We return right to the moment when Christopher and Selestia separated.

At tremendous speed, Christopher reached the large gate and was already calling out to the guards in charge of protecting it -Guards, please open the gate! I have an urgent mission and I'm running out of time-.

-You heard him!- exclaimed the guard without stopping to analyze the situation -open the gate right now.

-I really appreciate it- said Christopher, resuming his path and advancing at a much faster speed. In just seconds he was already walking along the path that led into the forest and in the blink of an eye he was no longer visible to everyone who was watching him.

"Our young Lord looked quite desperate," one of the guards commented.

-And from his expression it could be deduced that something bad has happened to him- mentioned the other of the two guards located right in the area of the gate. Sitting on the wall looking towards the forest.

-Do you think it has to do with the recent appearance of those pesky Zombies?- a sentry appeared located precisely above the gate, wielding a spear, about to jump towards the outside -many of them have been appearing-.

-I'll take care of him- the two of them heard a voice coming from right next to them. It was an Elf and one of the many sentinels who had to take turns in the mornings.

He readied his bow and loaded an arrow, took aim and finally let the deadly projectile fly. In just a second the arrow collided against the head of the undead and ironically killed him. The body of the non-zombie fell on its side full length, it was possible to confirm that it was a human being.

-Nice shot- they both said at the same time. The Elf looked towards the forest. -Do you know if Sonetto has returned from his search for slavers yet?-.

Those two looked at each other with a sigh filled with some concern and one of them decided to speak -not yet, but it's only been a couple of hours. He'll most likely come back late at night. You know him, his sense of duty is very strong-.

-I just hope so- the Elf really seemed to care a lot about his friend.

...

-I think it was around here- Christopher muttered, jumping and landing on the large branch of a huge oak tree. Just as he landed on the branch he noticed something on it, so as soon as his feet touched the branch he had to jump again, looking at the thing that was resting there.

-I almost stepped on that small and deadly magical beast- he said to himself while he highlighted the area of the branch -if that Wood Spider were to bite me, I would be lost-.

It was the magical beast, the Wood Spider, whose bite is not fatal to people, but if stung it causes a lot of discomfort and a severe headache, which for Christopher would be fatal at this moment.

It can be treated and discomfort avoided, but it must be done as soon as possible and he was now quite far from the city.

-It's there- from a distance and through an opening in the vegetation he was able to locate the place where a few hours ago he had fought against the slaver. He went at full speed towards the place without knowing everything that awaited him.

...

Tsiu, Tssss, Slash, cut

The distinctive sound of sharp weapons clashing against each other and bodies coming into contact was easily audible, but this only meant one thing. A battle was taking place in this area and it seemed to be quite intense.

Swords wounding and cutting the skin and flesh of the adversary, hands being used as a means of attack and defense, powerful kicks colliding with the integrity of whoever was in their path, armor of whatever material slowly began to tear into shreds. Knives, daggers and other kinds of throwing weapons were thrown and embedded on and in the ground.

And what would not be lacking in this kind of confrontation, blood splashing all over the battlefield.

Not only the perpetrators of the conflict are suffering damage, the surroundings also suffered the consequences of these people's confrontation: fallen trees, earth moved by blows and falls, some vegetation charred by some magical fire attack.

-Get down now!- a feminine and agitated voice could be easily heard at the moment of issuing the aforementioned order. That small lady with Katana in hand launched a powerful horizontal cut using a lot of force in the cut, trying in this way to get through the defense of the tough adversary.

But who did he yell to Get down now?

It was who was possibly his companion, a half-human from the big cat clan, a half-human tiger who was apparently about fifteen years old.

He managed to Get down now just in time as a dangerous sword passed over him just inches from touching his ears.

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- the sword was stopped by the pair of hunting knives that the adversary used with two hands and in the opposite direction, holding the handle of the same so that the tip of the knife was facing the ground.

-STUPID GIRL- he roared loudly but denoting joy -DO YOU THINK THAT A STUPID GIRL LIKE YOU CAN DEFEAT ME? KNOW YOUR PLACE- from his position and in a fleeting manner he launched a powerful straight punch aimed directly at the face of who in his eyes was a stupid girl, the same one with white skin and black hair and eyes.

