The ogre tightened its grotesque grip around me, standing rooted to the spot like a mountain, while the rest of the beasts charged, wreaking havoc upon the village. Geius advanced towards the sword with deliberate steps, malicious laughter dancing on his lips. His eyes gleamed with the intoxication of victory as he spoke:
"Now that I am certain you are not the Chosen One, crushing you has become a trivial matter. I should have killed you, sought out the true Chosen, claimed the sword for myself, and been done with it. But I have changed my mind; you have become a special case to me, and I wish to grant you a unique flavor of agony. And what could be more agonizing than watching your loved ones and your birthplace eradicated before your very eyes? Look closely, and watch your filthy village burn!"
I cast a heartbroken glance at my village. After the banners of victory had nearly waved for us, we were now swallowing the bitter taste of defeat as innocent souls were extinguished. The spilled blood of the villagers was like matchsticks igniting a black flame of helpless rage within my chest. I struggled to break free from the ogre's grasp, but my attempts were like the fluttering of a sparrow trapped between the jaws of a beast.
Geius turned to me, mocking: "Do not exhaust yourself, boy. You and the commoners possess not a single ounce of power. We, the nobles, alone wield it. Thus, we were born to bask in luxury, and you were born to swallow misery... simply because we are exceptional."
I screamed at him with burning indignation: "If you are truly as exceptional as you claim, then face me like a man and leave the village be!"
He replied with a provoking coldness: "I cannot. If I did, where would I find my amusement? My pleasure lies in watching you writhe in torment and die. I want to see the blood dripping from your terrified faces. Consider this bloody canvas my parting gift to you before your death."
The villagers stood their ground bravely against the ogres' assault, but courage alone is not enough against overwhelming might. Neither their spears nor their swords could pierce the monsters' thick hides, and death began to reap souls. I kept striking the ogre's arm with all my might to free myself, but what could a fifteen-year-old boy do? My blows were like a feather striking stone.
Geius stood watching the massacre, smiling. "Isn't it a breathtaking sight? But the most magnificent part of it all is the look of sheer helplessness in your eyes right now. Do you wish to kill me, boy?"
In the height of his euphoria and arrogance, Geius failed to notice what was happening behind him, until David stepped forward and delivered a swift, surprising blow that knocked him and the sword to the ground.
I screamed with all the breath in my lungs: "David! Grab the sword!"
Geius scrambled up in a panic and roared: "Ogre! Obliterate him at once!"
The ogre lunged with its massive hand toward David, who dodged it with extreme difficulty. Then the beast swung its other hand—the one clutching me—down at him, right where the sword lay. I heard a terrifying thud, followed by a spray of blood. A victorious smile flashed across Geius's face, but it died in its infancy as the ogre's agonizing shriek tore through the heavens; its arm had been completely severed. Geius's eyes widened in even greater shock when the ogre's head rolled across the ground in the blink of an eye.
The dust of battle cleared, revealing David standing tall, gripping the legendary sword. I whispered in sheer awe: "Impossible! Could the person I've been searching for to wield the sword have been you this whole time?"
David caught me as I fell, replying with eyes radiating an overwhelming aura: "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Hideki, and I don't understand what's happening to me... but with the power coursing through my veins right now, I feel like I could cleave the world in two!"
Geius lost his mind, screaming hysterically: "Ogres! Leave those peasants and tear the sword-bearer to shreds!"
The monsters swarmed toward David. He swung his sword high in a sweeping circular motion, conjuring a raging tempest around him. The sword absorbed the fierce winds with immense strain, and then David unleashed them in a single, thunderous strike. Blades of wind swept through the ogres' ranks, harvesting the heads of the vanguard and launching the rest into the air. David launched himself forward like lightning, shredding the remaining ogres one by one until they were utterly annihilated.
Geius turned tail and fled, dragging his robes of disgrace. But I chased him down, tackled him to the ground, and battered his arrogant face with punches until his teeth shattered and he lost consciousness. Finally... the nightmare was over, and tranquility returned to blanket the village.
Geius awoke to find himself bound with thick ropes in the village square, while the locals were busy repairing the ruins. He tried to summon his magic to escape, but I interrupted him with a sneer: "Trying to escape with your magic ring? You fool, I have the ring now. You're finally awake, you bastard."
I tried to curse him with harsher words, but David cut me off with a light, playful punch: "Is that how you speak in front of the village's hero and savior?"
I shot him a sarcastic look: "What hero? Heroes are handsome; you're just ugly!"
David grabbed me by the collar, laughing: "You brat, this ugly face is the one that saved your life! You should be bowing to me for the rest of your days!"
Suddenly, David let go of me and stood up straight, puffing out his chest like a proud peacock. I turned around to see Violet approaching us, and I let out an exasperated sigh: "Please, spare me the sight of your pathetic swooning over her."
Violet greeted us and handed over a basket of food, saying: "Here you go, for the two heroes of our village."
David stopped her, boasting: "Just the hero of the village! Did you see me crushing those ogres?"
Violet giggled softly: "Yes, you were so brave. You made me proud to call you my love."
The moment David heard her words, his eyes turned into literal hearts, and he stood frozen in a daze, while I stood watching them with a profound sense of nauseating disgust.
This peaceful moment was shattered by Geius's arrogant screaming: "You lowly peasants! Release me at once! Do you not know who I am?"
I answered him coldly: "We know exactly who you are... the second son of the Emperor of this kingdom."
Geius smiled with haughty pride: "Good that you know me, commoner. Untie me, or a curse shall fall upon you."
I placed my boot squarely over his mouth to silence him, leaning in and whispering: "I know you, but I do not care. And the Emperor doesn't care about you either, you disgrace of a family, does he?"
Geius's face darkened, and I continued with a cruel smile: "Don't worry, there is a royal legion on its way here to escort you back, and to cover up the scandal that the Emperor's son tried to wipe out an entire village for his own selfish greed. But more importantly, to cover up the fact that a magic-wielding noble was crushed by a commoner without a single drop of magic... am I right?"
Geius gnashed his teeth in fury. In a sudden, desperate movement, he slid a hidden blade from his sleeve and slashed his own wrist. Blood poured out heavily as he began muttering a bizarre, forbidden incantation. Suddenly, the ground beneath us glowed with an ominous magic circle. No monster emerged from it, as I had expected. Instead, heavily armored soldiers appeared, bearing a familiar crest that struck terror into my very marrow.
My eyes widened in shock as I screamed: "Impossible! The crest of the Aurelian soldiers! How?!"
Geius laughed hysterically, his pale face smeared with his own blood: "I refuse to be defeated by commoner scum! This will never happen! Before the Emperor's delegation even arrives, you shall all die at the hands of the Soldiers of Salvation!"