A distant explosion shattered the silence.
A deep, thunderous boom echoed through the air, followed by a faint tremor beneath their feet.
The group froze.
Birds scattered from the trees.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
,,Johann: …What the hell was that?"
His voice was sharp, irritated but there was tension beneath it.
Noah narrowed his eyes, staring toward the rising column of smoke in the distance.
,,Noah: I don't know…"
A pause.
Then
,,Noah: But we're about to find out."
Without another word, the group began moving faster, their pace turning into a run.
The closer they got…
The worse it became.
A smell.
Thick.
Burning.
Rotten.
It filled their lungs, clinging to their throats like poison.
,,Heinrich: Ugh what is that smell?!"
He covered his nose, his face twisting in disgust.
,,Heinrich: It's like… fire and something dead mixed together"
,,Anna: …No."
Her voice was quiet.
Disturbed.
,,Anna: It's worse than that."
They stepped out of the trees.
And froze.
Before them…
Was destruction.
An entire camp reduced to ruins.
Tents burned to ash.
Wooden structures collapsed.
The ground itself blackened and cracked.
And everywhere
Green flames.
They flickered unnaturally, dancing across the remains of the camp like something alive.
Something wrong.
,,Anna: …What happened here?"
Her voice barely rose above a whisper.
Noah didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Because then he saw them.
Bodies.
Dozens.
Scattered across the ground.
Burned.
Twisted.
Consumed by the same eerie green fire.
The flames didn't behave like normal fire.
They didn't spread wildly.
They clung.
To flesh.
To bone.
As if they were feeding.
Johann stared at one of the corpses, his usual attitude gone for a moment.
,,Johann: …Yeah, I don't like this."
Karoschi's eyes moved slowly across the battlefield.
Sharp.
Observing.
Calculating.
,,Karoschi: This wasn't normal."
A faint shift in the rubble.
Noah's head snapped toward it.
Too late.
Figures emerged from the wreckage.
Fast.
Coordinated.
Before the group could react
THROW!
Heavy nets were cast over them, tangling their bodies and dragging them down.
,,Johann: HEY GET OFF!"
He struggled violently, but the net tightened.
,,Anna: What are you doing?! Let us go!"
,,Karoschi: …Bandits."
His voice was low.
Certain.
Several armed men surrounded them, quickly disarming them and pulling their weapons away.
The group was dragged across the ground, forced into the center of the ruined camp.
Then
The crowd parted.
A man stepped forward.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Untouched by the chaos around him.
,,Johann: And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
The man stopped in front of them.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Just… observed them.
Then he spoke.
Quiet.
Controlled.
Almost polite.
,,Vigor: My name is Vigor S. Hartmann."
A slight pause.
His eyes lingered on each of them.
,,Vigor: Some call me… the Butcher of Villages."
Another pause.
Not dramatic.
Just matter of fact.
,,Vigor: Leader of the Ashbringers."
His gaze settled.
Cold.
But not emotional.
,,Vigor: But you may call me Vigor."
Heinrich swallowed.
Hard.
,,Heinrich: …What do you want from us?"
Vigor tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question.
,,Vigor: I'm curious."
He took a slow step forward.
,,Vigor: What are a group like you doing out here?"
His eyes narrowed just a fraction.
,,Vigor: Aren't you a bit… young… to survive a place like this?"
,,Johann: That's none of your business."
The words came out fast.
Sharp.
Defensive.
For a brief moment
Silence.
Then Vigor smiled.
Not wide.
Not friendly.
Just… slightly.
,,Vigor: Survival out here is difficult as you can see."
The green flames crackled softly behind him.
,,Vigor: Which makes me wonder…"
He looked back at them.
,,Vigor: How did you manage it?"
No one answered.
Noah's eyes stayed locked on him.
Careful.
Thinking.
Then Vigor exhaled lightly.
,,Vigor: No matter."
He straightened slightly.
,,Vigor: I have something more useful in mind."
The air seemed to grow heavier.
,,Vigor: You will help me tame a Titan Golem."
The words hit instantly.
Noah's expression changed.
,,Noah: …What?"
,,Vigor: We captured one recently."
His tone didn't change.
As if he was discussing something trivial.
,,Vigor: You will help me control it."
Noah's fists clenched.
,,Noah: And why would we do that?"
Vigor looked at him.
Directly.
No anger.
No impatience.
Just… certainty.
,,Vigor: Because if you refuse…"
A slight pause.
,,Vigor: We will remove your heads one by one."
,,Vigor: And hang them from the trees."
He stepped back slightly.
,,Vigor: So."
A small tilt of his head.
,,Vigor: Do we have an agreement?"
The group leaned closer together, whispering urgently.
,,Heinrich: This is insane… he want us to tame a Titan Golem so they can use it or sell it?!"
His voice trembled.
,,Anna: I agree… we can't just help them."
Karoschi looked at Noah.
Serious.
Steady.
,,Karoschi: We don't have a choice."
A pause.
,,Karoschi: If we want to live… we do it."
All eyes turned to Noah.
The weight of the decision pressed down on him.
He closed his eyes for a brief second.
Then opened them again.
Resolved.
He stood up.
,,Noah: …We'll do it."
Vigor nodded once.
Satisfied.
,,Vigor: Excellent."
He turned slightly.
,,Vigor: Untie them."
The bandits obeyed immediately.
,,Vigor: Bring them to the Titan Golem."
A pause.
,,Vigor: And quickly."
The group was escorted through the ruins.
Past burning remains.
Past bodies.
Past the lingering green flames.
The smell followed them.
Unrelenting.
Until
They reached it.
A large, open area.
And in the center
Something massive.
Chained.
Restrained.
Still.
The group stopped.
Frozen.
Anna's eyes widened.
Her breath caught.
,,Anna: …No."
Noah stepped forward slightly.
His heart pounding.
,,Noah: …That's"
Johann stared.
Disbelief.
Anger.
,,Johann: You've got to be kidding me…"
Karoschi's expression hardened.
,,Karoschi: …Barry."
There he was.
Barry.
Chained down like an animal.
Captured.