-Uaarrggg- the young girl complained in pain the moment her opponent's punch crashed full in her face, causing the man who attacked her to laugh in joy. The blow was powerful enough to knock her back at least a meter, she looked very tired.

-Agjj- he complained in pain the moment his body made hard contact with the ground.

-DIANA!- shouted her partner, the girl or rather, the teenager was Diana León, now thirteen years old, who has grown wonderfully.

Their equipment consisted of armor or clothing characteristic of an adventurer:

Firstly, starting with the lower garments, they consisted of pants which fit her growing female figure quite well.

Blackish metallic knee pads fastened with straps around the knee. On the thighs and on either side were two guards belonging to large knives waiting to be used at any moment.

Brown calf-high boots with black linear embroidery and five-centimeter-high heels, decorated with metal plates on the edge of the soles, laces also in the same color. Something very striking is that right on the shaft of the pair of boots and located on the inner sides you can see the handle of small daggers, while on the outer sides a column of silver buttons serve as decoration.

They were compartments that were used to store them and in case of being at a disadvantage one could pretend to surrender while crouching and thus use surprise as an advantage.

At her waist, a ten-centimeter wide belt and just like the one her brother usually wears, on hers there are also a few daggers waiting to be used, although on the right side Diana has a black leather canteen tied to her belt matching her clothes that seemed to be full of water.

At the top there was a kind of dark vest closed with a zipper up to the breast area, which were covered by a kind of metal plates in the shape of the breasts in order to have greater protection in that area.

Covering the entire right arm: sleeves with a few studs at the shoulder. The sleeves went under the black, fingerless gloves Diana was wearing.

On the left side he did not have the characteristic sleeve emerging from the vest, but a leather shoulder pad covering his shoulder. He used simple black wrist guards, the same one located between where the hand began to almost halfway up the forearm. On them and on the part that faces outwards there was a kind of circle with runic writing.

It is quite common and at the same time intelligent for adventurers and even knights to use objects which contain a seal or runic writing for attack or defense, these could be used at any time and without the need to use one's own magical energy as long as it is already impregnated with magic. These are very useful tactics when it comes to a fight.

Although to seal magic into objects one must indeed have some knowledge of Seal Magic, a novice cannot attempt to seal magic into anything. That is why one usually resorts mostly to blacksmiths or people who have the knowledge and place the order with them.

Finally, on her back, the lair of what was her favorite and beloved Katana and the same one in her hand.

This is how Diana looked before the battle began, because right now she was a mess.

Bloody, all her knives and throwing weapons lay on the ground or lost in the bushes. Her clothes were tattered in some parts, such as her lower legs, and her kneepads had long since been destroyed, leaving her knees unprotected, now exposed and completely scraped and bloody.

The canteen lay in the distance without water as it was destroyed. Her pretty hair tied in a ponytail was now loose and dirty.

-DAMN YOU!- the demi-human shouted, kicking the legs of the subject who attacked Diana. The subject could not do much to defend himself and only had to receive the blow to his legs.

TUM.

His legs shook, but did not move in the slightest, but that did not mean he did not feel the pain. A hard blow to the shins is not something very bearable.

-I'm offended that you've forgotten about me- in this way a few throwing knives were embedded in what comprises the area of the left side of his body. More precisely in the shoulders, arm and ribs.

The young man complained of pain at the moment when the person in front of him had managed to overcome the pain of a kick to the shins and without giving him the chance to get up, he kicked him right in the chin area, his lower teeth collided with his upper ones while he was thrown a few meters.

He quickly turned around in the air, grabbed Diana's clothes and took her with him.

-Ma-Mathias- he called out to his partner in this fight, Mathias Taigiur who was searching for the precious oxygen.

Diana's current partner in this tough battle is Mathias Taigiur, now about fifteen years old. A young adult.

Starting with the description of his equipment and clothing, on top of it was a dark brown sleeveless vest which was adorned by a pair of straps fastened around the abdomen, also passing behind the back where a metal plate covered the area of the lower back. And it is in that area where a total of four throwing blades are visible horizontally ready to be used.

At the top there is a guard with its respective sword, also held by straps to the back of the latter.

