The young man panicked and instinctively grabbed the rifle slung over his shoulder. “Are these bats Ahool’s minions?” he asked, aiming at the swarm of bats flying toward him.

The nameless young man didn’t respond but sprang forward, diving into the bats that had made it into the mystical prison. With swift swings of his sword, he cut through the winged creatures, ending their lives with cold, deadly precision.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

His movements formed a rhythmic pattern, graceful yet relentless, as if his body was naturally tuned to this deadly hunt. His right hand gripped his sword tightly, slicing and following every bat that dared to come near.

Fresh dark-red blood spattered across the root bridge, and dead bats dropped like a torrent of rain. Kairav joined in, firing his rifle relentlessly at the approaching bats.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

“This is pointless! They keep coming!” Kairav shouted to the nameless young man, hurriedly reloading his empty magazine.

The nameless young man shot him a glance, then turned his sharp eyes to the four sides of the mystical walls, now battered by hundreds more bats from outside, frantically trying to break through.

Realizing Kairav was right, he quickly formed a plan. “Stand back; I’m going to burn them,” he warned.

Kairav immediately dashed to a safe distance, rifle still aimed at the bats, occasionally firing at those chasing him.

From where he stood, he saw the nameless young man stomp down forcefully, launching himself into the air. Suspended above, his hands opened, unleashing scorching flames through the Firestorm Hand technique.

Like the breath of a phoenix, heat surged from his hands. He spun quickly, becoming a blazing whirlwind, scorching everything around him.

The bats surrounding him fell in clusters, their bodies reduced to ashes. Even the newcomers, breaking through the mystical prison walls, ignited upon entry.

Once he confirmed no more bats were around, the nameless young man landed back on the root bridge.

Kairav hurried over. “Looks like we’re safe, for now.”

The nameless young man gave a nod, but their relief was short-lived. The familiar sound of breaking echoed again, louder this time, and they knew who was coming.

“The big boss is back...” Kairav cursed as Ahool appeared, trying to break through one of the black magic walls.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

“Is it bringing more minions?!” The young man cursed his luck as Ahool returned with an even larger swarm, multiplying the challenge tenfold.

“Damn it!” He continued cursing his misfortune but realized it wouldn’t help. He turned to the nameless young man. “Bro, you handle the boss. I’ll deal with the little pests!”

The nameless young man frowned. “Are you sure?”

Kairav nodded firmly, sprinting toward a gathering swarm, aiming his rifle. “As long as I’ve got bullets, I’ll be fine!” he shouted.

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Moments later, more sections of the wall shattered, followed by the rapid firing of Kairav’s rifle.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

With Kairav managing his side, the nameless young man focused on the main threat, hearing a louder, shattering sound.

Crackkk!!

A shadowy figure shot out from the noise, so fast it felt like a gust of wind.

A red glint of Cosmic Resonance Radiation fell over him as the majestic spirit of the phoenix reawakened, summoned through the Radiant Soulforge Awakening. With his spirit, Kirmizi, flying beside him, he activated his Phoenix Footwork, hoping it would allow him to keep up with the monster.

Wielding his blazing Sambara sword, he charged toward the shadowy figure. As the distance between them narrowed, he thrust his sword forward, hoping to pierce the creature.

But the sly Ahool evaded, swiftly sidestepping the attack and slipping past him.

Realizing this, the nameless young man spun around and threw his sword at Ahool.

Clang!

The Sambara sword transformed into a blazing chain, ensnaring Ahool’s leg with searing heat. The monster screeched, its roar echoing through the cavern as it struggled against the fiery chains.

Squeak!!!

The nameless young man gripped the chains tightly, his hands bleeding as the monster strained to escape, flapping its wings fiercely.

The chain nearly snapped from the tension. Nearby, Kairav’s gunfire paused briefly.

“Bro! Are you okay?!” Kairav yelled, momentarily distracted from his own fight.

The nameless young man glanced toward him. “Focus on your enemies!” he shouted, then turned back, calling out loudly, “Kirmizi!”

Screeech!!!

With a rush of heated wind, the majestic spirit of the phoenix surged forward, heeding its master’s call.

It swooped toward Ahool, its talons blazing, ready to strike. As it approached its target, a massive wave of fire burst from its beak, engulfing Ahool’s face in flames.

Squeak!!!

Ahool screamed as its skin blistered, but before Kirmizi’s talons could land, the chain binding Ahool snapped, freeing it just in time to escape through the mystical wall.

The broken chain sent the nameless young man flying backward, but his quick reflexes allowed him to land skillfully.

“Arghhh! Damn it!”

The nameless young man immediately turned toward the source of the curse, spotting Kairav trying to fend off the bats swarming him, swiping at them with his rifle.

“My ammo’s out!” Kairav shouted, glancing at the nameless young man, claw marks now visible on his face.

The nameless young man quickly sprang into action, sprinting over to Kairav while swinging his sword to cut down the bats attacking him along the way. High above them, Kirmizi didn’t remain idle either, hovering and incinerating the bats in his path with blasts of fiery breath, reducing the winged creatures to dust.

“You said your friend encountered it before. How did he defeat the monster back then?” Kairav asked.

“He didn’t tell me exactly!” the nameless young man replied, his hand moving constantly as he slashed at the creatures swarming them.

“The Ahool’s strength is its speed. If we can at least match its movements, we might be able to catch it too,” Kairav suggested. “So, was your friend faster than you? Did he know any techniques that helped him move quicker?”

The nameless young man shook his head immediately.

“Then what gave him the edge against Ahool?” Kairav wondered aloud, his confusion growing. “If he didn’t have speed on his side, did he have some other advantage?”

As Kairav grappled with his thoughts, his hazel eyes were suddenly drawn to the sight of the Phoenix spirit, Kirmizi, still hovering above. An idea flashed in his mind. “What animal spirit did your friend have? What element did he control?” he asked.

“A tiger. Lightning element,” the nameless young man responded without breaking his focus on the smaller enemies around him.

“What’s the benefit of lightning?” Kairav pondered, struggling to find an answer. “Lightning creates light when it strikes. Do you think it’s afraid of light?”

“No!” the nameless young man quickly countered. “If it feared light, it would’ve already been scared off by the glow from Sunfire Gaze.”

Kairav racked his brain again. It didn’t take long before he voiced another thought to the nameless young man. “Lightning also creates a loud sound when it strikes. Do you think it’s afraid of sound?”

The nameless young man glanced over at Kairav, but before he could respond, a loud crash echoed around them, signaling that the Ahool had returned to attack them both.

Crackkk!

“What do you think, Bro?” Kairav asked, keeping his gaze locked on the Ahool as it made yet another attempt to break through the barrier around them.

The nameless young man immediately shifted his focus from the endless stream of smaller enemies and ran toward Kairav. “We won’t know for sure unless we take a risk and try,” he said firmly.

His eyes drifted up to the large Gong Ageng from the room’s ceiling, and he turned to Kairav. “I need your help.”