The road stretched quietly ahead of him.
Packed dirt, faint wagon tracks, and trees thinning the farther he went. Lyon walked at an easy pace, hands in his pockets, following the route the chief had described. The village was already out of sight behind him.
That went a lot smoother than I expected.
The thought surfaced naturally as he walked.
Being surrounded by that many people—being thanked, worried over, trusted—it still felt a little strange.
As he continued forward, a brief memory replayed in his mind.
—
The village chief had pointed down the road, his expression serious.
"The beast should be somewhere along this route," he'd said. "But… you don't have to force yourself. If it's too dangerous, it's fine to come back."
Lyon nodded, listening.
Then others spoke up.
"Please be careful."
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"Come back safely."
Even the villagers he'd escorted—the ones he'd traveled with for weeks—had looked at him with open worry.
"Please be safe," one of them had said quietly.
—
The memory faded.
Lyon scratched the back of his head lightly as he walked.
They really didn't have to worry that much.
Still… It was nice.
He let out a small breath, his shoulders relaxing despite himself.
I'll make sure to end this quickly so they can enjoy their new home.
The road curved slightly.
Then, without warning, the air changed.
Lyon slowed to a stop.
Fog rolled in silently, thick and heavy, swallowing the path ahead and closing in behind him. The temperature dropped just enough to be noticeable.
"…Huh?"
He turned his head, eyes narrowing.
When did this—?
He hadn't sensed anything approaching. No sound. No sudden shift. Just fog—dense enough that he couldn't see more than a few meters ahead.
His posture changed instantly.
Relaxation drained away, replaced by focus.
Before he could take another step—
Something hit him.
"—!"
The impact came from the side, fast and brutal. Lyon felt his body lift off the ground as pain exploded across his torso. He was sent flying several meters before crashing hard against the dirt.
The world spun.
He skidded to a stop, coughing violently as something warm spilled from his mouth.
"—gh…"
He rolled onto his side, planting a hand against the ground as he tried to push himself up.
Pain registered a second later.
Sharp. Burning.
His right arm screamed in protest.
Lyon sucked in a breath and looked down.
Three deep slash marks ran across his arm, tearing through fabric and skin. Blood soaked into his sleeve, dripping steadily.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
His heart was pounding now.
That was one hit.
No warning. No time to react.
…I didn't even see it coming
For a brief moment, panic threatened to take hold. His breath hitched, pain clouding his thoughts.
Then—
A low growl echoed through the fog.
Lyon froze.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the sound.
Something moved.
A large shape emerged from the mist—low to the ground, broad, and heavy. It resembled a bear in size, but its body was leaner, its limbs longer. Its face carried something closer to a raccoon's shape, twisted and feral.
Its eyes glowed red.
The beast stared directly at him.
Lyon felt it then.
Fear.
Raw and instinctive.
So that's it…
He clenched his teeth and forced himself to move.
Using his uninjured arm, he pushed himself upright, wincing as pain shot through his body. Blood continued to drip from his arm, staining the ground beneath him.
The beast growled again, lowering itself slightly, ready to strike.
Lyon straightened.
His breathing steadied.
The fear didn't disappear—but it settled, pushed aside by something firmer.
Determination.
He planted his feet, shoulders squaring despite the pain.
That thing almost killed me in one hit.
His gaze sharpened.
I can't let it hit me like that again.
Cold mana stirred quietly beneath his skin.
Lyon's expression hardened.
Alright you fucking piece of shit, lets see what you got.
Lyon inhaled sharply, planting his feet as cold magic surged through his body.
Frost gathered around his hands, pale blue light forming magic circles over his palms. The familiar sensation steadied him, even as pain throbbed through his injured arm.
"Ice-Make: Eagles."
His voice was calm, controlled.
From the magic circles, multiple ice constructs took shape—sleek, sharp-winged eagles formed in rapid succession before launching forward. They cut through the fog with piercing speed, aiming straight for the beast's glowing eyes.
