It was different, everything was different this time. The hellish world from Alan's nightmare still loomed before him with its mangled form and devastation.
But now, everywhere he looked, there lay countless lifeless bodies, bloodied and maimed, scattered across the scorched earth. With a somber expression, he surveyed the destruction, feeling utterly helpless in the face of such carnage. As he moved forward, his gaze fell upon the remains of the hut, now reduced to ashes and surrounded by fiery terrain that seemed to radiate menace, as though any contact would result in instant incineration.
With a discerning gaze, Alan noticed a silhouette standing at the threshold.
Curiosity and desperation fueled his steps as he hurried towards it. As he drew closer, he discerned the silhouette to be that of a man, draped in dark crimson armor from neck to toe.
Despite the menacing appearance, Alan sensed an air of desperation and profound sadness emanating from the figure.
Drawing even nearer, Alan inadvertently stumbled upon a helm of the same dark hue, lying discarded on the ground. As he picked it up, he observed the helmet's shattered state, with its face cover partially burned and broken, blood seeping from the damaged visage.
Alan approached the man, holding the helm in his hands. As he drew closer, he heard a voice emanating from the figure, a voice tinged with sadness and pleading.
"I…I didn't have a choice, Alan!" the voice trembled with emotion.
Alan's eyes widened in shock and recognition as he realized it was Armis. Before he could respond, Armis turned to him, his grip tightening on Alan's shoulders. Alan met Armis's gaze, seeing the anguish and desperation etched in his blood-streaked face.
"He didn't leave me any choice, Alan. I had to do it! I didn't want any of this!" Armis's voice cracked with emotion. "I just wanted…I just…"
As Armis stuttered his cryptic pleas, Alan's gaze shifted from Armis's trembling form to the lifeless and maimed body nearby, completely covered in blackened skin. Its head lay nearby, its long locks trapped beneath Armis's feet. Alan felt a surge of panic and fear wash over him as he moved away from Armis and towards the body. He knelt beside it, his hands shaking as he tried to turn its severed head around.
But before he could do so, the ground erupted into blazing flames, and Armis's voice rang out from behind Alan, filled with desperation and anguish.
"I HAD NO CHOICE, ALAN! I HAD TO DO IT!"
Amidst Armis's agonized cries, Alan turned to see the flames consuming him. Despite the inferno, Armis continued to yell Alan's name repeatedly until the flames reached Alan himself. As the heat surrounded him, Alan closed his eyes, only to see the face of Relecta suddenly appear before him. With a burning sensation, Alan's eyes snapped open to find Relecta about to be crushed by a giant man's mace.
Not even wasting time to gather his breath, Alan lunged towards the man with lightning speed. With a graceful and swift motion, he delivered a powerful slap kick, the resounding sound echoing through the chaos.
As Alan landed near Relecta, almost staggering, she noticed her attacker momentarily freeze. Then, as blood trickled down from his ear, the giant man collapsed with a thud, his mace vanishing into thin air. Relecta, seeing Alan struggle, quickly rushed to support him, offering her shoulder as they both knelt on the ground, taking deep, bated breaths.
As Tritrus emerged from behind a rock pillar, his face bloodied and wounds reopened on his broken jaw, he grinned creepily, seizing the opportunity.
Summoning his dagger without hesitation, he tiptoed toward Alan and Relecta. Just as he neared them, raising his dagger to strike, Armis leaped at Tritrus from out of nowhere. Gripping Tritrus's hair tightly, Armis forcefully slammed his face into the ground, shattering his already broken jaw into bloody pieces of bone and teeth.
Startled by the sudden thud, Alan and Relecta scrambled to their feet. They turned to see Armis, his face swollen and bloody, his breath bated, shoving Tritus's face into a bloody mess on the ground with fierce determination.
Alina sprinted for her life, leaving her bandit companions to face the fury of Team Goliath amidst the blazing inferno.
