The night split with the sound of roars.
From the treeline, shadows bulged into hulking forms—Orcs, a dozen of them, tusks glinting, red-black haze pouring from their skin like smoke. Each step shook the ground, their rancid stench rolling across the riverbank.
The girl lay crumpled near the water, robe torn, chest rising shallow. Her lips trembled as she whispered again, "Help me…"
Orin's eyes burned. His grin spread wide, manic. "Heh. Just what I wanted."
His aura flared to life—black haze twisting up his arms, blue sparks hissing off his shoulders. The air cracked, pebbles lifting from the ground.
Beside him, Code lifted his staff. His aura expanded calm and steady, like a controlled blaze. His gaze fixed on the pack, voice low and sharp. "Stay focused. Match your breath to mine."
Orin barely heard him. His blood roared louder.
The first Orc charged, cleaver raised high, mouth split in a guttural snarl.
Orin launched forward with a laugh, fist pulled back.
BOOOOM!
His punch landed full in the Orc's gut, a shockwave bursting outward. The beast flew back, crashing through two trees before slamming into the dirt.
Orin's chest heaved, aura still crackling. "HA! Did you see that?!"
Another Orc roared, swinging a rusted axe down at Orin's head.
Code moved. His palm shot up, ki condensed into a sharp strike.
CRACK!
The axe never touched. The blast from Code's palm hurled the Orc sideways, ribs snapping, weapon spinning into the dark.
Orin froze mid-step, eyes widening. "Ooooh… that was cool!"
He clapped his hands together, trying to copy the stance. Aura flared sloppy around his palm. "Okay, okay—Orin-Style Palm!"
He swung at the next Orc. The strike exploded messy, more slap than palm strike—but the ki burst still sent the beast stumbling, tusks rattling.
Orin blinked at his hand, then burst out laughing. "Hah! See? I can do that too!"
Code sighed, pinching his nose. This idiot… but he learns even in chaos.
The other Orcs bellowed, closing in, their haze swelling thicker. The real fight was only beginning.
The Orc pack surged like a wave of muscle and fury. Their red-black haze pressed thick against the night, choking the air.
Code stepped forward, staff in hand, his stance low, breathing steady. His ki flared golden-white, a calm blaze. "Keep your center," he murmured.
Piercing Fang Fist—his fist shot forward, ki condensed sharp. The nearest Orc's rusted armor dented deep before the beast flew back, tusks snapping.
Orin whistled, eyes sparkling. "That's sick! Watch me, watch me!"
He crouched low, fists clenched, mimicking Code's arm. Aura sputtered, black haze swirling messy, sparks flaring uneven.
"Wild Fang Fist!"
He slammed forward, raw and sloppy. His fist exploded with unstable ki, tearing through an Orc's stomach armor and sending blood spraying. The Orc staggered, brutal but not clean.
Code grunted. "Too much waste. Condense your breath—"
"I did condense it!" Orin yelled back, already throwing another punch, blood spraying his lip as he laughed.
Two Orcs swung cleavers together, aiming to crush Orin's skull.
Code spun, staff moving like a blur. Heaven-Splitting Palm—a strike like thunder erupted, blasting one Orc into the air, bones cracking.
Orin's eyes lit. "I can do that!"
He slapped both palms together, aura sparking. "Heaven-Splitting—Orin-Style Slap!"
He lunged at the second Orc, palms wide. The blast burst messy, more explosion than strike, but the Orc screamed as the shockwave sent it spinning into a tree.
Orin shook his stinging hands, laughing. "Hahaha! Look! I did it!"
Code pinched his nose, exasperated. "You're a disaster."
"You mean genius!" Orin corrected, before headbutting an Orc that tried to grab him from behind. Sparks exploded on impact, the beast toppling backward.
Despite himself, Code's lips twitched. Crude. Wasteful. But… effective.
The two of them—master and beast—moved together. Not perfect, not planned, but their rhythms collided in a strange harmony:
Code flowed precise, one clean strike at a time.
Orin crashed wild, copying half the moves and breaking the rest.
Between them, Orcs fell one after another, crushed by storm and flame.
Then a deeper growl shook the clearing—the leader was coming.
The pack parted.
A monster stepped forward, larger than the rest—an Orc towering three meters tall, chest scarred with a jagged claw mark. Its haze burned brighter, red-black smoke rolling thick. Its cleaver was as long as Orin was tall, jagged edge gleaming.
The girl by the river whimpered, curling smaller as its shadow fell over her.
