There was a lone figure standing in the middle of despair.
She was trembling, yet she remained on her feet.
With no way out, Aria's only choice was to face it.
She tightened her grip on the broken branch in her hand and began waving it.
The creature, balanced on its massive arms, let out something that sounded like laughter.
It looked at Aria as though she were nothing more than a circus monkey.
Aria swung the stick and struck the creature.
A faint tap echoed.
Then silence.
The creature's laughter only grew louder.
Its booming voice shook the entire forest.
The vibrations reached Elan's ears.
His expression stiffened as he burst into a sprint.
He darted between the trees, brushing past branches as he raced toward the source.
When he arrived, the only thing he could do was shout.
The creature noticed Elan and casually backhanded Aria.
Watching the enormous hand—several times larger than herself—rush toward her, Aria could do nothing.
With death staring her in the face, there was no one she could think of who could save her.
Then, in that very instant...
The only figure in her mind appeared before her.
Karon wrapped his arms around Aria, shielding her with his own body.
He held her tightly.
Aria's throat tightened.
She didn't even have time to scream.
The impact hurled both Karon and Aria dozens of meters before they crashed into the ground.
Already covered in wounds, Karon's bandages tore apart, staining the ground with blood.
Elan's face twisted as he took in the sight.
Without hesitation, he charged the creature.
All he wanted was to end the fight as quickly as possible and check on Aria and Karon.
That urgency completely changed the way he fought.
Normally, Elan would kill his prey patiently and methodically.
Now every strike was sharp, direct, and lethal.
He drove his daggers deep into the creature's flesh, sometimes throwing them, sometimes leaving them embedded in its body.
Just as he was about to run out of spare daggers, a sword suddenly appeared in his hand.
Even in his condition, Karon had watched the battle, analyzed it, and given Elan exactly what he needed.
Looking down at Zelid, Elan realized he couldn't afford to waste another second.
He became even more relentless.
Again and again, he targeted one of the creature's elbows.
His intention was obvious.
The creature knew it as well and fought desperately to stop him.
With every blow it staggered backward.
Each time its hand slammed into the ground, it let out a pained growl.
By the time more than a quarter of its elbow had been severed, it finally turned and fled.
Elan took a step to chase after it.
Then he remembered who was behind him.
He couldn't leave them.
Turning back, he hoisted Karon onto his back while carrying Aria with the aid of his wind.
After returning Zelid to its storage, Karon tried to mumble something.
Instead, darkness claimed him.
When Aria opened her eyes, she found two figures arguing nearby.
"He needs treatment."
"What if he doesn't survive it?"
"We don't have another choice."
"We can only hope the potions heal him."
"As you can see, we've already been hoping for days."
"But..."
"No buts, Karon. I'll take responsibility. You don't need to blame yourself.
If I hadn't let them play outside, none of this would've happened."
"Don't say that. No one can always know what's going to happen."
"Cough...Cough..."
The sudden coughing made them both turn around.
Aria was awake.
The surprise on their faces was unmistakable as they hurried to her bedside to check her condition.
"I told you. Aria's a strong girl. The potions would work."
"She proved me wrong. It's hard to believe a child could recover from injuries like these with nothing but potions."
"She may be a child to you, but by human standards she's old enough."
After saying that, Karon turned toward Aria.
"Does anything hurt?"
"No..."
"Good job, Aria.
The way you stood your ground against that monster... the way you refused to surrender... it truly moved me.
Very few people could show that kind of resolve at your age.
I only wish I had been like you back then."
He gently placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.
Embarrassed by being patted on the head by someone only three or four years older than herself, Aria quickly pulled the blanket over her face and pretended to go back to sleep.
Confused, Karon was about to ask, "Did I do something wrong?" when Elan rested a hand on his shoulder.
With a faint smile, he said,
"Let the child rest."
Karon noticed the smile and was about to speak again, but Elan cut him off.
"Even if she's recovered, she still needs time to rest. I'll take the children back for now, then I'll come and get Aria later."
"Fine. I was planning to train her anyway. You'll be doing me a favor."
"Just don't turn the poor girl into a barbarian."
"Better than having her fight like a coward."
"In war, anything goes."
"Even war has its etiquette."
"Alright, alright. We've already learned this argument never ends."
"You'll admit I'm right one day.
Today just isn't that day."
Listening from beneath her blanket, Aria smiled quietly.
The news filled her with joy.
She pulled the blanket over herself completely and drifted into a deep sleep.