With each frantic step, she distanced herself from the roaring flames behind her, a mixture of tears and madness clouding her mind. In a frenzied murmur, she muttered to herself, "What are they? I won't give up! I'll kill them! I'll avenge Tritrus's life! Just you wait!" Her madness was abruptly interrupted when a whip lashed across her face, sending her crashing to the ground. With a mixture of shock and fury, Alina sat up, screaming in agony and rage at Aurelia, who stood before her with the whip in hand.
In her frenzy, Alina shrieked and charged at Aurelia, brandishing her dagger with murderous intent.
But Aurelia remained composed, her intense gaze fixed on Alina as she calmly sidestepped the attack. At the last moment, Aurelia leaped backward, shooting her whip at Alina. The whip coiled around Alina's neck, pulling her back and cutting off her air supply.
Seizing the opportunity, Aurelia delivered a powerful knee strike to Alina's back, causing her to cry out in agony. With a swift motion, Aurelia released her grip and left Alina writhing in pain on the ground, the whip still wrapped around her neck. Aurelia then dragged Alina back towards Poduria's burning farm, her expression determined and unyielding.
Lyco and Poduria, suspended in the air, watched as their friends incapacitated their attackers one by one. With a heavy heart, Lyco looked down at the blazing Favus farm, exchanging a glance of helplessness with Poduria. Determination etched on his face, Lyco clenched his teeth, steeling himself to end the chaos.
Without hesitation, he leaped from the stone platform, away from Poduria, soaring through the air above the fiery torrent. Locking eyes with his friends below, Lyco screamed at them, urgency in his voice: "NOW!!!!"
Upon hearing Lyco's command, Armis exchanged glances with him, instantly comprehending his directive. With swift precision, Armis harnessed his immense strength, gathering four of the incapacitated bandits, and with a mighty heave, he launched them into the air mere meters above the blazing inferno.
Witnessing Armis's decisive action, Alan, caught onto the unspoken plan. Despite his staggering movements, he steadily approached Tritrus, seizing him by the collar. Alan glanced back at Relecta, who immediately grasped his intentions.
With a surge of strength, Alan spun Tritrus around and hurled him upward into the air. Seizing the opportunity, Relecta conjured a water cannonball from the ground, launching it towards Tritrus with precision. The cannonball struck Tritrus in the gut, eliciting a final, bloody groan as he was propelled upward to join the other bandits above the flames.
From the other side of the fire, Aurelia wielded her whip with force and threw Alina flying through the air. Poduria swiftly followed suit, tossing the remaining bandits upward into the fiery sky.
With all their attackers airborne, Lyco gathered his focus, his eyes widening with determination. He leaped down into the inferno, carrying the unconscious bodies of the bandits, Tritrus, and Alina. As he descended into the heart of the inferno, Lyco released a thunderous battle cry, his voice echoing amidst the flames:
"No one... NO ONE!!! Harms my GIRLFRIEND!!!!"
Enveloped by the roaring flames, Lyco unleashed another resounding cry. With unwavering determination, he commanded the earth beneath the blaze to surge forth like a tidal wave, extinguishing the fiery inferno that had consumed the landscape.
As their attackers plummeted to the ground, Lyco swiftly directed the earth to rise up and encase them, burying them underground with only their heads exposed. The ground solidified around them, leaving them trapped and powerless. Standing triumphantly above the solidified earth, Lyco uttered another battle cry, though it grew quieter with each word:
"NOT MY BROTHERS!!! NOT MY father!!!! And certainly not some run of mill thugs…"
As the chaotic night faded into dawn, the first rays of sunlight illuminated the freshly plowed ground where Poduria's farm once stood. Seeing Lyco standing tall amidst the aftermath, Poduria dashed towards him, stopping just inches from his face. With eyes sparkling with excitement, she exclaimed, "THAT was AMAZING!"
Lyco, taken aback by her enthusiasm, matched her energy and began, "Really? I—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Lyco's gaze shifted to the desolate, barren land that was once Poduria's thriving farm. His expression shifted to one of somber reflection as he observed the ruins of her home. With a heavy heart, he began, "I... I am sorry." Poduria looking at him with a puzzled gaze at the sudden apology as Lyco continued,"Because of my chaotic anger, I destroyed your home and your farm. Please forgive me—"
But before he could finish his apology, Poduria cut in with a sarcastic tone and a raised eyebrow, halting Lyco mid-sentence. "The heck are you talking about? It's not like the fire was going to do it any better?"
