Chapter 2: The flaming elf maiden and the Unknown entity.

Luke continues to walk across the open field, trying to track down the source of the noise. As the roaring grows louder and louder, he looks toward the horizon and spots a woman standing in the plains.

She has vibrant red hair and long, pointed ears. Her attire is a hybrid, consisting of a flowing red robe layered with red armor over her torso and legs.
Looming before her is a dragon. It towers over the woman, its body covered from head to tail in hardened, darkened scales. Its snout is long, lined with jagged, razor-sharp teeth, and its entire form emits a corrupted, dark-flaming aura.
The dragon unleashed a deafening roar, suddenly spewing dark flames from its mouth. The woman darted to the left, narrowly evading the incinerating stream.
She quickly raised her arm, and a sphere of fire suddenly came out from her palm. The projectile streaked toward the dragon like a bullet. Upon impact with the creature’s head, the ball of flame detonated in a violent blast, sending a shockwave rippling across the grassy plains and scattering the clouds above with the sheer force of the strike.
The dragon reeled, disoriented as its facial scales shattered from the force of the explosion. Yet, the beast did not falter; it raised its massive claws and unleashed a vicious slash at the woman.She ducked swiftly beneath the sweeping arc of the claws. Before the dragon could recover, she unleashed a barrage of fireballs toward its neck, firing them with the rhythmic precision of a machine gun. The dragon roared in agony, its voice raspy as each blast hammered into its throat.
While the dragon writhed in agony, the woman raised her hand. A fireball, larger than the dragon itself, instantly manifested above it and crashed down. The resulting explosion was massive, instantly engulfing the beast in a roiling inferno.

As the explosion subsided, the woman stepped forward to inspect the wreckage. The dragon’s body had been reduced to dark ash, and its blackened bones began to crumble into dust. Suddenly, she began to jump, a triumphant smile breaking across her face.

"Yes! Absolutely brilliant! I’ve managed to best my first S-rank beast at last. The people in the city are safe!!"."She spoke to herself in joy, bouncing around the crater in pure excitement.

Suddenly, a figure emerged in front of her. It was shaped like a human, but its form was wreathed in dark, roiling energy. Curled black horns sprouted from its head, and a pair of massive wings unfurled from its back. The woman scrambled backward, distancing herself from the entity in a single leap.

"That dark mana..." she shrieked, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "You’re a... a bloody Fallen!"

 She whipped her hand forward, sending a sphere of fire streaking toward the figure. In the blink of an eye, the entity swatted the attack aside as if it were nothing more than a bothersome fly.
The entity raised its hand, and a blade of solidified black energy manifested from its palm. In a blink, it accelerated, closing the distance to unleash a savage swing at the woman. But before the blow could land, a blur materialized between them—it was Luke.

He expertly gripped the being’s wrist, forcing it to drop the weapon. Without missing a beat, Luke hammered the creature with a sharp jab and a thunderous cross. The punches connected square with the entity's face, snapping its head back and sending its entire body reeling away from him and the woman.

Meanwhile, the woman behind him stood frozen in shock. Her gaze drifted over him, taking in his masked face, his bandage-wrapped hands, the tattered remains of his pants, and his bare, scar-marked torso.

"Who... who are you?" she asked, her voice breathless. 

"Such raw strength... it rivals any brawling adventurer I've ever encountered." She stared at Luke, utterly mesmerized.

Suddenly, the dark entity lunged back toward them. Luke swiftly countered with a rear front kick to its midsection, the force of the strike sending the entity flying back nearly a mile.

"Stop asking questions and run. I'll handle this."Luke turned to her, his gaze intense and unyielding.

Luke pivoted back toward the dark entity, blitzing forward in a sudden, explosive burst of speed.

"Wait! You can't be thinking of fighting it on your own!" the woman shouted, scrambling to keep pace with him. "The Fallen are demons—you don't stand a chance against one alone!"

Meanwhile, Luke blitzed the entity—known as a Fallen—with a flashing barrage of sharp jabs and hammering crosses. His onslaught battered the creature's head, causing it to stagger. Suddenly, the Fallen fired a beam of dark energy from its palm, blasting Luke aside.

Luke rolled across the ground, the sheer force of the blast sending him skidding. Where the dark energy had scorched him, his skin blistered and blackened, the flesh visibly burning. The woman, having finally caught up, dropped to his side with a look of pure horror.

