It was a shame—a bitter, wretched shame—that Kaiser had to hold himself back, watching as the creature feasted on the fallen warrior’s remains. The sight twisted his gut, a disgraceful act etched into his mind. But necessity demanded to be endured for one critical opportunity for the sniping archer to exploit.

And yet, it failed.

There was no time to hesitate. Ignoring the pain in his battered body, Kaiser sprinted forward, weaving through the invader’s thrashing limbs. The ground beneath him quaked as the creature raged, its bloodied claws tearing through mud and ash. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move faster, leaping toward the creature's side.

But he wasn't that lucky. The beast twisted its elongated neck, a grotesque motion that sent Kaiser sprawling backward. He hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from his lungs.

'Cursed things are too quick, stop moving!'

Having failed, he lifted himself upright and adjusted his strategy. It seems burying his sword directly into its skull would be too slow and too risky. His eyes then darted to the loose silver arrow still embedded in the beast's head, its shaft trembling with the invader’s wild movements.

If he could push that thing in, then it would be his victory.

'I guess that's a better way.'

Kaiser steadied his breathing, calming the storm within him. His nerves sharpened, his focus narrowing until the chaos around him blurred into nothingness. Another limb slammed down, and he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed. He kept his eyes on the silver arrow, adjusting his position as he dodged blow after blow.

“Damned horse, stop moving,” he muttered under his breath, his words barely audible over the cacophony of destruction.

The invader rampaged blindly, its crushing clawed hooves hammering the ground with frenzied desperation as it defended itself from the sudden abuser that struck it's skull. Ash and debris hung in the air, stinging Kaiser’s eyes and sticking to his already dirty skin. He moved like a shadow, slipping through the gaps in the creature’s assault. The increasing heat had already burned away any lingering scents, robbing the beast of its ability to track him. Still, the beasts movements were erratic, its limbs pounding the ground in chaotic patterns. Dust and ash filled the air, coating his skin and making every breath a struggle. The heat of the surrounding fires only added to the suffocating tension. Yet, despite the chaos, Kaiser’s eyes never left the arrow.

An ordinary warrior would have faltered under such pressure and lost composure. The sheer ferocity of the beast, the relentless chaos of the battlefield would have unraveled even the most seasoned fighter focus. But not Kaiser. For the fear of death didn’t plague him; his immortal nature ensured that. All the while his beast-like reflexes sharpened his mobility, allowing him to read every motion, every shift in the invader’s body and dodge.

In fact, from the moment this war began, Kaiser had evaded every attack thrown his way. Not once had the invaders landed a direct blow on him, except for their unavoidable mid-air blunt strikes. Kai wasn’t invincible, but his specialization in reflexes, honed through battles and training, made him feel untouchable.

He danced beneath the rampaging beast, his movements fluid yet deliberate. Still, the dance beneath the creature’s towering frame was no child’s play. Fortunately, his luck soon came. Kaiser shifted to the side to avoid another stray limb, unknowingly placing himself in the path of the creature’s swinging head. Its skull loomed toward him, threatening to collide with him. It just so happens that the silver arrow glinting faintly in the dim light, was at that side. It was coming directly at him! —a perfect opportunity, if not for the crushing force threatening to collide with him.

Just what he aimed for.

'How lucky.' he grinned mentally.

In the split second before impact, Kaiser adjusted his footing, twisting his body to avoid a direct blow. His blade moved in a calculated arc, its flat side aimed at the arrow butt. If he could strike it at just the right angle, he could hammer it deeper into the creature’s skull and end this fight.

But as the beast’s head swung closer, its trajectory shifted unexpectedly. Kaiser’s heart skipped a beat as he realized the angle was wrong. But that's fine, a little adjustment wouldn't hurt... Or so, he thought.

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He cursed.

His body... locked, unable to follow his will, it couldn’t twist further. Because that position demanded flexibility that surpassed human physical limits, his simply not made to achieve such posture. It was impossible. His limbs couldn’t bend that way, his joints couldn’t align in time.

It was a physical limitation, a reminder of the human anatomy that even his immortality couldn’t overwrite.

But that's fine, he learned the Dance of the Wind. A collection of excruciating exercises made to surpass such barriers... Did he?

'...No.'

He studied it, but failed to learn it.

Garba had drilled him on the Dance of the Wind—a grueling regimen designed to stretch muscles, lengthen tendons, and push joints beyond their natural limits. The thing is, no matter how many times Kaiser practiced it, his body never adapted. He memorized the positions, adjusted to the pain, yet there was no growth, no improvement in the performance itself. Perhaps his body needs time to adjust? Garba said so, too.

Still, It had gnawed at him for days. After all his training, why hasn’t his body performance improved, despite progressing on swordmanship finely? Performing the steps over and over again isn't making him any better at it, which was justified by his body requirements to adjust first, but on the multiple trials he did, Kaiser never felt an improvement at it. As if his muscles were not adjusting at all in the constant strain...

Kai had this suspicion for a while now...

