As he ascended the stairs, he found himself undersized compared to the structure of the temple; doors towered like arches and normal furniture stood head-and-shoulders above him.

It was a frightening discovery, as it spoke of the size of whoever occupied the abode; everything felt as if it was built around giants, too large even for the Outriders he’d seen previously.

As he was walking down the corridor of the nature-built temple, a low grumble echoed through the halls.

“–” He stayed silent.

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“Be careful…He’s got incredible strength–he’s not the same as before…” Yula said weakly.

“Got it,” Alekkai nodded quietly.

Rushing forward, Alekkai took the initiative, staying low as he ran almost like a wolf on all-fours, aiming to sweep the Outrider Champion’s legs with his blade.

CLANG.

The sword swipe was blocked by one of Urganna’s axes before the other was slammed down, which Alekkai dodged swiftly before countering with a roar, puffing out his chest below unleashing it to the rainy wind.

“–!”

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Bruman rolled across the ground before looking up at the blonde-and-black haired boy, “…Emilio?! Nice save!”

“Thank me later!” He said, holding his staff up as he wasted no time with his next incantation.

The ferocity and tenacity of an Outrider warrior couldn’t be understated; even with a spear lodged in his gut, the bear demi-human launched forward, swinging his blade wildly towards the boy.

He moved around, rolling and using his spear to create walls of rock to space the Outrider away and give himself room for a counter.

Though the slabs of stone were merely momentary stopgaps, as a single swing of the massive weapon of steel crushed the walls in the Outrider’s way.

“Gah!”

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He knew this was already the plan, but he felt anxious already as that doubt swirled in his stomach, but there was no time for that anymore.

All he could do was his best as he stayed hidden within the grass while the Verma moved on ahead into the Outrider village, still within the element of stealth.

Bruman stayed beside him, staying wary.

“Is something bothering you?” Bruman asked.

“–” He glanced back.

Bruman chuckled, “Sorry, I can kinda smell doubt like that. Just part of being Verma.”

He turned back around, “Well…I was just thinking…the Outriders, they’ve got women and children, too, right?”

“I see–that’s what’s bothering you,” Bruman said.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

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[Through The Forest | Emilio]

As he followed the Verma elites, he kept his staff close to his body, wary of even the slightest sounds that disturbed the foliage around him.

I hope Vandread is doing alright…Maybe he already escaped? Yeah, that’s right. That’s entirely possible as well, he thought.

“You look awfully gloomy,” Bruman said, slapping him on the back.

He jumped a bit, looking up as he placed a smile on his lips, “Well, I’m just worried about my friend. The Outriders sound pretty scary, you know?”

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[Verma Village | Emilio]

“…Do you think this is going to be enough?” He asked.

There were about a dozen warriors of the Verma clan readied by Alekkai’s call, who seemed confident that this group would be capable of launching a successful attack on the Outriders.

“Having’ some doubts, kid?”

The one who asked this was one of the women in this elite group of Verma, who was built like a powerlifter, having her tanned, chiseled abs on display, which were shining from the rainfall.

“No, it’s just…”

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The bearskin-dressed Outrider had spiky, black hair with no eyebrows and beady, black eyes, layered in scars and possessing a body with unnaturally wide arms and a muscle density far beyond that of a human.

Simply put, he would be relying on skill rather than power for this encounter.

Just as he flipped his knife in his hand, he was forced to jump backward as the Outrider sprung forward with surprising speed, slamming his man-sized club down into the ground.

THUD.

“–!”

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Even if one were to strip all of the blades off of Vandread’s body, they would find their oversight met with swift impunity.

That oversight was one, simple concept: they didn’t strip the blades from within his body.

After removing the stitching, a hole opened up in the flesh of his heel, to which he reached in with his toes, sliding out a blade that was stored within his foot.

The benefit of his immortality kicked in quickly as his heel compartment reformed; strands of flesh reunited, stitching itself back together as within moments, it was back to new condition.

“Open pa mara!”

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Somehow he did manage to get a decent amount of rest by the time morning came. As the sun rose, he looked outside while yawning to find the village occupied by mist. The rain had yet to stop, with no signs of it coming to an end.

It was worrying to him that an entire day had passed while Vandread was still in the hands of the Outriders, but the best he could do in his situation was simply believe in the man’s strength. At the very least, it seemed highly unlikely somebody with an abnormal body like Vandread would meet his end easily.

“…It feels like I finally drew the good end of the stick for once,” he mumbled.

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“…Then what is it you’ve come to say?” Alekkai asked.

Chief Hurun looked at him, “Do not die for this vengeance, young Alekkai.”

“This is not for revenge—the Outriders are—!”

The man was interrupted by the elder, “You can say such things, but I know what stirs you, young Alekkai. Words may leave your lips, but your eyes speak the truth; a thousand flames burn in your gaze.”

“—” Alekkai looked at him before returning his gaze over the bridge.

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