In the game [DHFTW], there is a tale about a savior from a certain place, a story told like a fairy tale.
It tells of a knight named Gen, portrayed as a brave warrior and a source of motivation for all players.
It is said that he fought to protect his homeland, aided by a mysterious man who helped him drive away the forces of evil. After banishing the villains, Gen married his fiancée, Rose, and at their wedding, the mysterious friend departed to an unknown place, leaving behind a few parting words:
"May happiness and peace be with you."
"That goes for you too, Gen. You always wake up late—your wife's going to have her hands full with you."
The friend's words made Gen blush while his wife smiled at his silliness. After that, the man disappeared through a portal, leaving behind his final message:
"Become stronger."
"Farewell, my comrade. A new life awaits you."
He left with a smile and a thumbs-up.
But here's the strange part—he's right here now. The odd thing is... his face seems rather ordinary compared to his more handsome in-game developer version.
"Hmm… if I may ask, why were you being chased by that monster? And how did you get poisoned so severely?"
Gen took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down before replying.
"Actually, I was guiding refugees along with my comrades. But just as we were about to reach our destination…"
"We were ambushed by a group of Undead. We managed to defeat them, but…"
"We failed to analyze the type of Undead we were facing. The ones we fought could merge into a single entity once all the others were destroyed."
"So I volunteered to act as a decoy, to give my comrades and the refugees enough time to reach safety."
"They tried to stop me, but there was no other option."
Ace then asked how Gen ended up being poisoned so badly.
"Oh, the poison?"
"To grab the Undead's attention, I had to scratch it a little. But of course, I ended up getting hit myself. Thankfully, everyone got out safely and brought me into this forest."
"Also… I'm grateful to you for saving me."
"Ah, it's nothing. Just a coincidence, really."
Soon after, Ren and Caiber joined them, and Caiber was shocked to realize the person they had rescued was Gen himself. They saluted one another in mutual respect.
Ace was taken aback—these characters didn't even know each other in the original game. It made him wonder: could this be a hidden easter egg?
While Ace was lost in thought, Gen glanced over and suddenly had a realization.
"Caiber… is Ace your fiancé?"
Gen's question caused Caiber's face to turn bright red with embarrassment.
"H-Hey! Gen! What are you saying?"
Caiber tried to keep her composure, though clearly flustered. For some reason, Ren looked a little jealous.
"Haha! Didn't you say you'd only get engaged to someone who fits your ideal type? You even said you'd follow them to the end of your life!"
"T-That's true, but still…"
Gen burst into laughter at Caiber's reaction. Ace just smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed himself.
"Alright, enough of that. Let's focus on getting these people to safety."
They discussed and planned how to escort the group to the safe zone Gen had mentioned.
After a long night of preparation, they were ready. Gen took position at the front as the lead guard, while Caiber stayed inside the refugee transport, stationed at the rear exit. A young child approached Caiber, visibly anxious.
"Sis… will this plan really get us to safety?"
"Hmm… Don't worry, we'll make it there. So don't be scared, okay? Everyone's out there protecting us."
The child nodded with a smile, comforted by her words.
Elsewhere, Ace and Ren were perched high in the trees, picking off remaining enemies from a distance using long-range magic.
Their group traveled northeast, heading toward a fortress designated as a shelter.
Along the way, they held off threats until they finally reached the fortress gate. Gen signaled to the guards inside, showing that he was still alive.
They trusted him, recognizing the healing marks on his body as proof, and opened the gate.
Just as the refugees entered—
BOOMMM!
A massive impact shook the area. From another direction, a goat-like monster appeared—standing upright on two legs and holding a large throwing weapon in its right hand.
It roared toward the gate and prepared to attack.
Ace immediately issued a command:
"Everyone inside, now! Close the gate! Don't let that thing in!"
"Ren, let's go!"
"Right! Let's move!"
Ren transformed into a samurai blade, and Ace grabbed her, dashing toward the monster. Their weapons clashed in a thunderous collision.