"Before I knew it, the entity that controlled Yousef vanished, and I couldn't bear traveling with my father's killer, so I left on foot until I reached Valdron's Capital."
I kept listening to Khalid while sitting next to him, both of us leaning against the parked cart, while Mary was training Noah some distance away. Then I said, "I'm sorry for reminding you."
"It's fine, I needed someone to talk to," he paused, then looked at me, "Don't think we're comrades just because of a few words."
"You're still stubborn."
"You forced me to travel with you."
"Don't blame us. You followed us of your own free will,"
I looked over at Mary and Noah training far away. "If you wanted to leave, you would have left a long time ago."
"Hey, you two, are you going to help me train Noah, or are you going to keep chattering?" Mary approached us, showing signs of exhaustion.
I patted Khalid's shoulder, "Khalid, what do you think about training him?"
"No."
"Come on, maybe you can also test your strength. Both Mary and I couldn't even scratch Noah's Hardening."
"Is his armor that strong?"
"Yes."
Khalid smirked, "Now that you put it that way, he sounds like he'd be a good training dummy for me."
Khalid stood up and carried his sword, heading towards Noah, who looked afraid.
Without preamble, Khalid directed a swift stab towards Noah's chest, but the latter avoided it, taking the blow on his shoulder, which let out a spark from the force of the collision, but Noah's Hardening was not breached.
Noah returned the blow and punched Khalid in the stomach, making the latter vomit.
"Where's your arrogance now, Khalid?" Noah said with a mix of joy and hubris, but his worry quickly returned when Khalid glared at him with an angry look.
Khalid's sword ignited with energy similar to that of stars, which was called Aether, Khalid's ability. He then began a sequence of attacks, focusing on a single point.
Noah tried to attack, but Khalid's strikes were faster and stronger, causing internal pain without scratching the armor.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and creatures resembling small, heavy-running dragons, called Vithra, appeared.
"Looks like we're lucky; the Vithra are coming to us on their own legs."
"We can't hunt them," Mary replied.
"Huh? Why? To my knowledge, it's not mating season, and we don't have a source of income. The Mana Jewels that form in the bellies of these beasts would be useful."
"What are Mana Jewels for?" Noah asked innocently.
"I'd expect the Hero to ask that, not you... Anyway, any modern building or technology relies on Mana Jewels as a power source, and their price is very high."
"In any case, the kingdoms have heavily hunted the Vithra to prepare for the summoning of the Heroes, so the kingdoms issued a statement banning their hunting," Mary explained.
I was surprised by this. "Really?"
"Didn't you see the Vithra on the summoning room walls?"
"Now that you mention it, yes, there were drawings and carvings of them."
"Unfortunately, those weren't carvings."
"Wait, you mean you put these creatures inside the wall to power the room!"
"Not us. Sinister did it."
"Great, so the Vithra are out... So, may I ask about your income?"
Mary answered Khalid's question, "We still have the coins the king gave us."
"Do you think they'll be enough? The journey is still long, and our supplies are many and increase with every Chosen One we meet."
I interrupted both Khalid and Mary, "Why don't we hunt the oxen over there?"
In that field stood a group of massive, colossal oxen, which became easy prey for us.
*******
An hour later, we arrived at a city on the outskirts of the Mordiath Kingdom, with four meat-rich oxen in the cart.
We got out of the cart. Noah stretched his arms, removing his Hardening. "Finally, we're here."
"What do we do now?" I asked my companions while holding The Hero's Sword.
Khalid replied, "Let's sell the meat before it spoils. The fourth Chosen One can wait."
"He's right," Mary replied, tying the horse in a stable that cost three silver coins.
Each of us carried an ox and headed towards the nearest butcher.
"Hello," I greeted the butcher, and before I could finish my sentence,
"Hello. It looks like you have a set of oxen. I can give you a good amount for them."
"How much?" Khalid asked.
"50 silver coins."
"60."
"That's too much. I can't sell it for more than 50."
"These oxen weigh 500 tons. 60 is the lowest price for them."
"Fine, I accept." A look of triumph appeared on Khalid's face.
We took the money, and before I could put it back in my pocket, a boy appeared from behind me, grabbing the bag and running away.
"That little one again," the butcher muttered, throwing the book next to him at the boy, trying to stop him, then continued, "Unfortunately, there's no chance of getting your money back now."