On his arms: both arms were almost bare, showing the muscles that marked them with each movement he made. His right hand was covered by black gloves which left his fingers free so that at any moment he could show off his sharp and strong claws. On his left hand it was the same, although on this side the forearm was covered by bandages and on top of these a metal wristband which he surely used as a shield.

Around the neck and hanging the characteristic adventurer chain, PORCELAIN rank with the inscription of his name on it.

At the bottom, a studded belt held his pants firmly in place so they wouldn't fall down. A pair of straps on each side of his thighs held small vials no bigger than a thumb with a strange liquid inside them, apparently a concoction made from different herbs that would surely soothe the pain.

On the back there was a circular hole where the tail could easily pass through, and at the tip of the tail there was a kind of bracelet, but this only served as an ornament. On the sides of the hips they always carried two large knives which they used both for defense and to cut the flesh of their prey.

Going down further, brown iron knee pads that helped prevent strong impacts on their knees, as footwear a pair of boots that covered up to the calf area, the same black in their entirety without any decoration on them, not even laces as it was simply pressure-fitting.

Something quite remarkable is that she now wore piercings in both tiger ears.

And just like Diana, that was his appearance before the fight began. Currently he was even more bruised and hurt than Diana because on several occasions he was the one who had to face the two. His sword broken, his knives lying around somewhere and now he only had hand-to-hand combat left. Both he and Diana had used magic attacks, but their opponents were not far behind because when they saw that their opponents could use it they fought with much more caution.

-Take a break- he said- I'll try to get those two's attention while you...-.

But Diana answered him with a resounding: -NO! I will continue fighting, you will not be able to fight against those two alone- she accepted Mathias' help to stand up, wiped her face and blew her nose from which a good amount of blood slipped. Both were dirty, bruised, wounded and bleeding. Still, they were more than willing to continue the hard battle.

-But you can't continue like this- replied Mathias -remember that I am a PORCELAIN rank adventurer and because of your age you are not an adventurer, you still don't have much experience- Diana frowned, not wanting to retort again because what her friend had said was the damn truth -while those two are renegade knights who have become mercenaries and are much stronger than PORCELAIN rank adventurers, we won't be able to defeat them-.

The minimum age to be an adventurer is fifteen years old, in short, an adult by law. Diana is a teenager of only thirteen years old and despite the fact that for someone of her age she is literally strong, she still lacks a lot of experience in battle and even more so against these kinds of people, mercenaries and kidnappers.

People with vast experience in battle who, unlike her, have had many fights to the death against beasts or other people. They were too superior to Diana in every way and even though she is not willing to give up, the difference is too much. Diana has managed to hurt and injure her opponents, but compared to the damage they have caused her it is like saying that she has not done anything to them.

Following the same line of thought, Diana added the missing part to Mathias' idea - I know we won't be able to defeat them, but we don't have any chance of running away either. How many times have we tried and look at us! - both of them had literally received a real beating, and despite having stood up to them for a while, they were now starting to retreat. The mercenaries were beginning to gain ground.

-I recommend that you say goodbye to any glimmer of hope- Kona'an, one of the mercenaries mentioned walking towards the two being followed by his partner -we will turn you both into slaves, it is not worth it for you to continue resisting-.

Now it was his companion, Kana'an, who spoke - we do not want to cause them more injuries because if we do, we will have no choice but to sell them for a small amount of gold.

Both Mathias and Diana frowned, it's not wrong to say that this is the first time that both of them have faced against this kind of scum and they already feel a repulsive hatred towards them.

Diana squeezed her Katana very tightly, completely splintered, while Mathias looked at his own stuck in the ground, but somewhat away from her.

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Diana raised her eyebrows - I'd rather die than be a slave to you damn trash - rage contorted her face into a terrible grimace of hatred.

-I must confess- said Kona'an licking his lips without the slightest attempt to hide his perversion- I love young ladies in development like you. I think that, instead of selling you, I will use you as my personal toy. What do you say? That way you can have a good life unlike your demi-human friend who will probably be used as a combat slave-.

Diana's shoulders twitched for a brief second.

"Don't talk nonsense," Mathias complained, "do you really think you can carry me while I'm still standing?"

Diana gathered her courage and decided to confront the wretch with disgusting intentions towards her -and you, damn degenerate- she roared with annoyance -do you really think that I will become your toy? Of a nauseating man like you... I already have someone that I like-.

