The Hala Forest flashed brightly. Since it was far away, nobody at the outpost noticed it—with one exception. A freckled girl with pigtails, who was stretching her arms while watching the sunset, suddenly glanced to her side towards the Hala Forest. Her gaze lingered for a few seconds before her lips curled into a smirk.

“Hmm. In the end…” She raised her shoulders with a nasal sound. “It’s a little unexpected. This would have been just the right time to… If he wants to fight after making her stronger, I’ll respect his taste, but it’s something he will never do.” She tilted her head and smiled again, saying, “It’s making me curious.” After stretching, she straightened her posture and continued, “Will the younger brother never be able to beat his older brother, or…”

* * *

By the time the expedition team was in the heart of the Hala Forest, the battle had entered a lull. The roar that ripped through the sky and shook the earth suddenly quieted as if it had been washed away. The surroundings were in a similar state. What used to be a jungle with dense trees and lush vines completely disappeared. As if there was a nuclear explosion, not even a single grass could be seen in the hundreds of meters in radius. The only thing left was the blackened ground that emitted great heat and steam. There was one figure standing alone in the empty, black wasteland.

She...