Ren's POV… In the distance, a column of black smoke rose toward the gray sky, and just as Ren saw it… "NO!" The scream tore from his throat as he leaped from the moving carriage, not waiting for Wei to stop the horses. The wooden frame groaned under the force of his departure. The veins of light in his body blazed with blinding intensity, his hydra fusing instantaneously. His muscles tensed, the fibers merging with those of his beast in a symphony of power. Time seemed to slow as he finally managed to observe the situation clearly. Rage. A blade of pure light materialized from Ren's claws as he ran, cutting through the air with precision. The projectile reached the whip the Fire Lizard's tamer was attempting to strike against his mother's back, severing it cleanly in half before it could accomplish its purpose. But Ren didn't stop. His body glowed like a descended star, each step leaving heavy imprints in the ground. Crystalline claws extended from his knuckles as he leaped, his form blurring with speed. The man's instinct saved him from death but not from being brutally knocked out. The two remaining patrollers reacted with the speed of experienced warriors. The tiger channeled energy through his extremities, his claws growing to supernatural lengths. The spider man began weaving threads at inhuman speed, creating a web in the air. Ren landed with feline grace, his eyes blazing with fury that transcended mere anger. With his now 250% enhanced Strength pulsing through his transformed muscles, he launched himself directly at the tiger, the one closest to his parents. The patroller smiled at the child's apparent recklessness. His ghost claw ability with its 10-meter reach cut through the air. But his confidence evaporated when Ren not only dodged the attack but seemed to have anticipated the movement before it occurred. Ren's mana vision allowed him to see energy fluctuations before they materialized into physical attacks. To him, it also was as if the man moved in slow motion. The counterattack was brutal. An armor-reinforced punch impacted the tiger's solar plexus, expelling all air from his lungs with an audible whoosh. Before he could recover, Ren spun on himself, his elbow finding the man's jaw with insane precision. Bone cracked under the impact. "Leader!" shouted the spider man, ready to launch his thread web toward Ren. But a shadow fell over him. Lin appeared like black lightning, her Bronze 2 Panther Lizard manifesting in patterns across her legs. The combination with her crane granted her 240% Speed and Strength, transforming her into a blur of death. Her side kick connected with the spider man's torso, the impact generating a horrible crack and a shockwave that rippled outward. The patroller shot away like a projectile, his body tracing an arc while spinning in the air, tangling in his own threads before crashing against the charred remains of a fence some fifteen meters away. "Finish it," Lin conceded, positioning herself to intercept any interference. "I've got your back." Ren barely heard her. His attention was completely fixed on the tiger leader, who was attempting to rise from the ground. Fury clouded his vision, mixing with the image of his mother about to be struck, of his father bleeding on the ground. The world narrowed to a tunnel with only his target at the end. Ren launched his attack with speed and strength that no child his age should possess. But the fusion with the hydra's flesh transformed the multipliers not into a child's increases, but into those of a monster. The patroller fought back desperately, but his own 120% increases in an adult body still weren't sufficient against Ren's combination of speed, strength, and perception. A knee to the stomach that lifted the man off his feet. A descending elbow to the back that drove him to his knees. A sweep that sent the man back to the ground with bone-jarring force. Each blow was precise, calculated to inflict maximum pain. The tiger man coughed blood, his broken ribs protesting with each labored breath. He attempted to summon one last burst of energy, desperation lending him strength, but Ren stomped on his wrist, the crack of bones indicating the limb had yielded. The crystalline claws extended again, positioning themselves over the exposed neck of the patrol leader who lay destroyed on the ground. "Ren!" His mother's voice cut through the red haze clouding his mind. "Son, please..." His father's broken voice joined the plea. "Not like this. You're too young." Ren blinked, looking at his parents. Yang and Wei had cut the spider bindings and were now helping them sit up. Their faces showed no moral judgment, this was that kind of world, but yet their weakness pushing their child to this filled them a deep sadness. "We know you'll have to do it someday," Fern continued, tears running down her cheeks. "In military service, at the border. But not today. Not for us. Don't let this steal these years of innocence from you." His father nodded, leaning heavily on Yang. His back was a map of pain, each movement sending fresh agony through him. "When the time comes, when the kingdom requires it, you'll be a soldier. You'll kill monsters and men alike. But today... today you're still our boy." The claws trembled. Ren looked at the man beneath him, reduced to a bloody mass barely breathing. Death would perhaps be a mercy after such a beating. Perhaps they were right, but.. Reed's back was marked by deep lash wounds, blood soaking what remained of his shirt. Fern, though physically less injured, showed signs of shock, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Rage. The crystalline claws descended without hesitation. The sound was wet and final, cutting through flesh and bone with ease. Blood splattered Ren's face, warm against his skin. The tiger leader emitted one last gurgle before life abandoned his eyes. "I'm not a child anymore," Ren declared, his voice trembling slightly as he stood over the corpse. The mushrooms in his hair pulsed erratically, reflecting the turmoil within. His hands shook, but not from fear or regret, from the adrenaline finally beginning to ebb. His parents looked at him in silence. There was no horror on their faces, only profound sadness. They had understood... This wasn't Ren's first time.