The impact never came.
The creature's body dispersed the moment the ice struck it, dissolving into mist as if it had never been there.
"…What?"
Lyon's eyes widened slightly.
Before he could react—
Something rushed him from the left.
"—!"
He twisted his body at the last second, narrowly avoiding a massive claw that tore through the space where his head had been. The force of the strike kicked up dirt and fog, forcing Lyon to leap backward several meters to regain distance.
He landed unsteadily, boots skidding against the ground.
The beast stood there again, fully formed, red eyes locked onto him as if it had never vanished.
Lyon's breathing quickened.
It phased through my attack…? No—
The beast dissolved again.
Fog swallowing its form.
"…Damn it."
Lyon's eyes darted around as he turned slowly, trying to track any sign of movement. His senses strained, magic flaring outward instinctively, but the fog swallowed everything.
I can't feel it… How is it getting this close without me noticing?
A presence flickered.
Too late.
The beast materialized directly in front of him.
"—gh!"
A heavy blow slammed into Lyon's chest, knocking the breath from his lungs. His body was thrown backwards violently, and he crashed into the dirt, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
Pain exploded through him.
He groaned, fingers digging into the ground as he forced himself to move.
Get up… get up…
His vision blurred as he pushed himself onto his knees, blood dripping from his mouth and arm. Every breath burned.
The fog thickened again.
The beast was gone.
Lyon swallowed hard.
This thing is playing with me.
He barely had time to steady himself before instinct screamed again.
Something was rushing him.
Lyon reacted on reflex.
"Ice-Make: Diamond Cage!"
A burst of cold erupted outward as thick, crystalline walls of ice formed instantly around him, locking together into a solid, faceted dome. Almost immediately, a heavy impact struck the outside.
BOOM.
The cage shuddered but held.
Another strike followed—then another.
Claws scraped across ice, sending vibrations through the structure. Cracks began to form, spiderwebbing slowly across the surface.
Lyon remained inside, breathing heavily, eyes closed.
It looked like he was cornered.
Helpless.
For a few moments, the beast continued attacking, appearing and disappearing through the fog, striking the cage from different angles. Each blow chipped away at the ice, fragments falling inward as the structure weakened.
But inside…Lyon wasn't panicking.
He was listening.
It isn't teleporting.
His lips curled upward slightly.
It's hiding its presence with the fog… masking itself until the last second.
Another strike came.
Right on cue.
The moment the beast reappeared to attack—
The cage exploded.
Ice shards erupted outward in every direction, propelled by a sudden surge of mana. The blast tore through the fog like a storm, sharp fragments embedding themselves into flesh.
The beast let out a deafening roar as ice pierced its body, staggering backward, red eyes flaring with pain and rage.
Lyon stumbled forward from the collapsing cage, breathing hard, bloodied and exhausted—but smiling.
A wide, unsteady grin stretched across his face.
"…Heh."
His eyes gleamed with clarity.
"So that's how it works."
The beast snarled, struggling to regain its footing, shards of ice still lodged in its body.
Lyon straightened despite the pain, magic continuing to swirl around him.
"I've got you figured out now."
His voice was rough, almost breathless, but filled with certainty.
Inside his mind, the thought came unfiltered—raw and intense.
I can finally put this thing in the fucking ground!
The fog swirled violently around them as the two faced each other again.
The beast glared at Lyon, its red eyes burning through the fog.
Then its body dissolved once more, melting into mist as if it had never existed.
The fog thickened, swirling unnaturally as the creature began moving again—fast, silent, circling him. Footsteps crunched faintly against frozen earth, shifting positions again and again.
Lyon didn't move.
He stood there calmly, shoulders relaxed, one hand hanging loosely at his side while the other rested near his injured arm. A faint smile sat on his face, light and unbothered, completely out of place in the middle of a battlefield.
The beast watched him.
Its irritation grew.
With a sudden burst of speed, it lunged from behind, claws aimed straight for the boy's back.
