Finally, both of them dashed for their own mission. Undeniably, Jusis is still scared and he knows that guilt will eat him either way later. But to his heart, there's only one voice, "stay awake."
Besides the gun, the mysterious man handed Jusis another strange item—a cylindrical object with a button and a glass end. The man called it a flashlight, explaining it could provide illumination without consuming mana. Jusis pressed the button and was amazed as a powerful beam of light cut through the darkness, far surpassing their torches.
With this newfound light, they quickly but safely resumed their run, Jusis heightening his awareness. After a few minutes, they encountered a small group of goblins, wounded and fleeing the battlefield. Jusis could see the goblins' mutilated arms and the guts they clutched in their hands, a sight that halted the villagers in their tracks. The goblins noticed the light and turned toward them.
Jusis sweating cold but aimed the pistol with shaky hands and pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed through the forest, the bright muzzle flash illuminating their surroundings. His heart raced, and the recoil almost threw him off balance. The unexpected power of the shot startled him, making him momentarily lose his grip .
His first shot missed, enraging the injured goblins who then rushed at them. Panic surged through the villagers and Jusis alike. But he knew this was his chance to redeem himself and protect the remaining survivors.
Jusis gripped the pistol tightly with both hands, trying to steady his aim. He took a deep breath and pulled the trigger again. Bang! The recoil was still jarring, but this time he managed to keep his aim steady. One goblin fell, hit in the chest. Another bright flash and a loud bang echoed as he fired again, another goblin dropping to the ground.
Despite the success, fear still gripped Jusis. His heart pounded, his hands trembling, but he steeled his resolve. He aimed carefully and fired once more. The bullet hit its mark, and the goblin's body crumpled. Two more goblins remained, closing in fast. Jusis braced himself, fired, and hit one in the chest, sending it crashing to the ground.
The last goblin was only a few meters away, its grotesque face twisted in rage. Jusis's heart pounded harder, his face a mix of determination and anger. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "I'm awake!" Instead of firing the pistol, he unsheathed his sword and, with a powerful upward slash, split the goblin in half.
Night fell silent again, with Jusis panting heavily. He couldn't feel his legs, and his hands were trembling, yet he still stood his ground. This was his first kill. Breathing rapidly through his nostrils, he eventually took a deep breath.
"What a powerful weapon..." a villager said, flabbergasted at what they had witnessed. To the medieval villagers, the gun was unlike anything they had ever seen. It wasn't magic, yet it had brought down the goblins with a thunderous roar, leaving them both awed and frightened by its power.
Jusis examined the goblin, confirming that it had already been injured in a previous battle. But who had fought these creatures before? Did they come from Manilia? Jusis thought they might be fleeing survivors. If that were the case, then Manilia might still be holding its ground. But there were no signs of slashes or arrow wounds on these goblins. Instead, their bodies had strange holes. He looked at the gun in his hand.
"Could he have fought these goblins too?" Jusis remembered the mysterious man from earlier. "He must be powerful." Then, on the ground, he saw a small cylindrical goldish metal object. "What is this?" He wondered, having never seen anything like it before. He recalled seeing something similar ejecting from the mystical item he used. He picked up a shell casing and pocketed it.
Jusis searched for more threats, scanning the surroundings with the flashlight. But thankfully, everything seemed quiet for now. With that, they continued their escape.
They moved quickly but cautiously, everyone on high alert. Finally, they reached a part of the forest where there was a large open area, and all the villagers were shocked by what they saw.
In a circular clearing, they found the corpses of many goblins scattered everywhere. The bodies were mutilated, evidence of an intense battle, yet there were no human bodies or blood. Only goblins, riddled with holes and mutilated.
Jusis quickly examined the corpses. "What in the world happened here?"
As they walked through the clearing, Jusis spotted more of the small cylindrical goldish metal objects on the ground. Suddenly, he recalled the earlier events when he fired the gun. Every time he pulled the trigger, he noticed something ejected from the artifact. He compared the shell casing he had picked up to the ones on the ground.
They were similar, but much larger and thicker. "Could he have an even more powerful weapon than this?" he pondered.
As they continued walking, they heard loud and numerous footsteps approaching. Everyone immediately became alert. Jusis raised the pistol and flashlight, looking for whatever was coming. However, their fear and alertness quickly turned to relief when they saw torches.