It's as if his muscles refused to develop, remaining locked in the same lean frame, not lengthening or growing. Thus making the steps as hard to accomplish as before.

Additionally, having done so much physical training in the past days, constantly straining himself to his limit. He began picking an interest in how his body is growing more on muscles, to be exact. After all, who wouldn't want to see themselves with busty biceps and chiseled abs? Unfortunately, his muscles were not becoming bigger yet, nor show signs of change whenever he takes a look, justified again with the need for time to show results. But Kaiser thought otherwise, apparently, there's no signs of results at all.

Which poses the question.

Were his muscles even changing at all? Or was it stuck in an unchangeable state since he received his immortality, that fixed him in a single state alone? An average built teenager?

Will he even have those bulky muscles?

No bulk, no definition, no progress.

Was this the cost of being immortal? A body frozen in time, incapable of growth?

Frustration bubbled beneath his calm exterior, but he shoved it aside. The invader needed to die—now.

But if his body limits him from doing so, then.

'F*ck it!'

Then he'll force it.

With a deep breath, he twisted his arm, pushing his muscles to their breaking point. The strain was immediate. He felt something snap—tendons stretched to their limits, muscles tearing under the pressure. The pain was blinding, white-hot and searing through every nerve.

But it worked.

His sword connected with the arrow’s butt just in time, the force driving it deeper into the invader’s skull. The silver tip pierced the vulnerable brain at last.

The beast froze mid-thrash, its massive frame shuddering violently. While Kaiser staggered backward, his injured arm hung limp at his side. Each breath was a struggle, his chest heaving as he fought to stay upright. Yet, despite the agony coursing through him, a grim smile tugged at his lips.

'One more invader down. Uh... two to go?'

Kaiser stumbled away from the falling invader, its massive form crashing into the ground with enough force to send a tremor through the earth. Dust and ash swirled in the suffocating air, momentarily obscuring his vision. The adrenaline in his veins dulled the worst of the pain, but not by much. His arm dangled uselessly at his side, muscles screaming in protest of the overwhelming abuse, broken, teared and agonizing. His breathing came in sharp, uneven gasps as he fell on the ground, greedy for barely breathable air. He knew his supposed to get up, however.

'I felt like sh*t...'

The strain, mentally and physically was overwhelming, dragging him to the ground for a short respite he really needs.

The arrow had done its job, albeit in the most excruciating way possible. The invader was dead, its grotesque head slumped at an unnatural angle, the silver arrow still lodged in its brain.

Looking at it, Kai couldn’t suppress a grim smile. He won again, without dying, at that.

But the cost was steep. His arm was likely dislocated, if not worse, and the sharp ache in his chest reminded him that even an immortal body had limits. He pressed his hand to his ribs, wincing at the tenderness.

'Nothing broken... probably.'

Immortality was an extremely attractive trait that can't be handled by careless hands, that's why he rather not used it unless necessary. Thus, decreasing chances of exposure, so Kai had to learn to avoid death.

Around him, the battlefield unfolded like a vision of hell. The once-coordinated hunters were now a scattered, desperate force, clinging to survival against the relentless onslaught of the remaining invaders. Screams of pain and roars of defiance mingled with the deafening clash of steel and the monstrous bellows of the invaders.

The air was thick and choking, saturated with the acrid stench of burning wood and charred flesh. What had once been a strategic weapon—the controlled flames meant to herd the creatures—had spiraled into chaos. Now, an uncontrollable inferno raged, consuming everything it touched. The battlefield was bathed in fiery light, casting flickering shadows of both man and beast locked in a deadly dance. Ash fell from the sky like gray snow, coating the bloodied earth in a thin, suffocating blanket.

Kaiser paused to catch his breath, his sharp gaze darting across the battlefield. He felt the oppressive heat licking at his skin, sweat streaking his soot-stained face. The swirling ash settled on his hair and shoulders, a mockery of the tranquil snowfall he longed for.

“Oh, how I wish it were winter,” he mumbled bitterly under his breath, longing for the crisp, cold air and silent peace of snow-covered plains instead of this fiery nightmare. Funnily enough, he never experienced real snow, it would be nice to be on a winter plane once.

His moment of reflection was short-lived, though as his attention snapped back to the battle. His victorious grimace from earlier victory faded into a scowl. Then, a flashy movement caught his eye—a glint of silver slicing through the smoky haze, a second arrow whizzing past an invader’s massive head. The arrowhead gleamed in the firelight before embedding uselessly into the ground, far from its intended target.

Kaiser’s scowl deepened. His mind flashed back to his recent ordeal, the close brushes with death, the searing pain in his arm. If only Chief didn't miss, he wouldn't have to go through that trouble and head to another fray.

Curiosity mixed with resentment, Kaiser tracked the direction of the arrows, squinting through the haze to spot their source. He scanned the trees at the edge of the battlefield, tracing the trajectory with sharp precision.

And then, he froze. Suddenly jolted up, shouting.

"Sh*t! Chief! Have you lost your mind!"