Saturday, July 20, 3074 AE

Blaze woke up and got ready, slipping into his Nexus hunting outfit: a fitted black long-sleeve shirt with red accents along the shoulders and sleeves, a red flame-like pattern emanating from the chest area, and a high collar. Over the shirt, he donned a sleek black leather jacket with red piping along the seams, a high collar, and adorned with silver buckles. He wore black, fitted combat pants with reinforced knee pads and red highlights running down the sides, and black combat boots with red laces and metal plating for added protection. His hands were covered with black gloves featuring red flame patterns on the palms and fingers, and he wore a red belt with silver accents and pouches.

"Well, looks like it's Nexus hunting time," Blaze said, grabbing his nearby scythe. "Let's do this, Inferno Reaver."

The scythe featured a long, curved blade made of dark, polished metal with a crimson hue. The edge of the blade glowed with a fiery orange-red light, resembling molten lava. Intricate flame patterns were etched into its surface, flickering and moving as if alive. The handle was made of sleek black metal with silver accents, adorned with crimson flame motifs and a comfortable grip. The blade was slightly serrated along the inner curve, allowing it to tear through both physical and energy-based defenses. The weapon could channel Blaze’s pyrokinesis, intensifying its fiery effects during combat.

Upon stepping out of his room, Blaze was met with both Lyria and Scarlett.

Lyria wore a form-fitting, sleeveless bodysuit in deep, iridescent purple, with a plunging V-cut neckline. The bodysuit had a sleek design that covered her torso but stopped at her hips, leaving her legs exposed. The suit featured a silver symbol—a stylized energy wave encircling a star—on the chest. Straight red accents ran along the sides of her torso and down her arms, highlighting the suit's dynamic shape and emphasizing her athletic build.

Scarlett, on the other hand, wore a red halter-style top with a plunging V-neck, tied around her neck with gold laces, and intricate gold patterns accentuating her midriff. Her stomach was exposed, showcasing toned abs. She paired the top with high-cut crimson shorts that sat low on her hips, featuring golden embroidery and small gemstones. She wore sheer, gold thigh-high stockings with intricate designs and knee-high, strappy gold sandals that tied below her knees.

Scarlett accessorized with gold jewelry, including a delicate choker, several thin bangles, and small gold studs in her ears.

“Finally! Took your sweet time getting ready,” Scarlett said exasperatedly, folding her arms under her chest.

“Better late than never, I say. Now, let's go hunt down some Kōsō,” Blaze said with a grin, running out of the house.

“Do you even know where to find them?” Lyria asked, causing Blaze to stop and turn around.

“Uh, no. I’ve got no clue, but I’m sure I'll find them if I look hard enough,” he said, almost falling and scratching the back of his head.

“Geez, whatever will I do with you?” Lyria shook her head. “I already know where some are. I heard there was a flood of them in a nearby town to the north.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Blaze took off with his scythe in hand, a smile on his face at the thought of killing Kōsō

“Seems he’s in a happy mood to be going out to murder some Kōsō,” Scarlett said, amused at his actions.

“Well, it makes sense. The only time he shows any emotion is when he is fighting Kōsō. He’s always been like that since he was younger,” Lyria noted.

The two of them also took off running to catch up to Blaze.

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“The town is close. It should only take five minutes to get there on foot if we keep this speed,” Lyria said as they sprinted at full speed, watching their surroundings blur.

In a short time, all three of them arrived at the town, which was destroyed beyond all recognition, with bodies lying everywhere, some with horror etched onto them. Looking around, they saw hundreds, if not thousands, of Kōsō littering the city.

“Hmm, it doesn't seem as if these ones are that strong. I’d say D and C class at best. This should be a cinch,” Lyria said upon seeing them.

“Well then, Blaze, let's see who can kill more!” Scarlett stood beside him, punching the palm of her hand. “On your mark, get set, go!”

Right after she finished, both of them took off at high speeds. Blaze rushed in, swinging his scythe and cutting down ten in an instant. Scarlett covered her hands in fire before launching a punch at one of the Kōsō, sending it flying into multiple others. At the same time, she jumped high into the air and sent an axe kick down, creating a crater with raw strength, killing multiple of them.

‘Wow, those two are really going at it, though I won’t let them have all the fun,’ Lyria thought. She covered her hands in energy and, with swiftness, appeared in front of the nearest Kōsō, delivering a punch. The impact caused an explosion that destroyed its body while tearing up the ground, shooting debris everywhere, killing more.

