Chapter 9: Fire, Water, and Towels
Kient landed near the cliff edge, boots cracking stone. The Ground-rift hovered behind him—a massive tear in reality, glowing sickly green like a wound in the world. Three metallic creatures lunged at him mid-fall.
He didn't slow down.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Three bodies hit the ground, heads crushed, cores shattered.
Above him, two military aircraft veered toward safer landing zones on higher ground.
---
On the other side of the ash cloud, Rio tore through smoke and fire, blazing forward like a meteor. He stopped in front of the creature—the commander.
Twenty feet tall. Green core glowing in its chest like a heartbeat. Metallic limbs, saber strapped to its back, laser emitters built into its palms. Gripping hands designed to crush.
Rio landed, flames flickering around his body. He walked forward slowly, hands raised.
"Oi... okay. You just got misplaced, right?" His voice was weary but calm. "We're not enemies. Our worlds got connected because of something, yeah?"
His flames dimmed. A peace offering.
The commander stared at him. Silent. Processing.
Then it spoken—voice broken, mechanical, grating.
"Youu... otherworldlyy creaturesss... we neeed resourcesss moreee..." It raised one hand. Energy crackled in its palm, building, charging. "Me..... DIMININA."
Rio's flames roared back to life.
"You made the wrong choice coming here!"
He lunged, fist blazing. His punch connected with DIMININA's metal face—BOOM—a massive explosion of fire. The commander's face glowed red-hot.
DIMININA swung, trying to grab him. Rio shot upward, flames intensifying. He twisted mid-air, diving back down with maximum force—
A giant metallic worm erupted from the ground, intercepting him.
CRASH.
The worm exploded in a burst of molten metal and fire. The shockwave sent Rio tumbling backward, skidding across the rocky terrain.
---
"Now let's go, guys." Urus stood at the edge of the aircraft, eyes glowing faintly. His perception ability was active—tracking energy signatures across the battlefield. "Hey... I'm noticing many vitalities with similar levels to us."
He pointed toward the Ground-rift's center. "And they're like... probably ten to twelve. With one big mass."
As he spoke, two massive worm-like creatures surfaced—each the size of a bus—tunneling toward Nomi Island. Half their bodies remained underground. Half rose above, jaws wide, metallic teeth grinding.
Draken hovered in the air, arms glowing with watery steam. He raised both hands. Water from the sea below surged upward, forming a massive sphere—easily the size of a house.
"Now let's see who has more mass!"
He hurled it.
The water sphere slammed into the worms like a tidal wave, engulfing them both. They thrashed, screaching metallic cries.
CRACK.
One of the worms burst from the soil—
And its head exploded.
A charged sniper shot. Clean and Precise.
"Come on, man..." Arnik's voice crackled over the comms from the aircraft. He leaned back in his seat, scrolling through reels on his phone. "I think I should handle these small A-Rank creatures. Can't let them reach W Country's coastline."
Another shot. Another metallic crocodile-like creature dropped.
He didn't even look up.
---
Leira stood on a rocky outcrop, hands trembling. A giant worm lunged at her, jaws open wide enough to swallow her whole.
She screamed, throwing her hands forward.
A boulder—massive—ripped from the ground and slammed into the worm's mouth. It choked, convulsing, collapsing into the dirt.
---
Aslon laughed, dodging two worms circling him. They snapped at empty air.
"Ha..ha...come get me!" He grinned, using his control magic to keep himself just out of reach. He led them away from the coastline, deeper into the island. "I'm not a fool, haha! But you sci-fi glitches are!"
---
Rio blazed forward again, flames roaring hotter. He flew straight at DIMININA.
DIMININA grabbed a chunk of metal scrap from the ground—debris from his own world—and hurled it.
Rio burned through it. Molten slag dripped around him as he shot forward, fists and feet ablaze.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Punch. Kick. Spin. Punch again.
DIMININA staggered—then caught him.
One massive hand closed around Rio's throat.
"Youu... fli thingg... should bee pprocessed..." DIMININA's grip tightened. Rio's flames flickered. His vision blurred.
Then—
BOOM.
DIMININA flew backward, slamming into the ground twenty feet away. His grip released.
Rio dropped, gasping for air.
Kient landed between them. In each hand, he held the broken, dripping head of a metallic worm.
He tossed them aside like garbage.
"Don't touch my student." His voice was cold. Final. "You're not even worthy of that."
His body glowed brighter—golden steam radiating so intensely it distorted the air around him.
"Rio. Help Leira and the others. I'll handle him."
Rio stood, coughing, nodding. He shot into the sky, flames reigniting as he flew toward the aircraft.
---
Suddenly, the Ground-rift pulsed.