Orin wiped blood from his mouth, his grin sharp. "Oh-ho… now that's a challenge."
The leader roared, cleaver swinging down like a falling tree.
Orin crossed his arms, aura flaring—black haze surging, sparks bursting. The impact slammed against him, dirt exploding outward, his knees sinking into the ground. Blood sprayed from his lips as he strained against the weight.
"Idiot!" Code's voice cut sharp. He slammed his staff into the earth, aura glowing steady. "You'll never match him with chaos! Condense. Breathe. Flow!"
Orin's teeth clenched. He wanted to laugh, to swing wildly. But something in Code's tone pierced the storm in his head.
He drew one breath. Deep. Controlled. His wild aura pulled inward, tighter, sharper. The black haze hugged his fists, blue sparks focused, snapping in rhythm.
The Orc leader raised its cleaver again.
Orin stepped forward, stance lower, breath steady. His fist drew back—not flailing, but sure.
"Piercing… Fang… Fist!"
CRRAAAACK!
The blast wasn't as sharp as Code's, but it was real. The cleaver snapped halfway, shards of metal flying. The beast staggered, blood spurting where Orin's fist drove into muscle.
Orin's eyes widened. His grin exploded into wild laughter. "HAHAHA! I DID IT! I REALLY DID IT!"
Code's gaze narrowed, pride flickering. Finally… he listens.
The Orc leader roared louder, swinging the broken blade like a club. But now Orin's stance was different—less storm, more strike.
The Orc leader swung, air splitting under its weight.
Orin moved first. His fist shot forward, aura blazing.
Slow-motion.
The broken cleaver met his strike. Sparks cascaded blue, shards snapping free, hanging in the moonlight.
The weapon shattered into fragments raining down like black hail.
The beast's chest lay open.
"Now!" Code's voice cut.
His palm glowed gold-white, energy compressed dense as steel.
Orin roared, his fist a storm of black-blue fury. Code stepped in, palm steady.
Their strikes landed together.
CRRRRRUUUUMMMM!
Orin's fist caved the ribs, bone snapping like glass. Code's palm slammed the chest, ki detonating through muscle and heart.
The shockwaves converged inside the Orc's body.
The beast rippled outward, tusks vibrating, eyes bulging—then it hurled backward, smashing through two trees before crashing into the dirt. Its haze sputtered and died.
Silence. Leaves drifted. Dust floated in the moonlight.
The pack faltered. Then, with howls of fear, the Orcs fled into the forest, abandoning their fallen master.
Orin panted, blood dripping from his knuckles, grin feral. "Hahahaha! Did you see that, Code?! I broke his damn toy—and then BOOM!"
Code exhaled slow, aura dimming. His eyes stayed sharp, but pride flickered there.
A soft whimper pulled Orin's attention.
The girl by the river stirred, face pale, robe torn.
Orin gasped, stumbling over, nearly tripping. He slid beside the girl, grabbing her shoulders clumsily.
"Hey! Pretty girl! Don't die! You hear me? Don't you dare die before I learn your name!"
Her eyes fluttered faintly, red shimmer glowing. Her lips curved the faintest smile as she whispered, cracked but clear:
"Remember my face, Orin… one day, you'll come find me. And when you do, I'll be waiting—as both your bride, and your Queen."
Orin froze. His jaw dropped.
"HUH?!"
His face burned red, grin twitching between confusion and glee. "B-bride?! Queen?! Wait—wait—did she just—?!"
Code pinched his nose. Even half-dead, she's dangerous.
Orin leaned closer, blurting, "Pretty girl! Say it again!"
But she slipped into unconsciousness.
Footsteps echoed.
Two figures stepped from the trees, robes fine and clean despite the wild. Their features perfect, eyes too symmetrical, smiles too smooth. In the moonlight, their eyes flickered faint red before dimming.
Code stiffened, staff ready. Not travelers. Retainers.
They bowed deeply. "We thank you, strangers, for protecting our lady."
They lifted the girl gently.
Orin jumped up. "Wait! Where are you taking her?!"
"To where she belongs."
The girl stirred faintly, eyes locking on Orin. She smiled faintly.
"Remember… find me…"
Orin's grin burst wide. "I'll come! Don't forget me, future wife!"
The retainers' masks twitched with disdain. They turned, vanishing into the shadows.
Orin still stood grinning. "Heh. She totally meant it."
Code exhaled, gaze on the horizon where storm clouds gathered. Hell has already touched him. The storm is coming.