As the wheels of Midgard creaked and groaned, rolling steadily through the dense forest towards Orville Village, Rei sat in silence, the weight of the past week pressing heavily on his mind. The trees blurred into an indistinct green haze as he pushed the cart to its limits, stopping only briefly to snatch moments of rest, food, and water before pressing on again. His thoughts were a tangled knot of worry and resolve.
Through the shifting branches ahead, a familiar yet unexpected figure appeared. It was Kaiser, striding briskly down the road, his expression tense and hurried. Rei slowed Midgard and swung open the door.
"Hey, Kaiser!" Rei called out, his voice a mixture of surprise and relief. "Come in. We're heading to the village."
Kaiser wasted no time climbing in, shutting the door with a click. "Yeah," he said quietly, his face grim. "I saw what happened to the village. I just hope everyone's still alive…"
Rei's hands tightened on the steering controls, his jaw clenched. "Kaiser," he said softly, "open that box over there. You'll need what's inside."
Kaiser glanced at the plain wooden box resting near the console. He pried it open, revealing a gleaming, sword-like scepter nestled within. The scepter looked like a common sword with a Qi stone attached to the hilt. Its design was elegant, sharp, and uniquely fitted for Kaiser's grip.
Holding it up, Kaiser gave a faint smile. "Yeah… it suits me," he murmured, a faint gleam of pride cutting through his worry.
Rei returned his focus to the road, pressing Midgard forward with renewed determination. They journeyed through winding paths and broken trails, through days and nights without proper rest. Rei's resolve never wavered. This wasn't just a journey to a village—it was a race against fate, and he would drive until Midgard's wheels fell off if it meant reaching his family.
After a week of relentless travel, the trees finally thinned, revealing the outskirts of Orville Village. But the sight that met their eyes wasn't the comforting, familiar home they remembered. It was ruined.
Buildings lay in shattered heaps of wood and stone. Scorched earth stretched in every direction. Wounded villagers huddled under makeshift shelters. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and the faint cries of the injured and grieving.
Rei and Kaiser stepped out of Midgard, surveying the destruction with heavy hearts. A group of elders approached them, their faces lined with exhaustion and grief.
"Rei… Kaiser…" one of the elders murmured, his voice cracking. "Thank the gods you've come."
His eyes settled on Kaiser, then flickered away in discomfort. "You need to see your father immediately. He hasn't slept in weeks."
Rei's heart clenched. "Are my family alright?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
The elder's eyes dropped, and he could only shake his head. "You should see Kaiser's father, too."
Dread pooled in Rei's stomach as he followed Kaiser through the wreckage of the village. They passed tents filled with wounded, some barely clinging to life, others weeping for the dead. The scent of blood and death was heavy in the air. Inside a larger tent, they found Kaiser's father, lying pale and weakened on a cot, his wife seated beside him with tear-streaked cheeks. His chest rose and fell shallowly, and a deep cut marred his side.
Kaiser rushed to his father's side. "Father… are you alright?" His voice wavered, but he fought to keep his composure.
"I'll be alright," his father rasped, though the lie was thin. He coughed, a wet sound that made both boys wince. "Rei… come here."
Rei approached, kneeling beside the cot, fear clawing at his insides.
"Your father… your mother… and your sister…" Kaiser's father said, forcing the words past his cracked lips, "They're still alive."
Relief surged through Rei, but it was quickly tempered by the man's worsening state. "Please, don't speak. You're hurt."
Kaiser's father coughed again, his body trembling. "I didn't trust my body to last much longer… That's why I didn't sleep. I knew you'd come. I needed to deliver this message. Your father… he's near the Red Mountains. Will you search for them?"
Rei's voice trembled as he gripped the old man's hand. "Yes. I'll search for them, no matter what it takes."
The man's gaze shifted to Kaiser. "Support Rei during that time, will you, Kaiser?"
Kaiser's voice was steady despite the wetness gathering in his eyes. "Yes, Father. I'll be Rei's sword."
A faint smile touched the elder's lips before his eyes fluttered closed.
"Father…? Father?" Kaiser whispered, panic flaring in his voice.
A healer nearby placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. He's just asleep. He's been awake for a week, holding on for this. He'll recover if we give him time. You two… you're our hope now. Please… save them."
Rei's fists clenched. "I'll save them. No matter what."
But before their resolve could settle, a frantic voice cut through the tent. "They've come again!"
Rei turned sharply. "Who?"
"The soldiers, the looters!" the man cried.
Rei's expression hardened. He turned to Kaiser. "Let's fight. Just like old times."
Kaiser's grip tightened on his scepter. "Sure."
They followed the villager through the village, where a group of soldiers from an enemy territory was piling stolen goods onto wagons. Their leader, a grizzled man with a noble's insignia on his armor, barked orders.
Rei and Kaiser stood defiantly before them.
The man sneered. "Move aside, brats. We're taking what's ours."
Rei's voice was icy. "You seem too cocky for an old man. Leave, or we'll break your bones. We're out of patience."
The man's smile didn't falter. He gestured to his men. "Kill them."
The soldiers surged forward, but Rei raised his Chaos Scepter, summoning a blast of searing fire that engulfed them. Kaiser's scepter flashed as he darted through the chaos, his blade dancing with lethal precision. The soldiers fell quickly under their combined assault.
The leader's smirk faltered as he realized his men were no match for the pair. Drawing his sword, he lunged at them.
Kaiser met his charge, their blades clashing with a metallic screech. Rei circled around, launching fire blasts that the man dodged, but Kaiser's relentless swordplay kept him on the defensive.
Rei crafted a vine from the ground, wrapping it around the man's leg. As the man stumbled, Rei's next fire blast struck him square in the chest, sending him reeling. Kaiser seized the opening, slashing the man's sword arm.
"Rei," Kaiser called, falling into position beside him. "Let's finish this."
"Sure," Rei said grimly.
Together, they lunged. The man's eyes widened with terror as their scepters cleaved through his chest from both sides. He staggered back, blood spilling from his wounds, and crumpled to the ground.
Rei stood over the fallen enemy, breathing hard. "We couldn't save the fallen," he murmured, "but we've avenged them."