Hunting down the King Goblin

The Goblin King roared, the sound vibrating through the ancient trees as he swung his massive battle axe with brutal, earth-shattering force. Shirou didn't freeze. Executing a sharp, calculated sidestep, his body twisted naturally with the momentum as he launched himself into the air.

The colossal iron axe followed his trajectory, slicing upward in a terrifying arc—but Shirou met the strike mid-air. He brought his wooden sword down with a sharp, concentrated focus, clashing against the heavy metal blade with a violent burst of bright sparks.

The impact was fierce. Shirou’s arms trembled violently under the sheer weight of the monster's strength, the bones in his wrists protesting as he blocked the strike, but he held his ground. Ultimately, the overwhelming kinetic force sent him flying backward, his body crashing through branches and underbrush before he hit the dirt, kicking up an explosive cloud of thick dust.

From the heart of the swirling debris—

A silver glint shot out. A sharp hunting knife sliced cleanly through the air, stabbing directly into the Goblin King’s singular yellow eye. The beast let out a horrific, agonized shriek, staggering backward as thick, dark blood pooled from the wound.

As the dust finally cleared, Shirou emerged from the haze. Crimson blood was dripping down his forehead, momentarily obscuring his vision, and his breath came in heavy, ragged pants.

"He's incredibly strong… but now he's completely blind," Shirou murmured, wiping the blood from his eyes.

Clenching his sword with a renewed grip, he dashed forward, kicking up dirt. The Goblin King, entirely blinded and driven into a feral frenzy, began swinging his massive axe wildly in every direction, cleaving trees and air alike. Shirou moved fluidly, dodging each reckless, unpredictable strike while continuously pressing forward. When the massive iron blade came crashing down from above, Shirou sidestepped it by mere inches—then, utilizing the flat of the embedded weapon, he boldly climbed onto the axe mid-swing.

The Goblin King roared in frustration, violently thrashing his torso to shake the boy off. But Shirou maintained his perfect balance, dashing up the length of the weapon's shaft before leaping high into the twilight sky. He brought his sword down in a clean, lethal strike aimed squarely at the monster's exposed skull.

But mid-flight, something felt off.

Relying on his raw instincts, Shirou twisted his body mid-air—just as an arrow hissed toward him from the shadows of the tree line. He barely managed to deflect the projectile with his blade, but the sudden distraction left him entirely exposed. Seizing the opening, the Goblin King’s massive hand swung blindly through the air, connecting squarely with Shirou’s torso and sending him flying across the clearing once more.

This time, however, a blur of motion intercepted him. Sarah dashed into the clearing, catching him securely in her arms to break the brutal impact of the fall before setting him down.

"Are you alright?" she asked, a rare flicker of deep concern in her sharp eyes.

"Don't worry about me," Shirou said, breathing heavily as he pushed himself up, clutching his bruised ribs. "I've faced much worse than this. But this time… I want you to stay out of it."

Sarah looked into his eyes, seeing the unyielding, stubborn fire burning within them, and gave a quiet, respecting nod. "Alright. But I am clearing the field."

Gathering her latent mana, she fluidly swung her blade in a wide crescent, unleashing a pressurized shockwave that instantly struck down the remaining goblin archers hidden in the foliage.

With the periphery secure, Shirou dashed forward once more, effortlessly blocking and dodging the erratic axe swings coming his way. He leaped high into the air—and this time, his blade connected cleanly with the Goblin King’s head. The massive beast stumbled, its knees buckling as it struggled to stay upright.

Reaching out, Shirou grabbed the handle of the knife still lodged deep in the creature's eye, gripping it tightly as he stabbed repeatedly. The Goblin King shrieked in agony, but Shirou showed absolutely no mercy. Extracting the blade, he moved like lightning, striking each joint with surgical precision—dodging, dashing, and finally driving his sword straight into the monster's heart.

With a final, hollow groan, the colossus collapsed forward, crashing heavily onto the forest floor.

Sarah walked over calmly, casually brushing the dust and debris from her clothes. "So… the job is officially finished. Excellent work, Shirou."

"The match…" Shirou panted, his chest heaving violently as the adrenaline began to fade.

"Match? Oh, right—your challenge with Ela." Sarah offered a soft smile. "Don't worry, I will manage to arrange it somehow." She looked down at his bleeding wounds and battered frame. "But are you entirely certain you can stand right now?"

