Dave smiled at their excitement with excitement. Something about what happened yesterday had excited him, it’s true that he got injured trying to fight one of the bandits on his way here and he also had to fight the ogres too but none of them were as fun as the short fight he had last night.

“What are you guys waiting for? Come at me with all your might!”

“Don’t mind if I do.”, replied Orph. He clasped his sword with both hands and charged at Dave. Who proceeded to block it with just his gauntlets and smiled before pushing Orph back.

“What are those even made of?”

“Just the best metals found in the kingdom.”, replied Dave, laughing.

Eric saw his chance with Dave being distracted and proceeded to attack him as well. Dave, however, saw it coming and dodged it easily before mocking Eric, “Is that all you have knight cadet?”

He grabbed Eric’s collar and threw him off towards Orph. Who tried his best to catch him to lessen the impact of the fall.

“You alright?”, asked Orph. Eric nodded while groaning in pain.

“Knight cadets usually have rivalry among themselves, there’s not many who share comradeship as much as you guys...”, said Dave.

He rushed towards them, punching Orph out of the way as soon as he was near him.

“...It is admirable.”, he added before trying to punch Eric. But he failed, he had to step back, Orph was near him even after taking the punch head on. Dave dodged all of Orph’s strikes which only made Orph more annoyed.

Orph grunted before speaking, “How are you so agile while being that big?”

“Mockery will get you nowhere.”

“Mockery? It was just a simple compliment...”, said Orph while smirking.

“I don’t think you have the luxury of... Wait-”

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Dave realized it a little too late, Eric was already behind him. Ready to plunge into him with his sword in hand.

“You have quiet footsteps for a knight.”, said Dave while smiling.

He caught Eric’s sword with just one of his hands and continued, “But it is not enough.” While looking down at Eric. Orph charged at him as well, only for him to receive the same fate as Eric.

With Dave having both swords in his hands, he spun in such a way that both Eric and Orph lost their grip on their weapons. Dave threw both their weapons on the ground.

“Are you a demon?”, asked Orph with anger in his voice.

Dave looked dumbfounded before replying, "No, demons have not been seen in the kingdom since the hero-”

“I know! I didn’t mean it literally...”, said Orph cutting Dave off before falling off the ground.

Dave looked towards both defeated, sitting on the ground.

“Are you both done?”

“No... Not yet.”, said Eric trying his best to stand up.

There was something different about Eric, Dave could see the fire in his eyes. Burning bright. But it was futile, Dave knew that Eric couldn’t do anything, at least not now.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s not over, we still haven’t tried everything!”, added Orph.

He stood up and rushed towards Dave who was shocked for a moment.

“I didn’t realize you to be this foolish young cadet.”, said Dave while going back into his stance.

“I even gave you guys your weapons back; you should’ve gone for it instead of doing this.”, he added.

Orph didn’t stop to react, he rushed forward with nothing to stop him. Nothing except Dave’s hands.

“It’s over.”, said Dave with slight disappointment.

It wasn’t.

Orph dodged the hand and touched Dave’s back before saying, "Burn!”

“Hot-”, said Dave jerking back.

“So that’s your ability.”, he added with a smile back on his face.

Eric saw another chance to attack Dave and took it, he rushed in but all he got was a punch at the face and so did Orph a few moments later. Knocking them both out cold.

Meanwhile inside the forest

Cess had been searching for clues during the entire morning but hadn’t found anything worthwhile. Except for a big mountain which will take a lot of time to climb.

“The sun is already saying its goodbyes, and I have got nothing to report back about.”, she thought to herself while trying her best to look towards the mountain peak.

“Sightseeing, are we?”

Cess looked back in horror, scared with her bow and arrow already out in her hands.

“Who are you?”, she asked the man wearing a slave collar.

“No one special.”, replied Median.