At dawn, at the gate of the village of Tribe
Two guards were standing watch at the entrance to the village.
Leaning on their spears, they chatted calmly with one another, expecting no danger.
Silence reigned all around, and the first rays of sunlight were beginning to brighten the horizon.
Neither of them knew that danger was approaching in the darkness.
After a few minutes, a lone figure emerged from the dense forest.
In one hand she held a sword, and with the other she dragged the guard's body behind her.
When she reached the gate, she wordlessly threw the unconscious guard at the feet of the other sentries.
Both immediately grabbed their weapons and looked at the stranger in horror.
In the morning light, they made out his face.
It was Leo.
The guards froze in terror.
One of them immediately turned and ran deep into the village to alert the others.
He rushed into the square, where the senior sword master was just talking to the guard and the military commander.
"Master!" he called out, out of breath. "A stranger has appeared at the gate! He defeated one of our guards!"
The senior sword master's expression turned serious.
"Lead the way."
All three immediately set off toward the gate.
When they arrived, they saw Leo standing motionless at the entrance to the village. A calm, confident smile played on his face.
General Vlad looked at the senior sword master.
"Master, stay here. You'll be our last line of defense."
The senior master nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the stranger.
Three guards armed with shields and spears charged forward alongside General Vlad, who was running unarmed, ready to face his opponent with his own skills.
Leo didn't even change his expression.
He just kept smiling, waiting for his opponents to come within range.
General Vlad suddenly accelerated.
He pulled his left fist back and in an instant was right in front of Leo.
He delivered a powerful punch straight to Leo's face.
Leo blocked the blow effortlessly with his open palm.
Vlad immediately withdrew his hand and spun around, delivering a powerful kick.
Leo grabbed his leg in a flash.
"Too slow." he said in a cool voice.
A moment later, he hurled the general with tremendous force against a nearby tree.
The trunk shook from the impact, and Vlad slumped to the ground, coughing in pain.
One attacked Leo from the front, another from the left, and a third leaped high into the air and fell on him from above with his spear raised.
They surrounded him on all sides, leaving him no way to escape.
Leo simply looked up at the approaching guard and smiled slightly.
"An interesting formation…" — he said calmly.
At the last moment, he moved with lightning speed, dodging all three attacks at once. The spearheads struck the ground, and dust swirled around Leo.
The guards looked on in surprise, but Leo had already vanished from their sight.
Meanwhile, at Freya's house
Freya looked out the window and noticed several guards rushing toward the village gate.
Valdor was still asleep after an exhausting training session, unaware of what was happening outside.
Freya immediately left the house and stopped one of the passing guards.
"What happened?" — she asked firmly.
The guard, panting heavily, replied:
"An enemy attack! General Vlad is fighting at the gate! We must go support him immediately!"
Freya's expression turned serious.
Without wasting a moment, she set off at a brisk pace toward the village gate.
Her cloak fluttered in the wind, and with every step she picked up speed, sensing that a grave danger loomed over the Tribe.
Meanwhile, Valdor was still asleep, unaware that the battle had already begun.
The last guard was knocked back by a powerful blow and flew past the old master, landing a few meters away.
Only the old master remained before Leo.
For a moment, silence reigned.
The master looked calmly at his opponent, then grasped the hilt of his sword, which was stuck in the ground.
With a slow, confident motion, he drew the blade.
"It's been many years since I last had to fight in earnest…" — he said quietly.
He then assumed a steady fighting stance and pointed the blade at Leo.
"If you want to enter into the Tribe… you'll have to defeat me first."
Leo's smile widened.
"Finally, someone who looks like a worthy opponent. I hope you don't disappoint me, old man."
The old master and Leo charged at each other at the same moment.
Their swords clashed with tremendous force.
A metallic clang echoed throughout the area, and the shockwave sent dust flying and shook the branches of nearby trees.
For a moment, neither of them gave an inch.
Leo smiled, pressing against his opponent's blade.
The old master looked at him calmly, not backing down a single step.
"I see you're no ordinary warrior…", he said quietly.
By the time Freya and her group of guards reached the gate, the fight was drawing to a close.
The old master tried to parry another attack, but Leo broke through his guard in a flash.
With a powerful swing of his sword, he knocked the old man's blade aside, then spun around and kicked him in the stomach.
The master fell heavily to the ground, his sword slipping from his hand.
"Master!" — Freya shouted, rushing toward him.
