"Enough experiments! Noelle!" Andras shouted.
"Here I come!" the half‑elf girl answered, leaping from the cover of the trees.
Noelle conjured a massive Water Bomb, which roared as it flew toward the Ogre. At the same instant, Andras unleashed his strongest magical technique: Lightning Chain Strike. Three successive bolts of lightning crashed into the monster's body, each three times stronger than a simple strike.
The Young Wolf and the half‑elf girl timed their assault perfectly. Water and lightning fused together, releasing a destructive force as though nature's wrath itself had descended upon their foe. The combined technique bore its name: Water Explosion.
The Blue Ogre had no chance to evade the cataclysmic blast. The impact was so great that the monster dropped to its knees, then fell backward with an earth‑shaking crash. A Red Ogre would have perished instantly from such a final strike, but the Blue Ogre's resistance to lightning kept it alive. Yet it was thrown into shock so severe that even its crackling mace slipped from its grasp.
The weapon fell with a dull thud, the blades embedded within it glinting in the lightning's glow. The Ogre panted, drenched in blood and sweat, struggling to rise—but its body trembled, as though all strength had abandoned it.
No more was needed. The five female Silver Knights immediately surrounded the monster, but the Ogre no longer sensed them—writhing in shock, its strength drained away.
In the blink of an eye, three blades struck from different directions at its neck. Anita and Andrea infused their swords with the power of wind, then swung with all their might. Anita struck first from the left with her short sword: a swift, precise cut that opened the way for the next blow. Andrea followed, driving her long blade in from the right with full force. The steel carved deep into the monster's flesh, and blood sprayed from the wound like a fountain.
Then came the third and final strike. Christina, Captain of the Silver Knights, wielded her legendary blade—Silver Strike. Enveloped in the power of earth, she swung with perfect precision and overwhelming strength. The cut was so exact and powerful that the Blue Ogre's head was nearly severed, held on by only a thin strip of flesh, barely keeping it from falling to the ground.
The monster's roar died away, blood gushing from its neck like a wild fountain. The Blue Ogre had met its end. It would eat no more humans, nor terrorize villages again.
Together, the Silver Knights and the Wolves claimed victory. The forest's silence slowly returned, as though nature itself sighed in relief.
"I told you, all it takes is one Knight Captain and a Legendary Sword," Andras remarked, standing over the monster's motionless body.
"Two Knight Captains could never have paralyzed this brute the way you did," Christina replied with admiration.
"It died sitting on its ass," Anita laughed. "What a monster!"
"Ironclaw! Tear out the Ogre's magic crystal!" Andras commanded.
"Got it, Master!" the beast‑girl answered, sinking her claws into the monster's chest to search for the crystal.
"We're covered in blood!" Andrea exclaimed. "The Ogre's blood sprayed everywhere!"
"Be glad it isn't yours," Anita shot back.
"Ironclaw, are you hurt anywhere?" Noelle asked anxiously.
"What? Not once did it hit me!" Ironclaw replied proudly.
"All this red blood makes me crave cherries," Andras said with a half‑smile.
"Ugh, how can you think of food right now?" Andrea grimaced.
"Shall we go see the ancient Silver Oak, Young Wolf?" Christina asked.
"Of course, I'm curious myself," Andras nodded.
While Ironclaw rummaged through the monster's massive body and finally tore out the Blue Ogre's magic crystal—a lightning‑element stone crystallized from its heart, vibrating with fearsome energy—the others climbed the hill above the cave. There stood the ancient Silver Oak, over five hundred years old, its crown stretching toward the sky, its trunk so thick that even ten people together could not encircle it. Beneath its shadow, the air felt calmer, as though time itself guarded the place.
"How old is this tree, Christina?" Andras asked, running his hand along the rough bark of the massive trunk.
"I've never seen a trunk this thick," Christina replied thoughtfully. "More than five hundred years old—perhaps much older. It's impossible to say exactly."
"I see… what a beautiful creation of nature," Andras sighed.
"Look, there's an inscription carved here!" Anita exclaimed, pointing to a deep groove in the bark.
Andras leaned closer and read aloud:
Here stood the three swordsmen:
Arthur Dragonknight
Sakura Dry
Istvan Blackguard
"Sakura Dry?" Christina gasped. "But that's one of the Heroes!"
"Yes," Andras nodded gravely. "The Heroes truly came here. These three must have been members of the Heroes' Company five hundred years ago—I'm certain of it."
"This is a magical inscription," Christina examined the runes. "It was carved with earth element, and it must be very old indeed."
Andras fell silent, his thoughts sinking deep.
A memory… a memento that has endured the centuries. Something my master left behind for posterity. If I recall her words correctly, Arthur Dragonknight was the chosen Hero five hundred years ago. But who is this third name? Damn… my master only spoke of the Heroes' Company when she was drunk. She always mentioned Arthur. By the time she got to the others, she'd already fallen asleep! No matter how I asked her sober, she never wanted to talk about them. And I wasn't cruel enough to tear open the old wounds in her heart.
Istvan Blackguard… For my master's sake, I will remember your name as well, Andras thought, his gaze lingering with respect on the ancient magical inscription of the Silver Oak.
"I've got the stone!" Ironclaw cried, raising the glowing crystal high in her claws.
"Well done, Ironclaw. Bring it here!" Andras replied.
"Here you go, Master! Do I get a reward?" the beast‑girl asked, her eyes sparkling playfully.
"Of course! You did excellent work today—you deserve a reward," Andras nodded.
"What will it be?" Ironclaw pressed eagerly.
"I'll decide once we're back in Wolfwood," Andras smiled.
"Hehehe!" Ironclaw laughed with satisfaction.
Andras then took the crystal in his hand. It glowed purple in the sunlight.
"Let's examine this magic stone. As I suspected, it's purple and lightning‑elemental. As ugly as the Ogre was, this crystal is just as beautiful."
Christina stepped closer, her gaze fixed on the Silver Oak.
"Listen, Young Wolf! I was thinking—since we defeated the Ogre here at this Silver Oak… what if your staff were crafted from one of its branches, as a memorial? The silver‑colored wood would match beautifully with that purple crystal."
"From the Heroes' tree, eh?" Andras's eyes lit up. "I love that idea! Thank you, Christina!"
"You're very welcome, Young Wolf," Christina answered with a smile.
"Are we going to eat cherries?" Ironclaw suddenly asked, twitching her wolf ears.
"If we find the cherry tree again, then yes!" Andras laughed.
"Leave it to my nose!" Ironclaw replied confidently.
"Now I want cherries too," Christina admitted.
"When we're back at the inn, shall I bake cherry cake?" Noelle offered, her eyes sparkling with cheer.
"That's a fine idea," Andras nodded. "Then let's gather plenty of cherries!"
The company's laughter echoed through the Silver Forest. With the Blue Ogre defeated, the tension slowly faded, and alongside the promise of victory, the warmth of friendship and shared celebration filled the air.