The Invincible Young Master

Its claws slammed into the stone, cracks spiderwebbing outward in all directions. Dust and shards erupted in a violent spray.

Reynold's men faltered, confusion flashing through their ranks.

From among them, a general stepped forward, voice rising above the noise.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he shouted, face pale with outrage. "Did you purposefully drive the beast straight toward us?"

The masked guard Ian hovered above the battlefield, steady against the shockwave of the creature's latest strike.

The air vibrated with raw force, the chamber rattling beneath the impact, yet his posture remained unshaken.

"It wasn't intentional. I was just being overwhelmed."

The words carried a faint note of humility, but the edge beneath it betrayed the truth.

The general's eyes narrowed. This man purposefully brought the fight to their side.

"If Marquis Reynold would assist me in buying time for our two armies to pass," the masked man added, "it would be good for both armies."

The general's hand darted toward his sword hilt, body coiling to charge at the masked man in anger.

But before steel could even clear the scabbard, Reynold raised a gloved hand, palm outward. And his gaze lingered on the hulking creature.

"It's fine," Reynold said evenly. "I was curious about the creature myself."

He tilted his head just slightly, eyes never leaving the creature's writhing form.

"Continue the march."

A flicker of surprise passed through the soldiers. Reynold's tone left no room for hesitation; orders were orders.

The masked man exhaled softly beneath his helm, the faintest curve of a smile hidden in the shadows of his mask.

A new ripple of movement drew the monster's attention; a figure was rising outside the barrier.

Instinctively, it unleashed a surge of crimson mist, enveloping Reynold in a suffocating, almost tangible haze.

However, in the next instance, Reynold hovered above the mist, cloak fluttering against the corrupted wind, untouched by the haze.

His gaze swept across the swirling red mist below.

So it is the same… he thought.

The mist felt almost identical to the ancient corruption that lingered in the ruins, a living essence that eroded not only energy but the mind itself.

Too long within it, even the strongest would be prey.

The creature shrieked in frustration, sensing its attack had failed, and turned its hunger toward Reynold's advancing soldiers.

Yet before it could descend, Reynold moved.

One seamless arc of his blade rang out, meeting the monster's hard armor like body with a thunderous clash that rattled the chamber.

One sword against countless sharp limbs. Sparks erupted, echoing like a storm contained within stone walls.

The beast roared, snapping its hooked limbs in a frenzy, but Reynold danced among its strikes effortlessly, blocking and parrying, each movement precise, fluid, and unassailable. Not a single claw grazed him.

Below, the army continued forward, their disciplined march shielded by the silent duel unfolding above.

The ground trembled faintly with each strike, but no soldier faltered; they knew Reynold alone held the battlefield above them in a deadly equilibrium.

The creature lunged once more, segmented limbs scything through the air, but a sudden blur struck from the side.

A joint cracked sharply, buckling under the force of the strike. The monstrous roar echoed through the chamber, reverberating off the vaulted stone ceiling.

The masked guard Ian hovered at the creature's place.

"I've heard much about you, Marquis," he said, "Son of the empire's finest swordsman… yet I don't see any of those famed sword arts."

The creature rose again behind him, its torn body knitting back together with grotesque speed.

Eyes glowing with fury, it lunged straight at the masked figure, jaws snapping.

But at the very moment of impact, the man vanished like smoke, leaving only the empty space where he had stood.

Momentum carried the beast forward, directly into Reynold's path.

Reynold did not flinch. He raised his sword and, with a single, horizontal arc, his sword cut through the thick air.

And from the motion erupted a pure, blinding beam of light, slicing the gloom like a wound tearing through the very fabric of space.

The creature froze mid-charge, its gemlike eyes cleaved in a perfect line.

A guttural, inhuman sound escaped its throat as its massive body went limp, crashing heavily onto the stone floor.

The masked guard reappeared a short distance away, arms crossed, watching.

"So the Marquis is not just an alchemist," he murmured, voice calm but tinged with awe. "To think you are also a master swordsman."

Reynold said nothing. He stepped toward the fallen monstrosity.

With both hands, he grasped the massive gemlike eyes, yanking them free. Blood gleamed across his fingers, and the orbs pulsed faintly, still alive with energy.

In the next moment, like water slipping through cupped hands, the gems dissolved, swirling back toward the corpse.

Within a heartbeat, the creature's eyes reformed, glowing anew with malevolence.

Reynold's expression remained unreadable, but a spark of understanding ignited in his eyes.

"As expected," he muttered under his breath.

He had already sensed it; the concentrated energy within those twin eyes acted as the monster's core. But destroying them once was not enough.

Its body began to stir once more. The chest heaved violently, and a thick wave of crimson mist poured outward, rolling across the stone floor like a living tide.

Reynold narrowed his eyes, bracing against the stench and poison of the miasma, forcing himself back through the air to keep the foul mist at bay.

After being struck down multiple times, it did not rush forward now as before.

Instead, it coiled its massive limbs around the central pillar, segmented plates grinding against stone.

Its body writhed upward with uncanny, climbing toward the vaulted ceiling, eyes locked on the warriors below as though calculating its next strike.

The masked guard Ian appeared silently at Reynold's side, crimson armor catching the faint shafts of light that pierced the chamber's gloom.

For a long moment, neither spoke. They watched the monstrous creature coil and climb the central pillar.

Finally, the masked guard broke the silence, his voice edged with curiosity.

"I've heard your brother is the strongest man in the empire," he said, casual yet pointed. "I wonder why he didn't join this expedition?"

Reynold did not turn his head, eyes fixed on the massive monstrosity inching closer to the ceiling.

"I alone am enough," he answered flatly.