Leo slowly turned his head and looked at the new arrivals.
A broad smile reappeared on his face.
Leo slowly turned his head and looked at the new arrivals.
A broad smile reappeared on his face.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!" — Freya shouted, her voice filled with pure fury.
"Go ahead! If you've got the guts, try it!" — Leo shouted back with a mocking smile, never taking his eyes off her.
"You! Go to my house and bring Valdor here. Hurry!" — Freya shouted, issuing the order on which the rest of the events depended.
The guard nodded and headed toward her house.
"Thanks. You saved me a lot of time looking for Valdor." — Leo said with a slight smile.
"Who are you?" Freya asked, furrowing her brow.
"Leo Kanbe." — he introduced himself calmly. "Nice to meet you," he added.
"Freya Suzu." — she replied confidently.
"Freya Suzu…" — Leo muttered. "All right. I'll remember that name."
Freya drew her sword and moved toward Leo.
He didn't flinch. He stood facing her with unshakable calm, and a confident smile was the only expression on his face.
At the same time, the guard ran up to Freya's house. Without hesitation, he went inside.
Valdor was still asleep.
"Valdor! Wake up!" — the guard called out, shaking him gently.
Valdor slowly opened his eyes.
"What's going on…? Where's Freya?" — he asked, confused.
"She's fighting some man at the gate. She told me to come get you." — the guard replied.
Valdor immediately jumped to his feet. He closed his eyes and focused, trying to sense the situation.
After a moment, his expression changed.
"Dark green energy…" — he whispered. "A Demon Arc user… I don't have time."
He opened his eyes and ran out of the house.
He headed toward the gate as fast as he could.
"I hope it's not too late…" — Valdor whispered.
As Valdor approached the gate, all he could see was thick smoke billowing over the area.
Chaos reigned in the streets. Residents were fleeing in panic, abandoning everything they had with them.
Valdor clenched his fists.
"This isn't just any fight…" — he thought, quickening his pace.
Valdor reached the gate.
When he looked up, he froze.
A scene of destruction stretched out before him. All the guards lay motionless on the ground, and an unnatural silence reigned all around.
In the middle of it all stood Leo.
Calm. Unflinching.
When their eyes met, a broad smile spread across his face.
"I've been waiting for you, Valdor…" — he said.
"Where's Freya?!" — Valdor shouted, clenching his fists.
"You mean that girl?" — Leo laughed.
He slowly stepped aside, revealing the view behind him.
Valdor froze.
Behind Leo stood Freya.
The girl was pinned against the rock, leaning limply against the stone wall. Her sword lay in front of her — broken in two.
Freya wasn't moving.
She was unconscious.
Valdor moved toward Freya.
He passed Leo, who didn't even flinch. He didn't try to stop him—he simply let him pass, as if the whole situation were nothing more than a game to him.
Valdor paid no attention to him.
He ran up to Freya, carefully lifted her off the rock, and carried her in his arms. Then he carried her a short distance away and gently laid her on the ground.
"Freya…" — he whispered, checking to see if she was still breathing.
"Freya… say something… please…" — Valdor said, his voice breaking.
He held her hand, waiting for any reaction.
Tears welled up in his eyes. Not from anger or helplessness — but from the fear that he might lose her.
The sight of Freya lying unconscious made Valdor freeze.
Suddenly, the war from years ago came flooding back to him with full force.
He remembered his friend — the man he had held in his arms as he passed away before his very eyes.
The blood on his hands. His last words. The silence that followed.
Valdor clenched his teeth.
He wouldn't let history repeat itself.
Valdor looked at Freya and clenched his fist.
He couldn't let himself lose another person.
"Dragon healing…" — he whispered.
The air around him trembled, and ancient energy began to flow through his body. Power surged from his hands, enveloping Freya.
It had been a long time since Valdor had used this technique.
"Huh…?" — Leo muttered, clearly surprised.
He hadn't expected this. The energy that had appeared around Valdor was something he hadn't sensed before.
Valdor slowly rose from the ground.
Once he was certain Freya was alive, his expression changed. Fear and despair vanished, replaced by cold determination.
He reached for his sword and drew it from its sheath.
"Now it's my turn…" — he said quietly, looking straight at Leo.|
Leo smiled when he saw the sword in Valdor's hand.
Suddenly, his pupils narrowed.
For the first time, he didn't look like someone who was toying with the situation — he looked like someone who had just begun the hunt.
To be continued next week