Ryo vanished and reappeared in front of Shikavas with lightning speed. In one smooth motion, he raised his hand and delivered a sharp slap to the Lizard Emperor's face, sending the massive creature crashing back several meters, its body skidding along the ground, the sound of impact shaking the air.

  "That's a warning for messing with me," Ryo said coldly, his voice dripping with disdain.

  System Notification:

  “Skill Activated: ‘The Slap of Reality’ - When words aren’t enough, a little physical reminder can go a long way.”

  Shikavas staggered to his feet, clearly enraged, the scales on his face now dented where Ryo’s slap had struck. His mouth opened in a guttural roar, shaking the ground with his fury.

  System Comment:

  "A slap to the face of an S-rank? Ryo’s got some guts. He must be more confident than we thought."

  Ryo remained unfazed, his posture casual as he waited for the Lizard Emperor to recover. The air was thick with tension as the once-mighty monster struggled to rise, its pride wounded, its eyes burning with fury.

  System Notification:

  “Skill Activated: ‘Patience of the Godslayer’ - The art of waiting for your enemy to gather their strength... and then watching them fall short.”

  Ryo couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Shikavas try to get back up. “You should know better than to challenge someone with a slap like that. You’re not even worth my time.”

  Ryo’s finger moved upward with a simple, almost bored motion. The earth trembled as stone spires shot up from the ground, enclosing Shikavas in a tight, unbreakable cage. The Lizard Emperor roared and struggled against his rocky prison, but it was futile. Ryo barely spared him a glance before turning his attention to Seraphine, who was slumped in his arms, barely conscious.

  Ryo gently knelt beside Seraphine, his heart pounding in his chest as he checked her pulse. She was still unconscious, her breathing shallow and labored. He couldn’t wait any longer—he needed to heal her, and he needed to do it fast. As he glanced at the potion in his hand, the system's voice echoed in his mind.

  "To heal her, you need to deliver the potion directly. It’s... unconventional, but it’ll work."

  Ryo furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, deliver it? How is this supposed to heal her?"

  The system responded with a teasing tone. "Well, you’re going to have to drink it and transfer it to her... through lips to lips."

  Ryo froze, a red flush creeping up his neck. "Wait, what!? Are you serious!?"

  The system didn’t hold back, its voice full of amusement. "Yes, seriously. You’ll have to do it. Now hurry up, she’s running out of time."

  He stared at the potion in his hand, then back at Seraphine’s pale face. There was no other choice. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the awkwardness bubbling inside him. This was the only way.

  With one last deep breath, Ryo bent over her, carefully leaning in. His lips met hers, and he delivered the potion, feeling the warmth of her breath on his face. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. He quickly pulled back, his heart hammering in his chest, not sure what to expect.

  Seraphine’s eyes fluttered open, blurry at first, then slowly focused on his face. Her expression was dazed for a moment, but as her vision cleared, she saw Ryo right in front of her, still slightly flushed from the awkward moment.

  Her eyes widened, and she blushed deeply, suddenly aware of the situation. "W-What... did you just...?" She stammered, her face turning as red as his.

  Ryo immediately averted his gaze, flustered and unsure of what to say. "I—I was just... trying to help, okay?" he muttered, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

  Seraphine blinked at him, clearly still dazed but now completely aware of what had just happened. Her cheeks flushed, and for a brief moment, her usual sharpness seemed to falter as she looked away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

  “I... I didn’t know you cared that much,” she said, her voice softer than usual, though still teasing. “But I guess I owe you more than I thought.”

  Ryo, still feeling the heat on his face, muttered under his breath, “Just... don’t make a big deal out of it.”

  The system, not missing the moment, chimed in with a teasing comment. "Looks like someone’s a little shy after all."

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Ryo groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Shut up."

  Seraphine let out a small laugh, still blushing, though there was a hint of gratitude in her eyes. “I won’t forget this,” she said, her voice more steady now as the effects of the healing potion began to take hold.

  Ryo sighed, relieved that she was waking up, but his embarrassment hadn’t faded in the slightest. He just hoped things wouldn’t get even more awkward.

  Ryo smiled down at Seraphine, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he gently lifted her into his arms. Seraphine, caught off guard, felt her face flush as she was cradled so effortlessly. It was her first time being carried like this, and the sudden closeness made her heart skip a beat. She tried to hide her flustered expression, but her cheeks were already betraying her.

  "Stay here," Ryo said, his voice light and teasing. "I’ll play with him for a little."