I looked at the boy, who began building ice pillars with every step he took, then, in an instant, using Lightning Form, I was behind him and grabbed his collar.
"What! Let me go!" the boy tried to escape my grip and break the pillar I was standing on, but I used the wind to fly, then landed next to my companions.
I put the boy on the ground and pointed The Hero's Sword at him.
"Wait, you won't kill a child, right? You can just take the money. Please spare me," the boy was terrified, unaware of my good intentions.
The sword began to shake, and before I could speak, 14 people gathered around us with angry looks directed at the boy.
"Finally, Nier, you fell into our clutches," one of the men gathered around us spoke.
I asked him, "Did this boy steal from you too?"
"Just steal? He reported us to the police for money and got our men arrested."
I took the bag from Nier's hand and threw it to the mercenary. "Take this and leave Nier to us... or do you want me to turn you in myself?"
Behind me, both Khalid and Mary drew their swords, while Noah enveloped himself in Hardening.
The man analyzed the situation, and his reply quickly came, "I don't know your intentions, but I was pleased with this negotiation."
After everyone left, I returned my gaze to the boy, who showed his gratitude. "T-thank you."
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal."
Khalid scoffed, "A child's life hinged on 60 silver coins... What a deal."
I lowered myself to Nier's level. "Your name is Nier, right?"
"Y-yes," he said, sweating from tension.
"I'll try to explain it to you very simply."
"What do you want?" he said, trying to back away.
"Wait, Hero, is this the Fourth Chosen One?" Mary was astonished, looking at Nier.
I nodded my head, then Mary continued, "But he's small."
Nier asked, "What do you mean by Chosen One? Do you mean a Hero like in fairy tales?"
"Almost... Have you heard about the Hero who was summoned?"
Nier pointed at me and asked, "Is this the Hero! No wonder he caught up with me."
I smiled with pride at his words, but before I could say anything, he continued, "So, you only saved me because I'm useful to you."
"I don't need a reason to save people, unless there's a reason that compels me to let them die."
My eyes reflected Nier's form as I clarified, "I will take care of you, but I cannot guarantee my life to guarantee yours."
Nier began analyzing his position, unlike others his age who follow their emotions. "If I refuse, I will resort to stealing to live, and I will most likely die..."
In the end, his mind and emotion settled on one choice. "I will accompany you, so... I hope you'll take care of me."
I patted Nier's head.
"Of course we will. Welcome to the team, our little Nier... Before we leave, how about you lead us on a farewell tour through the city?"
"Hey, don't call me that."
Suddenly, amidst our laughter, a terrified scream echoed from an alley. Mary moved first, then Noah, then Nier, and despite Khalid and my reluctance to intervene, we took off, trying to support them.
When we reached the source of the scream, I was in front of Khalid, and the first thing I saw was the terrified faces of my companions.
I cautiously entered the alley until I reached their side, looked at the spot they were staring at, and my eyes widened in shock.
The crimson ground reflected a terrifying image scattered with flayed facial skin, in addition to some organs like an eye and parts of the brain scattered around.
We didn't think long about the perpetrator's identity because he was right in front of us, holding the man's body and plunging his fingers into his face, from which the bones protruded.
The killer was a man with no distinguishing features other than the rabbit mask he wore, which had been affixed to his face with rusty nails.
The smell of blood crept into my nose, and my senses told me to run. Suddenly, and with great boldness, Mary stepped forward.
... I don't understand why she stepped forward. Does she want to save the man? Can't she see his condition? We can all see his breaths, but even if he survives, how will he live after this?
No, maybe I understood. This is the will of a knight who dedicated her life to protecting the weak.
The man with the rabbit mask laughed, "Do you really want to save him? What courage."
He moved quickly, aiming for her neck, but I activated Lightning Form and moved quickly, pushing her away from the attack.
"Nice, it looks like you're a team, so how about we play a game?" Before he could finish his sentence, he enveloped the alley in a ball of black fire, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
"You have 3 minutes. Choose one person to die among you, and the rest live." The Rabbit raised his foot, crushing the man's chest.
After the Rabbit's words, no one cared about what happened to the man, but about our fate. We looked at each other, terrified by his psychological game.
If we let one of us die, we will survive and search for another Chosen One in their place.
Mary decided, "We won't sacrifice anyone, will we? You won't listen to this person."
I advanced toward Nier and gestured to my companions to gather around us, then I whispered,
"There are two options: listen to him and sacrifice one of us, but our survival rate is 50%, as we don't know if he's truthful or lying."
