Tech Hero in Another World

Beneath the ruins of the Colosseum—now a vast, gaping crater—moonlight spilled through, bathing the rubble in a pale bluish glow. Dust still floated in the air, mingling with the scattered embers left from the earlier explosion. The stench of scorched metal and charred stone filled the senses, thickening the already oppressive atmosphere.

Amid the jagged chunks of broken rock, a pile suddenly shifted. A stone the size of a human head rolled away, bouncing lightly before coming to a stop. From the narrow gap beneath it, a wounded hand let go of a shattered beam, pushing it aside. A ragged breath escaped.

"Haaah… haaah…" Freddy's breathing was uneven, hoarse, as though mixed with blood. When his body finally crawled free, his back was blackened, skin blistered from unbearable heat. The wound wasn't just a scratch—flesh looked as though it had been burned alive, releasing a pungent, acrid odor.

Though his body trembled, Freddy still tried to lift a large slab of stone off the small figure he had shielded. Beneath it, Kumara lay sprawled, her small frame dust-covered but her face untouched—only a few faint bruises marring her features.

Freddy stared at her for a moment. A flicker of relief crossed his eyes, though the pain wracking his body was enough to make him collapse. He straightened his back as much as he could, groaning softly as every muscle screamed in protest.

"I… have to… go…" he growled, his voice heavy with resolve despite being on the verge of breaking.

With effort, he reached for Kumara, lifting her into his arms even as the burns on his back screamed against the motion. Every step over the unstable rubble felt like a test of willpower. More than once his foot slipped, nearly sending him down, yet his grip on Kumara never loosened.

In the distance, the roar of the nine-tailed fox shook the air. The echo rolled down through the gaps in the ruins, making the ground beneath Freddy's feet tremble. He knew their time was short—the creature would either find its way down here soon, or what was left of the rubble would collapse entirely.

"Hang in there, little girl…" he whispered, more a vow to himself than to her.

Freddy's eyes locked on the gaping hole above, the moonlight streaming through like a divine spotlight. Without hesitation, he bent his knees, gathering strength, then leapt. His movements remained agile despite the searing pain along his back. His claws gripped the stone walls, using protruding rubble for purchase as he climbed, until at last he reached the surface.

As soon as he emerged, Freddy was met with a sight far worse than he had imagined. The Colosseum… was gone. The once-majestic walls lay scattered in heaps of debris. Supporting pillars had shattered into jagged fragments, and the ground was carved with massive fissures, as if clawed by some colossal beast. Small fires burned in scattered spots, sending up thick, stinging smoke into the night air.

The wolf beastfolk staggered, his knees briefly buckling as the searing pain in his back clamped down again. The burn felt like embers pressed straight into his bones, but Freddy clenched his teeth hard, enduring it. He knew—stopping now meant death.

Suddenly, in that fleeting silence, footsteps echoed through the drifting dust. Their rhythm was heavy yet steady, striking broken stone and splintered wood with a crisp crunch. Freddy's battle instincts flared. Shifting Kumara into one arm, he reached for the hilt of the weapon at his waist with the other.

The dust began to thin, revealing two figures approaching. Their silhouettes grew sharper, and Freddy's eyes widened as moonlight touched the face of one of them.

"Rumi?" His voice was almost disbelieving, as though he'd just seen a ghost from the past.

The woman he named gave a faint smile, though fatigue was etched into her eyes. Her long hair flowed in the night breeze, and beside her stood a broad-shouldered man carrying a long spear.

Freddy stood frozen for a few seconds, his gaze locked on Rumi's face. His mind scrambled to process how she could possibly be here—in the middle of the Colosseum's destruction—when only hours ago he was certain they were in two completely different worlds. But he had no time to finish that thought—the nine-tailed fox's roar split the air again, this time much closer. The vibration rattled the ground beneath their feet, sending small stones tumbling among the rubble.