  "Play?" Seraphine asked, still a bit dazed by the unexpected turn of events. "What do you mean by ‘play’?"

  Ryo chuckled, his tone playful. "Yup. I hope he doesn’t break too easily," he added, his words laced with a casual confidence.

  Before Seraphine could respond, Ryo began walking toward Shikavas, still carrying her. His grip was firm but gentle, making her feel both safe and strangely vulnerable. The teasing comments from the system only added to the tension in the air.

  “Oh ho, carrying the damsel in distress now? Someone’s in a hurry to impress,” the system teased, clearly enjoying Ryo's discomfort.

  Ryo ignored the system’s jabs and focused on his goal, making sure Seraphine was settled safely in his arms. After a moment, he gently set her down on a large rock nearby, being mindful of the sharp edges and debris on the ground. "Watch out for pellets, Sera," Ryo said with a smirk, making sure she was in a safe spot before turning his attention back to Shikavas.

  Seraphine, still a little stunned, watched him go, her heart racing as she tried to gather her thoughts. The sudden shift in dynamics had caught her off guard, and she couldn't quite understand why she felt so flustered.

  "Ser... a?" Seraphine muttered quietly to herself, still not fully processing the situation. She stared at Ryo's retreating figure, wondering what was going through his mind. The word felt strange on her tongue, and she couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he had meant by that. But before she could think too much, she was snapped back to reality as the battle between Ryo and Shikavas was about to unfold.

  The tension in the air was thick, and Seraphine knew that things were about to get intense. But a small part of her couldn’t help but feel curious, perhaps even a little excited, about the strange new bond that was forming between her and Ryo.

  Ryo stepped forward slowly, each footfall crunching the cracked earth. His eyes gleamed with casual fire as he whispered,

  "Ignis."

  Both of his fists erupted into roaring crimson flames, the heat distorting the air around them.

  Before Shikavas could move, Ryo vanished from his spot and reappeared inches away—his flaming fist already driving into the monster’s stomach.

  BOOM!

  Shikavas wheezed, unable to scream as Ryo unleashed a ruthless barrage of blazing punches.

  "Don’t worry," Ryo said mid-barrage, his voice eerily calm, "I’m really... trying my best not to kill you."

  Each punch struck like an explosion, echoing across the ruined battlefield. Shikavas barely had a second to process the words before—

  CRACK!

  A flaming hook smashed across his face, shattering part of the stone cage and sending the Lizard Emperor flying through the air like a meteor crashing into rubble.

  As Shikavas crashed into the shattered remains of stone and steel, Ryo cracked his neck and exhaled calmly—flames still dancing across his fists.

  He muttered under his breath,

  "Man… it’s so hard to hold back."

  [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]:

  Affirmative. User is exerting 8% power output. Congratulations, you’re not a murderer… yet.

  Ryo walked forward again, casually brushing ash from his shoulder, like this was all just a warm-up.

  Seraphine, still lying where he'd left her, blinked in disbelief. Her heart pounded—not from the pain, but from watching the chaos unfold like some god of war had just descended.

  She whispered, stunned,

  “Is this guy… for real?”

  Her cheeks flushed faintly as she remembered how he'd carried her so easily, like she weighed nothing—and now he was manhandling an S-Rank monster like it owed him lunch money.

  Shikavas screeched, a bone-chilling, guttural cry that echoed across the ruins like a war horn. His jagged tail twitched as his massive body writhed in the debris.

  Then... something changed.

  The scattered remains of hundreds of defeated Lizardmen began to shimmer—fading into glowing streams of energy. One by one, the souls and essence of the fallen surged toward Shikavas’ broken form, merging into him with pulsing light.

  [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]:

  Warning. S-Rank entity “Shikavas the Lizardman Emperor” is undergoing forced Evolution.

  [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]:

  Evolution resembles... Pokémon? Throw a stone or press B to cancel.

  Ryo blinked. “Wait, what?”

  Without hesitation, he picked up a small rock from beside his foot, casually tossing it in his hand. “Guess I’ll try it.”

  Thunk!

  The stone bonked directly on Shikavas’ forehead.

  For a second, there was silence.

  Then—

  “GRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

  Shikavas exploded in rage, glowing veins of power bursting across his scales, eyes now bloodshot with fury.

  [SYSTEM COMMENT]:

  Nice shot, genius. You didn’t cancel evolution—you gave him motivation.

  Ryo sighed, stretching his neck again.

  “…Guess he’s a boss fight now.”

  From the sidelines, Seraphine’s jaw dropped.

  “What did he just do?!”