1054 hours, 18 June 0145...

We ran away from the Harimal Forest area at a neck-breaking speed. But the slight darkness made it difficult to see the Ragoos herds that followed us and the feeling of our guns vibrating in our hands as we fired.

I felt the powerful recoil of my Kiryu as I sprinted and took down three Ragoos with precise shots.

Without warning, Axel abruptly halted, swiftly drew his SMG from its holster, and pulled the trigger, mowing down the herds of Ragoos in a swift motion.

The despairing cries of dying herds echoed through the air. He mercilessly killed the Ragoos herds to protect us.

I took the chance by helping Axel kill the Ragoos' herds, and so does Christine with her bow and arrow.

With a neck-breaking whoosh after releasing her bowstring, she did a collateral kill only with one arrow toward four Ragoos that were chasing her back.

As we rushed to the exit, a glimmer of light shone in the distance, offering a way out of the dark forest. Our perfect opportunity to escape the stampeding Ragoos presented itself as Christine gestured to the exit with a gush.

"I think we're closer to the exit!"

Although one Ragoos was about to devour her back, she nimbly evaded it, considering she was short and light-weighted.

As all of us were running at a neck-breaking speed and felt the weight on our chests as the exhaustion almost devoured us, Axel suddenly queried us with a hush.

"Is that the way to a safe zone?"

"Yes!"

The Ragoos' herds never give up on their pursuit, so I reached for my Pulse Grenade from the holster to repel them any further back.

"The only way to find out is to..."

My words came as I pulled the pin and threw the pulse grenade into them. It bounced into the hard soil before stopping, and I could hear the pulses showing how close it was to blowing on their legs.

And after a second passed…

BOOOOOOOMMMMM

The explosion shook the ground, and the herds could feel the hellish flames scorching their way up the trunks of the nearby trees as the explosion charred black dents in the otherwise beautiful rainforest.

The fire was enormous, and it was swarming all over the trail like a swarm of bees, yet we managed to make it out of the forest alive by diving down to the land below with no scratch.

The smoke surrounding us slowly faded away, and the thundering of the beasts' footsteps grew faint, so we slowly rose from the ground, taking stock of any injuries.

Axel panted while looking at the burning forest from behind.

"I think we're safe now."

I stood up, brushing the dirt off my jeans as I mumbled to myself with a light chuckle.

"Unfortunately, the forest doesn't."

Christine quickly grabbed her medical injection and held it out to offer it to us for any injuries.

"Are any of you getting hurt?"

I stayed quiet as Axel gently declined Christine's offer.

"Don't worry, I'm good."

We felt a slight sense of apprehension as we realized that our good conditions were disturbed after the runaway of the Ragoos's herds. I inquired of all, seeking an answer.

"Are our goods safe?"

I opened my backpack with trepidation and was surprised to find my items in pristine condition. All of a sudden, Axel replied to me after checking his backpack.

"Everything is ok."

Christine's eyes widened in immense surprise as she took in the sights of the surroundings.

"Wait! Where are we?"

We looked around and saw a seemingly endless stretch of grassy plains surrounded by a sea of trees. As we stepped into this new area, we felt the absence of the familiar tent.

Axel's skepticism was evident in his voice as he asked Christine.

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"Wait, didn't we take the right route to the safe zone? Are you sure you set the right pinpoint on your GPS?"

Christine's hands clasped over her mouth in shock as the truth of her mistake dawned on her, as if she had taken us to the wrong place. She hunched her shoulders and uttered an abashed apology.

"Oh... guys! I'm sorry that I took you to the wrong place. I was so nervous that I couldn't even set the right point during our runaway. I'm truly sorry about that!"

Despite her eyes dropping to the ground, Axel approached her and made himself clear.

"No, no, no, it's alright. Let's take it easy, and we'll find the right pinpoint."

My eyes darted around my environment, searching for any indications of a safer route to the safe zone. Regrettably, most of them were unpleasantly lengthy compared to what we had expected. I pointed towards the billowing smoke rising from the blazing forest, guiding our direction with the ominous trail it left behind.

"Should we grill ourselves in to get back to the safe zone quickly?"

"Unfortunately, your damage is why we can't get ourselves back into the safe zone through that route."

The ground suddenly shook so violently that it felt like an earthquake. But I could sense something was wrong as the earthquake shook the ground.

The earthquake tremors felt like they were stuttering and not following the usual pattern. But this one had a buildup, as if something wanted to come up from the ground.

We were certain that when we distanced ourselves from the shakiest ground, it was as if an unseen power would split open the ground in front of us.

"What's happening? Earthquake?"

Axel's worry grew as he backed down from Christine, fearing the approaching danger.

"No… It's different…"

And it was then...

GROAAASSSHHHHHHHHH

The gigantic monster revealed itself; his deviled tail tips and large devil horns were an ominous sight. The monster left an enormous crater on the ground and shook his body to remove the excess dirt.

