Ruya ran with the kid on his back, leaping swiftly from tree to tree. Suddenly, a barrage of arrows flew toward him. Spotting the incoming projectiles, Ruya skillfully dodged them all. Noticing the soldiers accompanying Zardo still pursuing him, he increased his pace, but the arrows kept coming. "These guys just won't give up..." he muttered.
Stopping on a sturdy tree branch, he carefully placed the unconscious boy down. "You stay here, understand?" he said, making sure the boy was secure. Grabbing his bow, Ruya darted off again, leaping between trees. He spotted the soldiers wandering through the forest, searching for him. Hiding behind a thick tree trunk, he nocked an arrow, waiting for the right moment.
One soldier roamed aimlessly, his posture suggesting frustration. "I lost him!" he shouted to his comrades. As he turned to look back at them, they were already sprawled lifeless on the ground, each with an arrow lodged cleanly through their heads. The soldier screamed in terror and began to retreat. "Retreat!!!" he yelled, but it was too late. Another arrow soared through the air, striking him down.
Ruya sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Why do they always have to shout so loud? I really don’t want to kill them all," he muttered, notching another arrow and preparing for the next wave.
~~~
Dust filled the air after the explosion, and from it, Zardo emerged, leaping high into the air. He scanned the terrain and trees until he spotted Kajin standing still, arms crossed, a smirk on his face. "That bastard," Zardo growled, his eyes burning with rage. "I’ll teach you a lesson."
Zardo launched himself at Kajin, aiming his sharp, glowing red horns directly at him. As he charged, the red aura around his horns intensified. Kajin stood his ground, watching with anticipation. When Zardo's horns connected, a deafening bang echoed through the forest.
As the dust settled, Zardo stood frozen, his horns caught firmly in Kajin’s grip. Kajin examined the glowing aura emanating from them. "So this is the 'Rage of the Beast'... interesting," he mused. Zardo stared at him in disbelief, sweat beading on his brow. "He’s stronger than the king claimed..." Zardo thought.
Kajin tightened his grip on the horns. "Nice horns you’ve got here... Let’s see how much they can take," he said with a sinister grin. Zardo panicked and struggled to free himself. "Let go!!!" he screamed as cracks began to form along his horns. The pain made him cry out.
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"Now," Kajin said coldly, "how about you tell me about that night we first met?" Zardo winced and replied, "Okay! I’ll tell you everything! Just let me go!"
Kajin laughed. "You think you’re slick," he said, applying more pressure. The cracks deepened, and Zardo screamed in agony. "Fine! Fine! Just don’t break them!" he pleaded. "I was a bodyguard back then. My client decided to visit the slave auction that night. You know how those go, bidding on slaves, but this one was different—"
Before he could finish, Kajin crushed one of Zardo’s horns to pieces. "AGHHHH! MY HORN!!!" Zardo howled in pain as blood poured from the broken horn.
Kajin slapped him hard, forcing him to look up. "Don’t make me break the other one. I know about the auction. What I want to know is about the slave your client bought." Kajin’s eyes turned red.
"T-the black-haired one?" Zardo stammered, trembling.
Kajin’s voice carried an unmistakable killing intent. "Yes. Tell me everything you know about her."
Zardo, shaking, spilled the details. "He brought her to his residence in Slavara. She’s in his slave collection!"
Kajin’s eyes widened. "His slave collection?" he asked coldly.
"It’s a place where he... experiments on them. It’s like hell," Zardo admitted, his voice breaking. "He’s obsessed with powerful magic users. And, well... he’s a pervert. So, in the worst-case scenario..."
Kajin’s hands fell from Zardo’s remaining horn. "No... no... it can’t be," he muttered, clutching his head and pacing erratically. His mind swirled with dark thoughts until he collapsed to his knees, gripping his hair and screaming.
A crimson energy burst from Kajin, consuming him in a fiery aura of rage. The energy grew rapidly, emitting intense heat that melted everything nearby. Zardo was thrown back, crashing into trees and losing consciousness.
~~~
Ruya, having finished off the last soldier, wiped his brow and glanced at the massive pile of bodies. He turned toward the glowing crimson light in the distance. "Oh no... don’t tell me..." he muttered.
Grabbing the boy, he leapt from tree to tree, rushing toward the source of the explosion. "Hang on, Kajin... I’m coming."
As he approached, the searing heat slowed him down, burning his skin and tearing his clothes. "Kajin! Wake up!" he shouted.
Kajin slowly lifted his head, his eyes meeting Ruya’s.
"Don’t do this, Kajin! I know you’re angry, but there’s still hope!" Ruya yelled.
Kajin’s glowing eyes softened, and the fiery energy began to dissipate. Ruya ran to him, ignoring the heat, and embraced him tightly. "You’re stronger than this, bro," Ruya whispered.
The energy faded completely, and Kajin collapsed into unconsciousness. Ruya sighed in relief, though his body was covered in burns. "How am I supposed to carry you both now..." he muttered.
Just then, an army appeared, pointing their weapons at him. Ruya gritted his teeth. "Great... this is the end, huh?"
Suddenly, two gigantic squirrels leapt into the fray, followed by a horde of smaller ones. Cracknut appeared on Ruya’s shoulder, squeaking triumphantly.
"Cracknut... buddy," Ruya said weakly, smiling.
The squirrels swarmed the army, biting and clawing their way through. A smaller group of squirrels gestured for Ruya to lay down Kajin and the boy. He obeyed, watching in disbelief as the squirrels carried them away. Cracknut grinned, and together they escaped into the forest.