"Oh, good heavens! Are you alright?" she cried, her voice thick with panic.
The woman turned her attention back to the Fallen, rising to her feet with pure fury burning in her eyes.

"You shall pay for this, you vile creature!" she screamed, her voice trembling with rage.

Suddenly, a massive spear of pure flame manifested out of thin air. It shot toward the Fallen like a bolt of lightning. The creature tried to evade the strike by pivoting to the left, but the spear tracked its movement, veering sharply to pierce the monster straight through the chest.
The spear plunged into the Fallen’s chest and detonated with a thunderous roar. The force of the explosion sent the creature reeling backward until it crashed to the ground. Though it wasn't defeated—its body remained eerily pristine, without a single mark—the sheer impact left it stunned and vulnerable.

The woman turned to Luke without a second thought, pulling a small glass vial filled with a glowing red liquid from her pocket.

"Right... oh dear, I don't have much time... so, erm... open wide, I suppose," she muttered, her voice laced with nerves.

She knelt down and reached for the cork, but as she did, Luke’s eyes suddenly snapped open. The woman jumped, nearly dropping the vial in her shock.

"Oh, good heavens! You’re finally awake!" she sighed in immense relief, offering him a hopeful smile. "Here, take this and—"

She was interrupted as Luke surged to his feet. As he stood, the charred, blackened skin on his whole torso began to ripple and shift. Within seconds, the ash sloughed away, replaced by fresh, healthy skin until not a single trace of the injury remained.

"How... did you..." the woman gasped, covering her mouth in sheer disbelief.
Meanwhile, the Fallen began to stir, fixing the woman with a void-like stare. It slowly raised a hand, intent on blasting her, but Luke lunged—a blur of motion. He torqued his entire body, driving a perfect left hook into the creature's jaw. The impact detonated like a cannon blast, sending a shockwave rippling across the grass. The creature was sent reeling to the right, visibly disoriented.

"Blimey... such power," the woman breathed, watching him in amazement.

She hurried toward Luke, tucking her vial back into her pocket, and glanced between the recovering Fallen and her savior. "I—"
She was cut off as Luke turned to her. "You’re right," he said, his tone surprisingly laid-back. "This thing can't be handled alone. I saw you turn that dragon to ash earlier; your pyrokinesis was brilliant."

The woman blinked, genuinely confused. "Pyro... what? Never mind. I don’t know how you healed yourself or who you are, but let’s face this creature together, shall we?"

She spoke shyly, but her resolve was clear. Luke nodded in agreement, and together, they turned their attention to the Fallen as it began to recover from the blow.

The Fallen manifested a massive axe from its dark energy and swung it directly at the woman. Without hesitation, Luke stepped in front of her, throwing a sharp, precise jab at the weapon. The moment his knuckles met the flat of the blade, the impact deflected the axe, forcing the creature to stumble backward.

"Hey, Firecracker! Now’s your chance!" Luke shouted, offering her a nonchalant wink.

"I haven't the foggiest what that means, but right you are!" she replied, looking momentarily bewildered but focused.
She thrust her palm forward, unleashing a torrent of flame that slammed into the Fallen. The creature let out a pained growl as the inferno scorched its body.

Before the Fallen could recover, Luke closed the distance in a flash. He unleashed a blistering combination: a lightning-fast jab and cross to the head, followed by a shovel hook to the midsection and a final, crushing left hook to the jaw. The Fallen staggered, a sensation of shattering force vibrating through the points of impact until its grip failed and the axe clattered to the ground.

Luke snatched up the heavy axe, swinging it with expert precision into the Fallen's left shoulder. The blade bit deep, slicing through the entity’s form. The creature began to let out a guttural scream, but Luke silenced it instantly, snapping a front kick directly into its face. The force whipped the Fallen’s head back, sending it staggering away from him.

"Get out of the way, please! I’m going to blast this bloody creature to bits!" the woman shouted from behind him.

"With pleasure," Luke replied, stepping aside with effortless speed.

The woman thrust both palms forward, unleashing a torrent of searing flame that engulfed the reeling entity. As the inferno roared over it, the Fallen shrieked, its body beginning to liquefy under the intense heat.

