A few miles away from the city’s north gate a rge gathering of forces is taking pce. Rei rode among them on his borrowed steed. Originally, he pnned to stand with the squires and junior knights, but David thought it would be too demeaning for the son-in-w of a duke. He took him to the stables to pick a war horse but for some reason none of them were willing to bear him. As soon as he got close, they would neigh and jump in distress. In the end, it was Arie who offered her steed to him instead.

  “This is a loan, you can’t keep him, got it? By no weird freakish means should his ownership change to you.” Ariellia seemed oddly fixated on this point, pouting her lips while hesitantly handing him the reigns as though she was being robbed.

  “I promise to return him to you in one piece.”

  Recalling the sweet memory of their exchange, he feels his chest heat up with a burning determination to get through this. He has every intention of handing Mori-fae’s reigns back to her in person.

  “I owe you an apology Rei. I let my jealousy get the better of me.”

  He’s surprised by the sudden apology, it’s an unexpected taste of humility he didn’t think Neilos possessed. The other purposely left his group and trotted over on his horse to say this in private to save face. At least it proves that he is not a bad person by nature.

  “I’ll train hard and challenge you for the right to Ariellia’s hand once more in the future. Keep her happy for me until then!”

  Rei frowns as he watches the green-haired elf retreat after making such a bold decration. Perhaps he spoke too soon. Shaking his head in dismay, he focuses his attention back on the swarm of monsters making their way over to them. There are so many, they look like a moving beastly dark cloud sweeping the nd. Everything in their way either gets trampled or eaten. Archers and spell casters on both sides were already taking aim, covering the sky with a bright colorful volley of attacks.

  “Snipe their mages!” Duke David’s orders rang clear across the battlefield. The battle-hardened dark elf took command with Jasper at his side. Even though he is not riding a fancy war horse like the knights, the dangerous aura lingering around his uncle makes it impossible for anyone to underestimate him.

  The archers were working hard to reduce the horde but in the end contact still had to be made. The monsters with speed were the first to reach their shields, crashing into them like a tidal wave. The impact was massive, but the line held steadfast. The duchy’s knights once again show off their valor. As the son-in-w to the duke he dare not sck off anymore. Rei kicks mori-fae’s side, charging ahead and beheads a spider witch in the process.

  His twin bdes do not pause, each strike is lethal, his speed ridiculously fast thanks to buffs from the mages on their side. His armor quickly gets soiled by monster blood. He charges through the swarm like a well-oiled machine, working with mori-fae to stomp and unbance their opponents before stabbing them to death. All that talk about being a powerless live-in-son-in-w was completely overturned within minutes. The duchy’s knights watched him go toe-to-toe with orc chieftains, using their heads as steppingstones before slicing off their necks, leaving geysers of blood gushing out in his wake.

  It was tiring work to dodge, pry, and strike back against countless enemies, but Rei did it with brutal efficiency. It wasn’t until a loud roar rocked the entire battlefield that he was jolted out of this state of mindless sughter. Steadying his new bdes, he turned to the far end of the monster horde where a gigantic shadow began to rise. The wyrm easily towered over the ancient treetops, throwing its head back to angrily roar at the sky. Its eyes glowing an ominous red.

  “Shit! What the hell is that thing!”

  The appearance of the enraged Wyrm completely threw off the rhythm of battle. A single swing of its tail decimated several unfortunate high-level monsters and knights engaged in close combat within range. Such a horrifying sight should have made him shrink back in fear, yet instead he felt a burning rage in his gut.

  ‘How dare it-’

  “Hey, focus!” Jasper’s voice breaks this strange train of thought. Turning around, he sees the older Bastion making his way across the battlefield to his side. It’s a strange surreal sight to see him effortlessly sying monsters, vaporizing them with a sheer force of mana, not even pulling out his sword. This entire time he’d been guarding David’s back, it’s odd that he’s now trying to reach Rei.

  “Why are you-?”

  “Get a grip nephew, it looks like your wife needs us.”

  “What!” His eyes widened in shock, his heart beating like a war drum in his ears above the roaring battle around him. Rei doesn’t stop his bdes from bisecting a rampaging ogre trying to clobber him from behind.

  “Where is she?” The raging fire in his chest from before begins to burn fiercely again.

  “Someone used the communication talisman I gave her.”

  “I thought you said they couldn’t be stolen or used by anyone else?” He ruthlessly punches in the skull of a cowardly goblin shaman.

  “Yes, which means she must have willingly given the talisman to the other person to get help.”

  “Then what are we waiting for? We need to go to her now!”

  “You think I don’t know this stupid nephew. I’ve already talked with David. Once I’ve confirmed that you two troublesome lovebirds are safe, I’ll return to help him take on that annoying wingless worm at the back.”

  Jasper doesn’t wait for his consent, grabs him by the arm and teleports them to the source of the call. When they step out of the pilr of fmes they spot Riell crawling backwards in fright.

  “Damn, she didn’t say I’d be grilled on the spot for using the talisman!” The spooked fox boy frowns, fanning his burnt fingers.

  “It’s a matter of urgency, where is the young heiress?” Like a crafty salesman, Jasper deftly changes subject to avoid Riell’s compint.

  “Right! We need to go back to save Ariellia!”

  “Where exactly is back there?” Rei frowns, noting the red angry rope burns on his friend’s exposed wrists. If he’s in this state what of Arie?

  “I’ll show you. I had to run out of there so fast I didn’t even check to see how far I’d gone. I just couldn’t let them catch me again.” The fox began to lead the way back to the cave, using his sensitive nose to retrace his steps. “It should be somewhere around here.”

  “Rei?”

  Out of nowhere, Anya comes rushing out of a canopy of trees. She tumbles right into Rei’s arms, crying and looking too miserable for words. She coquettishly punches his chest a few times. “Why are you only coming to find me now?”

  Seeing Riell’s lost look with his empty outstretched arms, Rei frowns. “I wasn’t the one looking for you, Riell has been looking for you for the past two days. We came to find Ariellia.”

  “Really…I didn’t know.” She blushes with embarrassment.

  “Where are you coming from?” Riell finds it strange that it’s now she suddenly decides to appear. When he searched for days with Sir Emiya she was nowhere to be found, but as soon as Rei steps into the forest there she is.

  “It’s horrible Rei, I was detained by a group of horrible men. I only just finally managed to escape myself. I saw them doing such horrible things to Ariellia.” She hides her face in his chest, crying even harder.

  “I don’t remember seeing you in the cave with us?” There’s an odd look on Riell’s face.

  “It’s a rge cave, I was trapped in another encve.” When answering Riell’s question the coquettish charm from before is gone from her voice.

  “And you just left her there by herself!” The smoldering heat in his chest almost feels like it’s about to burst out at the thought of Arie harmed by some unknown assaints.

  “I tried to-” He doesn’t even wait for her to finish, pushing her off his chest and rushes ahead towards the cave entrance. They were close enough to see it now anyway.

  ‘Please be alive! I can handle everything else… just please be alive…’

  Good evening lovely people, thank you for tunning into another fun and exciting chapter of TVWLTE! Anya over here looking sus appearing out of nowhere. I hope Rei isn't buying her BS, but as always please be sure to leave your comments in the comment section below and I will see you next week. Anya: Rei you came!Rei: ...and my wife?Ariellia: still twitching over here, is anyone gonna save me!