Noah asked, "What about the second option? Will we fight him?"
"Yes."
"What is our survival rate?" Khalid asked. I threw a quick glance at the Rabbit and then said, "I don't know."
However, there was another chance, a chance for us to be saved... and this is what I would place my hopes on, as the percentage I saw was 40%.
I continued, "We will vote to choose one of the two ways."
"We will fight," Mary said, then Noah followed, "I agree with her, let's fight."
"... I will fight too," Khalid added.
"What about you, Nier?"
"Me! ... Okay... I choose to fight." After hesitation, Nier decided, then continued, "But can't we just run away?"
I picked up a pebble from the ground and launched it toward the wall; it melted before reaching it.
Noah suggested, "What if you chose to sacrifice me? Then you would escape, and I would use Hardening, and he wouldn't be able to hurt me."
"Stupid plan. If I had kept attacking a single point during training, I would have broken your Hardening,"
Khalid scolded, and I confirmed his words.
"Your Hardening is not invulnerable. Our only option is to fight."
"The three minutes are up. Have you chosen the victim?" the Rabbit asked while spitting some meat from his mouth.
We turned, and Noah took the lead, activating Hardening, followed by me, Khalid, and Mary, and in the rear, Nier, who would handle the support.
"I see, this is your choice." We didn't see his face because of the mask, but we knew his expression was ecstatic.
"I was hoping you would choose this option. No... All options were leading to this moment."
Noah charged at him, and his hand penetrated the ground, pulling all the stones and dust, then throwing them in the Rabbit's face, creating an earth shield.
Khalid and I darted forward as he closed his eyes, and each of us attacked from a different side, targeting his heart area.
He grabbed our swords with his hands and kicked Noah in the stomach several times while Mary prepared to stab his heart from behind, but he ignited the black flames on his body, pushing everyone around him away.
The flames he emits are not as hot as the ones the wall was made from, and this increases our chances of winning.
Mary ignited her red flames and advanced in a spectacular clash between two types of fire.
"Red flames, huh? They say red flames have an advantage over my black flames. Do you want to check if that's true?"
Suddenly, a pile of ice fell on the Rabbit's head, shattering on it.
We didn't waste time and attacked again: Khalid with Aether from the left, me with Lightning Form from the right, and Mary with the red fire from the front, while Nier froze his feet.
But with a swift movement, the Rabbit grabbed Mary's arm, melted the ice from his feet, and spun around, throwing Mary's body onto Khalid.
I stabbed his side, but he grabbed my head and slammed it into the ground. Blood began to pour from my nose, but he didn't stop. Instead, he continued to step on my back, trying to break my bones.
Noah intervened and pulled him away from me to help me stand, while Mary tried to attack again, but he grabbed her again and we heard the sound of her arm breaking, making Mary scream in pain.
I ignored my own pain, jumped down, took a knife from my pocket, and clung to his arm to stab it, trying to make him let go of Mary. I succeeded. The Rabbit released Mary and tried to grab me, but Nier intervened, freezing his hand.
We created distance between us and tried to regroup for combat, but the difference was clear. Mary was writhing in pain next to Nier, who was exhausted.
The Rabbit looked at me with a sarcastic smile, then looked maliciously at Khalid and targeted the latter, trying to kill him.
I quickly ran into the path of the blow, and his attack pierced my stomach, causing some of my intestines to protrude from my back.
Fortunately, the attack didn't reach Khalid, which made the Rabbit's laughter increase.
"You're truly willing to sacrifice yourself to save your comrades? What a leader."
He pulled his arm out of my stomach and tried to cut off my head, but Noah grabbed his neck from behind with his arms, trying to choke him.
The Rabbit laughed again and ignited the black flame on Noah, causing the latter's screams to erupt.
Nier froze Noah, then broke the ice again to extinguish the flames, while Khalid stabbed the Rabbit's shoulder and moved away from him.
Blood kept flowing from my stomach, and the suffocating pain was killing me while I tried to think of a way to conquer this beast. "Guys, I need you to knock him down," I yelled while holding my stomach and sitting on the ground.
Without anyone looking at me, each of them began defining their role in a common plan they hadn't shared information about, but somehow knew.
Khalid and Noah kept pushing the Rabbit back quickly, and Nier put ice behind his foot.
