Brug's massive axe was raised high into the air. His monstrous eyes glowed red, filled with arrogance and the certainty of victory. Zeo, still lying unconscious on the ground, couldn't even witness the deadly axe descending toward his neck with lethal force.
But then—
"Hehehe…"
A quiet chuckle sliced through the tension.
CLANG!!
Sparks flew in all directions as Brug's axe was halted. A round wooden shield—cracked and nearly broken—had absorbed the blow with a thunderous clang. Behind it stood Guillard, the dwarf, his stance firm, feet planted into the earth. His mouth curled into a smug grin, but his eyes were dead serious.
"You're pretty strong for a human," Guillard muttered.
Brug froze in shock—but before he could react—
Swooshh!
An arrow whizzed from the right. Brug leapt back, his axe spinning to deflect the projectile just inches from his eye.
Atop the wagon, Miza, the elf, stood tall with her bow drawn like a holy knight. A fresh arrow was already nocked. A gentle breeze swept her hair as she glared down the battlefield.
"Humans always resort to cheap tricks," Miza said coldly.
Brug, Takk, and Erik stared, stunned. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. They were certain they'd won with the paralyzing powder Erik had secretly added to the soup.
But reality said otherwise.
Zeo slowly rose to his feet. His body still trembled, but his eyes—sharp as blades—gleamed with clarity.
Flashback.
Zeo received a bowl of soup from Erik. But before he took a sip, his eyes glowed. Dimension Eyes activated.
Through that vision, he detected a paralyzing agent inside the soup—one that only affected humans. And more crucially, the trail of energy pointed toward a small pouch hidden beneath Erik's cloak. There was no doubt.
Zeo scanned the area. Two powerful figures stood camouflaged in the distance. Their energies were faint but visible to his vision. It was a trap.
So, silently, Zeo formed a counter-plan. One by one, he approached Miza, Guillard, and Ravyn, instructing them to pretend to faint after Alice collapsed. They didn't fully understand the reason but nodded without argument—especially Ravyn, who seemed excited like it was all a game.
Soon after, they each "fell unconscious" on cue.
Back to the present.
"You're cunning, Erik," Zeo said, still wobbling. "Clever. But... not clever enough."
At that moment, Ravyn rose from the ground, still slightly stiff.
"Ughh... That powder doesn't work on djinn, you know?" she grumbled. "You're an idiot. Our energy structure is different."
Then her cocky grin twisted into a pout as she tried moving her arm—and failed.
"Unfortunately I'm half human… so I did get affected a little."
She looked up at Zeo, teary-eyed. "Masteeerrr! Save meee!! Huaaahhh!!" she wailed dramatically as she slumped back down.
Zeo slapped his forehead. "Just stay put."
"Uwuuu... but I wanna fight too…"
Erik's face turned pale. It hit him—Miza was an elf. Guillard, a dwarf. And Ravyn, despite being half-human, had djinn blood. That left Alice and Fael—full-blooded humans—still unconscious. Erik didn't realize that different races responded differently to the powder. But... why Zeo?
Brug and Takk turned their eyes toward Erik, annoyed—but also amused. Brug chuckled.
"So your poison only worked on those two useless brats?" he scoffed.
"No matter. Awake or asleep, they're all going to die anyway," Takk sneered.
Zeo bent down and picked up a large tree branch. Using the last of his strength, he hurled it toward Guillard.
The branch—long as a grown man's body and as thick as a warrior's thigh—soared through the air, then—
THUD!!
Guillard caught it with one hand, as if it were nothing more than a twig. His stout dwarf body contrasted with the massive wood, but his large-veiny hands gripped the branch with ease. More than that—the wood seemed to fuse into his hand.
"Is that enough?" Zeo asked, voice raspy but firm.
Guillard turned, grinning fiercely.
"This... is more than enough, Master."
Without another word, Guillard launched himself like a cannonball toward Brug.
Brug grinned as he swung his giant axe—a blade capable of splitting stone. But when steel met wood—
CLANGG!!
Brug's axe was knocked aside. His eyes widened.
"Ghh… wha—?!"
The wooden staff vibrated, then began to glow faintly. A dark brownish aura crawled from Guillard's hand into the wood, infusing it with energy.
Skill: Bondroot Core.
This wasn't just a branch. It was now a weapon enhanced by Arma Energy—a force that manipulates the essence of inanimate matter—altering their form, function, or nature beyond mere movement or reinforcement.Unlike Entra which only moves or enhances them externally. The wood transformed—harder than steel, heavier than iron, and alive in the hands of its wielder.
Brug roared and attacked again, but Guillard now fought with power and precision. Each strike of his staff pushed Brug back. The forest echoed with the clash.
Meanwhile—
Takk charged toward Miza. His chain weapon whipped through the air, shredding leaves and branches.
But Miza, the elf, moved like a whisper. He leapt between the trees, silent as a breeze. To Takk, he seemed to vanish.
"Coward! Come out, you damn elf!" he shouted.
His answer came as a glowing arrow whistled toward him, emerald light trailing behind.
Skill: Sylvan Whisper Shot.
These were no ordinary arrows. Their tips glowed, and once loosed, they curved through the air, homing in on Takk's movements like living creatures.
"What the hell? These arrows are tracking me?!" Takk spun, deflecting with his chain. But the arrows kept coming, relentless.
The forest itself seemed to side with Miza. Even Takk couldn't sense his presence. This was elven domain—and Miza was dancing through the woods that birthed him.
---
Amid the chaos of battle, Zeo still stood, barely. But his aura was returning—a golden shimmer rising around his body.
He fixed his eyes on Erik, who was still clutching Alice with a mix of fear and regret.
"Love really can drive people mad," Zeo said quietly—but it cut deep. "I understand that... because I've been there too."
Erik gritted his teeth. He gently lowered Alice to the ground. His eyes were red—not from poison, but from rage and guilt.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY FEELINGS?!" he screamed, drawing a short sword.
He wasn't a seasoned warrior, but he had the instincts and reflexes of an adventurer. He lunged, swinging at Zeo.
But before the blade could touch Zeo—
Swaaaahhhh!!
A wave of hot wind blasted across the field.
"You forgot one more thing," Zeo said flatly.
KOZMO emerged from a cloud of flame and mist—his Ifrit djinn form a terrifying silhouette of fire and fury. Flames roared across his body as he swept his arm, unleashing an explosion toward Erik.
BWOOOM!!
Erik rolled away in panic, dodging the fiery blast.
Brug and Takk froze for a second. Their eyes widened.
"What... is that?" Brug whispered.
Erik trembled, staring down.
"I really am a fool. I forgot that creature was with them," he muttered. "This plan... was doomed from the start…"
His hand shook violently around his sword.
"Damn it all…"
---