chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Beast of the Bogs

Dawn painted the Velen sky in hues of bruised purple and sickly green. Yujiro Hanma, having spent the night under the open sky, rose with the sun. A thin layer of frost covered his bare shoulders, but he paid it no mind. His body, honed through countless battles, was impervious to the elements.

His stomach growled, a primal reminder of his need for sustenance. The scent of blood, faint but unmistakable, led him towards the nearby bog. It was a murky, treacherous expanse, teeming with life unseen.

"Hm, interesting," Yujiro mused as he stepped onto the spongy ground. The bog seemed to react to his presence, the water rippling and bubbling as if alive. A low growl echoed through the mist, a challenge issued by the unseen denizen of the swamp.

A smirk played on Yujiro's lips. "So, there's something worth hunting here," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent tremors through the water.

The creature responded with a deafening roar, a monstrous form rising from the depths. It was a fiend, a behemoth of rotting flesh and jagged teeth, its eyes glowing with an unholy light.

The mercenaries from the tavern, having tracked Yujiro to the bog, watched in horror as the fiend emerged.

"By the gods, it's a shaelmaar!" one of them gasped, his voice barely a whisper.

"We have to help him," another insisted, his hand tightening around his sword hilt.

But before they could act, Yujiro launched himself at the fiend, his movements a blur of speed and power. The two titans clashed in a whirlwind of violence, the air filled with the sounds of tearing flesh and shattering bone.

The mercenaries could only watch in awe as Yujiro, with seemingly effortless ease, dismantled the shaelmaar piece by piece. His fists, harder than steel, struck with the force of a battering ram, sending chunks of flesh and bone flying.

Within moments, the once mighty fiend lay lifeless on the bog's surface, its reign of terror brought to an abrupt end.

Yujiro stood over the corpse, his chest heaving slightly. "Not bad," he admitted, a hint of respect in his voice. "For a beast, that is."

The mercenaries, emboldened by Yujiro's victory, emerged from their hiding place.

"We saw what you did," their leader said, approaching cautiously. "That was... impressive."

Yujiro turned to face them, his eyes scanning them with an intensity that made them shift uncomfortably. "You're lucky to be alive," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Normally, I don't tolerate witnesses."

The mercenaries exchanged nervous glances. "We mean you no harm," the leader stammered. "We simply wanted to thank you for ridding us of that monster."

Yujiro shrugged. "Consider it a favor," he said, turning away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a world to explore."

As Yujiro strode away, the mercenaries watched him go, their minds reeling from what they had witnessed. The Strongest Creature on Earth had arrived on the Continent, and he was already making his mark.

Meanwhile, Geralt of Rivia, having received news of the shaelmaar's demise, found himself intrigued. A creature that had plagued Velen for months had been slain with such ease. It was a feat worthy of a witcher, perhaps even more so.

"I must meet this stranger," Geralt decided, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.

The threads of destiny were weaving a tapestry of conflict and intrigue, and at its center, two legendary warriors were destined to collide. The Continent would never be the same.