The Young Master's smile faded.

He closed his eyes, calming his breath.

"I call upon the gods to give me strength."

Opening his eyes once more, an emerald glow shimmered within them as he fixed his gaze upon the young Argentavis below.

After hours of waiting, he was finally presented with an opportunity he had been looking for.

Slowly, he reached into the folds of his robe and withdrew a slender branch no longer than his forearm. Time had polished its bark smooth, while countless intricate carvings were woven into it from base to tip. It was unremarkable to the untrained eye, little more than a fallen twig. To those who walked the Arcane, however, it was a wand.

The young servant instinctively held his breath.

The Young Master raised the wand with both hands.

Soft emerald mana gathered around the carved branch, flowing through the intricate carvings etched into its bark.

For a brief moment, the light trembled.

His brow furrowed.

"How annoying."

A steady breath escaped his lips.

The unstable mana settled.

Three slender Arcane lances slowly formed before the wand's tip, each no thicker than a finger. Faint ripples distorted the air around them as condensed mana hummed softly.

A faint smile returned to his face.

"Watch closely."

With a sharp flick of his wrist, the three lances shot through the air.

The first shattered against the weathered stone of the nest.

The second tore through a cluster of silver feathers.

The third buried itself deep into the Argentavis' side.

SKREEEE!

The deafening cry echoed across the colossal branches.

The great bird lurched to its feet, crimson blood staining its silver plumage.

Its enormous wings exploded open.

A violent gust swept across the branch, sending loose leaves and splintered bark spiraling into the clouds below, knocking the servant off his feet and forcing the Young Master to shield his face from the wind.

The carcass of the Sky Elk slid from the nest and disappeared into the endless white beneath.

Golden eyes locked onto the intruders.

Predatory.

Unblinking.

The servant sat frozen, his entire body trembling as the young Argentavis rose to its feet. The deafening cry echoed across the colossal branches while crimson blood stained the creature's silver plumage.

"Young Master..." he whispered, unable to hide the fear in his voice. "We have to leave. You've already wounded it. We have to go."

The Young Master's grin only widened.

"So..."

He tightened his grip around the carved branch.

"...now the hunt begins."

Uttering words of the old gods beneath his breath, the intricate carvings etched into the branch ignited with a soft emerald glow. Mana flowed through every groove as the simple wand creaked and twisted in his grasp, folding over itself before lengthening into a double-edged blade. Though carved from the Sacred Tree itself, its edge gleamed with a sharpness that rivaled forged steel.

The Young Master lowered his stance, taking a single step back as the branch beneath his feet bent slightly under the shift in his weight. Then he launched himself forward, closing the distance between himself and the young Argentavis in the blink of an eye.

The great bird didn't retreat.

Instead, it welcomed him.

The servant instinctively reached after him.

"Young Master!"

His fingers grasped nothing but air.

He watched the battle erupt upon the nest below, his heart pounding against his chest as steel clashed against beak and talon.

He took a step forward.

Then another.

His trembling legs stopped.

What am I doing?

He wasn't a warrior.

If he joined the fight, he wouldn't save the Young Master.

He would only become another burden.

His gaze drifted toward the distant branches beyond the horizon.

His fists clenched.

"...Please survive."

Turning away from the battle, he broke into a sprint, racing across the colossal branch as fast as his legs would carry him.

"I'll be back."

Its enormous beak opened impossibly wide, snapping shut just as the Young Master twisted his body in midair. His blade came crashing down against the upper half of the beak with a deafening crack, forcing the creature's head violently to one side before he landed awkwardly inside the nest, stumbling several steps across the tangled branches.

"...Not my best landing."

The Argentavis shrieked in fury.

Recovering almost instantly, it whipped its head around before lunging once more, its hooked beak tearing through the air with frightening speed. The Young Master's eyes widened as he ripped the robe from his shoulders and hurled it straight into the creature's face.

The heavy cloth spread over its eyes.

The Argentavis snapped wildly, shredding the robe apart with a single bite.

That single heartbeat was all the opening he needed.

He darted beneath its left wing and drove the wooden blade deep into its side. Warm blood burst across his hands as the blade disappeared nearly to its hilt, drawing another ear-piercing cry from the wounded bird.

His smile quickly faded.

That should have reached its heart...

Instead of collapsing, the Argentavis exploded into motion.

Its wounded wing beat wildly, sending a violent gust through the nest as bones, loose branches, and splintered timber scattered in every direction. The enormous structure shook beneath them, forcing the Young Master to lose his footing just as the creature's body slammed into him.