"Of course I can—" Shirou attempted to step forward to prove his point, but his exhausted legs instantly gave out beneath him.

Sarah let out a soft sigh, walking over and kneeling directly in front of him. "If you can't walk, we can't get you back to the orphanage to treat those injuries. If they aren't tended to soon, they'll get infected. I have an idea."

Before Shirou could even utter a protest, she fluidly hoisted him up and secured him onto her back.

"Whaaa… What do you think you're doing, you stupid monster?!" Shirou barked, his face instantly turning a bright, volatile crimson from the sheer embarrassment.

"Nothing unusual. Just carrying you so we can reach home faster," Sarah replied, her voice perfectly calm and steady as she began walking down the path.

"I can walk perfectly fine on my own! Drop me to the ground right now!"

"Nope."

And with that, Shirou kept up a steady stream of complaints all the way back to the village—his fierce pride ultimately wounded far more than his physical body.

When they finally reached the estate, Sarah pushed open the front door—only to find Cherry sprinting frantically across the main entrance hall, practically screaming for assistance.

"Ela…?" Sarah muttered, blinking in confusion.

Ela turned around, holding a glowing grimoire in one hand with a thoroughly mischievous grin plastered across her face. "Sarah! You're finally back. So, how was the vis—"

The words cut off abruptly in her throat. Her eyes widened in unison with Cherry’s as they both noticed Shirou slumped heavily over Sarah’s shoulder, completely covered in fresh blood and dark bruises.

Ela’s mouth dropped open in shock.

"Before you ask any questions," Sarah said quickly, cutting off the impending interrogation, "can you please help me treat his injuries first?"

The group rushed immediately to Shirou's room, gently laying his battered frame down onto the bed. Ela knelt gracefully beside him, her palms beginning to radiate a soft, shimmering green glow as she rhythmically chanted her healing incantations. The soothing light enveloped Shirou's wounds, slowly mending the torn flesh and fading the deep bruises away.

"Why are you always completely covered in blood?" Ela teased playfully, her tone light despite the gravity of the situation. "Honestly, maybe trouble just suits you. Every single time I see you, you're either in the middle of a fistfight or half-dead."

"Shut up! You think I actually enjoy getting injured?" Shirou snapped, wincing slightly as the foreign magic knitted his ribs back together.

"Well, this time you can technically blame me," Sarah interjected with a warm grin, playfully scratching her own cheek.

"No, it's definitely not your fault, Sarah," Ela countered, never breaking focus from her spell. "This kid is just naturally built like this."

After a few more moments, the radiant glow slowly faded from the room. "There, it's all done. So? How does it feel?"

Shirou stretched his arms, testing his limbs as the residual ache vanished. "I think it worked perfectly. I'm feeling—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Cherry suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around him in a suffocating embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Don't you ever scare me like that again! I genuinely thought you were—"

"Let me go, you moron!" Shirou shouted, his face turning an intense shade of red as he struggled against her iron grip.

Ela and Sarah exchanged a knowing glance, silently trying to suppress their laughter at the boy's expense. Leaning a bit closer to the elf, Sarah whispered softly, "Do you have a spare minute?"

Signaling for Ela to follow, she led her out into the quiet corridor and thoroughly explained the arrangement Shirou had demanded in exchange for his help.

"Whaaat?!" Ela gasped, her eyes widening to their limits.

"Shhh!" Sarah hushed her quickly, placing a finger over her lips.

"You seriously want me to duel him?" Ela whispered frantically, throwing her hands up. "But Sarah, you know damn well I don't use swords—I'm a pure mage! How are we supposed to properly practice or fight if our combat talents don't align at all?"

"I am fully aware," Sarah said softly, clasping her hands together imploringly. "But he is incredibly eager to learn. And honestly, it will genuinely help him grow if you teach him how to adapt through actual combat."

Ela stared at her for a long, quiet moment, weighing the request before letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine. I'll do it."

"So… when exactly should we begin?" Ela asked, adjusting her cloak.

"Tomorrow," Sarah replied with a serene smile.

Ela nodded slowly, already bracing herself for the absolute chaos she knew the white-haired boy would undoubtedly bring to her morning.