. The way you move, the way you wield your swords… Even the fairies, the greatest warriors in the land, don't fight like that." His gaze burned with curiosity. "You can tell me who taught you, or better yet, teach me yourself. I'll give you anything you want."

His words barely registered. My mind latched onto a single thought.

Kai. A human with supernatural abilities?

That shouldn't be possible. No human wielded supernatural power—except for the human king and queen. If this Kai possessed abilities, he was either royalty… or something even more dangerous.

I narrowed my eyes. "Kai. A human with supernatural abilities? Where did you meet him? And where can I find him?"

Kael smirked. "I asked you first," he countered. "You can't answer a question with another question."

His tone was light, but there was a challenge beneath it. He wasn't going to let this go.

I hesitated.

Kael was different now. The hostility from our battle had faded, replaced by something else—curiosity. Maybe even respect.

Perhaps answering him wouldn't be a mistake. If I played this right, I could learn more about Kai.

I took a slow breath.

"Alright," I said. "I'll tell you."

Kael leaned in, listening intently.

"I'm not from this world," I admitted. "I was summoned here to fight for humanity."

For the first time, Kael's smirk faltered. His golden eyes widened slightly. "You're… not from here?"

I nodded.

He studied me, considering my words. Then, to my surprise, he grinned.

"And you want to fight for humanity?" He crossed his arms. "Then can you teach me?"

I shook my head. "No. You're better the way you fight. The way you move, the way you control your staff —it's incredible."

Kael seemed pleased by the compliment, but he wasn't satisfied.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted with a cocky smirk. "But I want to be stronger. I'm going to be king of my people one day. And I need to be strong enough to protect them."

I studied him carefully. His resolve was genuine. He wasn't chasing power for the sake of it—he had a purpose.

But I couldn't teach him. Not because I didn't want to, but because my skills weren't truly mine. They came from Kirito—a borrowed strength.

I exhaled. "Then focus on what you're best at. Trying to master everything won't make you stronger. But perfecting what you already know? That will make you more powerful than you can imagine."

Kael's expression shifted. Something clicked in his mind.

"If I keep training with my staff, I'll become stronger?"

"Yes," I said firmly.

His brow furrowed. "But I thought learning more skills made you stronger."

"Who told you that?"

"No one. I just assumed. The strongest warriors seem to know many techniques."

I shook my head. "That's a common mistake. Strength isn't about how many skills you know—it's about how well you use them."

Kael tilted his head, unconvinced.

I smirked. "There's someone from my world who proved that."

His eyes lit up. "Oh? Who?"

I thought back. "A swordsman named Guts." Its just an anime character who mastered his greataword and became stronger, this is the best advice I could give

Kael frowned. "Guts? That's a weird name."

I chuckled. "Maybe. But he didn't become strong by learning every technique. He mastered one thing—his greatsword. He pushed himself beyond his limits, relied on sheer willpower, and never stopped moving forward. That's what made him unstoppable."

Kael fell silent, absorbing my words. Then, slowly, he grinned.

"Okay then! I'll do as you say. That person is from your world, and that's what made him strong, right?"

I exhaled, satisfied. But now, it was my turn.

"Now," I said, locking eyes with him, "it's your turn to answer my question."

Kael tilted his head.

"Who is Kai? And where can I find him?"

For the first time, Kael's smirk vanished.

A shadow passed over his face, his golden eyes flickering with something unreadable.

I leaned forward, voice steady. "Tell me everything you know."

Kael exhaled, gripping his staff tighter.

"You said you want to save humanity," he murmured.

I narrowed my eyes. "Yes. That's my mission."

Kael's smirk returned, but this time, it was sharp—almost bitter.

His next words made my blood run cold.

"They say Kai is the lost king of humanity." His grip on his staff tightened.

"And he's the one person in this world that I hate the most."

END OF CHAPTER.