‘She is as strong as ever,’ both Blaze and Scarlett mused in their heads.

Not wanting to fall behind, Blaze created a ball of fire and sent it toward the Kōsō charging at him. As it hit, it exploded, killing all of them instantly.

Scarlett herself created a whip made of fire, lashing out at the Kōsō, cutting off their limbs one by one before wrapping the whip around a bunch of them. She then sent a torrent of flames at them, reducing them to ashes.

“They’re so weak, and here I thought it would be more fun since there were a lot of them,” Scarlett said disappointedly.

“Hn, yeah, but I don’t mind as long as I can kill them,” Blaze said, a look of pure hatred covering his face as he looked at the Kōsō.

A pair of hands clapped on his shoulder. “Calm down, brother. This is no time to let your emotions consume you,” Lyria said.

“She’s right, you know. I know how you feel, but there is a time and place for it. Right now, let's just focus on killing them,” Scarlett added.

As they spoke, a powerful presence appeared, almost forcing them to their knees. In front of them was a large, humanoid creature made entirely of granite, with glowing runes carved into its body, standing in the center of the horde of Kōsō.

“What is that thing? This feeling… it’s not a normal one,” Scarlett said, clutching her chest.

“You’re right. From this feeling and how it looks, it has to be a B class or even an A class,” Lyria stated with a little worry.

“A B class? Are you sure? Those are so strong that it would take a group of twenty people to defeat them, and one of them is in front of us,” Scarlett said, looking just as worried as Lyria as the situation grew more dangerous.

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“Finally, something that can entertain me. I was getting bored of fighting these weaklings. Now I can have a worthy kill,” Blaze said, walking toward the horde of Kōsō without a care in the world, keeping his eyes on the golem in front of him.

“What are you doing, brother? Come back here!” Lyria shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears.

Scarlett shook her head. “He’s not going to listen to reason. The look in his eyes when that thing appeared said it all. He won’t stop until he's killed it. The only thing we can do is help him.”

As he made his way to the golem, Blaze killed every Kōsō that came toward him with ease, burning them all to ash.

“I hope you won’t go down without a fight. Make this fun for me,” Blaze said, his feet digging into the ground. With a burst of speed, he crushed the ground beneath him, appearing in front of the golem. He swung his scythe, only for it to stop upon impact, doing no damage. “What? How did that not work?”

Unfazed by the attack, the golem stomped the ground, creating an earthquake while spiky stone pillars erupted from the ground where Blaze was standing. Jumping to the side, Blaze narrowly avoided the attack, but it managed to cut his arm.

‘Is it immune to physical attacks? That's the only logical explanation, seeing as my scythe can cut through even diamond.’

“What happened?” Lyria asked as she and Scarlett rushed over to him.

“This thing might be immune to physical attacks. We will have to use other means to kill it,” Blaze stated.

“Easy then, it's no problem,” Scarlett said with confidence.

“It won’t be easy. Even using our powers, something tells me that it knows about its weakness and has ways around it,” Blaze said with some annoyance.

“Are you saying that thing has intelligence?” Lyria asked.

“Very much so. I believe this one was the one that was controlling all of the others that attacked this town,” Blaze said, looking at Scarlett. “By the way, I killed all of the rest of them, so that makes me the winner of our bet.” He grinned at her when he saw her eye twitch.

“Alright, fine. I'll admit defeat this time, but next time will be different,” she pouted.

“This is not the time to be talking about your bets; we have to figure out how to defeat this thing,” Lyria says with a minor glare.

“That’s easy, we rush in and attack it,” Blaze and Scarlett say simultaneously.

“Hey, don’t copy me,” they also say at the same time.

“You two are so alike, but we are not rushing in. That's a death wish. Besides, were you not scared earlier, Scarlett?” Lyria asks her.

“Well, a little, yes, but I'm fine now. What is the point of being scared? If we work together, there is nothing that we can’t beat. That's how it's always been,” Scarlett says, puffing out her chest.

“Hn,” Blaze nods.

“Well then, let's get to kicking butt, shall we?” Lyria, Blaze, and Scarlett stand side by side, ready to face the golem.

Lyria takes off, flying towards the golem and covering her hands in energy before punching it repeatedly, causing explosion after explosion. But when the dust settles, it has no scratches.

The golem stomps on the ground, causing the earth beneath her to shift and change as it opens up, creating a huge boulder above her that sends her hurling into the ground, dropping her hundreds of feet below.

