The battlefield was painted in chaos—whirling winds, raging fire, and the crimson glow of the blood-drenched moon. The Black Panther, though heavily wounded, still refused to fall. Its glowing eyes burned with fury, its muscles coiling like a tightly wound spring, ready to pounce at any moment.

  Ryoji took a step forward, his presence towering like an immovable mountain. He let out a deep breath, then turned to me with a grin.

  "Let's go with our flow, Hiroshi."

  His words carried weight, as if something monumental was about to happen.

  Without hesitation, Ryoji raised his right hand, summoning flames that spiraled upward like a living entity. His mana surged through the air, igniting a brilliant golden fire that took the form of a massive dragon, its eyes blazing like miniature suns.

  "Dragon’s Fire Breath!"

  The flaming dragon roared, its mouth opening wide as it prepared to unleash hell upon the Black Panther.

  Seeing this, something clicked inside me.

  The wind was mine to command.

  Without thinking, I swung my arms forward, my mana surging through my veins like a raging river. The wind around me howled, merging with the inferno Ryoji had summoned. The flames twisted, shaped by the force of the storm, transforming into something far greater.

  The fire dragon expanded, growing in size and intensity. Its body became a swirling inferno, its flames sharpened by the razor-like currents of my wind magic. It was no longer just a dragon of fire.

  It was a storm of destruction.

  Ryoji’s eyes widened in shock. "This... This is the attack of the Six Strongest!"

  The Dragon King’s Lynn Breath.

  With an earth-shattering roar, the dragon unleashed its breath, a devastating blast of fire and wind combined. The sheer force of the attack shattered the ground beneath it, sending shockwaves that made the very air tremble.

  The Black Panther had no time to react.

  The firestorm engulfed its entire body, flames licking at its dark fur, burning away its very existence. The once-mighty beast, feared for its strength and agility, could do nothing but let out a final, agonized roar as its form was reduced to ashes.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  But it still wasn’t over.

  As the last remnants of the flames dissipated, a shadow flickered within the smoke. Despite its scorched and tattered body, the Black Panther still stood.

  Blood dripped from its burned flesh, its legs trembling. Its once-powerful aura had faded, yet its will to fight remained unbroken.

  Maito took one step forward, his face calm yet resolute.

  “I’ll finish this,” he said, his voice carrying a chilling finality.

  He lifted his hand, and the air froze around him. The temperature dropped instantly, and a swirling mass of water gathered at his fingertips. It wasn’t just ordinary water—it was pressurized, sharpened, condensed into something far deadlier.

  His mana surged, and the water shaped itself into a massive blade—a dragon’s fang, forged from liquid yet harder than steel.

  "Water Blast: Dragon Slice!"

  In one swift motion, Maito swung his arm, and the water blade tore through the air.

  A blinding flash of blue light followed.

  The Black Panther didn’t even have time to move.

  In the next second, its body was sliced clean in half.

  A deafening silence followed.

  For a moment, none of us moved. The beast—one of the strongest creatures we had ever faced—was dead.

  The battle was over.

  Maito exhaled, lowering his hand. His attack had been precise, swift, and absolute. There was no unnecessary suffering, no drawn-out agony.

  Ryoji stepped forward, placing a hand on Maito’s shoulder. "Well done."

  I, too, let out a breath, my body suddenly feeling heavy. The battle had drained me more than I realized. The power of Wind God Fūjin was still coursing through my veins, but I could tell that it wasn’t infinite. It was a temporary gift—one that could vanish at any moment.

  As the Black Panther’s body disintegrated into mana particles, the crimson glow of the moon slowly faded, returning to its normal pale-white hue.

  The village was safe.

  Chapter 24.5: The Taste of Victory?

  The battlefield had fallen silent. The Black Panther was no more, its body having disintegrated into mana particles, leaving nothing but a faint, eerie mist. The tension in the air slowly faded as exhaustion settled in.

  Maito wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a satisfied sigh. "That was tougher than expected," he muttered.

  Ryoji stretched his shoulders. "It’s been a while since I had to use that much mana," he admitted.

  As for me, I just stood there, still in disbelief. I had fought side by side with warriors far stronger than me. I had seen power beyond anything I could imagine. And yet...

  "Hey!"

  A loud voice suddenly broke through my thoughts.

  I turned my head to see Kaito with his arms crossed, staring at the spot where the Black Panther had been. His expression was serious.

  Too serious.

  "Uh... what is it?" I asked hesitantly.

  Kaito narrowed his eyes. "We should’ve saved some of it."

  Maito blinked. "Saved... some of what?"

  Kaito pointed dramatically at the empty ground.

  "The meat!"

  Silence.

  Ryoji’s face twitched. Maito’s mouth hung slightly open. I just stood there, trying to process what he had just said.

  "You’re joking," I finally said.

  Kaito shook his head firmly. "Nope. That thing was huge! Can you imagine how much meat we could’ve gotten out of it? We’re in a village. Food is important! And who knows? Maybe Black Panther meat is delicious!"

  Ryoji facepalmed.

  Maito let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples. "Kaito… you do realize that was a Grade 2 Beast, right? Its body was full of mana. Who knows what would’ve happened if you ate it?"

  Kaito shrugged. "Maybe I would’ve leveled up."

  I stared at him in disbelief. "Or maybe you would’ve exploded."

  Kaito scoffed. "Tch. We’ll never know now, will we?"

  Ryoji let out a long sigh. "Kaito, listen to me carefully… we do not eat mana beasts."

  "Why not?" Kaito protested. "Maito, back me up here!"

  Maito shook his head. "No way. I’m not risking food poisoning from a mana-infused predator."

  Kaito looked at me.

  I crossed my arms. "Not happening."

  Kaito groaned in defeat. "Man… what a waste."

  Ryoji chuckled. "You’re lucky it disappeared on its own, or else I would’ve made you carry that entire panther back to the village."

  Kaito shivered at the thought. "Okay, okay! I get it!"

  The mood finally lightened, and the exhaustion of battle was replaced with laughter. The tension had passed, and for the first time in what felt like forever, things felt normal again.

  And with that, our first true battle had come to an end.