The air around them was thick with tension, the ground trembling beneath their feet as Rynan and Leo rushed toward the towering figure of the high orc. The low growls and heavy footsteps echoed across the battlefield. Off in the distance, Commander Ria fought desperately against the orc's overwhelming strength. Her barrier flickered, barely holding. Time was running out.
Leo moved first. His feet pounded the earth as he closed the distance to the beast. His sword gleamed, sharp enough to cut through steel. As he neared the orc, he shifted the blade to his left side, every muscle in his body coiled, ready for the strike.
SLASH!
The sword sank deep into the high orc's tendon. The beast howled in pain, its attention snapping to Leo. Fury blazed in its eyes. The movement gave Ria a brief moment to breathe, her barrier holding just a little longer. Leo's quick thinking had bought them time, but the battle was far from over. Now, it was Rynan's turn.
DASH!
Rynan's legs burned as he sprinted, his body pushing harder than ever before. His breath came in ragged gasps, but there was no time to slow down. The orc was too close to breaking through. If he didn't act now, everything would be lost. He leaped, his sword raised high, determination and desperation driving the strike.
SHK!
The blade sliced clean through the high orc's tendon. For a moment, Rynan thought it was over. The orc would fall. Victory was within reach. But in that heartbeat of triumph, the beast's massive hand shot out like a vice, grabbing Rynan by the body and squeezing with terrifying force.
"Damn it!" Rynan gasped, the air crushed from his lungs as the orc's fingers gripped his face. His nose and mouth were sealed shut, his throat burned with a desperate need for air. The world seemed to shrink as the pressure mounted, his head spinning.
"AGH!" Rynan's voice was barely a scream, his body shaking with the effort to breathe. The orc's fingers dug into his skin, relentless and unyielding. Pain surged through him with every squeeze. His vision blurred as he fought against the crushing weight.
CRACK!
Pain exploded in Rynan's shoulders as the bones shattered under the monstrous pressure. His teeth ground together, his eyes wide with shock and agony. Blood seeped from his mouth, the bitter taste spreading as he struggled to call out for help.
'I don't want to die…' The thought barely made it through his mind before it was swallowed by the pain. His body couldn't keep up, couldn't respond. The world was fading. His vision dimmed.
"RYNAN—!" Leo's voice broke through the chaos. It was full of desperation, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch, helpless, as his friend was torn apart. He saw the terror in Rynan's eyes. No time to save him.
The high orc raised its left hand, the one that had been crushing Rynan, and with a sickening roar, it slammed him into the ground.
SMASH!
The earth trembled as the impact split the air like thunder. Leo was sent flying back, the force throwing him high into the air before he crashed into the dirt with a sickening thud.
"GAGH!" Leo gasped, blood spilling from his mouth as pain shot through him. He tried to rise, but his body screamed for rest. His eyes, however, stayed locked on Rynan. He couldn't look away. Not from the horror unfolding before him.
'I still haven't seen my dad…' The thought whispered in Leo's mind. The pain in his chest was more than physical. He had promised himself he'd make it back, but now, that hope felt distant. Like the orc was ripping at his soul, not just his friend.
SMASH!
The orc's fist slammed down again, crushing Rynan into the earth with a force that rattled through his very bones. The pain was unbearable, each impact sending shockwaves through his body. Rynan's world began to blur, his mind hazy. The pressure was too much. His body was breaking apart with every strike, his strength failing him.
'My mother's birthday is next week…' The thought flickered through Rynan's mind, weak and distant. The scent of fresh flowers, the warmth of her embrace. Those were his only memories now, fading with each blow.
SMASH!
The earth shook as Rynan was slammed again, the pain starting to feel like nothing more than a numb ache. His vision was tinted red, blood staining the ground beneath him, mixing with the dirt.
'No...' His mind screamed, but the thought barely formed. The regret hit him like a flood, each missed opportunity, each failure playing out in his head. His whole life flashed before him. He hadn't lived it fully. It was slipping away.
SMASH!
'I want to live…' The thought barely registered anymore, just a faint whisper drowned beneath the crushing weight of the orc's hand. The finality of it all seemed inevitable. Yet, his heart still beat.
