Gabriel charged forward like a golden lightning bolt.  

His sword sliced through the burning battlefield.  

Felicia Cruz, wearing the divine relics — the “Baila” anklet and “Rina” bracelet — danced among the enemies.  

Mu Lang, with his “Shin” fan, swept through ranks with gusts of wind.

— Celestial Blazing Sword!

Gabriel’s shout echoed.  

A wave of sacred fire consumed everything.  

Ashes.  

Silence.

But one voice remained:

— General Garra is with us... we can still win.

Gabriel stopped.  

Thoughtful.  

The name Garra weighed heavily.

⋯

In the nearby forest, chaos took shape.  

Garra, the Red Scale.  

One of the nine divine generals of the Demon King.  

A living calamity.

The 19 Drones were absent.  

Queen Beatrix watched, powerless.  

Bound by religious obligations.  

She could only face the Demon King himself. It was taboo for the queen to confront the generals...

Garra advanced.  

Royal guards fell like leaves.  

Civilians fled.  

Homes crumbled into rubble.

In the central square, two children were trapped.  

Stones about to collapse.

⋯

Souta appeared.  

From within the crowd.  

He ran.  

Pulled the children out at the last second.

— Are you okay?

— Yes... thank you so much, mister.

— Mister? I’m almost 40, you know?

But before he could laugh...  

The shadow fell.

Garra was there.

Roar.  

Ground shaking.  

Predatory gaze.

He opened his jaws.  

Fire gathered.

Souta panicked.  

No weapon.  

Only... the spoon.

The children trembled.  

Civilians froze.

The flames were unleashed.

⋯

But something inexplicable happened.  

The flames vanished.  

As if absorbed by the air.  

Silence.

Garra roared.  

Frustrated.

Souta charged.  

Without thinking.  

Without logic.

Spoon in hand.  

Each strike hit vital points.  

Guided by something greater.

In seconds...  

Garra fell.

⋯

Shock.  

Knights in silence.  

Two Drones arrived.  

The Shield Hero — Carl.  

The Dagger Heroine — Lily.

Speechless.

The Queen and the Three Princesses watched.  

Without words.

Souta looked at the dragon’s body.  

Then at his hands.

— I... I did this?  

— But how?

A strange energy pulsed.  

His stats, once zeroed...  

Now glowed.

Enigmatic symbols.  

Impossible to interpret.

A cold voice echoed in his mind:

> **Upgrade: skill awakened — Merciless Spoon.**  

> **Notification: status update complete.**  

All skills at maximum level.

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