Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

They walked on, leaving the frozen drakes and the scorched mountain behind. There would be more battles, more challenges, more storms. But for now, there was this—the quiet, the connection, the shared moment.

It was enough.

Well, the truth was in fact right now Khione was truly happy because finally he awakened a law related to hers, she felt closer and no more jealous of Elreth. If Nero knew she was jealous because his previous laws made him closer to certain female he would have laughed it off.

The return journey began in silence. The mountain was behind them, the frozen drakes already fading from memory. Nero and Khione walked side by side, their steps light, their bodies still humming with the residue of their training. The sun had set, and the sky was a deep, bruise-colored purple, the first stars beginning to appear.

They had not gone far when the air changed.

It was subtle at first—a shift in the wind, a faint pressure at the edge of their senses, killing intent not well hidden. Then the shadows between the rocks began to move, to coalesce, to take shape. Seven figures emerged from the darkness, their forms twisted, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

The organization had found them, another ambush again.

Nero’s hand went to his sword. Khione’s wand appeared in her grip. They did not speak. There was no need. The ambush had been anticipated, if not expected. The organization had been hunting them for weeks. It was only a matter of time before they struck again.

Seven demonized humans. Three mages, their bodies twisted into monstrous forms—a scarab with chitinous armor, a mantis with scything blades for arms, a lizard with scales that shimmered with heat. They were Adept-level, their power crude but potent. Three knights, their bodies bulging with muscle, their skin cracked and glowing with dark energy. They were Red-level, their strength raw and brutal. And their leader—a massive figure, easily twice the size of the others, its body like that of a king kong, its fists the size of boulders. Purple-level. The strongest of the group.

Khione’s eyes swept over the mages. ”I’ll take the three mages.”

Nero nodded. ”I’ll handle the rest.”

She moved without hesitation, her wand already tracing patterns in the air. Ice erupted around the three mages, separating them from the others, creating a frozen arena for their battle. Nero watched her for a moment, then turned to face the four demonized knights.

He unsheathed his sword. The blade caught the starlight, gleaming cold and sharp. He did not speak. He did not need to.

He called on the fire.

His body transformed. Flame erupted from his skin, controlled, precise. His flesh became living light, his hair a corona of embers. Three rings of fire spun into existence behind his back, their surfaces etched with symbols that glowed brighter than ever. A sash of pure flame coiled around his waist. His eyes opened, red and burning, lotus patterns blooming within them.

He was fire.

The knights charged.

The first was a massive brute, its body covered in thick, scaly armor. It swung a club wreathed in dark energy, aiming for Nero’s skull. Nero raised his arm, and the club passed through his flame-body, leaving no mark. He drove his hand into the brute’s chest, and fire exploded from his palm, consuming the creature from within. It crumbled to ash, a silver wisp shooting into him.

The second was faster, leaner, its arms elongated into blades. It darted around Nero, striking from blind spots. Nero spun, his sword meeting the blades in a shower of sparks. The creature was fast, but Nero was faster. He stepped inside its guard, his blade finding its heart. It fell, dissolving into light.

The third was a hulking mass of muscle, its skin cracked and glowing with molten veins. It charged, and the ground shook. Nero met it head-on, his sword blazing with white-hot fire. They clashed, and the impact sent shockwaves through the air. The creature was strong, stronger than the others, but Nero was relentless. He drove it back, his sword finding its throat, its chest, its heart.

The fourth was the leader. It had hung back, watching, waiting. Now it stepped forward, its massive fists clenched, its eyes burning with cold intelligence. It was a king kong, its body covered in scars, its movements slow but deliberate.

Nero raised his sword. The creature lunged.

Their fight was brutal, a clash of fire and brute force. The creature’s fists struck like meteors, and Nero’s flame form flickered with each impact. He could feel the drain, the cost of maintaining his transformation. But he did not relent. He met the creature blow for blow, his sword singing through the air, his fire blazing bright.

The creature caught his wrist. Its grip was iron, crushing. Nero felt his flame flicker, felt the pressure building. But he did not panic. He raised his free hand, and fire gathered in his palm, white-hot and concentrated. He thrust it into the creature’s chest.

The creature roared, staggering back. Its chest was blackened, smoking, but it did not fall. It charged again, its fists raised.

Nero met it. His sword struck its arm, its shoulder, its neck. Each blow was precise, each strike calculated. The creature was strong, but it was also slow, predictable. Nero flowed around its attacks, finding gaps, exploiting weaknesses.

Finally, he saw his opening. The creature overextended, its right fist swinging wide. Nero stepped inside its guard, his sword driving into its chest. The blade sank deep, and he poured all his fire into the wound.

The creature’s eyes went wide. It opened its mouth to roar, but only ash came out. It collapsed, dissolving into a torrent of silver wisps that flooded into Nero.

He stood alone among the ashes, his flame form flickering. His chest heaved. His cores were nearly empty. But he was victorious.

He dismissed the flame, returning to his human form, and turned to look for Khione. Her fight was still ongoing, the frozen arena shimmering with frost and dark energy. She was holding her own, her ice sharp and precise.