The monster then roared with an ear-deafening screech.

WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

The roar was deafening, as it felt like it was drilling into our eardrums. After the monster finished his roar, I slowly opened my eyes and felt a chill go down my spine at the sight of the beast.

"Great. A fucking Radogaan."

I still get a sense of dread whenever I encounter Radogaan because of the way his eyes seem to pierce through me. His aggressive tail swipes and hip nudges made it difficult for me to keep up with my combat stances.

Axel and Christine pulled on my left shoulder as they became alarmed by Radogaan's presence, forcing me to withdraw.

"It's a freaking Radogaan! We gotta get out of here now, leader!"

"Fighting against that monster will be a death wish for us!"

We were on the verge of retreating when Commander Katoki's voice suddenly echoed through the communications channel.

"This is Commander Katoki from the Black Vulture Squadron! We've detected a supreme-type monster called Radogaan. And we've analyzed the scorching virus that heavily infected that monster—around 45%!"

"Retreat immediately and restrain yourself from fighting against that monster if you wish to come back alive! Let the Red Cheetah Squadron do the hunt instead!"

I stood silent, the sight of the Radogaan wandering around the area captivating me. But Commander Katoki's voice then sharpened with frustration when I remained silent.

"Tsuyuki? Do you read me? Are you muted?"

With a gentle poke, Axel tapped my left shoulder, bringing my attention away from the wandering Radogaan.

"Leader? What's wrong?"

This was the situation until Axel explained it to Commander Katoki.

"Commander, it's Axel. Tsuyuki remained silent while looking at that monster. It seems like he's-"

But I cut him off when I felt the cool metal of the Nakajima's handlebar with my right hand.

"Getting rid of that garbage."

I aggressively twisted the handlebar of my Nakajima, unleashing a thunderous 2-stroke roar from the blade, hoping to draw Radogaan's attention and quell the anger brewing within me from his earlier aggression.

BRAAP BRAAP BRAAPAPAPAP

BWOOOSH

The exhaust bellowed like the roar of a dragon after I gave it full throttle. My Nakajima's deafening roar immediately drew Radogaan's attention, as he saw the steady thud of my feet approaching him, my gaze piercing.

In response to my threats, Radogaan swept the ground twice, grunted under his breath, and clenched his teeth as a warning.

Knowing that I had angered Radogaan, Commander Katoki retorted on my communication channel, which resembled a Krakatoa bursting in his fury.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO DIE LIKE AN IDIOT?! THAT MONSTER YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIGHT AGAINST IS A GODDAMN-INFECTED SUPREME MONSTER! LET THE RED CHEETAH SQUADRON DEAL WITH THIS!!!"

A confident smile played on my lips as I approached Radogaan in silence, a silent declaration of my unwavering resolve. Nothing else mattered to me. Because the only good enemies are the dead enemies.

I felt my heart racing as I replied to Commander Katoki.

"Just leave me alone. I know what to do."

"HEY, TSUYUKI! HEY-"

I quickly closed the communications channel with a short beep and stepped closer to Radogaan. He glared at me while he clenched his sharp fangs and grunted for intimidation.

Axel reached out to stop me from attacking Radogaan by taking his hand. However, I did not let this dissuade me from moving on; instead, I looked over my shoulder and calmly but firmly commanded both of them.

"Axel, Christine! I'll finish this quickly by myself. While you get back to the safe zone immediately!"

Axel felt compelled to voice his concerns by offering a rebuttal.

"DON'T BE STUPID! ARE YOU TRYING TO DIE LIKE WHAT HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY?!"

I stopped in my tracks and cast a fearless glance over my shoulder.

"It's alright…"

"I never die."

I drew my Nakajima, activated my claws, swung my Nakajima, and took a hard stance on fighting against Radogaan.

But Axel and Christine stood shoulder to shoulder with me, brandishing their Scorch Arcs in a display of unwavering resolve, ready to face the monstrous threat together.

"Fine, we'll be on your back, leader!"

"No man's left behind!"

I sighed, grateful for my allies' kindness but worried about their safety in the upcoming battle.

I have nothing to defend but to concede.

"Fine, it's scorching time!"

I inserted my EarPods, allowing the pulsating rock breakbeat music to surge through my veins, steeling my resolve for the imminent battle.

Radogaan's eyes widened in a mix of surprise and fury; his gaze locked onto our unwavering and menacing postures, a silent challenge passing between us. A sudden, piercing roar ripped through the air, cutting through the silence with its ominous power and sending shivers down our spines.

WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

He then violently flapped his wings, sending dust and debris flying in every direction. With the main beats hitting hard, the crackling energy of the beast's presence surrounded me, propelling me forward with a surge of adrenaline as I sprinted towards the impending confrontation.