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- the two began to laugh, Kona'an seemed possessed by the way he laughed, suddenly he raised his hand towards the sky with force and abruptness, remaining for less than a second lying face up and holding his head because he thought his head would fall off from laughing.

Mathias found this action very strange; the man really seemed to be plotting something. Suddenly his ears picked up a slight whistling sound, as if something was cutting through the air at high speed. He made his calculations and everything coincided with the subject's action.

Without time to look up, I exaltedly let out a loud shout -UP, DIANA, DODGE IT!-.

-What?- Diana is perhaps the strongest teenager in the city. No one her age can stand up to her, but she still lacked the experience to be able to act without thinking in this type of situation because when Mathias screamed he only had about a second to act and unfortunately he didn't.

-AAAHHHH-.

She moaned in pain as at least three throwing knives fell on her like raindrops and mercilessly embedded themselves in her entire body. One in her right shoulder, another in her left thigh and the last in her left foot. The blades had dug into her being until they almost touched the girl's skin with the handle and despite all that she refused to let go of her sword.

-DIANAAAAA- Mathias shouted the moment he felt a small magical impulse coming from the ground, his experience screamed to him that it was an earth magic spell.

Diagonally and pointing towards their faces, two columns of oval rocks emerged from the ground and traveled at full speed towards their target. Mathias was already prepared for this because he felt the impulse coming from the ground and with his fist he hit the rock that was heading towards him, shattering it.

But Diana is another case, due to the pain caused by her new wounds she was unable to continue concentrating on the battle, she only managed to raise the sword as if she intended to protect herself from the attack with it.

The earth magic attack emerged from the ground and violently crashed into her, the sword did nothing to stop or cushion the attack, breaking into pieces and leaving her almost out of her mind as she was sent back a few meters, once again falling to the ground with her eyes almost white.

The blood did not take long to appear and immediately began to flow from the head and forehead, spreading onto the ground.

-DIANAAAAAAA- Mathias shouted in a furious but worried state, with his bloodshot eyes -I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES-.

-Racial Magic: Beast Magic: Humanoid Phase-.

His body grew, his back became much broader. His head transformed into that of a complete tiger.

His body was covered in fur, this time his boots were not the special ones he usually wore and they could not adapt to the shape of his new legs causing them to fall apart. The top of his clothes also fell apart as they could not contain those swollen new muscles.

In the humanoid phase Mathias looked for a brief moment at his adversaries who looked back at him very seriously.

They were no longer watching him with laughter and stopped laughing at Diana who was apparently out of her mind -I'll finish them- she muttered under her breath before shooting out like a torpedo towards the mercenaries, due to the superior speed the blows already thrown were no longer visible to the naked eye.

He connected a hook to one of those two, lifting him up to a meter in the air, that guy felt his lower teeth crash against his upper ones, thinking that they would break at any moment.

With the other, he used his free arm, giving him a powerful straight jab, hitting him squarely in the middle of the abdomen. The mercenary felt how abruptly all the air contained in his lungs was expelled and now he felt like other things were eager to be expelled.

Before continuing with his work, Mathias felt his muscles calling for help, the reason being that his body was not in a condition to use precisely this magic, the humanoid phase magic, and all due to his injuries. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to resist the pain, and returned to his attack.

Meanwhile the mercenary who received the hook spun around in the air and saw the exact moment when his partner received that powerful straight punch -I underestimated him- he said to himself -I wish I could sell him, but in this situation the best thing would be to kill him. So we only have that girl left- Kana'an looked at Diana lying on the ground without even making the slightest movement.

At most he would be unconscious - luckily that discomfort cannot continue, this way it will be easier to kill the demi-human even though he has adopted that powerful form.

Mathias was ready to launch another powerful straight punch now aimed at the Kona'an mercenary's face. In just seconds he had prepared and launched the punch, but at the last moment his opponent was able to dodge it by stepping aside.

-Don't be an idiot, demi-human- he said very seriously- did you think that because you gave me a good one I would lose all desire to fight?-.

She stabbed Mathias in the right thigh with one of her large knives -you kids have no experience in battles to the death- and once again she stabbed him and having no other option Mathias jumped back, ending up right next to Diana, her breathing was labored and accelerated, she had a hard time getting oxygen to her lungs because she didn't have a single moment of rest -you still have a long way to go to be at our level-.

