Night fell quietly, and the fruit farmers went to rest early after a busy day.Of course, this was what Caesar had asked for.
After all, they were just ordinary people. To put it bluntly, not only could they not help—they might even be a hindrance.There was only one Lizardman on the other side, and Caesar could handle it alone.
He sat on the tallest fruit tree, gazing at the lake in the distance. Resting across his lap was a sword that exuded an icy chill.
The moonlight was bright. Caesar yawned and waited silently.
It was quiet all around, and Caesar was confident he could detect even the slightest movement.
"Splash..."
Suddenly, when the moon was hanging high in the sky, Caesar heard the clear and abrupt sound of water breaking. The sound pierced the night's calm and made his heart tighten.
Without hesitation, Caesar stood quickly, balancing firmly at the fork of the branch, his sharp gaze locked onto the lake. He saw fine ripples spreading across the surface, as if something invisible was sweeping toward the orchard at a remarkable speed.
These ripples didn't appear natural—they were caused by something moving beneath the surface. Caesar's alertness spiked as he focused on the approaching disturbance.
"Coming already?" he murmured.
With a thought, Caesar's black hair turned golden, and a pair of white dog ears popped out.
In the next moment, a kunai flew toward the water.
The sudden attack startled the underwater creature, and a huge wave burst out toward the kunai.
Whoosh!
Caesar appeared beside the projectile. Staring at the waves, he drew his sword and slashed down.
"Wind Scar!"
A violent gale erupted like a beast, fangs bared. The wind carried a chill that pierced to the bone.
The surging wave clashed with the hurricane. In an instant, it froze solid into a block of ice, then shattered into countless icy shards under the power of the wind. Ice crystals danced through the air like a frosty celebration, glimmering with cold light in a surreal display.
Clap.
Caesar landed gently on the surface of the lake without sinking. He peered below and sneered.
"Trying to run?"
He launched another kunai to block the retreating enemy.
"Sit upon the frosty sky, Hyōrinmaru!"
Upon release, a chain with a half-moon blade extended from the hilt, and an ice dragon wrapped around the entire sword.
"Come forth!"
With one slash, the dragon of ice roared and dove into the lake. As it swept forward, the entire lake chilled rapidly and began to freeze over.
Boom!
The surface exploded as a dark green Lizardman burst out and landed on the ice.
The Lizardman stood upright, its body covered in thick scales, granting it incredible defense. It was also adept at water manipulation, making it a challenging opponent near lakes or rivers.
But the lake was freezing fast. Caesar didn't believe it could still use the water to fight.
"Hah!"
The Lizardman roared and lunged at Caesar, its claws trailing jets of water.
"Perfect."
Caesar met the charge head-on. His ice dragon rushed forward, roaring fiercely.
The Lizardman's pupils contracted. It dropped low and slid across the icy surface, slashing at the dragon with sharp water blades. They cut deep gashes into the ice dragon's body.
Caesar smirked and flipped his sword, summoning a wall of ice in front of himself.
The Lizardman's second claw collided with the wall, leaving claw marks but failing to break through.
Then, a violent gust howled.
"Wind Scar!"
The hurricane smashed through the ice wall, carrying with it razor-sharp shards of ice. It slashed into the Lizardman with devastating force.
The beast tried to defend itself, but the fragments cut through its tough scales. Blood spattered the ice as the Lizardman was hurled back dozens of meters and crashed to the ground.
Though injured, the Lizardman had withstood the brunt of the attack. It had used its scales to protect vital points—a testament to its resilience.
"Hah!"
It snarled and slashed several water blades toward Caesar's head.
"Ice Dragon's Tail."
Caesar swung Hyōrinmaru. A freezing path followed the tip of his blade, encasing the water blades in ice and dropping them harmlessly to the ground.
But it was only a distraction. While Caesar was occupied, the Lizardman made a break for it.
"The Art of Shadow Clone."
Three figures split from Caesar and darted out. Their kunai stabbed into the ice, blocking the creature's escape.
The Lizardman snarled again, but this time its voice trembled with fatigue.
"He's not that strong," Caesar muttered. "I bet even Erza could take him solo."
He caught up in a flash. Hyōrinmaru's ice dragon roared and lunged at the Lizardman.
Just as it was about to hit, a sharp water blade burst from under the ice and sliced the ice dragon in half.
"Another one?"
Seeing the identical technique, Caesar jumped back. One of his clones, holding a Rasengan, smashed it into the source of the attack.
Boom!
The ice shattered, and a massive Lizardman emerged—at least three times the size of the first.
She opened her mouth, unleashing a torrent of water that instantly erased the clones.
"Now it makes sense," Caesar said calmly. "A 20 J reward? There's no way this job was for one weak Lizardman. A mother and child..."
Still, he grinned and hurled Hyōrinmaru into the air.
"Perfect chance to see if I can level up!"
He vanished and reappeared at the site of his former clone. With a swing of his sword, he unleashed another Wind Scar at both Lizardmen.
The mother shielded her child. The Wind Scar tore into her, but her scales withstood the blast.
"Still tough, huh? Let's try this!"
A kunai flew, and when it landed, Caesar launched a Rasengan straight into the larger Lizardman.
Boom!
The blast sent her flying. Unlike Wind Scar's widespread damage, the Rasengan focused its power and crushed through her defenses. Blood spattered the ground.
The smaller Lizardman retaliated with a flurry of water blades.
"Die."
Caesar spun Hyōrinmaru. Ice bullets exploded out in a swarm.
"Shaaa!!!"
The giant Lizardman howled, but it didn't matter. The deadly barrage of frozen projectiles tore through the air, pierced the water blades, and struck the young Lizardman.
Fear showed on the smaller one's face, but he had no chance to flee. The ice bullets struck true, freezing him into a pristine, crystal-clear sculpture.
A faint vibration followed. Cracks formed along the surface of the sculpture—tiny at first, but growing rapidly. Then, a loud crack! shattered the silence.
The ice sculpture exploded into fragments, the shards dancing through the air like a cruel blizzard.
"Shaaaa!!!"
The giant Lizardman roared in agony and rushed Caesar in a blind fury.
"I feel for you," Caesar said quietly. "But this is just a job."
Though they were of different species, he understood the pain of loss.
"So I'll make it quick."
The crazed Lizardman was no longer thinking clearly—no match for Caesar now.
In a flash, Caesar appeared behind her. Hyōrinmaru glinted under the moonlight and sliced cleanly through her neck.
The massive Lizardman stood still for a moment before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.