Armis stepped forward, his expression somber and regretful as he bowed before Poduria. "No... Lyco is right, but it is not only his fault. It is all of our fault. They came after us because of our taking advantage of your graciousness. We pulled you into this mess when you didn't even have anything to do with it."
Before Poduria could respond, Aurelia stepped forward, matching Armis's apologetic tone and gaze. "Yes, Poduria, we are very sorry! Because of our stupidity and childishness, you lost your home and your farm." With a respectful bow, Aurelia expressed her remorse.
Alan, staggering with Relecta's support, limped forward and joined the apology. Though he struggled to fully bow, his sincerity was evident. "Yes, I don't know how we could ever repay you for all the trouble we have caused you. But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us, and we will do our best to make amends for our mistakes."
Observing Alan's bow, Relecta also inclined her head toward Poduria. Poduria, feeling the weight of everyone's apologies, took a moment to gather her thoughts. She glanced at her ruined home and once-vibrant farm, taking a deep breath before responding.
"Hmm... Well, what's done is done. There's not much we can do right now to fix all of this," she said, moving away from Lyco and walking a little further, her gaze lingering on the destruction. "I don't know how to feel—whether to be angry, sad, or why I'm even feeling some strange relief right now. So, I'll tell you all what I'm thinking."
Turning back to face everyone, who awaited her words with anticipation, Poduria continued, "It's okay. You guys didn't know what was going to happen, and even if you did, I'm sure none of you would have stayed here. But now, after all the chaos, I can't find a reason to hate any of you. So, I forgive you all."
Upon hearing Poduria's complex emotions, a bittersweet smile spread across everyone's faces as they observed her resilience and humility despite the devastation around her. Poduria stood, tightly clutching her blanket to cover her torn clothes, her face bearing visible burns yet still radiating a humble expression.
Gathering around her, Aurelia posed a poignant question, "Poduria... what do you plan to do now?"
Changing her expression to contemplation at Aurelia's question, Poduria glanced up at the sky before turning her gaze to her desolate home, pausing briefly before responding, "Well... I can't stay here. I don't have a home or a farm to tend to anymore, so I suppose for now, I'll be returning to P—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Lyco interrupted, his teeth clenched with determination as he swiftly reached for Poduria, exclaiming, "To hell with that."
He nudged her away from the group and knelt down, taking her hand in his. With a ring in hand, he poured out his confession in a single breath, "Poduria Silverforth, I love you from the bottom of my heart. Will you do me the honor of becoming my beautiful wife and making my life happier than it already is?"
After Lyco's confession, a sudden silence fell over the group, with everyone looking on in surprise and shock. Aurelia tried to voice her concern for Lyco, shooting him a glance of urgency,
"Lyco!!! What th—"
"YES!!!!!"
But before she could speak, Poduria interrupted with her exclamation, surprising everyone once again as she wholeheartedly accepted Lyco's proposal. Excitedly, she jumped up, prompting Lyco to slide the ring onto her finger, which he eagerly did.
Armis, Alan, and Aurelia exchanged puzzled glances as innocent Relecta jumped towards Lyco, causing Alan to almost stumble. She joined their celebration while the whole group stood shocked and surprised. After receiving her ring, Poduria leaped into Lyco's arms and gave him a quick peck on the lips, leaving Lyco dizzy with happiness from her sudden advance. She gazed at Lyco with joy and humility, her smile radiant. Relecta, caught up in her friends' celebration, joined in the hug with Lyco and Poduria, exclaiming happily, "Congratulations, Lyco!"
Still petrified and shocked by the sudden turn of events, Alan approached the couple, attempting to force a smile to conceal his bewildered expression.
Armis followed suit, quickly embracing Lyco, Poduria, and Relecta in a collective hug, even lifting them off the ground in his excitement.
Aurelia, with a mix of emotions on her face, posed the burning question to Poduria, "Well… don't get me wrong, but that is awfully sudden and unexpected. Especially from you, Poduria."