-Air Elemental Magic: Wind Cut-.

But he didn't just throw one wind cut, he threw many and all in the direction of the two.

Mathias immediately knew that his life was in danger, and not only his, but also that of Diana who was lying almost unconscious next to him without the possibility of moving and defending herself.

-SHIT- he complained out loud, as best he could he grabbed and carried Diana to one side of him as if she were a sack of potatoes and began to dodge each of the magic spells directed at him.

He jumped and ran from one side to the other carrying Diana, suddenly a very noticeable grimace of pain was visible on his face and that made the subject laugh with pleasure -I can't take it anymore...- he made some signs to his partner who had already recovered -throw something at that girl so that that idiot has no other option but to defend her using his body as a shield-.

And his smiling companion decided it was a good plan -say goodbye, stupid semi-human- located on the belt he revealed and prepared to launch a kind of small star, he pressed a button and the tips of that became longer implying that they were retractable and without wasting more time he launched it.

Although Mathias was only dodging, it didn't mean that he wasn't aware of his surroundings. His ears picked up a whistling sound approaching at high speed. At the last moment he saw a strange object that seemed to be spinning at high speeds approaching them, or rather, towards Diana.

-DAMN WRETCH, YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO ATTACK HER- he covered Diana, turned around and giving everything he had he prepared to resist the pain as best as possible.

One, two, three, four.

He felt four objects being inserted into his entire back. It wasn't just one shuriken that Kana'an threw, it was four at the same time.

Despite all the wounds that adorned his body, incredible fatigue and exhaustion of magical energy from using his race magic in such a pitiful state, Mathias did not give up. He almost lost control of his body, but was able to regain it.

He dropped to his knees and breathed with great difficulty. "THREE SECONDS!" he shouted to himself. "I just need to catch my breath for three seconds." That was the time limit he had imposed on himself; it was the maximum amount of time he could allow himself to rest before continuing the desperate fight.

ONE, TWO.

Two seconds had passed, leaving him with one last second, which he must make the most of. Force his tired, hurt and afflicted body to replenish all the energy it could in that last, miserable second. Unfortunately, that last second didn't come, Mathias heard a loud shoving in front of him.

It was one of the mercenaries who had stepped very hard on the ground preparing what seemed to be a very powerful blow -I have you- he said, moving his arm back and casting a spell that at this moment would be devastating for Mathias.

-Earth Elemental Magic: Rock Fist-.

The subject's entire arm, up to the shoulder area, was wrapped in a thick layer of rocks.

Because of the layer of rocks, the fist even grew larger, it was impossible for Mathias to dodge this tremendous attack because his body truly needed that last second of rest to at least be able to move.

PUNCH

The blow was so brutal that it broke a part of the magical rock fist. At the moment of impact, an incredible amount of blood emerged like a fountain from the semi-human's face. Mathias' body rose into the air, falling at least four or five meters backwards, and all this with Diana in his arms.

Fed up, battered, hurt and without strength. In this way Mathias' body finally said ''ENOUGH'', he was on the verge of collapse, his body no longer responded. He barely had the energy to breathe with remarkable effort.

-Please don't...- he thought with his mind clouding -get up, they are still standing. I have to keep fighting... damn it get up, ignore the pain- there was a huge difference between wanting to get up and being able to get up. Mathias wanted to keep fighting for himself and for Diana, however, it was his body that was no longer available to fulfill his wishes.

That last attack by the mercenaries was the straw that broke the camel's back, he was now at the mercy of his enemies.

-Damn demi-human, he's caused us too much trouble- Kona'an commented, rubbing his head, still dizzy from having received the powerful blows from Mathias' humanoid phase -so are we going to take the demi-human or are we really going to kill him?-.

-Once he has the slavery collar on, it will be very difficult for him to continue resisting- Kana'an replied -so selling him becomes an option again- he looked at Mathias on the ground again -unlike most of the demi-humans we usually capture from other cities, those who live in Gignit are strong and very healthy-.

-Not just demi-humans- Kona'an looked at Diana -humans too, even little girls- he licked his lips as he looked at her -Just look at that beauty- he pointed at her with his finger while a depraved smile appeared on his face -She was able to withstand many of our attacks. Truly a true vein of gold for slave hunters and mercenaries like us-.

