The battlefield seemed to freeze: fighters stood motionless, and no one used magic. Sem held Tiro’s hand mere centimeters from Drodul’s face, preventing the finishing blow—neither side willing to yield. The spear slid sideways, attempting to strike the killer’s blind spot, but Tiro deflected it and leapt back a considerable distance.

  — “Captain, you’re here!” Lerry exclaimed joyfully. She stopped shooting and now only kept her bow trained on the enemy, ready to cover the others at the right moment. Her attacks had proven useless against this unexpectedly powerful foe, so she was searching for new ways to help. She wore three-fingered gloves, which made it comfortable to hold arrows.

  — “Yeah, I see you’ve gone completely soft without me,” Sem replied to the girl. He moved unhurriedly but never took his eyes off Tiro, waiting for his next move.

  — “Captain, do you know him?” Drodul asked.

  — “Yes. He’s a former gold-rank adventurer who vanished from all rumors five years ago.”

  — “Five years? But he doesn’t look older than thirty—and already gold-ranked? Guys like that are scary,” Scott said, shrugging as if from cold.

  — “Right now, you’ll only be distracting me, so fall back to the girls—you need to protect them. Berry, you’re on standby, but don’t overdo it; I think he’s already gotten used to your magic. Lerry, shoot only when he’s far away—don’t draw his attention to yourself. People like him love creating chaos,” Sem began issuing orders, drawing a second sword from its sheath. Both blades were covered in gleaming gold plating and looked fragile—but terrifyingly sharp.

  — “Understood,” Lerry replied, lowering her bow slightly and closing her eyes. Apparently, she did this to focus better—but suddenly opened them and moved toward Berry. “Beyond the fence! Someone’s approaching! Strong ones!”

  The guys froze and strained to listen to the sounds occasionally rising around them—the cries of surviving villagers, the howling wind, and a faint tapping. No—it was hoofbeats, growing louder just as the girl had said. Louder and louder. Scott and Drodul shielded the girls, stepping into the path of the unknown threat. The fight had paused after Sem’s arrival, but this new guest was about to start a new round.

  The hoofbeats grew into thunder. The ground beneath their feet began trembling, and the air froze in anticipation. Scott gripped his spear, which, responding to his will, gradually changed color until it turned yellow.

  — “Don’t know what this is, but it’s going to be rough,” Drodul voiced the shared thought.

  — “Wheee-ew!” came a snort from behind the wall, followed immediately by a crash. Thick wooden logs—once tall trees—shattered in all directions, demolishing nearby houses and structures untouched by the goblin raid. Massive tusks, matted clumps of fur, bulky hooves, and four eyes filled with madness—this was an enormous boar that had smashed through the village fence like paper. It charged forward without slowing, oblivious to anything in its path.

  — “Hello, missed me?” a singsong female voice called out from somewhere behind the boar. I spotted a girl in the saddle, laughing cheerfully and gripping the beast’s fur with both hands. She had blue hair and a wild gaze that darted around just like the boar’s. The animal raced ahead at full speed, and Scott stood directly in its path. The spear in his hand had already begun whitening. When the distance closed to three meters, he leapt backward—not dodging, but merely creating a brief gap before thrusting his spear. The blade easily pierced the beast’s forehead, but clearly didn’t stop it. The boar kept charging, now pinning Scott’s body against its shaggy head. It accelerated and, together with Scott, smashed into a house—but didn’t even pause there, continuing onward. It tore through one building after another, creating an awful roar and scattering debris everywhere. After demolishing more than ten structures, the boar broke through the wooden fence again and galloped off into the unknown.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  I was so stunned by this scene that I didn’t immediately notice when the battle resumed. Tiro exchanged blows with Drodul, heavily dominating the fight—but another enemy had appeared on the field. The rider was now fighting Sem, wielding two morning stars. She managed to block the captain’s strikes while launching furious attacks of her own. However, I couldn’t distinguish most of their movements due to their overwhelming speed. Swings, strikes, lunges, kicks, and grapples blurred into a single chaotic mess for me.

  I shifted my gaze to Drodul and his opponent. The big man was struggling again—not only keeping up with the speed but also guessing where the invisible weapon actually was. He was holding up well under the pressure, but something felt off… I looked at the girls. Berry now lay in Lerry’s arms, while the latter cried and tried to stop the blood seeping through her friend’s clothes. Looking more closely at the fighters, I realized Tiro was using only one stiletto, switching it between hands.

  — “Two birds with one stone! Not bad, huh?” the girl sang out while alternately striking with her morning stars. She gave Sem no chance to regroup.

  — “I’ll kill you both,” were the only words that escaped his lips before he seized the initiative. His strikes grew faster and more aggressive.

  — “You’re amusing~”

  The air currents around them intensified further. Every blocked blow produced a clang and screech of metal, along with gusts of wind that blew away dust, debris, and rubble nearby. If one of those strikes hit me, I might’ve already met my creator—that very bald-headed one… Meanwhile, Drodul’s fight, though inferior in power and speed, surpassed it in tension. Every attack could be a trap.

  Pushing Tiro away, the adventurer stepped back a few paces and cast a sidelong glance at the girls. Berry no longer moved, and Lerry still sat beside her. Suddenly, he did something unexpected—he dropped his shield to the ground, gripped his axe tighter, and prepared for battle.

  — “You understand I’m faster, right?” Tiro’s voice rang out. “Your plan won’t work.”

  — “Won’t know until I try,” Drodul replied and charged forward.

  They closed in rapidly—and everything happened within a second. Drodul didn’t dodge Tiro’s attacks. He took both piercing strikes to his chest, shielding his heart area with his hand, while raising his axe above the enemy’s head. Blow for blow, life for life—that was his plan. He trusted in his vitality and luck. Drodul felt something strike his chest—and at that moment, he swung straight at the head. Because he’d re-gripped the axe earlier, his fist was now where the blade was. Tiro managed to jerk his head, so the blow landed not on the crown but on the neck. Instead of the sound of cleaving flesh, there was a metallic screech—and the strike veered far off course. Tiro moved closer, almost as if trying to rub cheeks with him. Drodul felt the touch of cold on his neck.

  In the next instant, they separated, standing back-to-back. After pausing for another second, Drodul felt hot liquid flowing down his collarbone, chest, and legs. Everything before his eyes darkened—and he collapsed to the ground, his throat slit. Tiro stood farther away, holding a bloodstained stiletto in his teeth, his hands completely empty.