Gray and Eliard stood at the village outskirts as the last rays of sun slipped behind the hills. Villagers were stacking makeshift barricades, hauling water, and fortifying windows with planks. The air buzzed with anxiety.
"Hard to believe they trusted us this quickly," Eliard said, his hands clasped behind his back.
"They're desperate," Gray replied, eyes scanning the villagers. "Garfeld reached out to every kingdom around for help. The moment I dropped a familiar name, he clung to it like a drowning man."
Eliard tilted his head. "You dropped the Queen's name."
Gray smirked. "She will never know."
They moved along the outer edge of the village, taking stock of defenses. A few trenches were barely knee-deep. Archers fumbled with unstrung bows.
"I don't know how long these defenses will last," Eliard muttered.
Victoria floated out of Gray's pocket. "You know this is a no-win scenario. So why try to save them?"
Gray paused. "It's not just about saving them. It's about loyalty. Influence. We're building something. We're building a legacy. And if they remember we stood with them,"
Victoria blinked. "For someone who talks big, you're still wearing a wrinkled corpo suit."
Gray grinned. "Exactly the image of a future emperor."
A sharp horn cut through the air.
Gray froze. "Already?"
He looked to the horizon. Dust. The faint tremor of ground. No mistaking it. They were coming.
His stomach sank. Right. When he first arrived, his tutorial group was supposed to delay the enemy slightly before dying. But he'd run. Abandoned them. Which meant the horde had advanced sooner than expected.
"Change of plans," Gray said, stepping forward. "I'm going to stall them."
"Alone?" Eliard asked.
"I never said I was smart."
He ran forward, past the outer buildings, past the villagers forming a confused defensive line.
Atop the hill, the enemy emerged like a black tide. Goblins shrieked as they scrambled over the ridge, their crude weapons raised high. Ogres followed, towering masses of muscle and malice, their four arms dragging rusted blades and iron clubs. Wolves sprinted between their legs, jaws foaming, eyes glowing with bloodlust. Archers clung to the slopes, short bows already drawn, while monstrous silhouettes, hulking brutes clad in scraps of spiked armor, marched at the rear. The earth groaned beneath their weight. Eyes glinted, a thousand hungry stares locked on the village.
It was not an army, it was an avalanche.
Gray cupped his hands around his mouth. "I CHALLENGE YOUR CHIEF TO A DUEL!"
The mass paused. The horde stilled like a beast considering its prey.
From the crowd, a towering figure emerged. A four-armed ogre in battered silver armor, dragging two greatswords behind him. A boss Gray remembered all too well.
The ogre loomed like a thundercloud made flesh, four arms flexing as he stepped forward with slow steps.
"You dare challenge ME?" his voice boomed, rough like grinding boulders.
Gray met his gaze and puffed his chest. "Yes. I'm the one defending this village."
The ogre's eyes narrowed. He pointed one jagged blade at Eliard, who had just arrived. "That one carries more strength."
"He's my apprentice!" Gray snapped. "Can't you sense the difference between a master and his disciple?"
The ogre paused, then tilted his head. "What is your name, fool?"
Gray's grin sharpened. "You will not live to spread it further."
The ogre bellowed and charged.
Eliard stepped forward instinctively, but Gray flung an arm in front of him. "Let me handle this first."
With a flourish, Gray activated False Cast. Heat surged into his hand as a titanic orb of fire manifested above him, its light bathing the hillside in crimson.
The ogre snarled, planting all four feet and swinging two blades skyward in anticipation.
Then, pop! the fireball exploded into a cascade of sparkling confetti, a colorful downpour catching the monster completely off guard.
The ogre snarled in fury, eyes wide with disbelief, blades trembling in his grip.
Gray darted in, blade flashing, and struck, aiming for the ogre's left eye. The steel scraped against bone. The ogre howled, swiping violently. One blade clipped Gray's side, knocking him to the ground.
Eliard leapt in, activating his support ability:
Tea of Resolve (Active)
Restores HP/MP to Allie and grants Fortified for 60 seconds.
Flavor: Eliard pours tea mid-battle and offers it on a silver tray.
Gray felt a taste of tea, even though none was present. He coughed and staggered to his feet. "That tastes like leaves."
"Correct," Eliard said, lunging forward.
The two circled the ogre, striking when they could.
The fight raged, steel clashed, spells misfired, dirt exploded beneath stomping feet. Gray dodged a massive strike that cracked the earth where he stood. Eliard blocked a flurry of rapid swings, his form steady and controlled.
Gray used every trick in his limited arsenal: Fake spells, feint swings, exploiting each weak spot from Victoria's help. Eliard moved with precision, defending Gray whenever he faltered.
At one point, the ogre lifted a chunk of earth and hurled it like a boulder. Eliard shielded Gray just in time, the stone shattering against a summoned barrier.
They pressed their assault. Eliard slashed tendons in the ogre's knees, forcing it to one leg. Gray stabbed at its chest, only to be knocked back again.
Gray's breathing turned shallow.
Eliard used a second ability:
Clockwork Cadence (Passive)
Temporarily boosts ally speed for coordinated attacks.
Gray ducked under a wide swing, slashing across the ogre's abdomen. Eliard landed a clean strike between the creature's shoulder blades.
The beast roared, its voice shaking leaves from the trees in the forest far behind.
Gray activated False Cast again, this time conjuring a massive lightning.
The ogre panicked, raising its swords.
And again, the illusion burst into confetti.
In the moment of confusion, Gray lunged, driving a real blade toward the creature's head. The ogre moved just in time, but Gray's strike pierced his right eye.
The ogre staggered back, screaming, blood flowing down his face. One arm trembled. His swings became erratic.
He wasn't dead. But he was wounded, and furious.
The ogre roared and charged again. This time, wilder.
Gray barely dodged, his shoulder grazed by a blade. He stumbled, but Eliard blocked the next attack. Their coordination faltered, too tired, too much blood lost.
Gray crawled behind the ogre, stabbing upward. The blade sank into muscle. The ogre howled and grabbed Gray, hurling him through a rock.
HP = 3
Eliard dashed forward and unleashed a spinning slash, slicing deep into the ogre's calf. The beast dropped to one knee but swung low, sending Eliard tumbling.
Gray rose slowly, vision swimming.
The ogre snarled and stood, blood dripping from a dozen wounds.
Gray gripped his sword. "One more push."
Together, he and Eliard charged.
The ogre caught Eliard's blade with one hand, but didn't see Gray coming from below. Gray slid, slicing at the remaining ankle. Flesh gave. The beast collapsed.
Gray rolled away as the ogre slammed the ground.
The fight wasn't over. The monster struggled, standing up, one eye burning with fury through its wound.
Gray's body ached. His breathing was ragged. Beside him, Eliard bled from a dozen cuts. Victoria hovered above, out of tricks.
The ogre raised a shaking arm.
And Gray raised his blade again.