Samuel glanced left and right, his eyes locking onto a nearby desk. The moment the monster twitched, he grabbed it and hurled it forward with all his strength.
The creature smashed the desk apart with a single swing, splintering it into countless pieces. Using the brief opening, Samuel dove forward, sliding under its massive legs. His hand snatched up a jagged piece of wood from the wreckage.
The monster turned with a guttural roar, its movements shaking the floor. It lunged straight for him.
Samuel raised the broken desk leg just in time, deflecting the beast's claw. Using the recoil, he vaulted upward, stepping on the monster's arm to gain height—and drove the splintered wood straight into its eye.
The creature howled in agony and seized him midair, hurling him across the room.
Samuel crashed into the wall, the impact knocking the air from his lungs. Blood dripped from his lips. His body trembled, every muscle screaming in protest—but he refused to stay down. Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself back to his feet.
The monster charged again, faster this time.
Samuel, in a desperate move, caught its sharp hand with another desk, trapping it. He twisted the desk leg, driving it deeper into the beast's flesh. But the monster retaliated, wrapping its other arm around him and squeezing—bones creaked under the pressure. The first to let go would die.
Then… Samuel smelled something burning.
"Inferno Burst!!"
A torrent of fire erupted from within him. The monster shrieked as flames devoured its body, reducing it to ashes in seconds. Samuel fell to his knees, clutching his chest—burn marks spread across his skin, but somehow, he was still alive.
A man in a **D.R.D.** combat suit stepped forward, examining the charred remains.
"What the hell was that thing…? I've never seen a beast like this before."
He turned toward Samuel. "Hey, kid! You alright? …Kid?"
The D.R.D. operative called for a medical unit.
Two hours later, Samuel's wounds had been treated—stabilized, but still weak. His father, Eric, rushed in as soon as he heard what had happened.
Eric examined his son—bruises, burns, a few deeper wounds—but all treatable.
Then came the news: one of his sons was gone.
Eric's chest tightened. He wanted to cry, but he held it in—for Samuel's sake.
Samuel, on the other hand, broke down completely. Tears streamed down his face; his words were lost in sobs.
Eric knelt beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"It's not your fault," he said softly. "It wasn't anyone's fault."
Samuel wept harder, blaming himself, calling himself useless.
Two days passed.
After Raichi's funeral, Samuel finally spoke.
"Dad… I want to join the D.R.D. I don't want to be weak anymore. I don't want people to avoid us because of our past. I want to protect the innocent… and everyone I care about. I'll change everything."
Eric looked at his son, eyes glistening.
"I don't know if you're ready for changes like that," he said. "But I'll do everything I can to help you. Tomorrow, we start training. I'll teach you everything I know."
Pride swelled in Eric's chest. His son was standing up to his pain—facing it head-on.
Samuel's eyes burned with determination.
He had decided.
He *would* grow stronger.
He *would* change.