Even as it burned, the Fallen attempted one last, desperate lunge toward her. Luke moved faster. He surged forward and delivered a swift, clean strike, decapitating the creature. As the head hit the earth, the monster’s entire body—along with the axe Luke had been wielding—shattered into embers and vanished into nothingness. 
The threat was finally extinguished.

"We did it! We’ve beaten the scoundrel!" the woman cried, jumping for joy.She turned to Luke, beaming as she approached him. "Thank you for earlier. Honestly, if you hadn't arrived, I’d have been turned into bloody mush." She gazed at him with genuine sincerity.

"I was just passing through," Luke replied, his tone nonchalant. "I saw you fighting a dragon, then this 'thing' showed up and nearly had your head off. I just intervened; it was nothing special." He looked back at her with calm, steady eyes.

"It was special to me," she said softly. "But I haven’t even introduced myself yet. My name is Inferna... Inferna Scarlettflame. And... might I ask your name?" She muttered the last part, suddenly feeling quite bashful.

Luke went silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on her long, pointed ears. "You’ve got long ears. You look just like the elves in the comics I read."

Inferna blinked, utterly bewildered. "But... I am an elf, though? And what on earth is a 'comic'?" She tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Huh? You're an elf?" Luke asked, looking genuinely perplexed. 
"That’s weird. I’ve never met an 'unhuman' with pyrokinesis and pointed ears before. Is that a mutation caused by your power?" He tilted his head, his expression earnest. "And what’s the deal with you not knowing what a comic is? Were you, like, a sheltered kid or something?"

"I don't know what you're even talking about..." Inferna’s voice trembled. "Are you insulting me? I thought the bad blood between humans and elves was finally finished, yet here you are, calling me an 'unhuman'..." Her tone shifted, growing soft and fragile. A sob escaped her throat, and she looked as though she were about to break into tears.

"Wait! No, no, it wasn't an insult, I promise! I’m sorry." Luke said, his hands raised in a defensive, apologetic gesture. "You really don't know about the 'Unhuman' category, huh? I suppose the term is still new to some people with powers. I thought it would be common knowledge by the time 2025 ended."
Luke let out a long, frustrated sigh.

Inferna looked at him, her confusion deepening. She stepped closer, squinting at him as if trying to solve a puzzle. "2025? What are you babbling about? It is the year 1450."

She scratched her head, completely bewildered.
"1450? The Medieval Age? You’re pulling my leg, right?" Luke groaned, his right brow arching in irritation. "If I’ve gotten caught up in some time-travel shenanigan, I really don't have time for this."

"But it is 1450..." Inferna began, then abruptly stopped. She leaned in, studying his face with sudden, intense scrutiny.

"The strange way you speak... not knowing the year... thinking elves are just stories..." Her eyes widened, the realization hitting her like a physical blow. "You're an 'Otherworlder'."

"Otherworlder?" Luke tilted his head, his brow furrowed.

"Otherworlders are people from different realms," Inferna explained, her voice serious. "Some are brought here by accident, while others are summoned by kingdoms desperate to turn them into their strongest warriors to defeat great threats. They appear all across the world—some are poor souls caught in a rift, others are 'Heroes' conscripted to bolster a kingdom's military might."

Luke’s eyes widened. Memories flooded back: the battle in the crumbling city, the blinding explosion, and then waking up in the strange forest. The pieces clicked into place—he hadn't just survived; he had been transported.

"So, I’m not in America anymore," Luke muttered, his voice flat. "I’ve been quantum-leaped into an alternate universe. Great. Just what I needed—another massive problem to solve."

He groaned through his mask, running a hand through his hair in utter annoyance.

"You're... taking this all quite casually," Inferna remarked, looking at him with a mix of bewilderment and relief that the misunderstanding had been cleared—at least for the moment."For now, I'll lead you to the town where I'm staying," she continued, her voice softening. "It is the least I can do to thank you for earlier. We can discuss how you arrived here... over a meal."

"Thanks. I'd appreciate that," Luke nodded. He sighed, the sound muffled by his mask, feeling the weight of the revelation settling in.

"By the way..." Inferna added, peering curiously at the expressionless fabric of his mask. "About your name..."
Luke hesitated. He looked at her, weighing his options before he finally spoke.

"My name..." he muttered. "For now, I can't tell you my real identity. You can call me... DAMAGE."