"I'll give you three seconds," Black Flame's voice boomed, resonating with an authority that left no room for defiance. His words hung in the air, final and unyielding. "Three... two..."

"Hold up!" Max shouted suddenly, desperation lacing his voice.

"We're here!" Leo added quickly, his face pale as he emerged from the shadows.

The two young men stood before Black Flame, their eyes wide with caution as they looked up at the towering figure clad in black armor, illuminated only by the crimson lines that pulsated along its edges.

Black Flame's piercing gaze settled on them.

"I'll get straight to the point. Are you the only survivors, or are there more on this island?" His voice cut through the tension, every word dripping with an intimidating calm.

Max swallowed hard, glancing nervously at his younger brother before responding. "Y-yes, we two are the only ones," he stammered, the weight of Black Flame's presence crushing his composure.

"Th-that's right!" Leo echoed, standing stiff as he nodded in agreement.

Shing! Black Flame's metallic claws extended from his gauntlet with a sharp hiss, glinting ominously in the dim light. He raised his hand slowly, letting the metal catch the dying rays of the moon.

"These claws," he said, his voice turning colder, "are made from the strongest metal on the planet. I've never slashed a human with them... I wonder how it would feel?"

Max and Leo froze in place, their breaths shallow as fear rippled through them.

"..."

'Did I go too far?' Black Flame thought for a moment as he observed their terror-filled faces. The look in their eyes wasn't just fear—it was the raw, unfiltered terror of people who believed they were seconds from death.

"W-we swear on our lives that we're the only survivors!" Max blurted out, his voice trembling. He felt a different kind of fear now, deeper than what he experienced even when surrounded by hordes of zombies.

"Y-yeah! We're the only ones!" Leo added, his voice cracking under the pressure.

'Their bravery is commendable, but... I know for a fact there are at least two more hiding inside the cave,' Black Flame thought to himself, his visor dimly glowing as he gazed at the cave entrance.

Shing! He retracted his claws and leaped gracefully off the mound of zombie corpses.

Dhum! Tak. Tak.

He landed heavily on the ground, each step deliberate and measured as he walked toward them.

Gulp.

Max and Leo gulped audibly, their eyes fixed on his approaching figure, hearts pounding in their chests.

"Relax. If I wanted to harm you—or the ones hiding inside the cave—I would've done it by now," Black Flame said casually, his tone slightly less harsh.

"...!"

Both Max and Leo's faces twisted in shock, their minds racing. How had he known?

'How!? We didn't even say a word!' Max thought, panic flashing in his eyes.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

'Can he read minds!?' Leo's thoughts echoed his brother's disbelief.

With a resigned sigh, Max finally admitted, "Haa... You're right. There are two more people inside the cave."

"Max! What are you doing?!" Leo shouted, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Calm down, Leo. If he wanted to hurt us, he would've already done it as he said." Max's voice steadied as he spoke, looking at Leo with conviction.

"But... still..."

"But what?" Max questioned.

"..." Leo fell silent.

"He saved our lives—and the ones in the cave, too. That's reason enough for me to trust him," Max said firmly, his eyes shifting toward Black Flame with a newfound respect.

Leo hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply. "You're right. I was being too paranoid. Forgive me for my rudeness, Mr...?"

"You can call me Flame," Black Flame responded, the name rolling off his tongue like a command.

'What a weird name,' both brothers thought simultaneously, though neither dared say it aloud.

"Thank you, Mr. Flame, for saving our lives," Max said, bowing his head slightly in gratitude.

"Please forgive our earlier behavior," Leo echoed, mimicking his brother's gesture.

"You're welcome... Now, what did you say your names were again?" Black Flame asked.

"My name is Max Cromwell," Max replied.

"And I'm Leo Cromwell," Leo added.

"Same last names? You two related?" Black Flame's voice carried a hint of curiosity now.

"This piece of trash is my younger brother," Max said, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"And this old fart is my older brother," Leo shot back with a grin.

Now that their immediate danger had passed, the brothers returned to their usual bickering.

"Huh? What did you say? You dare talk like that to your older brother?" Max feigned anger, his face contorting in mock outrage.

"What? Are you deaf?" Leo taunted, crossing his arms with a smirk.

"You little shit! You need some discipline!" Max barked.

"Ahem," Black Flame cleared his throat, his deep voice cutting through their banter.

"...! Sorry for showing you such unsightly behavior, Mr. Flame!" they apologized in unison, suddenly remembering who was standing before them.

'A monster who single-handedly killed thousands of zombies.' Max and Leo thought to themselves.

"Whatever," Black Flame said, dismissing their antics. "Let's head inside the cave."

"Mr. Flame, actually—" Max began hesitantly.

"How many times are you going to make me repeat myself?" Black Flame's tone sharpened as he interrupted.

"No, Mr. Flame, you've misunderstood. We're not stopping you. It's just... it would be better if you cleaned yourself first," Max said quickly, his voice almost pleading.

"..."

Black Flame glanced down at himself, realizing he was covered from head to toe in the thick, black-green blood of the zombies.

'Faraday, clean this,' Black Flame ordered mentally.

[Understood. Activating Emergency Cleaning Protocol.] Faraday's robotic voice responded instantly.

A soft hiss emanated from Black Flame's armor as steam began to rise, dissolving the blood and grime that had caked onto him during battle.

"Shall we go now?" Black Flame asked, his armor now spotless and gleaming ominously.

"..." Max and Leo stood there, dumbstruck, staring at the transformation. They barely snapped out of their shock when they noticed Black Flame already heading toward the cave.

"W-wait!" Max called out, quickly running after him.

"We're coming!" Leo echoed, following suit.

****

Inside the cave, a small girl sat huddled against the cold rock wall, fear etched into her young face.

Tak... Tak... Tak...

The heavy, approaching footsteps echoed through the cave, each step amplifying the terror she felt.

Tak...

Her heart raced faster with every footfall, her imagination running wild with what kind of monstrous creature might appear.

The footsteps stopped suddenly. The silence was deafening. She dared to look up—

"Hiii!" she screamed, her voice trembling as her eyes landed on a towering figure.

The being before her was clad in pitch-black armor, glowing with blood-red lines. The red visor glared down at her, unreadable and terrifying.

BARK!

Suddenly, a dog—similar to a German Shepherd—lunged at the figure, barking furiously.

Grab!

In a swift motion, the figure caught the dog by its neck, holding it in mid-air, unable to move or bite.

"Tommy!" the girl cried out, her fear for her pet overtaking her fear of the armored figure.

"Stop, Mr. Flame!" Max's voice rang out, followed by hurried footsteps.

"Wait for us!" Leo added, his voice close behind.

"Lily!" Max shouted as he ran to his little sister, embracing her tightly.

"Mr. Flame, you scared our sister. That's why we told you to wait. And... could you please let go of Tommy?" Leo asked cautiously as he approached Black Flame.

"My bad," Black Flame replied casually as he released the dog.

Bark! Bark! Tommy continued barking, clearly protective of the girl.

"There, there, boy. You did good," Leo said, petting the dog to calm it down.

'So that's what the yellow dot was,' Black Flame thought as he glanced at Tommy with a hint of curiosity.