The sword was ripped from his grasp.

A powerful sweep of its wing sent him crashing into the side of the nest with enough force to drive every breath from his lungs. Pain shot through his ribs as his vision blurred, his body sliding across the woven branches before coming to a stop.

For a brief moment...

Everything went dark.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he forced his eyes open. His head throbbed, and the world swayed around him before his vision finally settled.

A jagged branch had pierced clean through his lower leg.

Blood slowly trickled down the wood before dripping onto the nest below.

The Young Master gritted his teeth, wrapping both hands around the broken branch.

"AAAGH!"

With a violent pull, he tore it free.

Fresh blood poured from the wound, but he barely spared it a glance.

His gaze swept across the battlefield.

The Argentavis had already managed to wrench the wooden blade from its own side. Blood streamed from the deep wound, staining its silver feathers crimson, yet it remained standing. Its chest rose and fell heavily as it glared at him with burning golden eyes.

The Young Master slowly pushed himself back onto his feet, his injured leg trembling beneath him.

I don't have time to heal.

The Argentavis lowered its body, digging its talons deep into the nest as it prepared to charge again.

The Young Master steadied his breathing.

Think...

What do I still have?

His gaze swept across the nest.

Broken branches.

Scattered bones from countless creatures.

Splintered timber woven together to form the massive nest itself.

Then...

He laughed.

The sound echoed strangely across the branch.

The Argentavis paused, tilting its head as if trying to understand why its prey was laughing while drenched in blood.

Blood trickled down the side of the Young Master's face, staining half of it crimson. He slowly lowered himself onto one knee before placing both palms firmly against the nest.

His lips moved silently.

Ancient words spilled from his mouth, too quiet for the servant to hear.

For a moment...

Nothing happened.

The Argentavis let out a furious screech and lunged.

The Young Master didn't move.

Beneath his hands, faint emerald tendrils of Arcane slipped into the nest. They crept silently through the tangled branches, weaving between splintered wood and old bones alike before disappearing from sight.

He didn't move.

The Argentavis closed the distance in seconds, its talons tearing into the nest as its hooked beak shot toward him.

At the very last moment, the Young Master smiled.

"Now."

The Arcane tendrils tightened.

The woven branches shifted ever so slightly beneath the Argentavis' weight. One massive talon slipped between the timber, wedging itself deep within the nest for the briefest of moments.

It wasn't enough to trap the beast.

It was enough to ruin its footing.

The Argentavis stumbled.

Its head dipped.

Its throat opened.

The Young Master threw himself forward.

His hand shot toward the nearest pile of bones, wrapping around the jagged rib of some long-forgotten creature. Arcane surged into the brittle bone, strengthening it just enough to withstand the force of the strike.

With a roar, he drove the reinforced rib downward.

Not toward its throat.

Toward the wound his blade had already carved into the Argentavis' side.

The jagged bone disappeared deep into the open wound.

SKREEEEEE!

The Argentavis let out one final agonized cry, its wings beating wildly as blood erupted from its side. The enormous bird staggered across the nest, each step weaker than the last, before its legs finally buckled beneath it.

With a thunderous crash, the young Argentavis collapsed.

Silence returned to the branch.

The Young Master remained standing for only a moment, his chest heaving as he stared at the lifeless beast.

Then the adrenaline faded.

His legs gave way.

He fell backward onto the tangled branches of the nest, staring up at the endless sky above as he struggled to catch his breath.

A weary smile crept across his face.

"...I did it."

For the first time since the hunt began...

Silence.

Only the gentle whistle of the wind weaving through the branches of the Sacred Tree.

His eyes drifted toward the lifeless Argentavis.

A laugh escaped him.

"I finally did it."

He closed his eyes.

Just for a moment.

His entire body ached.

His ribs burned.

His leg throbbed.

Every breath reminded him how close he had come to dying.

"...Worth it."

Then...

The warmth of the sun vanished as though swallowed whole.

The wind shifted.

What had been a gentle breeze became a violent gale that bent the surrounding branches and tore countless leaves loose. Feathers, broken twigs, and splintered wood were pulled upward into the sky instead of falling toward the clouds below.

Slowly...

He lifted his eyes toward the heavens.

At first, he mistook it for another branch of the Sacred Tree.

Then it moved.

Its wings stretched farther than the nest itself, each slow beat sending hurricanes through the canopy. Silver feathers shimmered beneath the sunlight like polished steel, while talons larger than the young Argentavis' entire body gripped the air as it descended.