Poduria left the group hug and turned to Aurelia with a puzzled gaze, answering, "Huh? Why would you say that? I've liked Lyco from the start, and I've even begun to love him. Why wouldn't I? I mean, look at him—he's so smart, sweet, and, not to forget, AWESOME."
Aurelia found Poduria's reasoning weird and even more confusing, taking a cringing glance at Lyco, who was celebrating with others. But noticing her gaze, he instantly realized the situation and began marching towards her as Aurelia retorted to Poduria's reasoning, "Huh?? What are you even talking abo—"
"What is your problem, meatbags!!" Lyco shot a furious insult towards Aurelia, frustrated by her absurd question. He joined Poduria and placed his hand on her waist as he continued, "We love each other and want to be together. What's so weird about her accepting my proposal? Just because you don't have enough guts yourself, that doesn't mean I have to stay behind as well."
Aurelia's puzzlement shifted to anger as she glared at Lyco in response to his mocking, cryptic reply.
"Obviously, he is right, and after all this, I don't have any responsibilities to look after, and this seems to be a very logical and happy solution."
"Huh?" Again becoming confused by her out-of-this-world reasoning, Aurelia tried to retort with her own logic, "But does that mean now you are coming with us? To raids? But I thought you didn't want to be a r—"
"Obviously!!! Now, if you'll excuse us, meatbag, I have some discussion to do with my fiancée." Lyco cut off Aurelia again with an insulting and mocking remark as he gracefully and teasingly escorted Poduria away from Aurelia.
Enraged by his arrogance, Aurelia gritted her teeth in frustration, mumbling under her breath, "That little twerp."
"Come on, just accept it already. He's happy, and despite how he acts, he'll be delighted if you join him in the celebration as well." Alan offered some comforting words to Aurelia, coming from behind. He stood beside her as she gazed longingly, not at Lyco, but at Armis, who was celebrating by putting Relecta on his shoulder and jumping up and down in joy.
Seeing their celebration, Alan prompted to join, but his gaze caught the glimpse of the half-buried head of Tritrus and Alina in the ground, now even more battered. Tritrus was missing his lower jaw but still breathing, muffling and looking at Alina's almost lifeless, unsupported head. With a furrowed brow at the display of brutality of his team, Alan shot the next question into the air.
"So..." Alan said aloud, trying to gather everyone's attention. "What are we going to do with them?"
The celebration halted as everyone's serious eyes glanced at their half-buried attackers, and the air filled with anticipation and contemplation. Each person tried to figure out a solution to this newfound issue.
Breaking the tension while maintaining his gaze at Tritrus, Armis spoke up. "Well... I'm not sure. Last time I punished them my way, they came back and caused even more harm, so..."
Armis trailed off, and Aurelia picked up on his thoughts, offering a solution. "So... since Poduria is the one who has suffered the most, I think it would be best if she decides what to do with them."
Poduria, now burdened with the responsibility for the fate of their attackers, moved forward with a contemplative expression, her gaze shifting between the bandits and Tritrus and Alina. Before she could even come to a decision, her attention was caught by a buzzing sound emanating from the forest. Raising her gaze along with everyone else, they saw a group of bees flying towards them.
An idea sparked in Poduria's mind as she turned and began walking forward, announcing her decision to the group. "Well, I guess we don't have to decide anything now."
Lyco swiftly understood his beloved's cryptic response and began following her immediately, with Relecta and Alan in tow. As they gradually comprehended Poduria's plan, Alan and Aurelia glanced back at the half-buried attackers as the bees began to encircle them, shocked by Poduria's lack of mercy.
Aurelia and Armis took one last look at them before joining the group, Armis's tone grave as he asked, "So... we're just going to leave them to die here?"
Without turning to reply, Poduria, holding Lyco's hand, responded in a carefree voice, "Well, not me. I'm just passing the responsibility, leaving their fate to the one whose home they actually destroyed. Whether they survive or become fertilizer, it's on the bees."
Hearing her nonchalant response, Armis cast one last glance at the bees, who had completely surrounded their attackers, before moving forward with the group.