The salty taste of the sea breeze…
"That boy… where did he go?"
The faintly comforting sensation of soft sand beneath his feet
"…! Mom, over there!"
And the sweetness of an apple being chewed carefree
"LEVCINDERBANE!"
The loud, shrill voice startled the boy in such a relaxing setting.
"IT'S YOUR DAY TO WORK, YOU LAZYBONES!"
"GYAH?!"
The woman's shouts were accompanied by a sharp slap that landed squarely on the boy's head.
As always, a peaceful day-to-day for him.
"It's your turn to fetch firewood today, did you forget?"
"Was it?"
With a pensive expression, the boy began rubbing the spot on his head where his mother had hit him.
"Haa…. Honestly. Come on, go get today's firewood. Your father's back is acting up again."
Rubbing her temples, the woman turned to head back the way she came.
"Riiight! Okay… heave-ho!"
With his hands behind his head, he hunched over and stood up in one go with a slight push.
"Now… huh?"
But as he turned around, he noticed his little sister standing there, staring intently.
"..."
"What is it, Luna?"
She didn't say anything, she just pointed to an object in the sand.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot about that."
Lev bent down to pick up his trusty, well-worn sword.
"Thanks, Luna."
The girl didn't answer directly, but gave him a thumbs-up, her chest puffed out and her cheeks flushed.
To him, it was clear what he had to do…
"Good girl."
Gently bringing his hand to her head, he began to ruffle her hair quickly.
"Lunaaa~ let's go back soon!"
"Huh? Luna, your mom is calling you, you know?"
Although it was hard to read her emotions directly from her face, to Lev…
"Don't be sulky, okay? I'll play with you later."
"…! Promise!"
Before the girl went back to her mom, she grabbed her brother's hand with both of hers and pressed it tightly against her own head for one last cuddle.
"Haha, she really loves being spoiled."
Lev waved until they were out of sight, and then stretched his body.
"Now then… let's go get that firewood."
By now, Lev was familiar with the path leading to the part of the forest where they gathered firewood.
The sound of birdsong filled the air as he craned his neck.
"Let's see, I think about three—no, four trees should do?"
He walked slowly, carefully observing the trees around him, carving a small X with his knife into the ones that looked best.
"And… done! These ones here are going to blow the old man's mind, hehe."
With a small, satisfied smile, Lev took off his jacket and tied it around his waist. Then he gave his arms and back a good stretch.
He took a deep breath, bringing his left leg forward and stepping back with his right.
He leaned forward and drew the sword from his waist, resting it on his right shoulder.
He exhaled and narrowed his eyes firmly.
"Wolf Stance: Waning Moon"
In one swift motion, the sword descended from his shoulder, skimming the ground. At the same moment, he reversed his grip and lunged forward with a horizontal slash.
"..."
After a brief silence, one by one, the trees he had marked fell to the ground.
"Tsk… the cuts came out crooked, huh?"
Lev let out a sigh, rested the sword on his shoulder, and approached one of them.
"This one looks like a dip in the road… that other one, on the other hand, is a speed bump."
The young man pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and took a photo of the fallen trees.
"And… sent. Now we just have to wait for the old man to bring the truck."
He covered his mouth and let out a heavy yawn.
"Man, I wonder what's for lunch to— huh?"
His brief moment of peace was interrupted.
The sound of leaves rustling violently echoed through the woods.
"Wait… if I'm not mistaken, it's now the season for…"
Lev brought his hand to his chin, trying to pull something from his memory.
Completely ignoring the huge black bear in front of him.
"That old witch could've at least warned me."
He crossed his arms and pouted, but soon let out a sigh.
"Oh well."
Finally, the boy looked at the creature standing before him.
"Yo!"
He raised his hand casually, as if greeting an acquaintance.
"Go on your way, buddy. Don't worry about me—"
Leaping backward at the last second, the bear's paw sliced through the air where he had been just moments before.
"... you are not the peaceful type who likes honey. I see"
He glanced briefly at the creature and his surroundings.
"No pack or cubs nearby, scars… are you the delinquent type?"
And he let out a wry, resigned smile.
He spread his legs shoulder-width apart, bending his knees slightly.
"Alright… I like this kind of game."
And he drew the sword from his waist, raising it above his head, gripping the hilt with both hands.
The bear, on the other hand, was snorting through its mouth, its eyes glowing a fiery red.
"…"
Lev and the bear stared at each other in silence. The air felt heavy, but neither of them made the first move.
"... Huh? Am I supposed to make the first move?"
Lev tilted his head slightly, exhaustion already etched on his face.
"Well, whatever... Bear Stance: Tremor"
He pulled the sword back and lunged forward the next instant, driving his full body weight into the strike.
The bear didn't try to dodge. On the contrary, it met the blow head-on.
The blade locked against its tough hide, and in the next instant, the impact exploded into the ground, cracking the earth all around.
"Damn…"
Still, a wry smile appeared on Lev's face.
The bear took advantage of the opening to deliver a heavy blow with its paw.
Lev was hurled against one of the fallen trees, while the sound of the impact echoed through the woods.
"Ouch… take it easy, buddy. Self-control exists, you know?"
He got up as if nothing had happened, brushing the dust off his clothes.
"Just so you know, okay? You're not the only one with tough skin around here."
With a crack in his neck, he charged toward the bear.
Just as the bear was about to strike again with its paw—
"Heave-ho!"
Lev leaped, planting his hands on the creature's arm and twisting his body over it.
Mid-movement, he yanked out the embedded sword and completed the twist, landing just ahead.
"Wolf Stance: Waning Moon!"
Without losing momentum, he executed another move, the blade tracing the same arc that had felled the trees.
This time, the blade sliced a deep gash into the bear.
"Far from over, buddy!"
Without letting up, Lev advanced behind the creature and pushed off its back, launching himself upward.
"Wolf Stance: New Moon!"
When the bear spun around, all it saw was Lev coming down; his body spinning completely as the blade followed.
"Phew…"
After landing, the boy stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes.
"Ah! Damn, my old lady is going to give me hell over these bloodstains."
He glanced over his shoulder.
The creature lay on the floor, its face split in two.
"…Well, maybe I do deserve a scolding for this one…"
He scratched his cheek, feeling a little embarrassed.
"LEEEEV!!"
"Oh, he's here."
Lev turned toward the voice; his father stood there, gaping at the scene.
"H-hey! How's your back, old man?"
"Forget about my back! You've got blood all over the firewood again!"
As Lev knelt, taking his father's scolding, a shadow watched from behind a tree.
"That's crazy… with a sword in such bad shape, he took down a Bear in Demonic Frenzy?! That was worth 50 points!"
The shadow was panting with excitement.
"And what was that style? At first it looked all sloppy, but when he finished… I couldn't see a single opening."
She lowered her smartphone, quickly sending the message.
"Hehe, the captain will definitely want to meet this kid!"