“Oh... you’re here... Doug...”, said Slav while wiping off the tears on her face. Doug whimpered towards her and let a bark.

‘It’s fine... I know you had your orders...”, Slav let out a laugh as Doug went near the ropes which tied her and tried to bite it off.

“Hey... Do you think... they’ll save us?”

Doug let out a hearty bark before going back to his chewing. Slav looked Doug directly into his eyes, “I know... I know you can see this... Dit...”, she cried harder. She knew she made a mistake coming here alone, she didn’t want to be alone anymore. She just wanted to go back to her family.

“Please save me...”

Doug whimpered for a while before going back to biting the rope again and finally succeeded in doing so.

“Thank... you...”, Slav didn’t get but continued to cry, while sitting on the ground as Doug tried his best to comfort her before hearing someone approaching from the distance. He growled as he walked outside and saw Cess walking right towards them. Doug sadly looked back at Slav still crying and whimpered before running outside, making sure that Cess saw him and ran in the opposite direction.

“Wait! It’s not safe!”, screamed Cess before running after Doug.

Meanwhile in some other place not so far from here.

“They are just hitting each other over and over again...”, said Dit, confused as to why Ban was enjoying this so much.

“I know, right? Free entertainment!”, she laughed.

“He’s not even using his sword...”

“Plus the damage he got when he fought me!’

“This is going to be close!”, she added and looked at Dit, “Want to bet who wins, little brother?”, she smiled and looked back at the fight again.

Dit sighed, “I’ll leave them be...”

“Look! They’re wrestling now!”

“...I do have to find Slav, I saw her... crying...”

“Oh?”, she looked back for a moment before going back to what she was doing, “Alright, take care.”, and smiled.

“I’ll just... watch these two go at it.”, she added.

Dit nodded and started to walk away, “Take care sister.”

Ban looked towards Dit and smiled before looking at where her injuries were and groaned.

“Yes, a right hook Ogre! Ouch, that’s gotta hurt...”

Meanwhile in some other other place not so far from here.

“Water! We need water!”, exclaimed a royal guard.

“Here!”, replied Orph, with Eric and him bringing some buckets full of water along with other royal guards following them who also did the same.

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“Thank you-”, the royal guard looked around, “Wait... this isn’t even half of our forces!”

He groaned and looked towards Orph and Eric, “I know this is hard... but can you both search for where the others are and inform me?”

Orph nodded, “Don’t worry! We're on the case!”, he patted Eric’s back and signaled him to follow him.

“We’re on the case?”, asked Eric.

“Are we not?”, Orph smirked before they reached a crossroad. Staying together would be much safer but the royal guards could be anywhere.

“I’ll go there!”, Orph pointed toward the right.

“Then... I’ll go there!”, Eric pointed towards the left, “Not like I have any other choice...”

“Hurry!”

“Yes...”, Eric nodded and ran towards the left. The houses were burning and people were screaming. No, the houses were burning but the people, they’re screaming and coming towards Eric.

“What happened?”, he asked.

It fell on deaf ears as he only got replied with screams which made no sense. Eric took out his sword and walked towards the source of where the crowd came from.

There were royal guards, all on the ground with a man still standing in the middle of them.

“Don’t worry... I waited till they saved everyone before attacking.”, Median replied as soon as he saw Eric.

“But it’s not like you’re going to let me go...”, he sighed as he took his stance.

“...It’s not like I can let you go either.”, he added while groaning.

Median did not lie.

A while back in this very place...

"I'm finally able to speak...", Median sighed in relief while touching his neck, hiding in the forest, and seeing the village burn.

"Fire!"

"We have to help them!"

"We are helping them!"

He glanced towards the royal guards doing their best to save as many villagers as they could.

Median stayed his blade and didn't move an inch, "She told me to flank... she never specified when to attack...", he murmured to himself.

He waited till the royal guards saved everyone in their nearby vicinity.

"Everyone alright?", asked one of them, the others screamed a yes as they rested and talked among themselves.

Median sighed and took out his sword before walking outside.

"Who goes there?"

"I am told to flank you."

"Are you the one who caused this fire?", screamed a royal guard.

"You can say that... in a way... but no, not really."

"It's just one of you and about a dozen of us!"

"I know.", Median smiled. "I hope you win.", he swung his sword and took his stance.

"He has... he has a slave collar..."

"I do. Nice of you to finally notice..."

"Please do not go easy on me.", he added right before attacking them.

He clashed his sword with all of them, always being a step ahead, never losing sight of them, as he looked around and fought.

"What are you looking for?", said a royal guard and he swung his sword. Only to be parried by Median quite easily, "Who among you all is the most skilled?"

"Why? What do you want from me?", replied a royal guard.

"Who told you're the most skilled?", asked the other.

"Yes! It's obviously me!", replied another.

Median sighed and knocked all three of them down while looking straight at them.

"I guess I don't need to see who's the most skilled...", as he looked at his sword.

The other royal guards went backward before one of them exclaimed, "Charge! We will get him together!", and plunged right at him, alongside the others.

"Well... this is troublesome...", said Median as he took out a smoke bomb and dropped it right at his feet.

"I can't see anything..."

"That's the plan.", Median replied, before knocking all those stuck in the smoke.

One of the royal guards was lucky enough to escape, but he still inhaled some of the smoke and coughed. The villagers who remained there all started screaming and started to run away.

"I guess they didn't enjoy the show...", said Median while shrugging.

"You... How...", the royal guard saw Median pull down the cloth he had tied alongside his face.

"Don't worry. That was the only one I had... thanks to someone's generosity.", Median replied and clashed his sword with the last royal guard.

The royal guard groaned and tried his best to fight, "It's almost like... like... I'm fighting a better version of myself..."

Median smiled, "Maybe you are...", before knocking the last royal guard down and sighed as he looked around him, surrounded by unconscious bodies.

...Back in the present

"I really wish you hadn't come here...", said Median with a sad look in his eyes. He smiled and sighed, "I'll try my best to not hurt you.", as he plunged right toward Eric.

Eric didn't reply but instead braced for impact.