My Watch System

Kitsune heard the noise of the entire sanctuary burning, and she saw the two enemies in the air. However, she noticed Mike and the monk heading into battle. Just as she was about to rush to help, something grabbed her leg. When she looked down, it was the little kitten.

"I'm scared," the kitten exclaimed.

Kitsune then thought, "I need to help the people here and get them to safety, but what about them?"

She made the decision to leave the battle for later and began teleporting the villagers to the training area, since she now knew the place. To make it more efficient, Kitsune grabbed four stones and arranged them in a square, using them to create a temporary portal for everyone to pass through.

"Please hold on, guys," Kitsune thought fearfully as she helped the villagers.

Ahead, Mike and the Monk stood poised for battle, staring down their enemies without hesitation. A heavy silence fell, until Mike broke it, saying with conviction:

"You will pay for what you've done."

With a swift motion, Mike conjured his water dagger and small shield, while Waru, in turn, wielded his long wind sword and charged at Mike. The sound of metal slicing through the air echoed as the two clashed, exchanging blows and evasions. Meanwhile, the Monk slammed his staff into the ground with force, causing the earth to tremble.

In a fit of fury, the snake tore off its own tail, which quickly regenerated. "This tail will be my sword, as sharp as the finest mineral in the world, and highly poisonous," it hissed.

The Monk, unfazed by the threat, attacked the snake, while Mike retreated from his opponent, sheathing his dagger and summoning a water bow, firing arrows at Waru. With his mastery of wind, Waru easily dodged the arrows. Mike thought, Damn, with this wind, attacking from a distance won't work. I need to think fast.

As Waru lunged toward him, bloodlust in his eyes, Mike quickly raised his shield in defense. The Monk exchanged a few blows with the snake, but his combat mastery was far superior, disarming his opponent and throwing it to the ground.

The Monk, pointing his staff, levitated the snake and slammed it back into the ground. His true power revealed—it turned out he controlled gravity. The snake, injured but pleased with this knowledge, flung its tail behind the Monk. He, distracted, was attacked by the snake as it tried to bite him with its fangs.

The Monk swiftly dodged, but the venom still landed on one of his arms, and without hesitation...

zzzip -

He lost his injured arm.

Mike, still exchanging blows with Waru, conjured water stakes and hurled them at Waru. Waru, thinking, The kid's an idiot. I'll just dodge again, continued to evade with ease. However, while evading, Mike attacked at the same time, landing a hit on Waru's left leg. This happened because Mike had noticed a small delay between Waru's wind magic and his physical strikes.

Mike, engaged in a fierce clash with Waru, formed spikes of water and hurled them at Waru. The kid's an idiot, I'll just dodge again, Waru thought. But as he dodged, Mike launched a counterattack, striking Waru in the left leg.

It happened because Mike had observed a flaw in Waru's fighting style—the slight delay between his wind magic and physical attack. But in that moment, as Mike was distracted by the sound of the Monk's cry, Waru capitalized on the mistake, launching himself at Mike.

Zip.

Waru struck Mike in the stomach. Blood poured from the wound as Mike collapsed, weakly muttering, "S-screw you..." and passing out. Waru laughed maniacally.

"HAHAHAHA! I—I won! Now I'll advance in this test and move up the ranks! AHAHA!"

But then, a sharp, high-pitched sound pierced the air.

ZIM!

Waru cried out in pain as a water arrow pierced him. As he tried to stand up, another arrow struck.

ZIM!

This time, the arrow hit both of his knees, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. He tried to see who had fired, and when he turned, he saw Kitsune, her expression filled with fury, walking toward him.

Meanwhile, the Monk, missing an arm, was still fighting the Cobra. His movements were impressive, still showing his mastery in battle. The Cobra, impressed, called out, "Wow, even without an arm, you're still good. Let's see how long you last."

The Cobra retreated and then shouted, "Spikes!"

Dozens of poisoned spikes shot toward the Monk. He took a deep breath and said, "Union with nature," and suddenly, everything around him seemed to slow down. He deflected each spike effortlessly, but as he did, he collapsed, coughing up blood.