Seeing this, Scarlett charges at it, moving so fast she becomes a blur, running around it in hopes of confusing it. She then jumps high in the air, coming down with great speed and performing an axe kick with her leg covered in flames. The impact creates a shockwave so powerful it forms a massive crater where the golem stands, but it still takes no damage.

The golem seizes the opportunity, grabbing Scarlett by the leg and repeatedly slamming her into the ground before throwing her into a nearby mountain.

Blaze charges in right afterward, swinging his scythe down, this time infusing it with fire, serrating the edge of the blade with molten heat. He manages to create a small crack on the golem’s body.

“Not so tough now, huh?” Blaze taunts, jumping backward only to fall as the golem digs its hands into the ground, causing the planet to begin rotating faster and faster, creating tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes all at once.

“Okay, just what is this thing?” Blaze yells out.

“Um, it’s a B-class Kōsō. I assume its power is to control stone and presumably the earth as well,” Scarlett says, walking up beside him.

Out of the ground comes Lyria, who uses her energy fists to break out of her underground prison. With a punch, she sends the golem flying, crashing it into the ground and creating a crater.

“Did you find out how to defeat it yet?” Lyria asks.

“Yeah, I just need you to keep it occupied. Scarlett and I will deal the final blow,” Blaze states his plan.

“Alright, better make it quick. It might catch on.” Lyria flies off, punching the golem continuously, causing massive explosions and sending it flying but still doing no damage.

“Alright, Scarlett, I need you to create some lava. More importantly, I need you to create a giant ball of lava that you will throw at it.”

“Are you sure this is going to work, Blaze? It’s pretty much what I've been doing,” she says, placing her hands on her hips.

“I’m very sure. Just do it, and I'll take care of the rest,” he says with utmost confidence.

“Alright, fine.” Scarlett raises her hands above her head, forming a giant sphere of lava. She stops when it reaches the size of a mountain. “Is… huff this fine?” She expends a lot of power creating it, making her exhausted.

“Yes, that's fine,” he says before calling out to Lyria, telling her to send the golem towards them, which she does with a single punch.

Seeing the golem land close by, Scarlett sends the giant ball of lava at it, which connects. At first, it does nothing, but within seconds, the golem starts writhing in pain.

“What happened?” Both Scarlett and Lyria ask.

“With the crack I made on its body, it allowed the lava to flow inside of it and damage it from within. Its weakness is fire.” Blaze takes off, scythe in hand, and closes his eyes, channeling his energy into it, secreting the edge of his blade in fire again, this time far stronger. With a swing of his scythe, he cuts the golem in half.

Upon having its body cut in half, the golem roars out in pain before burrowing into the ground and escaping for its life.

Some time goes by as they await its re-emergence, and when it does not return, they give a sigh of relief.

“Aww, it's running away. I wanted to fight more,” Scarlett says, plopping down on the ground.

“Really, we could have been killed. We have to become stronger so that the next time we go out on a hunt, we can improve our powers,” Lyria says, shaking her head, almost amused by Scarlett’s attitude.

Over to the side, Blaze stands brooding, his anger simmering over the golem's escape. Frustrated, he punches the ground, causing a crater, before walking away.

“Should we go after him?” Scarlett asks.

“No, just leave him be. He’ll be fine; he just needs to cool off. After we rest up a bit, let’s head back as well,” Lyria responds.

‘How could I let it escape? Why was it so powerful? I have to become stronger, strong enough that no Kōsō can stand in my way until I meet that one.’ Blaze’s eyes are shadowed by his hair as he looks at the ground while walking. ‘Next time, I won’t let it escape. If it does, I’ll hunt it down.’

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“My, my, it seems as if things are starting to get interesting. I wonder how he will deal with a being far beyond what he can imagine,” a mysterious being says, peering into an orb and watching Blaze and his friends battle. “Maybe I should do something to speed up his progress.”

“Or you can avoid interfering with matters and let things play out as they should,” another figure walks into the room.

“Aww, but where is the fun in that? This makes things far more interesting to watch,” the first being says in a childish manner, charging up her power, about to do something but is quickly cut off by a glare from the other being.

“Fine, be that way. You are no fun,” she pouts.

“I am not here to be fun. I was made to keep you under control, and that is what I will do.”

The last image on the orb is of Blaze, Scarlett, and Lyria returning home as night starts approaching.