The pain was unbearable. His bones cracked, his lungs suffocating, the pressure relentless. Rynan's ribs splintered with a sharp, burning pain as his left lung was pierced. Blood poured out of his mouth, soaking the earth beneath him. He gasped for air that never came.
The world around him darkened, his mind slipping in and out of consciousness. But memories, brief and fleeting, began to rush through him. The smell of grass, his mother's smile, the way she had held him when he was young. These were the things he held onto now.
"Mom..." His voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. The pain, the fear—it all threatened to swallow him, but those memories, they were all he had left.
Pain.
Blinding, suffocating pain.
Rynan barely clung to consciousness as the high orc's massive hand hovered above him, fingers twitching, its sheer weight ready to crush the life out of him. The beast's breath came in ragged huffs, fury burning in its eyes—merciless, final.
His body refused to move. His limbs were stone. His lungs screamed for air, but all he could do was watch as death loomed.
"RYNAN! HANG IN THERE!!!"
Ria's voice cut through the haze, sharp and desperate. And then—movement. A blur of speed. She didn't think. Didn't hesitate. Her feet pounded against the dirt, closing the gap in seconds. Before the orc could react, she was already scaling its back, climbing with the precision of a predator.
Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword. One motion. One chance.
With a fierce cry, she drove the blade straight into the thick flesh of the orc's neck.
SHRRRK!
The steel bit deep, slicing through tendon and bone. The orc let out a strangled gasp, its massive form shuddering violently. For a split second, its grip on Rynan loosened—just enough.
Then—
THUD.
The head hit the ground with a sickening wet smack, rolling a few feet before settling in a pool of its own blood. The body followed, a monstrous weight crashing to the earth. Dust erupted. The tremor sent ripples through the ground.
And then… silence.
Leo's heart nearly burst out of his chest. His legs moved before his mind could catch up. "RYNANNN!!!"
Ria was already there. She landed on the orc's fallen form, rolling to her feet, her blade slick with blood. Her pulse pounded. Her grip tightened. Please, please don't be—
Rynan lay twisted, motionless. His armor was wrecked, shattered plates digging into his flesh. Blood seeped, dark and slow. His chest barely rose and fell. A breath. A weak, fragile breath.
"HYAAAH!"
Ria's cry rang out as she swung her sword, severing the orc's fingers still curled around Rynan's broken form. The lifeless hand fell away. She dropped to her knees, fingers trembling as they pressed against his bloodied chest.
She leaned in. Listened.
A heartbeat. Weak. But there.
Relief crashed into her like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless.
"RYNAAAAAANNNNNN!!!"
Leo's voice cracked as he fell beside his friend, eyes wild with fear. His hands hovered uselessly, shaking. He wanted to help, wanted to fix this, but what could he do?
"Please don't die," he whispered, voice hoarse. His vision blurred.
Ria swallowed hard. She could feel it—the weight pressing down on her. This wasn't just another battle. This wasn't just another casualty.
This was their friend.
"He's alive," she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. "But he won't be if we don't move fast."
Leo wiped his face, nodding stiffly. Guilt gnawed at him. "I couldn't do anything," he muttered. "I just stood there—"
Ria clenched her jaw, eyes hard. "Then don't stand there now."
Leo sucked in a breath. Right. Now wasn't the time.
His voice cracked, barely a whisper. "Even if I've only known him for a few weeks… he's like a brother to me."
Something inside Ria twisted. She glanced at Leo, at the raw, unfiltered emotion in his eyes. He wasn't a warrior. He wasn't trained for this. But still—he was here. And he cared.
"If we want him healed fast, I'll have to cancel the mission," she said, the words falling like stone.
Leo didn't even hesitate. "I don't care about the mission." His voice was firm, unshaken. "Rynan comes first."
Ria let out a breath—half frustration, half admiration. This idiot…
Without another word, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a small crimson flare.
She raised it high.
BANG!
The flare shot into the sky, bursting in a brilliant shower of red sparks.
"You might want to cover your ears," she warned.
BOOM!
The explosion echoed across the battlefield. A signal. A call for help.
She didn't take her eyes off Rynan. His face was pale, his body still. But he was breathing. That was enough. That had to be enough.
For now.