Sora swallowed, his hands still clutching his weapon. He wanted to help, he wanted to move, but he knew he'd be more of an obstacle than an asset. Yet he refused to look away. He had to memorize Jarek's every move, the Mist-Reaper's every reaction. He knew it would come in handy one day.

The creature, now wounded, redoubled its aggression. It leapt towards Jarek, its claws ripping through the air at impressive speed. But Jarek dodged again, his suppleness and control making his movements almost supernatural. He counter-attacked with surgical precision, aiming at the beast's weak points: the joints of its limbs, the less protected areas of its abdomen.

Yet the Mist-Reaper seemed to thrive on the tension of combat. Every wound made him faster, more vicious. His tail suddenly slammed into Jarek, who this time, despite his speed, couldn't completely avoid it. He was struck on the shoulder and thrown against a dead tree trunk.

"Jarek!" shouted Sora, a mixture of panic and instinct.

Jarek righted himself without the slightest problem, holding his shoulder to check he wasn't hurt. "Don't worry about me, kid." He got to his feet, his toothy grin still present. "That beast didn't even manage to scratch me."

The Mist-Reaper seemed on the verge of swooping down on him, but this time Jarek changed tactics. He didn't wait for the attack. In a sudden burst of speed, he leapt towards the creature, using a submerged trunk for support. His curved blade split the air, aiming for the monster's throat. The blow hit its target, opening a deep gash that sent out a torrent of blackish liquid.

The creature staggered back, its cry now weaker, almost plaintive. It tried to escape into the mist, but Jarek gave it no chance. With a final leap, he planted his blade in the beast's skull, putting a definitive end to its existence.

A heavy silence fell over the swamp. The mist seemed to dissipate slightly, and the Mist-Reaper's massive body collapsed into the water with a thud.

Jarek, panting but triumphant, turned to Sora. "What's up, kid? Are you impressed by my power?"

Hesitating between a serious response or answering him sarcastically, Sora was nonetheless relieved that this fight had gone well. "Honestly, I didn't think this mission was going to be so easy. But why don't you use your Ushi?"

Jarek looked at him, laughing at the top of his lungs. "So, firstly, I don't use my Ushi against that beast because it's useless, I can beat one without much difficulty, so there's no point in me using it. And yes, my fight was easy, but the mission is far from over."

And before Sora had time to reply, several more shouts from a multitude of directions echoed through the swamp. Sora gasped when he heard them and brought his sword into position in front of him.

"The mission is about to begin. Jarek announced, cleaning his sword against his pants. "You'll certainly be able to admire my Ushi. That is, if those bugs don't die before I've finished warming up."

Sora swallowed with difficulty, his fingers clenched on the hilt of his sword. "How many more do you think there are?"

In a relaxed, confident tone, Jarek looked Sora in the eye before turning toward the mist surrounding them. "I haven't a clue, just from their noises, I'd say four or five."

Sora felt his heart race. Four or five more Mist-Reapers? He was already impressed by Jarek's mastery against one of these creatures, but a whole pack? How would he cope?

The mist seemed to thicken again, enveloping the area in an oppressive veil. The indistinct silhouettes of the creatures moved stealthily through the gloom, their cries echoing ominously.

"Stay close to me, kid," Jarek challenged, his tone as casual as ever despite the evidence of danger. "These critters like to hunt motionless prey, so especially stay on your guard as soon as you stop moving."

Sora nodded, unable to utter a word. He felt a mixture of excitement and terror invade him, his grip on his weapon tightening.

A sudden noise to his left drew his attention. A shadow emerged from the mist, clawed, ready to strike. Sora reacted instinctively, raising his sword to parry the attack. But before he could feel any brutal impact, Jarek's hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

In less than a second, Jarek had seen the second Mist-Reaper's movements, swapped places with Sora and parried the monster's attack without being wounded or showing the slightest sign of fatigue.

Stunned, Sora didn't really know how to react, and stared at him open-mouthed for a few moments before refocusing on the fight.

As Sora regained his balance, a second Mist-Reaper leapt out of the mist, its sharp fangs ready to close in on him. Sora barely had time to raise his sword before Jarek stepped in, his weapon arcing brilliantly to repel the creature with a clean sweep.

"Kid, I told you to be on your guard at all times." Jarek challenged, delivering another blow, this time lethal, to the creature. "So always be ready to defend yourself."

Sora nodded frantically, breathless. He stepped back slightly, looking for a position where he could survey the surroundings without being an easy target.

A third Mist-Reaper emerged, trying to get around Jarek to attack Sora. Jarek, as if anticipating the movement, swung with disconcerting fluidity. His blade split the air and sliced clean through one of the monster's legs, causing it to howl in pain before finishing it off with one swift blow.

"I told you, stay close to me. These things are vicious, but not very smart."

A shrill cry was heard to the right. Two more beasts leapt simultaneously towards Jarek, their claws seeking to throw him off balance. He deftly parried one of the attacks, dodged the other with a quick step, then used the momentum of his movements to counter-attack. His blade struck one of the Mist-Reaper in the throat, causing it to collapse with a sinister gurgle.

Meanwhile, Sora spotted movement behind him. A Mist-Reaper sprang up, its claws glinting in the dull light of the mist. Sora tried to react, but fear paralyzed his muscles.

Before the beast could reach its target, a dagger split the air, stabbing directly into its eye. The creature screamed and collapsed mid-stride. Sora turned, spotting Jarek giving him a concentrated look, but he could also see a hint of amusement in the depths of his gaze.

"Oh kid! You're not going to leave all the work to me, are you?" he said, retrieving a dagger from his belt.

Sora stammered a thank-you, but Jarek wasted no time. Another creature was already rushing towards them. He rushed to intercept the attack, this time using his daggers in close combat. He planted one in the beast's chest and used the other to slit its throat.

