Arios fell with devastating force due to the speed at which he was traveling, crashing into a massive boulder. The impact echoed through the night air, leaving a dull thud that faded among the trees. Arios lay sprawled on the ground, dazed and with blurred vision. His body ached all over, but what worried him most was the persistent ringing in his ears, which barely allowed him to make out the sounds around him. He heard heavy footsteps approaching, followed by raspy, guttural voices that shattered the silence: "The food has arrived!"
Through his hazy vision, Arios managed to spot three grotesque figures dragging his horse toward a nearby clearing. The animal's agonizing screams pierced the night, accompanied by the wet crunch of sharp teeth sinking into its flesh. A wave of nausea and horror washed over Arios as he watched them devour the poor creature alive.
His mind began to slip away slowly. Darkness enveloped him as he thought: "Is this where my life ends… again?" In that moment, memories of his past life as Yuomo flooded his mind: recollections of failures, fights with his sister, who always called him useless and pathetic. He remembered how he'd been unable to hold down a steady job, how everyone saw him as insignificant. It all seemed to repeat now, when he couldn't even save his own brother Kei.
"Am I really that pathetic?" he thought as he lost consciousness.
From the shadows, a towering figure approached Arios's motionless body. It was a burly orc, muscular with yellowed tusks protruding from his massive jaw. In his hands, he held a giant axe, its blade gleaming menacingly under the moonlight. Behind him, two smaller orcs followed, eyeing the prone body with hungry curiosity.
"Boss, what do we do with the human? Do we eat him raw like the horse, or take him to the village to fry him?" asked one of them—a short, stocky orc—as he wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
The third orc, tall and lanky, sneered disdainfully at Arios's body. "He's just a brat. He won't fill us up half as much as the horse did," he growled, crossing his arms.
The leader, ignoring his subordinates' bickering, fixed his yellowed eyes on Arios. With a guttural snarl, he raised his axe, ready to strike the boy's exposed neck. "At least it's meat," he said indifferently as the blade descended toward Arios's defenseless throat.
But before the axe could strike, something stopped the blow. A silver flash streaked through the air, forcing the orc to retreat with a frustrated roar. From the nearby bushes emerged an agile figure who landed in front of Arios, swiftly unsheathing a sword with precision. "Come on, Arios! What are you doing lying there on the ground? Get up!" exclaimed a familiar voice.
For a brief moment, the hood of the mysterious figure lifted, revealing Filiola's determined face. Her brown eyes glimmered intensely under the moonlight, and her fiery red hair flared behind her as she assumed a defensive stance.
The orcs growled, baring their razor-sharp tusks, but Filiola didn't budge an inch. With fierce determination, she issued a warning: "If you want dinner tonight, you'll have to go through me first."
Arios, lost in his unconscious haze, faintly heard Filiola's voice and wondered in confusion: Filiola? But how?
Moments earlier…
"Father, let me go with Arios," Filiola had said to Andros, her determined gaze brooking no argument. Her father looked at her seriously, his eyes reflecting paternal concern. "It's far too dangerous a mission, daughter. You've never left the kingdom, and out there are creatures of immense strength. Besides, you're still a novice," Andros responded, crossing his arms as he tried to reason with her.
But Filiola was not one to accept a "no" easily. Her stubbornness was legendary, and she knew that as the prince's personal bodyguard, it was her duty to protect him. Without anyone noticing, she took a horse from the stables and galloped off at full speed after Arios.
"I'll go with you, Arios. I can't leave you alone. I know you're not good at fighting, and besides, I made a promise to protect you," she told herself as she rode under the moonlight. Soon, she heard a loud thud followed by the agonized scream of an animal. As she approached, she saw three massive figures surrounding the prince's motionless body on the ground. Without hesitation, she knew she had to save him.
Back to the present moment…
"I leave you alone for a moment, and already you're monster food," Filiola scolded, blocking the enormous orc leader's attack with her sword and forcing him to retreat. Her fiery red hair flowed with every agile and precise movement, though her breathing began to grow ragged from the effort. "Get up, Arios!" she shouted, delivering quick thrusts to keep the other two orcs at bay as they closed in.
The lanky orc studied her carefully before addressing his companions: "She's a woman… perfect for breeding," he said with a mocking laugh, baring his sharp tusks.
Filiola gritted her teeth, furious at the comment, but didn't lose focus. She knew she was outnumbered, and their monstrous weapons were far larger and heavier than her sword. Still, she tried to sound confident as she responded: "I can handle all three of you… GET UP, ARIOS!"
But Arios remained sprawled on the ground, trapped in a whirlwind of dark thoughts. He recalled the cruel words from his past life, his sister's criticisms, the failures that had always defined him. He felt despair slowly consuming him when suddenly, a familiar presence burst into his mind.
It was the goddess Ravada, her voice clear and firm within him: "Stand up and fight! Your friend Filiola needs you. If you don't act now, those monsters will kill her. And have you already forgotten that you're searching for your little innocent brother, Kei?"
