War

The ground trembles as the knights pass. Their heavy armor leaves big furrows in the wet dirt. High above, the sun, hidden behind the clouds, closes its eyes to the coming war. The gray sky sets the mood.

Above, the colorful banners of the Kingdom of Wohlstand flutter. A golden pig embroidered on a red cloth banner, held by wooden sticks with golden tips.
A boisterous band inspires the knights, who race madly toward the horizon.
In the distance, a grove appears. Hidden in ambush, enemy knights lie in wait, ready to attack.

With a deep trumpet blast, enemy warriors hidden among the trees signal their ascent. Every step splashes mud, every shout dissipates in the air, every soldier an insignificant speck on the battlefield.

Among all these dots, one stands out. Tall and imposing, with gleaming, ornate armor. With a serious look, Issei, one of the most renowned knights of the Wohlstand kingdom, dances among his enemies, wielding his gigantic blade with disturbing ease.

Each of his clashes seems to have emerged from a theater.
He parries his enemy from behind with his shield, while he cuts through them with his sword. After parrying yet another sword aimed at his exposed armor, Issei, with a sharp blow, disarmed his opponent.

The opposing knight's blank gaze, knowing he had lost the duel, became filled with fear. He could do nothing but endure Issei's sword. A heavy, long, and sharp sword, forged by the master blacksmiths of the dwarf kingdom to the southeast.

Corpse after corpse, Issei continued to advance. His armor was now covered in mud and blood, but his breathing was still regular.

<Hohoho!>

His serious look gave way to hearty laughter. He wasn't underestimating his enemy; he was simply a remarkable warrior.
Issei had been waiting for this day for a month, eager to show off his strength on the battlefield. He had perfected his technique in anticipation of war; his strength allowed him to swing his sword through the air with ease, every movement coming naturally.

By now, Issei the knight had advanced far across the battlefield, so much so that he no longer heard the trumpets or his companions.

Then a blow from behind took him by surprise; without realizing it, he was surrounded by armed men on all sides.
He stopped laughing; the situation had become serious, and he knew when to be serious and when to relax.

He repositioned his sword in front of him, ready to attack and show off his every technique. With a shout, he threw himself at the first enemy he encountered. He disarmed him with ease, while with a swing of his shield, he knocked another warrior who was standing nearby to the ground.

Issei's eyes darted left and right, ready for any attack. But the enemies were too many. He took countless blows to the back, which he couldn't parry.
His stamina, incredible as it was, was wearing thin. Issei didn't know where to focus; he couldn't move his sword anymore. The enemies had locked Issei in a human cage.
Issei, imposing, tried to protect every weak spot in his armor.

One of the enemies raised his sword in the air. However, instead of dealing a killing blow, the enemy decided to stun Issei.

<Ugh!>

Issei was knocked unconscious and carried away.
When he awoke, he found himself in a half-broken wooden hut; it was even raining inside. The enemies had tied him to a chair with thick ropes that would normally tie a boat to the dock. Next to him sat a fellow warrior, smaller than Issei in height and age.

Then a warrior as tall as Issei approached, carrying a magical crystal in his hand. After placing it on the table in front of them, he stood still, staring at it. Issei was confused: he wasn't very familiar with those magical devices.

<Let's start with the big one...>

The warrior drew his sword and placed it on the seat of the chair. He brought the blade close to Issei's throat. The warrior's thick skin didn't even flinch, because a sword blade isn't very sharp.

<Let's see, how was it? Oh right. Tell us everything you know or you'll die!>

The knight Issei was cornered, he had no way to avoid cutting himself by moving. He didn't know what to do. He checked around; his comrade was looking at him in terror.
The enemy warrior turned and made room for another armed man. He was old and small, with a knife in his hand and a madman's expression.

Issei was tortured severely: they pulled out his fingernails, broke some of his fingers, nearly drowned him several times without letting him die, kicked his testicles, and he nearly lost an eye.
Yet he remained silent.

<Be careful not to kill him, you disgusting barbarians.>

A voice from the corner of the room said, hoarse and confused.
Finally, the tall warrior pushed the old man aside and turned to Issei's battle companion. His name was Fukō, and he was on the verge of tears. He had always thought the training was too harsh and that many of the things he was told were lies, but now he was living his worst nightmare.
He was too young; it was his first time on the battlefield. He was very likely to reveal the secret in the blink of an eye.

The enemy, seeing the frightened young man, laughed until a tear fell.

<Hahaha, you're so pathetic hahaha. You're very small, maybe you sing better than your friend next to you?>

The young man was trying to free himself, but it was impossible. The enemy stared into the boy's eyes. Fukō was completely terrified. The enemy laughed again.
The young man was also brutally tortured. However, he didn't speak, not because he'd been told to in training camp, but because he was too terrified to speak.

With slow steps, a man with a long white beard and a long white robe approached the table. A mage. The old magician Zouken, not very famous, but very skilled.
With a rub, the crystal ball began to light up. Inside was a representation of the young man's family: his mother, his two brothers, and even his fiancée.

<No! Don't touch Mom!>

Fukō squirmed in his chair. With a battle cry, he tried to break the ropes, but it was useless. It was a pathetic scene; even Issei looked away.
Then the enemy warrior took the magic crystal in his hand and held it close to his face. His greasy, dirty hands gave off a terrible stench, and Fukō wasn't used to that smell. The smell of war.

On the crystal, Fukō's mother was seen crying as she held her children, who were also crying in despair.

<Tell us immediately how you got here! OTHERWISE I'LL KILL YOUR FAMILY!>

The warrior's rising voice made the frail knight cry again. The spittle that splashed on him infuriated Issei, who was standing nearby.
Fukō tried to calm down.

<I... I... I won't tell you anything!>

Fukō, unable to be honest with himself, let his emotions take over. The warrior, hearing this, laughed.

<I... I... I... hahaha. I feel sorry for you.>

The young man lowered his gaze; he was angry, not with his enemies but with himself. He was weak both physically and mentally.

<Near the... No, I can't!>

Fukō gritted his teeth; he was about to spill the most important secret of the Wohlstand kingdom. A secret that would decide the fate of the war.

<This way, we won't get anywhere. GO ON, SPEAK!>

The enemy warrior punched the boy with all his might in the face. He thrashed, screaming in pain. His nose began to bleed; it even seemed to be twisted.

<You're good at withstanding torture, huh? Interesting.>

The warrior tilted the crystal slightly, and suddenly a blade could be seen approaching Fukō's family.

<But not them.>

The young man's eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets. He gritted his teeth. His veins throbbed as if they wanted to spill out. He was helpless. He thrashed about again.

<Bastards!>

The enemy warrior smiled. His plan was working; the indirect attack on Fukō was more effective than he could have imagined.
In the sphere Fukō saw his mother being kicked and punched several times. Then he saw a soldier point his blade at his brothers.

<My brothers...>

The weak knight cried in despair. Of all the tortures, this was the worst he could endure. He couldn't resist any longer.

<Near the moss...>

The enemy warrior laughed.

<Are you speaking now?>

Fukō, closing his eyes as if to flee, revealed the secret.

<At the foot of the mountain, near the blue moss, there's a secret passage!>

Issei's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his ears. His battle partner had just revealed the mountain's secret.

<Now let my family go!>

With a snap of his fingers, the warrior ordered the wizard Zouken to take the crystal ball away. Then Issei's breathing became increasingly labored. Finally, he fainted. The wizard, taking the crystal back, cast a high-level drowsiness spell on Issei.