Glancing to the side, he saw Mike, lying on the ground, still bleeding. Filled with worry and unsure of what to do, the Monk proposed a deal to the Cobra.

"Spare the boy, and I'll let you command this land."

The Cobra, eyeing the Monk, sneered. "It's too late for that," it said, stepping toward the old man. But then, the sound of more arrows echoed in the air. The Cobra saw its ally, completely incapacitated and out of combat.

Kitsune shouted, "Mike! Mike! I order you—don't die!" She rushed to Mike's side, casting a quick healing spell to stop his bleeding. She then turned, her gaze burning with fury. "You did this."

The Cobra, startled by the intensity in her eyes, flinched but didn't back down. "Yes, and what will you do about it?"

Before it could finish, another arrow shot through the air, and the Cobra dodged. It understood now—Kitsune was so skilled with water that she could fire arrows without a bow, shaping them mid-air.

The Cobra, stunned by her skill, considered the situation. Seeing the Monk exhausted and Mike down, it decided to unleash its trump card.

"I knew this might come in handy, but it'll cost me."

Expansion of size!

The Cobra quintupled in size, becoming a massive, towering beast, its abilities amplified.

Kitsune watched in awe, not knowing if she could take on such a foe alone. But she had no choice. She rushed at the giant Cobra.

The Cobra swung its tail at Kitsune, who leapt into the air to dodge. She formed a water dagger and tried to strike at the Cobra's eyes, but the beast was quicker now. It swung its tail again, landing a hit on Kitsune and sending her crashing into the trees. Blood spilled from her mouth as she got back to her feet, preparing for another round.

Concentrating, Kitsune activated her special ability.

Instant Lanué.

She began to teleport almost instantly toward the Cobra, attacking from all angles. The Cobra, trying to land a blow, couldn't keep up with Kitsune's movements, but it had a trick up its sleeve. It grabbed the Monk and, in desperation, shouted, "Scientia!"

The Cobra stole the Monk's ability, using it immediately—Union with nature. The Monk fell to the ground, completely drained.

Now with the power to see Kitsune's teleportation, the Cobra landed a strike.

On the ground, Kitsune, battered and bleeding, looked at Mike and whispered, "I'm sorry, kid. I won't be able to—"

She looked at Mike's face, filled with pain, and thought, What is he dreaming about right now?

Mike, still unconscious, suddenly found himself in a strange, vast, empty space. He screamed, "Is anyone there? Hello?"

After a few failed attempts, a tired voice answered, "Who disturbs my rest?"

A light, resembling a star, appeared, and it hovered, moving toward Mike.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Mike asked, completely lost.

"I am Mike... and I don't really know what I'm doing here," he said, rubbing his head with a sheepish grin.

The cosmic being responded, "Boy, are you the bearer of the clock?"

"Yes, why?" Mike replied.

The light grew brighter and brighter, transforming into a tall figure—a completely normal man who then approached Mike and slapped him on the head.

"Stupid boy," the figure said. "How can someone so young have such power? You're not mature enough to use it."

Mike, irritated, shot back, "Hey, who are you to tell me if I'm ready or not? Besides, who are you?"

The being responded, "I am Ni Naru, the mentor and guardian of the clock you carry."

Mike grinned from ear to ear. "So you can help me use the clock, right? Finally!"

Naru looked at the boy with a look of disappointment. "I can offer power, but I'm not sure you're worthy of my help."

Mike sighed, frustrated. "Everyone with this 'worthiness' talk. Will someone just help me already?"

Naru, sensing a shift in the conversation, asked, "Do you know the Monk?"

Mike nodded. "Ah, so you know him? Yeah, we were fighting together just a moment ago."

Naru paused thoughtfully. Suddenly, a teapot with two cups and a chessboard appeared in the space around them.

Naru spoke, "Tell me what's happening. Perhaps I can help."

Impressed that Mike had fought alongside the Monk, Naru reflected on their long history together—companions, almost like brothers, with an immeasurable respect for each other.