Two o'clock in the afternoon.
The roar of battle could no longer be heard.
Putri, who had been sitting on the side of the road and taking shelter under a tree, was immediately alert.
If Aril won, then she had nothing to fear, but if the bald head won, then Putri had to prepare for the worst.
"You'd better get out of here," said so raptor man who slowly began to move his body.
"If I leave, where should I go?" replied Putri with a question.
"Mr. Gilbert is strong and temperamental. After he defeats that boy, he will definitely torture you. Leave while you can."
Putri smiled faintly. "If Big brother Aril is indeed defeated. I guess I'll decide to die here as well."
"Huh?! Didn't you hear me?! If you run away now, you can still live."
Putri imagined Salma and Aril standing side by side while smiling at her. "I don't want to live in a world without them."
"Huh?! What are you talking about?! If you're still alive, you still have hope!"
Putri smiled at the man who was still lying on the asphalt road. "You really are a good person after all."
"Don't get me wrong, kid. I just wanted to give you a chance to run in exchange for sparing my life."
"Thank you, but I've already made my choice," said Putri who had made up her mind already.
The raptor man sighed. "You stupid kid."
From a distance, a giant wolf approached.
Both the Putri and the raptor man's eyes widened instantly.
Putri began to step back. "I said I'm prepared to die, but die when fighting that bald man, not a giant monster."
Putri began to run away.
The raptor man panicked. "WOI! WAIT A MINUTE! DON'T LEAVE ME!"
"Ah yes, I forgot, sorry." Putri returned and tried to drag the man.
The beast got closer and both of them cried out in panic.
"SHIT! SHIT! WHY ARE THERE MONSTERS LIKE THAT HERE?!" The raptor man shouted.
Putri dragged the man's body while crying. "I don't want to die as food."
The wolf jumped and landed in front of the two screaming panic-stricken people.
Putri fell silent and sat down and cried.
The wolf did nothing. It just stayed where it was. The wolf immediately folded its four legs so that the entire surface of its abdomen was pressed against the road.
Putri and the raptor man were frozen in place. Both of them were confused.
Soon after, someone jumped down from the top of the wolf's back. That person was Aril whose clothes looked shabby and dirty.
"Putri I'm sorry, that bald bastard ran away. I wanted to chase after him but -"
Putri immediately jumped up and hugged Aril so tightly while crying out loud.
For a moment, Putri thought her world had ended and was ready to die. Aril, the only family she had left, the only person she could call home...
...returned safely even though her only expectation was death.
Putri could not contain her relief and could only cry while hugging the young man's shabby and dirty body.
Aril was silent for a moment and then sighed.
The young man hugged Putri. "Sorry to make you worry."
Aril hugged Putri tightly, letting her cry as loudly as she could.
After less than 5 minutes of hugging, Aril's gaze focused on the wavy-haired man lying on the asphalt road.
Aril released his hug and walked towards the raptor man.
"Putri, close your eyes. I don't want you to see this," said Aril whose two fists were suddenly enveloped in red hot flames.
The raptor man chuckled then sighed heavily. "Go ahead, do it."
Putri suddenly stood before Aril. "Don't kill him."
"What are you talking about, Putri?" asked Aril in such a calm tone but with such a serious look on his face.
"He's innocent!" insisted Putri.
"He tried to rape you."
"He was only ordered to by that bald man."
"He killed aunt Salma, your mother."
"It wasn't him who killed mom, it was that bald man."
Aril kept walking and didn't care about Putri. "It's the same to me."
Putri tugged at Aril's shirt, hoping to stop him, but he kept walking forward.
"He tried to help me earlier! He's a good person! You can't kill him!" shouted Putri who pulled Aril's shirt with all her might but the young man's steps didn't stop.
"It's okay, Putri. It's called stockholm syndrome. I'll eliminate the source," said Aril who raised his fiery hand into the air, preparing to crush the raptor man's head.
"My mom doesn't want you killing good people!"
*DHUAR!
Aril's fist was landed next to the raptor man's head. His fiery hot fist smashed and melted the hard asphalt road.
The raptor man was breathing heavily, his heart racing. When he looked into Aril's eyes, he realized that the young man was serious about crushing his head.
Aril walked away. "You should thanks to aunt Salma."
The raptor man breathed a sigh of relief.
Putri immediately approached the raptor man who looked pale. "Are you okay?"
"You saved my life twice," said the raptor man. "I owe you my life."
Putri helped the raptor man up. "Are you able to walk now?"
The raptor man tried to move his legs.
Although he still had some difficulty, he was able to move his body.
Aril lifted Salma's head so gently and sighed. He could no longer hide his sad face.
A drop of tear flowed out of Aril's eyes. "Had I not hesitated, you wouldn't have had to die... I'm sorry, Aunt Salma."
Aril hugged the woman's head while crying.
----------------------------------------------
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
The sun was no longer shining its hot rays, a suitable time for burial.
Aril and Putri were in front of Salma's grave which is right next to their house.
Putri sat crying and hugging her mother's tombstone.
Aril stood behind Putri, trying to look strong even though he seemed to be struggling to hold back his tears.
While Putri and Aril were grieving, the raptor man gathered the bodies of his own men.
After all the corpses were arranged in one big pile, the giant wolf immediately spit out a breath of fire from its mouth.
The wavy-haired man watched as all of his subordinates burned. Although he despised those who had no system, he still felt a little... Just a little... A little of sadness because they were his loyal subordinates.
"So, you were defeated by that boy?" The raptor man stared at the giant wolf.
The wolf just growled and made the man surprised and a little worried.
"Sorry," said the raptor man who stepped back a few steps.
He sighed heavily. "It seems that my condition is the same as yours right now. From now on, it looks like I'll have to be his subordinate."
Aril walked up to the giant wolf and it immediately sat down and bowed its head.
The young man touched the giant wolf. "At least I got a new pet."
The giant wolf wagged its tail.
"From now on, you will be my pet and obey all my orders," Aril said firmly.
The wolf folded its front legs, submitting fully to Aril's command.
"I will name you Ignoir. A combination of the words Ignis and Noir," Aril said, causing the wolf to wag its tail in excitement.
Shortly after giving the name, Aril felt a strange sensation. It was as if all his strength and power was sucked away instantly.
His vision wavered. "Eh? What happened?"
Aril had no strength to stand up and his vision was slowly blackening.
"Eh?!"