The Bookkeeper

"Leo!" Raiden's voice cut through the air, and Leo spun toward him instantly, bewilderment clear in his expression. Without hesitation, Raiden let go of the girl and her familiar plummeting toward the ground below.

"Get her, Leo… keep her safe and watch yourself." Raiden moved forward as the giant turned its attention to him. "I've got this covered."

Raiden and the giant rushed at each other, and as soon as Leo saw an opening, he shot forward across the field, racing toward where the girl lay.

The moment Raiden and the creature neared each other, his devilish smile deepened. He slid through the grass, diverting the creature's attention as he dropped his hands to the ground and launched himself forward, both legs slamming into the creature's gut and sending it crashing into the earth.

He continued to wear his smile as he took steady steps toward the entrance of the house and picked up his sword, while the creature hurried to its feet, growling in fury. Raiden glanced back over his shoulder at the giant as it began to dash toward him. Chills ran through Raiden's body as he gripped his sword tightly.

He turned to face it with his devilish smile, his body trembling from both fear and excitement as he adjusted his sword in his hand for a better grip and, using its curved blade to his advantage, hurled it directly at the creature's head.

It was too fast and unpredictable for the creature, so it paused mid-run and caught the blade with two of its hands, but the sword slid through its grasp with sheer force, forcing it to add two more hands to completely stop it.

But Raiden wasn't done—his body jerked forward as he burst into laughter; the only thing on his mind was killing it for more thrills, for the relief.

Once within reach, he lunged toward the embedded sword and delivered a devastating strike to the hilt, driving it deeper as it sliced through the creature's hands, its razor edge severing a few of its fingers as the blade plunged into its skull.

The creature dropped to its knees with the blade still embedded in its skull before finally collapsing to the ground. Raiden tilted his head back as his laughter slowly began to deepen before it finally echoed above the silence in the distance.

However, at that moment, just as he enjoyed his victory, his danger detection kicked in, and before he could process it, there was a grip on his leg. His expression darkened in an instant as he tilted his head down to look.

It was the creature, still alive, with its wounds healed but the blade still embedded in its skull. Confusion washed over him as he tried to escape its grip, but it was too late—the grip was tight and firm.

The creature abruptly leaped to its feet, added its remaining hands to the grip, lifted him up, and slammed Raiden into the ground. The sheer force was enough to make Raiden bounce off the earth.

Everything happened so fast that it caused him to feel nothing. Only the distant ringing in his head and the sensation that some of his ribs were shattered gave him the slightest idea of what had truly happened.

The moment he hit the ground, he felt the sudden urge to rise to his feet, but that attempt alone made him cough up blood. His eyes began to dart around as he tried to process his condition properly.

The creature pulled the sword from its skull, tossed it aside, and walked toward Raiden. Raiden simply stared at it.

How the fuck are you still alive?—he wondered.

But clearly, the blue giant couldn't read his mind, and even if it could, it was obvious that it wouldn't be interested. It grabbed Raiden by the leg once more and slammed him into the ground again.

This time Raiden felt it as he let out an agonizing scream. His organs felt displaced as fire coursed through his body, his stomach burning with searing heat and his chest tightening until he ran out of breath.

Even through the pain, he reasoned that a strike like that again would most likely kill him. He immediately turned invisible as he fought the urge to vomit blood.

The creature's head snapped around, searching for where Raiden went as it panted heavily with its mouth slightly open and saliva flowing through its razor-sharp teeth.

At that same time, Raiden began to crawl away from it as his body trembled, his head aching like a thousand blades were slowly being pushed through his skull simultaneously. But he knew distance was his best option at that moment.

The creature, however, began slamming its fists into the ground before finally trying to enter the house, but before it could even get near it, Leo emerged from inside and delivered a strike to its chest, sending it crashing into the ground.

"Raiden?!" he called out.

The moment Raiden heard his name, he smiled and tilted his head to watch as Leo positioned himself before the blue giant. Bandaged around his torso, knees, and hands, Leo's eyes darted around searching for him, though his expression remained filled with rage toward the creature.

"I need to rest a little…" Raiden muttered, his voice barely audible.

Raiden stopped where he was, pushed through the pain, and tilted back to face the sky as his lungs struggled. His breath came out in heavy, ragged chunks as if he was on the verge of death.

The coldness of the golden key around his neck sent a chill through his body.

He began to wonder if this entire incident was worth it at all. Should he have just taken Ash and run, and left the book behind? They could have grown stronger elsewhere, and eventually, he would have found his way back to his world.

But no… this wasn't something he could simply abandon. They would come for him either way, and he knew that perfectly well—because Jack's parents would have done exactly the same.

He clenched his fists until his knuckles went white. This was his hell—a war he was born to fight and destined to die in. If not for victory, then for his pride as a warrior and assassin.

He released a weary sigh. "I must finish this…"

He turned to watch Leo and the creature engrossed in brutal combat. His invisibility limited him to heat detection, making it hard to see clearly, but he could tell each fighter was giving everything they had.

He struggled to his feet despite his trembling hands and legs, barely resisting the urge to give up. But he pushed through and stood, walking toward his sword while gripping his ribs, teeth gritted against the pain.

The moment he reached it, just bending to retrieve the sword made his body crack fearsome warnings, his back locking up in brutal cramps.

The instant he lifted the sword, Leo saw him and yelled, his voice raw with tiredness. "I've… I've been trying to nullify its weight, but nothing's working."

He bent forward, gripping his knees as he panted heavily. "I want you to stab him through the heart."

Raiden missed most of what Leo was saying, but the message was clear: he had to kill it. Even through the pain, euphoria rushed through his veins as he flashed his devilish grin.

He clutched his sword and moved behind the creature, his face alive with twisted excitement. Quiet laughter bubbled from his lips as he dragged the blade along the ground, the scraping steel sending chilling sounds through the air while Leo battled the blue giant with everything he had.

The moment he stood behind the creature, Leo stopped attacking and calling out. "Now!" he rasped, his dry throat scratching against itself as he broke into a cough.

Raiden didn't spare a moment—he dashed forward, taking advantage of his invisibility, and plunged his sword into its heart. 

Seizing that brief moment of victory, he pulled upward with all his strength, slashing heart and chest in two as the blade slid past its shoulder and sliced its ear. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he practically trembled with joy.

Leo also dashed forward, and this time, with the creature's heart already slashed, he struck again, slamming it into the ground.

Then, as the air began lifting it like a piece of paper, Leo sprinted after it and delivered another devastating blow, launching it high into the sky.

Raiden dropped to his knees and turned visible, blood trickling from his nose—he had pushed past his limits, and now, his smile was gone.

"Did we win?"

Leo turned to him. "Maybe… it'll still regenerate. So unless someone stronger finds it and finishes the job…"

"Let's just hope it doesn't come back."

Raiden smiled, but at that moment, all he wanted was sleep, and his body collapsed to the floor.

[ALERT]

[CURRENT STATUS: NUMBER 8: LEVEL- 20/100 XP.

MANA CONTROL: 35

DRAGON MANA POOL: 215/ 5000

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 205

STAMINA: 200

DRAGON AURA: 55

SKILL PROFICIENCY: ACTIVE 2

—Swordsmanship: 85%

—Euphoria: 20%

FAMILIAR TRUST: 102%

—Linked Familiar: WHITE DRAGON 

CONTRACTS: ACTIVE 2.

—Name: [ASH]

—Bond Type: Sealed Pact.

—Name: [LEVI]

—Bond Type: Binding Oath.

NEW ABILITIES:

—Soul of Dragon: 11%

—Invisibility 

—Others Locked.]