At the very last moment, Lyon took a single step to the side.
The claws cut through empty air.
He didn't even turn around.
The beast skidded to a halt, eyes glaring at Lyon.
It vanished again, the fog swallowing its form as it rushed around him once more. It attacked again. And again. From the left. From above. From blind spots it had relied on countless times before.
Every time, Lyon dodged.
Sometimes with a step. Sometimes with a slight tilt of his body. Sometimes without even looking in the creature's direction.
His movements were smooth and unhurried, as if he were avoiding falling snowflakes rather than lethal blows.
The beast snarled, rage building with every failed strike.
That's when Lyon finally spoke.
"At first," he said calmly, stepping aside as another claw swept past him, "I didn't get it."
Another dodge.
"When you first hit me. It caught me completely off guard."
He exhaled softly.
"I couldn't understand how a monster like you was easily getting close without me sensing it."
The beast reappeared and attacked again.
Missed.
"But once I was inside that cage," Lyon continued, tone steady, "I had time to think."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"And that's when I noticed it."
The fog shifted.
"You're not just hiding yourself," he said. "You're using mana to generate the fog… and spreading that mana outward to mess with your prey's senses inside it."
Lyon smiled faintly.
"You conceal your presence, track your prey, then strike when they least expect it. Honestly—good strategy."
He sidestepped another attack.
"If I hadn't put that cage up in time," he added, "you might've killed me."
The fog churned violently.
"But," Lyon said quietly, "unfortunately for you, I was able to put that cage up."
The beast roared and lunged again.
Ice erupted from the ground.
Sharp spears burst upward beneath the creature, piercing through its limbs and torso in an instant. The force lifted it off the ground, impaling it midair as it let out a furious, pained howl.
It thrashed wildly, claws scraping against ice as it tried—and failed—to break free.
Lyon turned and walked toward it.
"That strategy of yours was well thought out, most wouldn't be able to handle it," he said, voice calm as ever. "However, that doesn't mean it couldn't be used against you."
—
Flashback…
Earlier, inside the Diamond Cage, Lyon had closed his eyes despite the attacks. While the beast struck from all sides, Lyon focused inward, carefully pushing his magic outward—not explosively, but gently.
Into the ground.
He mimicked what the beast was doing, spreading his magic energy thin across the fog-filled field. It wasn't easy. His control wavered constantly, mana threatening to collapse back into him.
However, bit by bit, the sensation returned to him.
The ground.
The air.
The fog itself.
And finally—
There you are.
End of Flashback…
—
"It was a lot easier said than done" Lyon muttered dryly as he stopped in front of the suspended creature.
The beast glared down at him, hatred burning in its eyes.
Lyon looked up at it, unafraid.
"You hurt a lot of people," he said quietly. "And you even hurt me."
His expression softened just a little.
"But even with all of that…I'm still thankful to you."
Soon a faint, genuine smile appeared.
"This fight," Lyon continued, "It helped me get better at understanding more about magic. And how to use it, as I truly felt myself grow stronger."
A magic circle formed in the palm of his hand as he placed it against the creature's stomach.
"So..I thank you for that."
His voice remained calm.
"Now do the world a favor…and die."
Ice spikes fired outward instantly, piercing straight through the beast's body. Its roar was cut short as its eyes dulled, body going limp as the fog around it rapidly thinned—then vanished completely.
The ice spears shattered, and the corpse collapsed to the ground.
Silence returned to the field.
Lyon stepped back, breathing heavily.
As the fog cleared fully, a clear path revealed itself ahead—the route the village chief had described, stretching toward the distant town.
Lyon looked at it, exhaustion settling into his bones.
He smiled softly.
Then he winced.
"…Ow."
Pain surged through his arm and chest all at once, and he bent slightly, teeth clenched.
Okay, wow. That really hurts. Like—really hurts. How the fuck do people not react to shit like this in anime?
Lyon groaned under his breath, as his long winded battle had finally come to an end.