The battlefield was a hell on earth.
Fire danced, metal sang, and the air reeked of burning wood and blood. Rain pounded against the ruins of the town, but it did not quench the firestorm Solian had lit.
Kordak knelt on one knee.
His thickset body, once a unstoppable battering ram, now shook with exhaustion. His torso was scarred with slashes, bruised and burned—at testament to both Elric's killing swordsmanship and Solian's unavoidable flames. His Zoan regeneration struggled in vain, and for the first time in quite a while…
Kordak appeared vulnerable.
Solian's flames intensified, illuminating the wreckage around him. He could feel the unbridled power coursing through his veins—his Solar Rift Fruit shattering its current ceiling, tapping power from his determination. This was it. The system had sent him on his mission. Kordak beaten meant 15 System Points.
And he was not going to let this opportunity pass him by.
"You're done, Kordak," Solian said, his voice steady. His crew stood behind him—Vance cracking his knuckles, Kael gripping his twin blades, Jorin readying his stance.
Kordak spat blood into the dirt, glaring up at Solian. "Tch… cocky little bastard."
Elric stood a few paces away, his sword still drawn but held lazily at his side. He was watching, analyzing, but not interfering.
Solian's eyes narrowed. Elric was powerful enough to kill Kordak alone. So why wasn't he leaving?
Did he want to watch how Solian did it?
Fine. Solian would demonstrate.
Kordak's Last Stand
Kordak gritted his teeth and punched the ground, propelling himself to his feet. His bruised body towered above them, but he wasn't as fast anymore. His body was straining its limits.
Still, his aura flared one last time.
".You little punks think this is over?" he snarled. "I've killed men twice as strong as you. You're nothing but a bunch of rookies."
Solian took a deep breath, his flames condensing into his fists. His crew stepped forward, ready to end this.
But then—
Kordak roared.
His Zoan form exploded with power, muscles bulging as he made a final lunge. His massive black-armored arm, wrapped in thick black Armament Haki, slammed toward Solian like a wrecking ball.
This was his final blow.
A last-ditch gamble.
Solian's gold-blazing eyes.
"Solar Rift: Afterimage."
WHOOSH—!
The moment Kordak's fist would have landed, Solian vanished.
His seared-afterimage persisted for an instant—long enough for Kordak to realize he had punched nothing.
And then—
Solian came back over him.
His fire leg flared to life, blazing hotter than before. This was it.
His strongest attack to date.
"Solar Rift: Plasma Drop!"
BOOOOM!
His searing heel blasted into Kordak's cranium, shockwaves ripping through the battlefield. The blow cracked the earth under them, reducing it to a crater where Kordak stood.
The pirate giant disintegrated.
He dropped—face-first, out cold, smoke erupting from his body.
Silence.
For a moment, no one budged.
And then—
DING!
[System Alert: Quest Complete]
Quest: Kill Kordak
????️ Reward: 15 System Points
Solian exhaled, staggering slightly. Fifteen System Points. That was huge. He could already feel the system computing the reward, the thrill of new power running through him.
But before he could check his status—
A slow clap echoed through the rain.
Elric's Judgment
Elric moved forward, face empty. His katana was already in its sheath once more, as if he'd never drawn it in the first place.
"You did that well," he offered, still as quiet-spoken as could be, but with an odd level of gravity added to his words. "Efficient. Quick."
Solian shifted uncomfortably. "And?"
Elric's eyes met his. Piercing. Analyzing. Dangers.
"And it tells me everything I need to know about you.".
The bounty hunter moved back from Kordak's corpse, his gaze fixed on Solian.
"You're getting stronger."
The words sent a shiver down Solian's spine. Not from the compliment itself—but from the tone in which Elric spoke.
As if he was watching prey.
As if he was measuring his next catch.
Solian clenched his fists. "Are you here to fight me, too?"
Elric smiled—barely. "No. Not yet."
He walked away. Completely unbothered.
"But soon, Solian Flare."
His voice was a whisper against the storm.
"Soon, we'll see if you're worth hunting."
And just like that—
Silent Gale Elric disappeared into the night.
The Aftermath – A Rising Threat
The town was in ruins. The rain had finally begun to die down, but the damage was done. Bodies littered the ground—Storm Reaver pirates, bounty hunters, even a few unlucky Marines.
Solian looked at his crew.
They had won.
But that was not the end. Not by a long shot.
Kordak had been conquered, but not destroyed. His value was huge—capturing him could net them another huge bounty.
And then there was Elric.
He was not just some bounty hunter. He was something more. A force that would change everything.
Solian took a deep breath, his flames burning low as exhaustion finally got the best of him.
They had managed for the time being.
But the next hurdle was already in waiting.
And this time, the world was paying attention.