The heat was unbearable, yet they couldn't run. Ash gritted his teeth and looked at Marine, Perro, and Robertson. "We take him together. No one fights alone."
They spread out fast, circling Vander, but the rich pig didn't look worried at all. His whole body glowed with fire, and the red dragon above him let out a deep roar that shook the mountain.
Marine struck first. Ice surged from her hands and slammed toward Vander like a wave, but the flames burned through it before it even reached his chest.
Vander laughed and raised his arm, hurling a fireball the size of a cart right at Marine. Ash dashed in and sliced the fireball in half with his rusted sword before it could hit.
Perro came from the left, his spear darting in fast, aiming for Vander's ribs, but Vander caught the shaft with one hand and yanked. Perro stumbled forward into a heavy punch that sent him rolling on the ground.
Robertson tried to use the opening, swinging his axe low toward Vander's legs, but Vander jumped, flames bursting from under his feet, and landed behind him. Before Robertson could turn, a kick to the back sent him face-first into the dirt.
"Is this all four of you can do?" Vander's voice cut through the crackling flames.
Ash didn't answer. He ran in again, feinting high before going low, aiming to cut Vander's ankle.
The blade scraped against a thin layer of fire that felt like steel. Vander countered with a sweep of his arm, flames exploding outward like a shockwave.
Ash was thrown back, rolling until Marine froze the ground beneath him to stop her slide.
"We can't beat him like this!" Marine shouted, breathing hard. Her ice armor was already cracking from the heat.
"We need keep pushing!" Ash said, forcing himself to stand.
They rushed in again, all four at once. Marine formed walls of ice to block Vander's fire streams while Perro and Robertson flanked him, stabbing and swinging in quick bursts. Ash stayed close to Marine, waiting for a gap.
Vander moved like the fire was part of his body. Every punch carried an explosion, every kick left a burning crater in the dirt.
He caught Perro's spear, twisted it, and used it to block Robertson's axe, then threw both men back with a single blast from his chest.
Ash finally found his moment. He darted in from behind, aiming straight for Vander's spine, but Vander turned without even looking and grabbed the sword with his bare, flaming hand.
The metal hissed and bent before Ash could pull it free.
"You're not strong enough," Vander said coldly, shoving him back so hard his chest ached.
The dragon above Vander roared again. Ash felt his heart pound as the air around them grew even hotter.
It was clear that they were already at their limit, and Vander hadn't even shown his full strength yet.
Vander back then was just a normal kid, at least on the outside. He sat in the same classroom as everyone else, played in the same dusty schoolyard, and ate the same lunch the cafeteria served.
But Ash had always known there was something different about him—not because Vander was better at anything or that he was a bully, but because everyone treated him like he was untouchable.
He was the great heir of the Von Seraphis family, the richest bloodline in White Shell, and it showed in the way teachers always went easy on him, or how the other kids never dared to talk back.
Even when Vander was cruel, nobody stopped him. Ash could still remember how the boy's expensive coat would shine in the sunlight while Ash stood in his patched-up shirt.
Vander was cherished, and Ash was disposable.
Now, looking at the man in front of him wrapped in fire and with a dragon looming overhead, Ash could see that same smug glow, only this time it wasn't sunlight, it was pure heat and arrogance.
We can't beat him in a straight fight, Ash thought, clenching his jaw. He's too fast, too strong, and that dragon… it's not just for show. We need to...
"Bait him," Ash muttered to the others.
Perro gave a short nod while Marine and Robertson split off without hesitation.
Vander's eyes tracked them immediately, his lips curling into a grin.
"You're running? That's pathetic!" Vander roared, charging after Robertson first.
Ash turned on his heel and ran hard.
His whole plan would work if it actually happened, he just had to lead Vander exactly where he wanted him.
He pictured every step in his head, every corner and gap, every move the others would make to keep Vander distracted.
I only get one shot at this, he thought, forcing his legs to pump faster. If I mess it up, we're all dead.
The ground shook behind him as Vander chased them. Ash didn't dare look back. He couldn't afford to slow down, not until the trap was ready to close.
Weeks ago, when the air on the mountain still carried that cold bite of early morning, Ash had been here alone, dragging two heavy bodies to a shallow grave he'd dug behind the ridge.
It wasn't something he liked remembering, but he remembered every detail.
That day, he'd noticed a massive boulder on the slope above. It leaned at a dangerous angle, as if the earth beneath it had been eroded away over years.
The only thing keeping it from tumbling down the mountain was a thick, stubborn tree that had grown right in its path. One strong push, and the boulder could crush anything below it.
Now, in the present, that very same boulder was in sight. It was close, just a little more and he'd have Vander right under it.
Ash gritted his teeth and sprinted harder, his lungs burning from the heat behind him.
Marine stayed between him and Vander, throwing up jagged walls of ice that sizzled and cracked under the relentless flames.
"Keep him back!" Ash shouted, not daring to slow down.
"I'm trying!" Marine yelled, deflecting a burst of fire with a frozen shield before shattering it into shards and sending them flying toward Vander.
But Vander barely slowed. He burned through the ice with a single swipe of his arm, his eyes locked on Ash.
Just a little closer, Ash thought, glancing at the boulder.
After several minutes of running and dodging fire, Ash finally slowed to a stop, his boots scraping against the rocky ground.
Marine stood beside him, her breathing heavy from the constant running. Vander halted a few paces away and his flames flickered like an enraged beast's breath.
"I hated you since we were kids," Vander growled. "And today's the end."
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Today's the end, really."
Vander roared and charged forward.
"Do it, Robertson and Perro!"
Up above, Robertson and Perro put their shoulders into the massive boulder. With a final grunt, they gave it one last push.
"Yes, sir!"
BAM!
The boulder tore free from its perch, tumbling down with a deafening rumble. Vander stopped mid-charge, looking up in shock.
Ash didn't waste a second. He e grabbed Marine by the arm and leapt aside, dragging her out of the boulder's path.
The rock slammed into Vander, the force carrying him down the slope.
Ash had planned this for weeks, carefully choosing a path for the boulder so it would avoid the village entirely and land in the massive lake just beyond.
He landed on his knees, chest heaving, and let out a long breath. "It was successful…"
But then, heat began to build again. Flames coiled around the boulder like living snakes, glowing brighter and hotter. Ash's relief froze in his chest as massive hands of fire erupted from the flames, gripping the sides of the boulder.
The rock began to turn, shifting its course away from the lake.
His stomach sank.
The new path led directly toward the village.
"NO!"
Without thinking, Ash bolted, his legs screaming with each step.
He chased the boulder and the roar of flames from Vander, and all he could think about was getting there first.