MIKI was pushed to its absolute limit—

  every sense flared wide open,

  every current of MO in the surrounding space dragged into Aren’s awareness.

  Aren clenched his teeth.

  “…Rinku…”

  “…In that wasteland… what did you do…?”

  He ran while searching,

  each breath coming sharp and uneven,

  each heartbeat pounding in rhythm with the swelling dread in his chest.

  A fragile hope lingered—

  that somewhere deep within this forest,

  he might catch even the faintest trace of that familiar MO.

  And then—

  BOOM—!!

  A dull explosion echoed from straight ahead.

  The ground trembled.

  The surrounding trees shuddered violently.

  Aren froze for a split second.

  “…!”

  He snapped his head toward the source of the sound.

  It was close.

  A massive boulder ahead—

  had been smashed apart by a single blow, stone fragments scattering in all directions,

  as if someone were venting their fury onto it without restraint.

  And in that very moment—

  Aren felt it.

  A familiar flow of MO.

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  Twisted. Unstable.

  But unmistakable.

  His heart tightened.

  “…Don’t tell me—”

  There was no need for further confirmation.

  Aren burst forward,

  rushing toward the place his instincts screamed at him to reach.

  Another punch was thrown.

  The fist pierced straight through the boulder,

  shattering its core from the inside.

  The rock exploded apart, dust and fragments raining down like a storm.

  The aftershock of MO slammed into the air,

  the wind shrieking violently in response.

  From within the swirling dust, a voice rang out—

  hoarse, strained with urgency:

  “Rinku!!”

  “I finally found you!”

  The arm that had been raised suddenly froze.

  The figure standing before the shattered rock slowly turned around.

  Rinku came into view—

  messy hair, a body covered in cuts and bruises, breath heavy and uneven.

  The MO surrounding him was distorted, surging and sinking erratically,

  unstable to a terrifying degree.

  Those eyes met Aren’s directly.

  No relief.

  No joy.

  Only exhaustion.

  “…Aren?”

  His voice was low and dry—

  like ashes left behind after a flame had burned itself to the very end.

  Aren froze for a moment—

  then a look of relief spread across his face.

  “Rinku… I— I’m really glad you’re okay…”

  ------

  “AREN!”

  Rinku’s voice cut in—cold, sharp, decisive.

  He stared straight at Aren,

  his gaze allowing no further words.

  Rinku shook his head slightly.

  “Don’t say any more.”

  “I already know what you want.”

  He turned away half a step.

  “But I’m not going back.”

  “Just leave.”

  The joy on Aren’s face shattered.

  He stood there, stunned.

  At that moment—

  Aren finally understood something was truly wrong.

  “…Huh?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Master and I… we’re waiting for you to come home.”

  Aren forced an awkward smile as he said it.

  Then he took a step forward, trying to approach Rinku—

  the shallow water beneath his feet rippling softly—

  BOOM!

  A fireball slammed straight into the water in front of Aren.

  Water exploded upward,

  steam and flames rising together.

  Aren flinched, stumbling back half a step.

  He looked up.

  Rinku stood there, his gaze icy and distant.

  His right arm was engulfed in a large flame—

  burning low, restrained, yet overflowing with threat.

  Rinku growled:

  “I already warned you.”

  “Take one more step—”

  “and I’ll beat you to death, Aren.”

  Aren froze, his voice trembling:

  “What the hell is wrong with you, Rinku…?”

  Yet Aren kept walking forward—

  step by step, without hesitation, without fear.

  “I don’t know what you’re going through!!”

  Aren said, his voice firm.

  “But I swear—”

  He shouted, tearing through the roar of the waterfall behind them:

  “I’M DRAGGING MY BEST FRIEND BACK—NO MATTER WHAT!!”

  Those words didn’t calm Rinku.

  On the contrary—

  they struck directly at the rage smoldering inside him.

  Rinku’s eyes darkened.

  VSH—!!

  A fire-wrapped kick swept sideways,

  shooting straight toward Aren.

  Flames tore through the air,

  the water beneath their feet erupting violently.

  But—

  Aren reacted in time.

  BAM!!

  He blocked the kick.

  The collision exploded on impact,

  a shockwave blasting water and air outward in all directions.

  The two of them stepped back once.

  Then—

  they stopped.

  Their gazes locked onto each other.

  In that brief moment—

  there were no more words.

  Only confrontation.

  Neither of their eyes yielded.

  End of Chapter 5