Finally, the approaching figures were revealed. They were mounted on horses, clad in iron armor, armed with swords and bows. They were the patrolmen of Manilia.
"Thank goodness! They've come for us!" Villagers cheered in relief. Jusis also breathed freely for the first time.
The warriors on horseback briefly examined the area before inquiring of Jusis. "Are you from Bataen? What happened to your village?"
Jusis, clenching his fist, replied, "Yes, we are. Our village... it fell. We stood no chance and were retreating to your town."
The patrol captain responded, "Figures... So Bataen has already fallen. I'm sorry we couldn't arrive sooner; we were under attack as well."
"Still, thank you for coming."
"Are all the survivors here?" the captain asked.
Jusis's eyes darkened. "There are still survivors left..." He remembered his father and the adventurers who had stayed behind.
"I see..." The captain also scanned the surroundings and then asked one of his patrolmen, "Did any party go to Manilia before us?"
"To my knowledge, we are the first."
"Then who killed these goblins?" the patrol leader pondered. "According to our reconnaissance, a hundred goblins passed through our defenses. Yet it looks like more than half of them are dead. Who did this?"
Jusis replied, "When we arrived, this is what we found..." He paused for a moment before asking the captain, "Did you send a mage here, or did anyone from Manilia head towards Bataen?"
The leader thought for a moment. "No one that I can think of."
"Most importantly," the leader said, looking at his men, "Party 1 will advance, and Party 2 will escort the survivors. After that, immediately come back for us as backup."
"Yes, sir!" they responded.
As the patrolmen were preparing, they saw another group approaching from the direction of Bataen.
Another group of villagers came into view, looking more haggard and scared, struggling to catch their breath as they ran.
A woman from the first group immediately ran to a man in the second group, embracing him. They were husband and wife. "I'm glad you made it! Thank goodness," the woman cried in relief, but the man quickly stopped her.
"I'm happy to see you too, but we all need to leave. Now!" His voice was filled with urgency and fear.
"We're from Manilia, and you're safe for now," the leader assured the new survivors, but the man spoke tensely. "No! Even the people of Manilia need to evacuate!!"
The newly arrived villagers were terrified as they said, "We were attacked by Cerus."
At that moment, everyone felt pure terror, their faces reflecting their fear.
"Cerus?! How is that possible?!" The leader couldn't believe what he was hearing. "We don't know, but... the chief and some adventurers engaged them in combat... But they surely can't hold them off, and Cerus is heading this way."
The captain gritted his teeth. "Party 1 and I will retreat at full speed to Manilia and start the evacuation. The leader of Party 2 will escort the villagers. But make it quick so you can join the caravan."
Everyone was about to move, but Jusis desperately pleaded. "B-but my father! The Chief?!"
The captain's eyes darkened. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do now."
"No..." Jusis sank to his knees, feeling hopelessness consume him. But then he remembered the man from earlier. He approached one of the new survivors and asked, "Before you got here, did you come across a mysterious man wearing strange clothing?"
The villager woman replied, "Yes, and he did help us."
"Where is he now?"
"He went back to the village to search for the twin children. We tried to stop him, but he insisted. Only God knows what will happen to him there."
"Alright, thank you." Jusis stood there for a moment, then spoke up again to the captain. "Thank you for rescuing us. Please take our villagers and include them in your escape."
The captain replied, "That's what we intend to do."
Jusis glanced at the pistol and gripped it tightly. "I will stay here," he said solemnly.
"What? Are you out of your mind?! There's nothing you can do. You're just heading to your death."
"I know that, but I... already failed to fulfill my duty. As the son of the Chief, this is the last thing I can do for my people."
"Don't be foolish. You must stay alive."
Jusis didn't reply. They looked at each other, and the captain saw the unwavering resolve in Jusis's eyes.
"I see. If that's what you want, then." The captain turned his back on Jusis. "However, your death will be in vain against Cerus; you know that. We're leaving now. If you change your mind, I hope there's still something left in Manilia for you to find."
With that, everyone departed, leaving Jusis behind. "I know I can't do much, as always, but I need to return this item to that man. Even if it costs me my life... Lastly," he looked towards the path leading to Bataen, "I will stay awake and watch everything before my death. I will not sleep for now."
Suddenly, he heard a loud howl in the distance. "Please, be safe, Father and that man... I will wait here," he said, standing tall while holding a sword and the pistol under the moonlight.