Diana opened her eyes and turned all her attention to Mathias with tears in her eyes, he was in a deplorable state, she had been able to regain consciousness but not mobility. She witnessed how her friend was protecting her from those damned people, even enduring attacks so that she would not be hurt.

The demi-human had fought like a true warrior who unfortunately could not claim victory.

-Mathias- she called him with tears welling up in her eyes -it's my fault you had to go through all this and now you're so hurt- she lamented deeply and was saddened to see her friend in such a deplorable state. And she didn't even think about what these guys would do to him, according to her, Mathias didn't deserve to receive the end they were trying to impose on him. That of turning him into a mere slave -I'm so sorry...-.

-Let's put the slave collar on him and get out of this place- said Kana'an walking towards them right next to his partner -I'm sure that with this magnificent catch we will be able to ascend a few steps and gain some recognition and prestige- his smile widened thinking of everything he could do now that they are possibly more famous -gold, women, alcohol. And of course more missions-.

-Hey- Kona'an called -before you sell them...- he looked at his partner with a certain air of malice. Then lust made an appearance, deforming his face into a grimace of desire without taking his gaze off Diana's integrity -would you let me give that girl a taste, she's totally my type-.

Kana'an gave a sigh of annoyance accompanied by some anger -I think you need to do something about that habit of wanting to take a taste of the merchandise- he said with a look full of disgust -just don't go overboard with her, remember that we want to sell her for a high amount of gold, if you do it too roughly you will hurt her in that area and her price will decrease very considerably-.

-Don't worry- Kona'an couldn't help but think of the thousand and one ways in which he would overstep his boundaries with Diana -I'll make sure to be very gentle with her-.

And with that, they both approached the two of them, intending to place the slavery collar on them with which their freedoms would be stolen forever. They would only have to endure a horrible life full of abuse and mistreatment. Never being able to oppose the orders of whoever bought them and above all, never being able to see their friends again.

Neither of them was able to move, much less defend themselves.

Would they really end up like this? Would they become slaves? Would they never smile again?

-No- Diana thought, her mind trying to comfort her by showing her beloved family hugging her and congratulating her, pampering her for her achievements. She was able to become an Adventurer and go on missions with her friends. She also saw the person she was deeply in love with asking her out and declaring her feelings -Daddy, Sebastian, Christopher... please save us-.

-Say goodbye to your lives...-.

-Arborean Magic: Root Whip-.

Both Kana'an and Kona'an were not fast enough to repel the magic attack, in fact they didn't even see it coming. They weren't expecting it at all.

The whip of roots wrapped around both of them, covering them from their feet to their shoulders, leaving only their heads exposed.

-CURSE WHAT'S HAPPENING?- Kana'an complained totally in vain.

-Earth Elemental Magic: Stone Pilar-.

Two pillars made of pure stone emerged from the ground, and for a few moments the desperate faces of those who would be the victims of such a horrible blow were visible. The magical attack hit them head-on, right in the abdomen. Both felt as if they would break in two at any moment.

-UACK- they moaned in pure pain as they spit out a tremendous amount of blood and other internal fluids, it seemed as if someone threw a large amount of reddish water into the air. They were thrown out still tied by the vines and suffocating from the lack of air in their lungs. They will not come out unscathed from this attack, in some way or another it must have seriously affected them.

-Mathias! Diana!- a voice echoed very close to the demi-human and the human lady -please answer- it seemed that the efforts of these people would be in vain until.

-Chri-Christopher?- at least Diana had enough strength to be able to speak, the young man could see tiredness and pain reflected in the girl's grimaces -i-is it really y-you?-.

-YES YES YES- he answered energetically, raising the volume of his voice -Have you broken something? Can you get up?-.

Diana could only shake her head, she was so tired that she still couldn't stand up - what happened? -

-Mathias- she said -take care of him first, he has endured much more punishment than I have, when I fell he had to face those two at the same time- she clenched her teeth tightly, blaming herself for Mathias's state -he had to use his humanoid phase even knowing the consequences, he even had to protect me and because of that he received too much damage... it's all my fault, please help him first-.