The screams seemed to diminish, but Sora knew that the danger was not over.

"Is it over?" he asked, hoping for an affirmative answer.

Jarek quickly wiped the black blood from his blades and glanced at the mist. "Not yet. I've got a feeling there's one last piece of filth around. And this one's going to be tougher."

Cautious and slightly stressed, Sora examined his surroundings, but saw and heard nothing suspicious. He then turned back to Jarek to watch his demeanor. He didn't really seem frightened by the situation, but remained focused all the same. "Kid, you'll be lucky, you'll probably catch a glimpse of me fighting at my best."

Sora felt a shiver run down his spine at these words. If Jarek, with all his mastery and confidence, was planning to fight seriously, it meant that the worst was yet to come. He swallowed once more, trying to calm his mind, but his sweaty hands and pounding heart betrayed his anxiety.

A dull roar suddenly rose from the mist, vibrating the air around them. The approaching creature was not only a threat: it was massive, far more imposing than the previous Mist-Reapers. A pair of glowing eyes pierced the gloom, staring at the two mercenaries with disconcerting intensity.

Sora instinctively stepped back, his breath coming in short gasps. "What... is that?"

Jarek, for his part, was smiling, but it was a different smile this time, a fiercer one. "A Mother Mist-Reaper," he said calmly, twirling his daggers between his fingers before putting them away. He then drew a long sword decorated with intricate patterns, a weapon he hadn't used before. "I was wondering if she'd show up."

Mother Mist-Reaper let out a guttural roar, revealing a row of gleaming fangs. Her imposing silhouette was fully revealed as she stepped out of the mist. She was covered in a dark, gleaming carapace, her body bristling with menacing spikes. Unlike the others, she seemed to think before she attacked, gauging her opponents with a disturbing intelligence.

"Kid, stay back and watch. This isn't your fight, but you're going to learn a lot."

Sora gritted his teeth, torn between the urge to protest and the paralyzing fear he felt watching this creature. He simply nodded, clutching his weapon uselessly.

Jarek advanced slowly, his weapon in hand. A strange, almost imperceptible glow began to emanate from his body. "You wanted to see my Ushi, didn't you? Good, then open your eyes wide."

A red aura surrounded the blade of his sword, and a sudden warm wind swept through the surrounding area, dissipating some of the mist. Around Jarek, the air seemed to vibrate, as if enveloped by an invisible energy. The creature roared and charged without warning, its claws ripping through the air at an incredible speed for its size.

Jarek dodged with disconcerting precision and swung his arm at the Mist-Reaper, releasing a wave of incandescent flames that set the air around him ablaze. The fire gushed from his sword like a fiery waterfall, illuminating the swamp with an orange-red glow and striking the massive creature full force.

Mother Mist-Reaper screamed in pain, recoiling with an infernal din as flames licked at her carapace. But unlike her fellow creatures, she didn't collapse. Her black carapace seemed to absorb some of the heat, making her even more menacing.

"Impressive, eh?" tossed Jarek over his shoulder, without even turning back to Sora. "But that was just to warm him up. Now let's get down to business."

Despite the flames, the creature resumed its charge. Its claws slammed into Jarek with titanic force, carving deep furrows in the ground as he dodged with an agile leap. But this time, he didn't just defend himself. In a flash, he counter-attacked with a series of swift blows, his flaming blade tracing arcs of light in the air.

Each impact of his weapon against the creature's carapace produced a deafening sound, like metal striking rock. Incandescent splinters erupted with each blow, and gradually, the resistant carapace began to give way.

Mother Mist-Reaper, sensing that she was in danger, leapt back, letting out a piercing scream that sent a shiver down Sora's spine. Thick black mist escaped from her body, forming a kind of protective veil around her. Jarek's heat seemed to be neutralized by this new strategy.

"Not bad... She's learning fast," Jarek murmured, an amused smile on his lips. Then he pointed his sword at the creature, and his tone became more serious. "But she has no idea what I'm really capable of."

The red aura around Jarek suddenly intensified, and dancing flames shot up from his feet, spreading around him in a ring of fire. The heat became almost unbearable, even for Sora, who was standing back.

"Total ignition." Jarek's whisper was almost inaudible, but Sora felt the full power of his words. The circle of fire contracted abruptly before releasing itself in a devastating explosion that headed straight for the creature.

Mother Mist-Reaper tried to protect herself with her mist, but Jarek's flames were too intense. They tore through the black veil and reached the creature, consuming it with a roar of fire and pain. The battle was short and brutal. The creature collapsed, its giant body reduced to a smoldering, inert mass.

A crushing silence fell over the swamp. The heat gradually faded, and Jarek sheathed his sword, his expression relaxed once more.

He turned to Sora, who was staring at him, mouth agape, his sword still trembling in his hands. "Well, kid? Did you enjoy the show?"

Sora nodded slowly, unable to find the words. His mind was still overwhelmed by what he'd just seen. The flames, the mastery, the raw power... Jarek was so much more than just a mercenary.

"I... I don't think I've ever seen anything so impressive," he finally stammered.

Amused, Jarek laughed out loud before pulling himself together. "It's a pity the fight didn't last longer, you could have seen other attacks like that and even more powerful ones than this."

Sora slowly sheathed his sword before asking a question that had been on his mind for some time. "Jarek. If you can complete a Gold rank mission so easily, why do you stay on a weak floor like this."

Taking a few seconds to quickly clean his blades and put them away, Jarek didn't seem really surprised to hear Sora ask this question. "I've already told you, but I have my reasons for staying here for the time being."

"In that case, let me rephrase my question...", Sora resumed almost immediately. "According to you, with your current power, you could go up to what floor?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.