Only then...

Did the Young Master realize just how small the young Argentavis had truly been.

The giant bird circled the ruined nest once.

Then again.

Its golden eyes settled upon the lifeless body lying among the shattered branches.

Without a single cry, it folded its enormous wings and descended.

The Young Master didn't move.

The mother Argentavis slowly lowered her head toward him. Her golden eyes lingered on the blood covering the Young Master's clothes before drifting once more to the lifeless body of her offspring. The air grew heavier with every passing second until even drawing a breath became difficult.

The mother spread her enormous wings.

A violent gale tore across the branch, ripping apart what remained of the nest. Broken timber, feathers, and ancient bones were hurled into the open sky as the Young Master planted his good leg against the bark, gritting his teeth against the force of the wind.

Then she screamed.

The cry pierced the heavens.

It wasn't merely a sound.

It crashed into his mind like a tidal wave.

The Young Master staggered as an unbearable pressure overwhelmed his senses. His fingers refused to obey. His legs remained rooted to the branch, and even breathing became difficult.

The mother Argentavis lowered her body before launching forward, her enormous beak swallowing the distance between them in an instant.

Move.

His body refused.

Move!

Not a single muscle answered.

The enormous beak filled his vision.

His fists clenched.

Then...

He turned his head away.

He refused to watch.

...

Silence.

The Young Master frowned.

Slowly, he turned back.

The Argentavis hung motionless in the air.

Its charge had stopped.

A thin crimson line slowly appeared across its neck.

The Young Master's eyes widened.

Blood sprayed into the wind.

The enormous head slid from its body, tumbling through the clouds below as the headless corpse crashed into the branch with enough force to shake the surrounding canopy.

Only then did he notice...

Someone was standing between him and the fallen beast.

Before the Young Master could make sense of what had happened, hurried footsteps echoed across the branch.

"Young Master!"

The servant stumbled onto the ruined nest, nearly collapsing as he rushed to the Young Master's side.

The moment he saw the blood...

His face went pale.

He dropped to his knees.

"...I'm sorry."

"...I'm so sorry, Young Master."

If only I was strong enough...

Tears blurred his vision as he fumbled through the satchel at his side, his trembling hands barely able to untie it.

The Young Master let out a weary sigh.

"Less apologizing..."

"...More healing."

The servant quickly nodded, hastily pulling out a bundle of medicinal herbs before crushing them into a paste with shaking hands.

"R-Right!"

He carefully packed the herbs into the wound before wrapping the Young Master's leg tightly with a clean strip of linen, doing his best to stop the bleeding.

"There..."

"...That should hold until we get home."

The servant finished securing the bandage before stepping back, lowering his head.

Silence settled over the ruined nest.

The woman slowly turned.

She wore polished silver armor that seemed untouched by the battle, every plate etched with intricate knotwork that caught the sunlight like flowing streams. A long crimson cloak rested upon her shoulders, its edges stirring gently in the breeze. Her golden hair, woven into a thick braid, fell over one shoulder, while piercing blue eyes surveyed the battlefield in silence.

At her waist hung a simple longsword, already returned to its scabbard.

There was no blood upon its blade.

No sign she had ever drawn it.

The servant immediately lowered his head.

"Lady Freya."

The Young Master's froze.

Without acknowledging him, Freya folded her wings. The brilliant feathers dissolved into countless particles of golden light before vanishing into the wind as though they had never existed.

She paid him no mind.

Her gaze wandered across the ruined nest.

The shattered timber.

The blood.

The young Argentavis.

Then...

It settled upon the wooden sword lying half-buried beneath the broken branches.

She walked toward it.

Bending down, she picked it up.

The emerald glow faded from the carvings as the blade slowly twisted back into the simple carved branch from which it had come.

She laid it upon the shattered nest beside him.

"Few can claim to have slain a young Argentavis alone."

A brief silence followed.

"But pride blinded you."

Another silence settled over the ruined nest.

"What would you have done..."

"...if your servant had shared your pride?"

Neither the Young Master nor the servant answered.

She lowered the branch.

"His Majesty will hear of your accomplishment."

A brief pause.

"He will also hear..."

"...that his servant displayed greater wisdom than his son."

She turned and began walking back toward the branch leading to the kingdom.

"Let's return."

"His Majesty is waiting."

The Young Master accepted the branch with both hands and lowered his head.

"...Yes..."

"...Mother."