A wave of creatures poured out—dozens of metallic crocodiles, ten more building-sized worms. And behind them...
Another commander.
Bigger than DIMININA. Bulkier. Its gripping hands were enormous, designed for crushing boulders.
"DIMININA..." Its voice was deeper, more distorted. "Youu aren'tt enoughh for thisss pettyy worldd?"
It charged at Kient.
Kient's glow intensified. He leaped, grabbing the commander mid-sprint, and dragged it across the island—two miles away in seconds—disappearing into the distance.
"Rio!" Urus's voice crackled over the comms. "Sir Kient's signal shifted. You should check the Ground-rift opening!"
Rio glanced back. Another horde was already forming at the rift's edge.
---
Coastline Highway... 3 miles away...
"Why would the Director ask me to come to the coastline?" Jack clutched his trembling hands. "And why are people running away?"
The luxury car sped down the empty highway. Traffic had cleared. Only evacuees remained, fleeing inland.
"I don't know, Sir Williams." The driver glanced at Jack in the rearview mirror. "But it's probably important. Five S-Ranks and another peak hunter—Syren Alus, the Director's son—have left for the coastline areas."
"B-but... isn't the top guy Markous or something?" Jack gripped the seat cover tightly.
"Yes, you're right. But he's only the top guy in the Academy, not in W Country or the world." The driver opened the side compartment, handing Jack a coffee cup. "Syren is SS-Rank. Thunder element user. Drink this and Relax."
"O-okay..." Jack took the cup with both hands, sipping hastily. He turned on the car's monitor.
BREAKING NEWS: S-RANK GROUND-RIFT CONNECTING EARTH TO METALLIC WORLD. AH ASSOCIATION AND F&I ACADEMY HEROES RESPONDING. EVACUATE COASTLINES IMMEDIATELY.
Jack stared out the window. In the distance, flashes of color—blue, yellow, red—lit up the sky above Nomi Island. The ash mountain loomed, dark and ominous.
---
Back at the battle...
"Oii, Draken! What are you doing?!" Rio shouted, irritated. "My fire won't work if you use your magic on this guy!"
"I was just checking if he gets short-circuited in water!" Draken released his water domain. DIMININA stumbled forward, freed—
—and immediately fired a laser from his palm.
"Come on, man!" Rio groaned, deflecting the beam with his blazing hands. "This isn't SS-Rank... but I felt another power. Where's Sir Kient?"
He incinerated a worm trying to swallow him whole.
"Just keep this guy here. The rest will be handled." Draken formed a water shield around the perimeter. "I'll know if anything crosses this domain."
Another horde of creatures and ten more worms emerged from the Ground-rift.
"How do we close this thing?" Draken spoke into his ear-mic. "We need SS-Rank power accumulation. We need to kill that other power. But we can't help Sir Kient because DIMININA's here."
---
At Building Louisa Mariana...
"Oii, Tobi, what are you watching?" Zin leaned over, eyes locked on the waiting gate. Clara would walk through any second.
"Bruh... S-Rank Ground-rift opened on Nomi Island. I'm watching the news." Tobi stuffed more fries into his mouth. "But it's unusual, right? Kient Rabe and Syren Alus—two above S-Ranks—plus more than ten S-Ranks?"
Tobi looked genuinely analytical for once.
"Maybe they just wanna look cool on TV. Or brag they one-shotted everyone." Zin bolted toward Clara as she stepped out of the waiting room.
"Hmm? You're the boy from the medical room, right?" Clara smiled. "You look very different and funny compared to other... humans. I mean, guys."
They walked together toward a private room—a fighter's lounge reserved for participants.
'She's talking to me... and we're going to...'Zin's mind drifted into fantasy. "Yeah, you're awesome! What else can I do but that?!"
"Hmm. You seem honest." Clara opened the door, gesturing for him to come inside. "Then tell me... what do you think I am?"
She set down her jacket and bag.
Zin stared. She was just in a T-shirt and jeans now. Pink glasses perched on her nose.
'I'm feeling...'
"I guess one word is enough." He grinned. "Baddie."
Clara sat beside him on the couch.
Blood erupted from Zin's nose.
He collapsed backward onto the bed, unconscious.
"I didn't even use my magic or anything..." Clara chuckled, pulling out her phone. She ordered food, checking her rewards on the tournament app. "I don't need to fight anymore. I got what I needed."
Reward: 1 A-Rank Mana Orb. 500 BRICS.
She stood, pulling off her shirt and jeans, wrapping a towel around herself. She walked toward the bathroom.
Zin lay unconscious on her bed, nose still bleeding.
The door closed.
Water started running.
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[End of Chapter 9]