The sound of the waterfall continued to pour down steadily, the endless rush echoing through the air.

  The two stared at each other.

  Without a single warning.

  Rinku suddenly dashed forward.

  His fists swung in rapid succession, relentless like a torrential downpour, striking straight at Aren.

  Caught completely off guard, Aren had no time to react.

  Not a single block.

  The first blow slammed into his chest.

  The second struck his shoulder.

  The third forced Aren to stagger backward through the shallow water, splashes bursting around him.

  Step by step, Aren was driven back, his breathing thrown into chaos, his chest feeling crushed under pressure.

  He didn’t even have a moment to breathe.

  There were only Rinku’s punches—

  cold, powerful, and without hesitation.

  In a brief instant, Aren tried to counterattack.

  He threw a single punch.

  But—

  BAM!

  Rinku’s fist smashed straight into Aren’s face, cutting off all reaction.

  Immediately after—

  another punch drove hard into his stomach, showing no mercy.

  Aren staggered backward from the force, his breath shattered, his mind spinning.

  Before he could regain his senses—

  WHOOSH—!

  From a distance, a flame shot forward and slammed directly into him.

  Water exploded violently into the air.

  Aren fell face-first into the shallow stream,

  his body sinking into the cold water,

  his breathing broken and uneven.

  Aren forced himself back to his feet, water splashing around his legs.

  He stared straight at Rinku, breathing heavily.

  “…Haa…”

  “Fighting you right now…”

  “I really don’t stand a chance.”

  Aren clenched his teeth.

  But his eyes did not waver.

  “But even so…”

  “I still have to be determined.”

  He tightened both fists, his entire body tensing.

  MO surged upward, gathering into his fists.

  “ Ho? Minh Quy?n (Flame Radiance Fist)."

  Aren’s hands began to burn.

  Not explosively like Rinku’s flames.

  Not violent.

  Just a steady source of heat,

  burning quietly—

  like a will that refused to fade.

  Rinku watched Aren brace himself.

  In that moment—

  he clenched his own fist as well.

  H?a Quy?n (Flame Fist ) ignited.

  The fire around Rinku’s arm burned so fiercely that the air itself seemed to twist.

  The temperature spiked.

  The water around them began to boil, white steam rising as small waves trembled continuously.

  “WHOOSH—!!”

  Both of them launched forward at the same time.

  Rinku’s speed was overwhelming—but Aren did not retreat.

  He poured strength into each breath and unleashed

  Liên Tinh Phá (Relentless Star Fist) confronting him head-on—He fought Rinku head-on in close combat.

  BAM! BAM! BAM!

  Their fists collided relentlessly.

  Fire and heat burst through the air around them.

  The surface of the water shattered into sprays and fragments beneath the shockwaves.

  Blow after blow followed in rapid succession—

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  so fast that the naked eye could barely keep up.

  Gradually—

  their strikes were no longer just about power.

  Within every movement, every stance—

  there were memories.

  The first day their master paired them for sparring.

  Clumsy punches.

  Falling down, then standing up again.

  And now—

  both of them carried the same thing in their eyes.

  The determination to win.

  Even though Rinku held the advantage in martial skill,

  Ho? Minh Quy?n was still taking its toll.

  Each time Rinku’s fist collided directly with Aren’s,

  a sharp pain shot back through his arm—

  burning, lingering, as if his very insides were being scorched.

  But superior was still superior.

  In the brief moment Aren’s defense faltered,

  Rinku gathered his full strength.

  A massive blaze erupted around his fist—

  and he drove it forward.

  Aren managed to block.

  But he couldn’t withstand the force.

  BOOM—!!

  Aren’s body was blasted backward,

  slamming hard into the boulder behind him.

  The rock cracked apart.

  Fragments exploded in every direction.

  Aren was pinned against the shattered stone,

  his entire body wracked with pain, his breath caught in his throat—

  as if he had just been crushed by a blazing inferno.

  Rinku looked at Aren, his voice lowering.

  Rinku:

  “Aren… you know perfectly well you can’t defeat me.”

  He tightened his fist. The flames around it trembled faintly.

  Rinku:

  “You should give up, Aren… and just leave me alone.”

  Aren stirred slightly.

  He forced himself upright,

  spitting out a mouthful of blood before wiping the corner of his lips with his hand.

  His breathing was heavy, but his eyes did not waver.

  Aren:

  “Rinku… I really hate that selfish side of you.”

  He let out a slow breath, his voice lowering.

  Aren:

  “Hah… I know.”

  “What you’ve been through—

  that’s a pain no one else can replace.”

  Aren lifted his head and looked straight at Rinku.

  Aren:

  “But you always choose to endure it alone.”

  “Even though around you… there’s still Master.”

  “And there’s me too, Rinku.”

  Rinku turned his face away, avoiding that gaze.

  His hand trembled slightly—

  unclear whether it was from the flames… or from the words.

  Aren clenched his fist, his voice cracking.

  Aren:

  “Even if I say I hate that about you…”

  “I don’t understand why—

  there’s only one thought that’s always in my head.”

  He shouted, his voice overpowering even the roar of the waterfall.

  Aren:

  “YOU WILL DEFINITELY—

  BE MY BEST FRIEND, RINKUUUUU!!!”

  Aren stepped forward.

  Each step was slow, light, yet firm.

  The water beneath his feet rippled gently with every breath he took.

  Aren:

  “I’ve already seen it, Rinku.”

  “The hatred in your heart…

  it’s not the same as it was before.”

  He stopped, his eyes resolute.

  Aren:

  “So—

  I’m going to take this chance… and pull you back.”

  Aren tightened his fist.

  Aren:

  “If you’ve decided to keep walking down this path—”

  His voice dropped low, then rang out in challenge.