The Rabbit uncovered the plan and tried to melt the ice, but Mary grabbed his neck with her good arm and directed blades of wind towards his ankle, while Nier created a column of ice under his foot, causing him to fall. Finally, it was my turn.
What I discovered during my training is that I don't need the ground to use Earthquake Calamity; all I need is a surface, and that's what I have now.
I stood above the Rabbit. "Goodbye."
I activated the Earthquake Calamity with all my might, causing a drain of Mana, and I lost the ability to stand, while the Rabbit's body began to shake. Noah carried me, and after a minute, the Earthquake Calamity stopped.
Khalid didn't want to take a risk and tried to stab the Rabbit in the head, but the latter grabbed his sword.
"Was that your strongest card? Unfortunately, it seems it wasn't enough." The Rabbit stood up again as if nothing had happened, and with his standing, all the companions' hopes fell.
Perhaps I will have to give up my arm to stop him, for in the end, probabilities have a chance for error.
At that moment, I got off Noah's back, trying to use my other external power, but my feet refused any movement, and my mind had also decided that it was time to rest.
Suddenly, the fire wall broke, and a blonde knight appeared with white armor and a star-like symbol on his chest plate, and his body glowed with light.
"Strange, it looks like you're alive." None of us waited or listened to him, as everyone ran past the knight.
Before we could escape, the knight grabbed Khalid's wrist. "Wait, Hero, where is the Seed?"
Khalid didn't look at me but pretended he was me, "I don't know what you're talking about, but get away, my comrade is in danger."
Khalid pulled the knight's hand away and ran with his companions to the nearest hospital, trying to save my life.
The Rabbit came out of the alley, placing his elbow on the knight's shoulder. "Aren't you going after them?"
"I will, and I will extract the Seed from their corpses, and no matter how they move, I will catch up with them in seconds... What about you? Why aren't you chasing them?"
As soon as the knight turned his gaze to the Rabbit, he found a piece of the upper part of an ear in his hand. "Where did you get this?"
"From the Hero... The fallen person that big guy is carrying. I just took it without even you noticing."
As soon as the Rabbit put it in his mouth, he spat it out, complaining, "What is this? It tastes like plastic."
The knight's thoughts drifted away from his mission, wondering about the actions of the person in front of him. "Why did you kill that man inside?"
"The person inside? Oh, I was just wondering what cancer tastes like... Thinking about it, you're also a new taste I haven't tried before."
The Rabbit brought back the fire wall and smiled maliciously. "Let's see if you're worthy of being my food."
*******
Three Days Later
I opened my eyes in the cart and looked at my stomach to see that my wound had partially healed. Then I looked around to see my companions.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Yes," Khalid assured me in a calm tone.
"What about Mary?"
"I'm fine. There's no one to worry about but yourself."
I redirected my gaze to Nier. "... I apologize. I couldn't give you a good final memory of the city."
"It's fine. I hate it anyway."
I was silent for a while. I didn't know what to say or what to do.
"Why did you take the Seed?" Khalid asked.
"... There's no reason, really. I just took it. Why do you ask?"
"That knight was after it."
"Did you let him take it?"
"He's been fighting the Rabbit for three days, so we hurried to leave quickly, as we don't know when the fight will end, but I know the winner will hunt us down and kill us."
We continued on the path that The Hero's Sword guided us on—me, Nier, Khalid, Noah, and Mary. Yet, there are still only two jewels for the sword.
Isn't it supposed to be four?
Suddenly, time stopped, and I knew what had happened.
"Great Writer?"
[Yes, that is me.]
"May I ask you why you didn't add Khalid's jewel and Nier's jewel?"
[Simply because the jewels do not represent the Heroes but whether they are willing to sacrifice themselves for you or not.]
"... Mary is a knight who would sacrifice for everyone, and so is Noah... It doesn't seem like this is because I'm special."
[You are special indeed, and soon you will have all the jewels in your sword.] The Great Writer's voice kept fading little by little until it completely disappeared.
"Hero, what are you muttering?" Noah asked me while eating the buffalo meat in front of us.
"Ah, nothing."
"Looks like the Rabbit's blows gave him a concussion," Khalid joked.
"This has nothing to do with the rabbit. He always says weird stuff—like at the trial," Mary said with the same sarcasm.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"That whole 'I'll be the hero and win the ceremony' speech. Honestly, it sounded so childish."
"No, I mean—I never spoke during the trial at all."