Rumi stepped closer with the burly man at her side. A faint smile played on her lips, though exhaustion and dust clung to her cheeks. "Hey, Captain… you still look like trouble as always," she said in a half-teasing tone, as if the devastation around them were nothing more than a backdrop for this reunion.

"Rumi, do we really have to joke at a time like this?" grumbled the man beside her, whom Freddy recognized as Gior—a man never known for sugarcoating his words.

Freddy exhaled, a wave of relief spreading through his chest even as his mind kept racing. "Heh… seeing you two bickering here, I guess I'm not hallucinating. Rumi… Gior… I'm glad you're here."

Rumi chuckled softly. "Hehehe… I've always dreamed of the day we'd be together again, Captain."

Gior dipped his head slightly, a faint smile curling his lips. "Boss… good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too," Freddy replied, shifting Kumara slightly in his arms to ensure the girl remained secure. "But we still have a city to save. Wait a second—how are you even here?"

"Ah, that…" Rumi scratched the back of her head, her eyes flicking toward the still-smoking ruins. "We came to watch the duel, but then there was this huge quake… I blacked out. Gior found me and helped me out."

Gior added in his deep, steady voice, "And, well… I was guided by a Penal tiger…"

Freddy raised a brow. "A Penal tiger? Where is it now?"

"It left after making sure Rumi was safe," Gior replied simply. "But… that animal is the reason tonight's duel happened before all this chaos began."

Freddy let out a heavy sigh, clearly unwilling to waste time unraveling that mystery right now. "Haah… forget it. What matters now is—ow…" He winced as the pain in his back surged again, his knees threatening to give way.

Rumi quickly caught his arm, steadying him before he could fall. "Captain, you're seriously injured…"

"Not as bad as this city," Freddy answered, forcing himself to stand tall despite the burn in his back flaring like a constant fire. His breathing was heavy, each inhale feeling like it forced his muscles to scream. His gaze narrowed, locking onto the night sky now split by a colossal shadow. The moonlight that should have painted silver across the ruins was instead swallowed by a monstrous form—a nine-tailed fox moving slow but steady, each step shaking the air.

The creature's roar thundered again, this time deeper, as though it rose from the bowels of the earth itself. The sound pressed against their chests, making the air around them heavy and suffused with menace.

Freddy looked at Rumi and Gior, his eyes blazing with an unmistakable seriousness. His voice sharpened into the lash of a commander's order, cutting through the frozen air. "We don't have much time. Gather anyone still able to fight. The rest—make sure every remaining civilian gets out of that monster's path. Move!"

"Yes, sir!!" they both replied in unison, without a shred of hesitation.

Freddy's influence in this city was no small thing. He wasn't just known as the leader of an exploration group that had saved countless lives in the past. As Rumi and Gior moved out, they knew that every order from Freddy's mouth would be heard—and obeyed—by anyone still standing amidst this chaos.

Rumi shot westward, darting through the narrow alleys between half-collapsed houses, her voice calling out to the hidden townsfolk. Gior moved in the opposite direction, his massive frame kicking down dust-caked doors and hauling away debris to free those trapped inside.

Freddy was about to move as well, his hand reaching for the sword at his waist. But his steps halted when he felt something stir in his arms. Kumara. The small girl let out a faint groan, her voice nearly drowned out by the chaos of destruction.

"Uuh…"

Freddy quickly knelt, his eyes locking on Kumara's pale face under the dim light. "Hey, little one… hang in there. You're safe now."

Kumara's eyes fluttered open slightly, her gaze hazy. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but only air escaped without a sound. Freddy held his breath, trying to grasp her meaning.

"Don't talk yet," he said softly, his tone lowering but still carrying firm resolve. "I'm not leaving you."

In the distance, the nine-tailed fox's roar tore through the air once more, this time accompanied by the collapse of a massive structure. The vibration sent dust cascading down around them like a thin rain. Freddy turned toward the source of the sound, his jaw tightening.