— You see, it wasn't so hard to give me your name.
You fought well, Benine… you forced me to use all four of my Celestial Crises. Few warriors have ever pushed me that far.
But now, it's time… to give you death.
Axel spoke in a calm, almost sorrowful voice.
He had just encountered a true opponent, a man he respected—a rare privilege for a hunter like him.
His smile was bitter: he had defeated someone… who could not die.
— Fourth strike: Heart of the Storm, he murmured.
This time, the lightning did not strike immediately.
It gathered slowly in the clouds, concentrating its energy until the sky glowed blue.
Then, in an instant, a searing azure bolt crashed violently onto Axel, coursed through his arm, and shot straight into Benine's skull.
A thunderous roar shook the mountain.
A column of smoke rose into the sky.
When it cleared, Axel lay on the ground, charred. Benine, however, was still on his knees—burned, trembling, but alive.
---
A few seconds before the impact…
At the moment the lightning hit Axel, Benine, in a desperate reflex, brushed it with his toe.
The lightning, instead of destroying him, traveled back through that contact and struck Axel head-on.
— I… managed… to beat the Celestial Lightning Rod…, he whispered, panting.
Exhausted, Benine placed Irah—the blessed blade—on Axel's lifeless body.
— You will not die… your warrior's soul has potential.
Irah will heal you.
---
A few hours later — Mount Kahl
The sky, still heavy with past lightning, rumbled faintly.
Axel regained consciousness. His body burned, every muscle on fire.
In front of him, Benine lay on the ground, covered in burns. His vacant gaze seemed to watch over him.
Axel felt his throat tighten. Tears welled up.
— He… saved me… why? he whispered, his voice breaking.
Silence weighed heavily over the mountain.
He understood: Benine had deliberately sacrificed his own regeneration to save his life.
Clenching his fists, Axel vowed:
— I will repay you… I swear it.
He lifted Benine onto his back and ran across the rocks, determined to find shelter.
But his balance faltered—he collided with someone.
A young woman with sharp eyes had just appeared on the path.
— Sorry! I was in a hurry! Axel said, panting.
The young woman stared at him for a long moment, arms crossed.
— I don't understand… you're the one who put him in that state, right? You wanted to kill him… and now you want to save him?
She sighed.
— Ahh… men are truly incomprehensible.
Axel froze.
— She… saw everything…, he thought, breathless.
The wind still blew, charged with electricity and ash.
Axel held Benine tightly, aware that he had just incurred an impossible debt.
As for the young woman, her gaze betrayed a troubling knowledge.
She would, unknowingly, be witness to the next storm.
—— End ——