Chapter 16 – Opp

The forest cleared into a wide glade, moonlight spilling over jagged rocks and twisted trees. Kairo’s chest tightened. Something was wrong. Too quiet.

Mira tugged at his sleeve. “Kairo… I feel it too. Something big.”

Haru shivered behind them, muttering, “It’s… it’s huge.”

A roar shattered the night. Shadows twisted. From the darkness, a massive creature emerged. Horned, black scales, eyes like molten gold. Its claws dug into the earth, sending cracks across the stones.

“Yo… this ain’t a regular n***a,” Kairo muttered under his breath. Pain surged in his chest just from fear, anger, and adrenaline. Perfect fuel.

The monster—an Opp-class threat—charged, smashing a tree in its path. Mira darted behind Kairo, firing small spells that barely grazed the beast. Haru froze, scribbling notes.

Kairo clenched his fists. “You wanna eat me? Go ahead. N***a, I don’t die easy.”

The first hit tore through his side. Pain flared. His chest burned. But the energy coursed through him, fueling his muscles. With a roar of his own, Kairo countered, landing a strike that cut a deep gash into the Opp.

The fight was brutal. Every attack from the monster hurled Kairo across the glade. Every strike he landed absorbed a fraction of its power. He fell, spat blood, grinned bitterly.

“You think you the Opp? N***a… I’m Ash now.”

Mira hurled a fireball at the monster’s eye, distracting it. Haru tripped and threw a rock into its mouth. Kairo seized the moment, diving forward, fists glowing with absorbed mana.

The final blow split the creature’s chest open. It roared, then collapsed, leaving a crater and a faint magical residue. Kairo staggered, hands shaking, chest heaving.

“Damn,” he muttered. “That… that felt good.”

Mira ran up, wide-eyed. “You… you did it, Kairo. You beat it.”

Haru, still scribbling, muttered, “This… this is insane. I have to… record all of it.”

Kairo smirked, wiping blood from his lip. “Pretty Boy Lucas couldn’t handle half of this. And you? Y’all better keep up, n***as.”

For the first time, Kairo felt the forest—and this world—could be his if he kept fighting. Pain, anger, betrayal—it was all fuel. And from now on, nothing would stop Ash.