  Aren:

  “THEN STEP OVER MY DEAD BODY.”

  Rinku did not respond.

  Frustration rose in the silence.

  The surface of the water around them suddenly became eerily still.

  Then—

  BOIL—!

  The water evaporated violently, revealing the cracked ground beneath.

  Rinku’s right arm erupted with a blazing red flame.

  Immediately after—

  blinding streaks of lightning tore through the air, bursting out at the same time.

  —

  Aren did not step back.

  He tightened his right arm.

  His skin glowed red as "Ho? Minh Quy?n" was pushed to its absolute limit.

  Heat radiated fiercely, engulfing his entire body.

  Two forces stood facing one another.

  From where they stood,

  the pool of water beneath them was completely dried away,

  steam rising high in thick waves—

  revealing scorched earth directly under their feet.

  Where water once existed…

  now there was only a battlefield.

  Rinku generated spiraling gusts of wind beneath his feet.

  Rinku shouted:

  “H?a L?i Quy?n (Flame Thunder Fist)!”

  He shot straight toward Aren, his body launching forward like an arrow wrapped in raging flame and lightning.

  On the opposite side, Aren tightened his calves, pouring all his strength into his body before charging forward as well—

  with H?a Minh Quy?n pushed to its absolute maximum.

  The air seemed to tear apart as the two closed the distance.

  In that very instant, when the battle had reached its peak tension, Rinku saw Aren struggling desperately—fighting for his sake.

  The anger in Rinku’s eyes faded.

  In its place was self-blame as he looked at Aren.

  His heart suddenly tightened.

  His vision darkened.

  Rinku felt as if he were falling into a dense void of blackness.

  Voices…

  Crying…

  Words of self-reproach echoed endlessly through his mind.

  He ran.

  He kept running through that darkness.

  Running to escape the abyss of the days he had endured.

  But the more he ran, the more the darkness swallowed him.

  Until finally—

  Rinku collapsed.

  And just when everything seemed hopeless…

  A ray of light appeared.

  Within that light was the image of Aren as a child.

  A bright, innocent, warm smile.

  A voice echoed—gentle, yet unwavering:

  “You’ve always been an amazing friend to me, Rinku.

  And you always will be.”

  Rinku’s heart trembled.

  The darkness in his mind slowly began to fade.

  Light filled every empty space.

  For the first time in a long while—

  he felt warmth.

  And in that moment, Rinku realized…

  there was still something precious he had never truly lost.

  —

  Back in reality.

  Rinku spoke softly, his voice trembling:

  “Looking at your face…

  I can’t bring myself to do it, Aren…”

  H?a L?i Quy?n in his hand was no longer violent.

  The flames wavered. The lightning was no longer as fierce as before.

  The energy weakened… gradually… until it completely faded.

  And then—in that very moment, Rinku shut his eyes tightly.

  On the opposite side, Aren had already sensed something from Rinku.

  But it was too late to stop.

  BOOM — MM!!!

  Rinku took the full force of a H?a Minh strike from Aren.

  His body was blasted straight toward the waterfall.

  BAM! BAM!

  Rinku’s body slammed down hard, then lay still in despair.

  He stared up at the sky, as if trying to face himself.

  A single blow…

  that made both their hearts ache at the same time.

  Aren looked at Rinku, his eyes filled with pain and sorrow.

  “Hey, Rinku… just think of it as me begging you.”

  His voice trembled softly.

  He remembered the moment Rinku had closed his eyes.

  “It was obvious… you didn’t want to strike me.”

  “Your eyes already said that.”

  Aren lowered his voice, almost whispering:

  “So… come back to me.”

  “Rinku.”

  —

  Rinku looked at Aren.

  His hand tightened, crushing the small stone beside him into fragments.

  “Why…?”

  “Why are you so stubborn, Aren?”

  His voice broke.

  “I’m obviously a monster.”

  “A demon… I killed people without even a shred of mercy.”

  Rinku shouted over the roar of the waterfall.

  “What did I do wrong for the world to treat me like this?!”

  His breathing trembled.

  “These past days… I’ve lived in regret for not being able to save my family.”

  “And even after taking revenge… all I felt was emptiness.”

  His voice grew quieter.

  “There were times I wanted to cry.”

  “But the tears… wouldn’t fall.”

  Rinku lowered his head.

  “Look at me, Aren.”

  “How am I any different from a demon now…?”

  —

  Aren smiled faintly.

  Not a happy smile—

  but one of understanding.

  “Rinku… I know.”

  “That guilt didn’t come from your true nature.”

  He stepped closer.

  “You still feel regret.”

  “That means your reason was never completely swallowed by hatred.”

  Aren looked at Rinku with gentle eyes.

  “Everyone makes mistakes.”

  “And to me…”

  “Whether you’re a monster, a demon, or anything else—”

  His voice steadied.

  “You’re still the friend I treasure most.”

  —

  Those words carved themselves deep into Rinku’s heart.

  This time—

  the tears truly fell.

  Aren took another step forward.

  He extended his hand.

  Not forcing.

  Just an invitation.

  Rinku hesitated, his hand trembling slightly.

  Then finally—

  he took Aren’s hand.

  Aren smiled.

  A relieved smile, as if a great burden had been lifted.

  He pulled Rinku’s arm over his shoulder.

  “Let’s go home, Rinku.”

  Rinku looked at him.

  The guilt was still there.

  But for the first time in a long while… he felt warmth.

  He gave a small nod.

  “…Yeah.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Aren supported Rinku as they walked forward along the path ahead.

  With every slow step they took, the exhaustion from earlier gradually faded—

  as Rinku finally accepted his decision to turn back.

  End of Chapter 6 – Arc 1