The Forsaken Seal

The Questions Layron Needs Answered

Layron sat across from Gramps, his arms crossed, frustration burning in his chest.

"Why?" he asked, his voice firm. "Why have you been hiding this from me my whole life?"

Gramps exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "It wasn't time."

Layron gritted his teeth. Not this again.

"That's not an answer!" Layron snapped. "If this power exists, why didn't you train me earlier?!"

Gramps' gaze darkened slightly. "Because you weren't ready."

Layron clenched his fists. "Then make me ready! Tell me what the hell is going on!"

Gramps sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're asking for things you don't understand yet."

Layron glared at him. "Then help me understand!"

Gramps studied him for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he stood up from his chair.

"It's not the time for that."

Layron's frustration boiled over. "Then when is the time, Gramps?! How much longer do I have to wait?!"

Gramps ignored the outburst. Instead, he took a slow step forward, rolling his shoulders.

"Watch me."

Layron frowned. "What?"

Gramps flexed his fingers. "You want answers? You'll understand when you see it."

---

The Wrath of Rensho

Gramps closed his eyes.

Then—the air shifted.

Layron felt it instantly. A strange pressure, like an unseen force pressing against everything. The wind changed direction, swirling around Gramps, making the grass flatten under the invisible weight of his power.

Layron's breath hitched.

Gramps raised his fist.

Then—BOOM.

The air around him exploded outward, sending a shockwave across the yard. The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Layron's eyes widened. What the hell is this…?

Then—fire.

A roaring, golden-red flame curled around Gramps' fist, flickering unnaturally. It wasn't normal fire. It looked alive, twisting and spiraling around his knuckles like a living creature.

Then—Gramps spoke.

"RENSHOOOO – FIRE FIRST !"

He struck.

His flaming fist smashed into the thick tree trunk.

Layron barely blinked before he saw the result.

A clean hole had formed in the tree where Gramps' fist had landed.

Layron frowned. That's it?

Then—it happened.

The fire, which had been small, expanded.

No—it erupted.

Before Layron could even react, the flames swallowed the entire tree faster than light itself.

One second, there was a tree.

The next—

There was nothing.

Not even embers. Not even burnt bark. Just ash

The tree had ceased to exist.

Layron's entire body locked up.

His mind shut down.

For the first time in his life—he had no words.

---

Layron's Inner Breakdown: The Truth Behind the Flames

Layron couldn't move.

He couldn't even think properly.

All he could do was stare at the empty space where the tree once stood.

His breath came out in shaky gasps.

"What… the… hell?"

This wasn't normal.

Fire didn't work like this. Even the strongest fire magic took time to consume an object. But this?

"This wasn't fire."

His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

"How did it spread so fast?"

Fire shouldn't be able to move faster than light.

Then—realization struck.

"He fused it with something else."

Layron's fingers twitched. His mind raced through the moment in slow motion.

The way the flames moved. The instant expansion. The way the tree didn't just burn—it vanished.

Then, it hit him.

"Lightning."

His body tensed.

"He infused lightning into the fire."

The speed, the way the fire didn't look normal, the instant destruction—it all made sense now.

But one question remained.

"Then why didn't I see the lightning?"

Layron's eyes snapped back to Gramps, who was watching him with mild amusement.

Then, another horrifying thought hit him.

"He kept the lightning invisible."

Layron's pulse spiked.

His entire body tensed.

Gramps didn't just create powerful fire—he masked the real danger.

Enemies would see the flames and assume they had time to react. But before they could even move, the fire—no, the hidden lightning—would have already struck them down.

"That means… even if they knew fire was coming, they'd never see what actually killed them."

Layron's breath hitched.

"Gramps wasn't just showing me power—he was showing me deception."

His stomach twisted.

"How much has this old man been hiding?!"

---

The Monster in My Home

Layron's legs felt weak.

His hands trembled slightly.

Gramps wasn't just powerful.

He was terrifying.

Layron had spent his entire life thinking this man was just an old, cranky elder. He had no idea.

This wasn't just some martial arts move.

This wasn't just a punch.

This was a carefully crafted, unstoppable technique designed to fool enemies before erasing them in an instant.

Layron looked at the empty space where the tree once stood.

His heart pounded.

"This whole time, I've been living with a demon in human skin."

And for the first time in his life—

He felt small.

---

Gramps studied him, then smirked slightly. "I see it in your face."

Layron blinked. "See what?"

Gramps stepped forward, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"The hunger for power."

Layron's pulse spiked.

Gramps' grip tightened slightly.

"That's good," he said. "Because if you want to survive what's coming… you're going to need it."

---