Christopher nodded without protest, turning to look at his friend and the sight was not at all pleasant. In fact, it made him angry because Mathias was truly exhausted.

Bruises, new scars, marks of having been stabbed, a swollen and bleeding face -Mathias- called and moved him, realizing that the demi-human was in the world of unconsciousness, his mind could not stand being on any longer and preferred to turn off in order to give a good rest to the demi-human who really needed good medical treatment and to have some wounds stitched up.

The men were still writhing in pain; it is not easy to recover quickly from such a blow. Their internal organs should at least be severely damaged.

From afar Christopher watched as they continued to suffer from pain - I still have some time to catch up.

-Diana- he called her again- tell me what happened and why were you fighting against these people? What do they want from you?-.

-They wanted to kidnap us- Diana gritted her teeth, Christopher did the same due to the immense fury he felt -I wanted to buy new equipment since the one I have is a little worn out. But since I'm a minor I can't request missions yet, since my dad and my brother went to look for something outside, I had no one to ask the favor of requesting a mission and letting me accompany him, you and Selestia were busy, Anita was attending in the morning hours, luckily Mathias accepted since he also wanted to collect gold and buy something nice for Anita-.

-He found a good mission and despite being PORCELAIN rank he would be paid well, we agreed that we would split the reward in half, it was a simple search for a certain highly coveted herb, they would pay us one gold coin for every three herbs-.

-But the mission became too complicated because first a horde of Zombies appeared, and we had some trouble exterminating them due to their numbers... the real problem was them- referring to the strong mercenaries who have made him go through a real hell -they appeared after we had exterminated the zombies, thinking that we would be tired and it would be easier to capture us and then sell us. According to them, that way they would gain some prestige among their friends-.

-No doubt, they must be part of some organization- Christopher thought to himself, doing his best to maintain his composure -They must have information about the kidnapping crisis that is silently plaguing Gignit-.

-We couldn't escape from them because we were former knights and very strong, we, a PORCELAIN rank adventurer and I who is not yet old enough and with too much lack of experience. We couldn't do anything, we only had to fight to survive. It was no use, we attacked them with the best we had, but the difference between a girl without any experience and a PORCELAIN rank and two former knights is too great-.

Diana frowned in frustration - they withstood all our attacks, they anticipated all our plans, they even resisted Mathias' powerful blows when using his race magic.

She then began to shed tears which only denoted pure frustration because according to her all this happened because of her -it's my fault that we are now like this, because of me Mathias has had to endure indescribable pain. If only I hadn't made that stupid request...-.

-It's not your fault- Christopher mentioned smiling at her- they just weren't very lucky, they would never have known that these damn scum would be lurking in the area. Besides, you told me that Mathias wanted to buy a present for Anita- Diana nodded- one way or another Mathias would have met these bastards, if that happened he probably would have been kidnapped already. It's thanks to the fact that they were together that they were able to get to this point-.

Diana shed more tears - now I will ask you to rest, I will take care of the rest -.

-But Christopher, they are still stronger than you and you are only a PORCELAIN rank- Diana's eyes reflected excessive concern and fear of what could happen to Christopher -even if you are very strong you won't be able to do anything- she gulped -so help me stand up and I will distract one of them-.

-Did you not hear me correctly? I think I clearly said to take a break- Diana felt nothing but frustration.

Her friend and the one who is secretly and not so secretly her love interest would go into the lion's jaws on his own. Christopher is strong and she doesn't doubt it, but these guys are superior. -CHRISTOPHER- she shouted, but in silence because her voice was completely muffled -why don't you want to understand it? They are stronger, far superior to us... even to you-.

But he just smiled at her, which made Diana even angrier.

-Please- she said -don't ask me to just watch how they hurt you, I won't be able to stand it- she bit her lower lip -you know very well how I feel, you know how I feel about you and for you to ask me to just watch...-.

-Then trust the person you like- he winked at her, it was neither the time nor the place for that, he simply did it to calm her down as much as possible. Besides, Diana's worries were quite unfounded, those two are ex-gentlemen and Christopher already knew that both of them were over him.

-I must attack them as soon as possible, they are superior to me and if I let them regain mobility I could be the one who loses the fight or something even worse...- he should act now and not give them the slightest chance to recover, so he decided to attack them taking advantage of the fact that they were still writhing in pain.