Those words jolted Arios, snapping him abruptly back to reality. The painful memories dissipated, replaced by renewed determination. Slowly, he opened his eyes and rose to his feet, feeling energy surge through his body once more.
Meanwhile, Filiola continued to face the orcs with bravery, though it was evident she was reaching her limit. Her movements were becoming less precise, and the monsters' relentless assaults forced her to step back little by little.
"Don't kill her," growled the orc leader in a guttural voice that thundered through the night. "She'll make a fine breeder of orc children. But you can cut off her hands so she can't fight back."
The leader licked his yellowed tusks, revealing a grotesque smile that hinted at his sinister intentions. Filiola, who had been fighting for some time now, knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. On top of that, she was trying to protect Arios, which made everything even harder. Her body was beginning to fail her, and each swing of her sword grew slower and less precise.
In a moment of carelessness, the smaller orc seized the opportunity to throw a punch directly at Filiola's face. The impact was brutal, sending her staggering backward. The young woman fell to her knees, struggling to regain her balance as she gripped her sword with trembling hands.
"Give up, pretty girl," the orc sneered with a mocking laugh. "Save us the trouble of cutting off your hands."
Filiola wanted to resist, wanted to keep fighting, but fear was starting to take hold of her. She knew what these beasts were capable of if she surrendered. With great difficulty, she managed to get back on her feet, though she could barely stand. She raised her sword as if kneeling, breathing heavily as she tried to ignore the sharp pain throbbing in her head.
At that moment, two light javelins shot out of the darkness, cleanly piercing the accompanying orcs. The creatures screamed in agony before collapsing, impaled against the trunks of nearby trees. Their lifeless bodies hung there, illuminated by the glow of the magical weapons that had slain them.
The orc leader sharply turned toward the direction of the attack, his yellow eyes blazing with demonic fury. "You?" he roared, pointing his massive axe at the one responsible.
Filiola, exhausted and trembling, tried to rise again to attack, but the orc leader knocked her down with a single backhanded blow. Her body flew through the air.
"That's no way to treat a lady!" exclaimed Arios, suddenly appearing beside Filiola just before she hit the ground. His agility surprised even the orc, who frowned, confused but still hungry for revenge.
"I'll eat you alive, damn brat," the orc snarled, tightening his grip on his axe. "I'll make you suffer with every bite I take out of your flesh."
Arios carefully laid Filiola on the ground, ensuring she was stable. Then he stood up, facing the orc with a determined gaze. "Rest for a moment," he said softly to Filiola. "You did well. I'll handle this."
But before he could advance, Filiola murmured weakly: "But… how? You're not very strong…"
Her words trailed off as she lost consciousness from the blow she had received. Arios gazed at her pale face for a moment before rising with renewed determination. He knew he couldn't afford to doubt himself now; he had to protect her and eliminate the threat before them.
With resolve, he drew his magical brush and pointed it at the orc leader, who watched him with a mix of curiosity and disdain. Upon seeing the object, the monster erupted into thunderous laughter, baring his sharp tusks.
"Don't make me laugh, foolish human!" the orc growled, mocking the unusual weapon Arios wielded. "That little stick can't hurt me!"
The orc charged at Arios in a fury, raising his massive axe with both hands. The boy remained unfazed, focusing intently as he quickly drew in the air with his brush. Spears of light emerged from nowhere, hurtling directly toward the monster. However, to his surprise, the orc blocked the attacks effortlessly, stopping them with his axe as if they were mere twigs.
"He's powerful," Arios murmured, impressed but calm. "But I'm stronger."
The orc was just a few meters away when suddenly, an enormous celestial sword descended from the sky with a deafening roar. The blade sliced through the creature from top to bottom, splitting it in two before it could take another step. The orc's body collapsed heavily, leaving behind a trail of dark smoke that slowly dissipated into the air.
Arios lowered his brush, exhaling in relief. "Good thing I drew that weapon beforehand… otherwise, that monster would've killed me," he said to himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
With the threat eliminated, the young man quickly approached Filiola's unconscious body. Gently, he placed a hand on her and channeled his healing energy. A soft golden light enveloped her body, closing her wounds and restoring some color to her face. Though he knew she still needed rest, at least she was out of danger.
Without wasting any more time, Arios decided to act. He knew he'd already lost too much time with this setback and needed to find Kei as soon as possible. He searched for Filiola's horse, which he found grazing peacefully behind some bushes not far away. Gathering the scattered supplies from the ground, he carefully packed them into the saddlebags. Then, with effort, he lifted Filiola and placed her onto the horse's back, securing her so she wouldn't fall during the journey.
Finally, he mounted behind her and took the reins firmly. With one last glance at the bodies of the slain orcs, Arios spurred the horse forward, determined not to stop until he found and saved his beloved brother, Kei.