On the shores of the Northern Cardinal, on an island known as Ryujin Island, the air was cold.
Unnaturally cold.
Which was strange... considering the North was known for its heat, especially at this time of year.
The waters that should've been crashing against the shore were gone.
The ocean... was still.
Silent.
And blanketed in thick fog.
Through that fog-
A figure emerged.
Slowly.
Dragging something massive behind him.
At first, it looked like nothing more than a shadow, one far larger than the man himself.
Step by step, he moved forward.
Until-
He broke through the mist.
It was Boros. Bloodied. Exhausted.
His breathing was heavy, uneven, but still, he refused to let go of whatever he was dragging.
And behind him...
As far as the eye could see-
The ocean was frozen solid.
He ran a hand through his hair.
And then-
The thing he had been dragging came into view.
A sea beast. Massive. Easily the size of a large ship.
Two jagged tusks jutted from its mouth. Its skin was a deep, unnatural purple, and two curved horns rose from its head.
But despite its size-
It looked worse than Boros did.
With a grunt, Boros let go.
The creature's body slammed into the sand.
He stepped forward, boots digging into the shore.
"Just when I decide to cross the ocean..." he muttered, cracking his fingers.
"...the damn sea beasts and storms start running wild."
Only then did he take a moment to actually look around.
And what he saw made him pause.
A forest. Endless. Stretching as far as the eye could see.
The trees towered high into the sky-massive in both height and width, far beyond anything he'd seen before.
"What the hell kinda manure are these people using on their trees...?" Boros muttered.
Then-
His expression hardened. Reality snapped back into place as he remembered why he was here.
"...It's already been five days."
His eyes narrowed.
"Time to start looking for those damn Draken."
"I'm sensing hostile presences in that forest… so I won't go in just yet," Boros muttered, eyes narrowing as he glanced toward the trees.
"I'll stick to the shoreline. Maybe I might find something."
And with that—
He took off running.
Hours passed. Then more. By the time a full day had gone by, Boros had covered an insane stretch of coastline, only stopping occasionally for short breaks.
But as he ran—
He began to notice something.
Bodies.
Scattered along the shore. Draken. Beasts. Humans.
All dead.
The farther he went…
The more something felt off.
'Why would anyone let this happen?' he thought, eyes narrowing as he passed another corpse.
'If people actually live here… why is the shore filled with bodies?'
Kinuko's words echoed in his mind.
"The North is off-limits."
Just what kind of place was the Northern Cardinal…?
It was now Day Six of Boros' hunt for the Draken. And he was getting tired. Not just physically—
Mentally.
A whole day of searching… and nothing. No signs. No clear trail.
Nothing.
"Tch…"
He clenched his teeth, irritation creeping in.
At this rate, he almost felt like killing two random Draken, heading back to Griffin, and saying he couldn't recover any IDs.
He stomped forward—
Then suddenly slowed. His eyes shifted. Something had changed.
The bodies. Before, they had been mixed.
Now—
There were only humans.
Boros' expression hardened instantly.
Without hesitation, he surged forward—
Racing ahead until he reached the top of a small hill.
Then he stopped.
Below him—
Two figures stood. Massive. Red. Draken.
Boros exhaled slowly.
A grin began to form.
"…Found you."
Boros gazed down at them from the top of the hill.
Their bodies were massive, covered in deep red scales that caught the light like blood.
Thick limbs supported their weight, each step leaving shallow cracks in the ground. Wings, large enough to blot out the sky, were folded along their backs, twitching slightly as if ready to tear open at any moment.
Their jaws parted just enough to reveal rows of jagged teeth.
Smoke seeped from their mouths with every breath.
And their eyes—
Cold. Focused. Predatory.
"I don't have time to stand here admiring these damn Draken…"
Boros muttered, eyes narrowing.
"…I'm gonna make them pay for all these corpses."
He stepped forward—
—and slid down the hill.
THUD.
The moment he landed—
Both Draken turned.
