While Kealen's ragged breaths mingled with the deathly silence hanging over the Gazelle's corpse, another part of the forest was witnessing a different kind of turmoil. No sooner had the echo of the final shot faded than Farouk was already hacking his way through the thickets, driven by a grim intuition toward the source of the explosion that had shaken the very soul of the earth. The air was heavy with the scent of burning, and the forest that was once a sanctuary had now turned into a stage awaiting a new bloody performance.
Farouk finally reached the devastated clearing and stopped, his body tense, when he beheld the Great Tree. The oldest living being in the forest stood with legendary pride despite the explosion that had occurred directly before it, leaving a blackened crater in the soil emitting fumes of treachery. There, amidst the drifting ash, Soren stood like a sword thrust into the earth, his eyes fixed on a wall of smoke twisting before the tree.
Farouk advanced with cautious steps, his hand firmly gripping the "Paper Blueprint."
"Soren.. what's the situation?" Farouk whispered, standing shoulder to shoulder with his friend. Soren didn't answer with words; he kept watching the smoke mass as it began to clear with suspicious slowness, revealing two figures surrounded by an overwhelming presence of power and brutality.
The man emerged from the ash; his skin was as white as if it had never touched the light of day, and his long black hair fell over his shoulders, brushing against a luxurious white cloak adorned with deep red stripes. But what distinguished him most was the black tattoo of a predatory tiger coiled around his neck, and his piercing red eyes.
Beside him, the other man stood in total silence, his black hair neatly arranged and his black eyes sunken and bottomless. Soren clearly glimpsed the snake tattoo covering his hands, extending from his arms to end with fangs at his fingertips; he too wore a white cloak.
the one with the tiger tattoo broke the silence in a cold voice dripping with arrogance: "Welcome, members of the Philosophers.. you have chosen a beautiful place to draw your final breaths."
Farouk pulled the paper "Blueprint" and tightened his grip, asking in a booming voice: "Who are you? And what does a league of assassins want with this forest?"
The red-eyed man laughed mockingly: "I am the Tiger, and this is the Snake. We have come on a mission that is both simple and sacred.. to erase everyone who opposes the Absolute Ruler from existence. It is not personal; it is a necessity to cleanse this world."
The moment his words ended, the Tiger and the Snake exchanged a quick glance. Suddenly, a pale yellow aura exploded from the Snake's body, glowing with a sharp light like trapped lightning bolts. With the speed of a lightning strike, the Snake lunged toward Soren, surrounded by that yellow energy that stung the air around him. The two collided in a violent clash; the Snake shoved Soren with incredible force toward the depths of the forest, far from the clearing, as the sounds of crashing trees rose in the distance from their raging battle.
Farouk remained alone facing the Tiger. He watched with concern the path his friend had taken, and in that moment of distracted focus, the Tiger moved with unbelievable speed, appearing directly in front of Farouk like a phantom birthed from the ground.
"Never give your back to your enemy!" the Tiger shouted, delivering a brutal punch that settled into Farouk's chest with all its weight. Farouk flew through the air for several meters before slamming into the trunk of the Great Tree with a force that shook its high branches. He fell to his knees, coughing blood, while the Tiger advanced toward him with a hysterical laugh, saying: "It's time for your abuse, old man."
But Farouk, despite the pain tearing through his chest, began to rise slowly, his eyes burning with an unbreakable will. He wiped the blood from his mouth, and at that moment, a bright crimson aura exploded from his body, rising like a furious flame. The paper in his hand began to harden and take a majestic shape, and he said in a deep voice filled with threat: "I will ask you several questions.. before I turn you into a corpse begging for mercy."
The Tiger did not hesitate; a glowing orange aura exploded from his body, and he activated the Spirit Eye, which burned like two embers from the fires of hell. "Only in your dreams!" the Tiger shouted as he lunged like a projectile toward Farouk.
At that moment, Farouk's fingers manipulated the scroll of the paper blueprint. The papers gathered and hardened, transforming into a long, gleaming paper spear. Farouk lunged like an arrow toward the Tiger, aiming a lethal stab, but the Tiger surprised him by catching the spear's blade with his bare, pale hands, as if the sharp weapon posed no threat to him.
The Tiger looked at the weapon coldly and whispered in a provocative tone: "A beautiful ability.. and its beauty lies in its uniqueness."
Farouk didn't wait for a response; he pushed with all his might using his foot to strike the Tiger's chest, forcing both opponents to retreat and stand at a sufficient distance. A silence prevailed for moments as they exchanged looks filled with hatred and a wild desire to kill.
Slowly, the Tiger removed his long white robe and tossed it aside, revealing his black undergarment that wrapped around his body in a dark fluidity. The outfit hugged his broad chest with overlapping folds descending at an angle, leaving part of his pale upper chest exposed, while the fabric layers gathered tightly at his waist.
The Tiger began to crack his neck side to side, his lips parting in a demonic smile as he slowly raised his hands toward the sky. Farouk immediately realized what the enemy was planning; it was the decisive moment. Simultaneously, their shouts erupted to shake the corners of the place:
Echo range!
A terrifying aura exploded between them, and the two energies collided to create a massive dome that imprisoned existence. The sight was breathtaking; the range was split into two battling halves one representing Farouk's world, and the other the Tiger's. A terrifying scene depicting the struggle of two wills over a single ground.
Farouk didn't waste a second; he lunged again, the paper spear preceding him toward the Tiger's heart. The Tiger laughed with a loud cackle that screamed through the area: "Come.. show me everything you have!"
The clash began at a speed human eyes could not comprehend; successive spear strikes tore through the air, and the Tiger parried them brilliantly using only his hands. Every time the Tiger blocked a hit, Farouk would suddenly increase the spear's length and size, trying to pierce his defense.
The Tiger mocked him: "Are these your tricks? Lengthening the weapon?"
With superb skill, the Tiger dodged a spear thrust, sliding under Farouk's arm to deliver a powerful punch to his stomach. Farouk recoiled, clutching his belly in pain. Before he could regain his balance, the Tiger shot toward him like lightning. Farouk tried to deceive him with a sudden spear thrust, and indeed, the spear hit the Tiger's stomach directly but shock froze the blood in Farouk's veins.
The Tiger stood his ground, not moving an inch. The spear did not pierce his body; in fact, it didn't even leave a small scratch, as if his body had become solid.
The Tiger gripped the paper spear with his powerful hand, then threw it away with contempt: "You fool.. did you really think you would kill me with a cheap trick like that?"
The Tiger suddenly leaped into the air and brought down a violent kick on Farouk, sending him flying toward the sky. Before Farouk could fall, the Tiger leaped behind him to be directly above him, saying in a tone full of vanity: "My ability is Absolute Hardness.. the more damage I receive, the harder and more immune my body becomes."
The Tiger grabbed Farouk's head while in mid-air and slammed him down to the earth with a crash that shook the ground. In that moment, Farouk's range shattered completely like broken glass, and the Tiger's Echo range expanded to control every inch of the place, declaring his crushing victory.
Farouk fell to the ground, struggling to open his eyes, seeing the Tiger through the haze of pain as he descended slowly, raising his hands like a king inspecting his kingdom. He said boastfully: "Welcome to my world.. where there is no escape."
The Tiger's booming laugh erupted, then he leaned down slightly, whispering in a tone filled with hatred: "Your end is near, Philosopher.. or rather, King's Knight Farnis Alencoro