A low, rumbling growl vibrated through the air as they locked onto him—
Then charged. Boros clenched his fists. But just as they closed the distance—
They stopped. Dead. Right in front of him.
A low growl escaped them as they stared directly into his eyes.
Unmoving. Unblinking.
"…What?" Boros muttered.
"Why did they stop…?"
His eyes narrowed.
"What are they—"
He froze.
A strange sensation crept over him.
Cold. Heavy. Unfamiliar.
"…What is this feeling…?" he whispered, his breathing tightening.
His gaze didn't leave them.
"If I had to describe it…"
A pause.
"…it feels like I'm connected to them."
Suddenly—
He grabbed his head. Pain shot through his skull. Sharp, violent pain.
"Not now!" he shouted.
That single flinch—
Was all it took.
CRUNCH!!
One of the Draken lunged, jaws snapping shut where he had been standing—
But Boros had already rolled away.
Its teeth tore into the base of the hill, ripping out a massive chunk of earth.
The creature jerked back, thrashing its head, spitting out sand and stone—
While the other remained still—
Watching him. Growling.
"Tch…" Boros clicked his tongue, pushing himself back up.
"These headaches…"
His grip tightened slightly.
"They only come when I start thinking about my past…"
His eyes flicked toward the Draken.
"…so what the hell does that make you two?"
He exhaled sharply.
"Too bad you can't talk…"
A faint grin crept onto his face.
"…would've asked you a few questions before killing you."
He stepped forward. Fists clenched. Eyes locked.
Now—
They were ready to fight.
The moment Boros stepped forward—
They moved.
The first Draken lunged low, claws tearing through the ground as it closed the distance in an instant.
The second—
Took to the air.
Its wings snapped open with a violent gust, sand and debris blasting outward as it rose above him, circling.
Boros' eyes flicked upward—
Then back down.
"Tch… a coordinated attack huh?"
The ground split beneath him. The first Draken was already there.
CRACK!!
Its claw tore through the space where his chest had been—
Boros twisted at the last second, the attack grazing past him close enough for him to feel the wind pressure rip across his skin.
He slid back—
—but didn't get a second to breathe.
A shadow fell over him.
He looked up—
BOOM!!
The second Draken crashed down from above, its full weight slamming into the ground.
The impact shattered the earth, sending chunks of rock flying in every direction.
Boros crossed his arms—
and took it head-on.
The force drove him into the ground. Hard.
For a split second—
Silence.
Then—
CRACK!!
The ground beneath him fractured further as Boros pushed back up, crimson ran down his forearms as deep gashes split open under the force.
He slid out from under it, boots carving deep into the earth as he regained his footing.
"…Yeah," he muttered, rolling his shoulder slightly.
"That's more like it."
The first Draken didn't hesitate.
It was already on him again—
Faster this time.
Its jaws snapped forward—
Boros raised his arm to block—
THUD!!
The impact hit harder than expected.
His body shifted back half a step.
His eyes narrowed.
"…You're heavier than I expected."
The Draken didn't pull back.
It pressed forward, jaws clamped against his guard, forcing him backward across the ground.
And that's when—
The second one moved.
Boros' instincts screamed.
He twisted—
BANG!!
A tail whipped across his side like a battering ram.
The hit sent him skidding across the ground, tearing through sand and stone before he dug his foot in and stopped himself.
Silence.
Then—
He laughed.
"HAHA…"
He wiped the corner of his mouth, glancing at the blood on his fingers.
"…This is getting good."
Both Draken stood now.
One in front.
One behind.
Boxed in.
They didn't rush him this time. Didn't roar. Didn't thrash. They watched.
Waiting.
Boros exhaled slowly, rolling his neck as he adjusted his stance.
"…So that's how it's gonna be."
For the first time since the fight began—
His grin faded slightly.
Not gone. But sharper. More focused.
"…Fine."
The air grew heavier.
And then—
Both Draken lowered their bodies at the same time.
Boros' eyes narrowed.
"…Come on."
They vanished.
And this time—
Boros didn't move.