Chaos and fighting exploded between the Mad Clan and the other villagers in the middle of the night.
"Do you think the Chosen One is alright?" a man whispered to his comrade.
His comrade was aiming his bow at the perverted guard who was keeping watch over their captured comrades.
"Thwack!"
The arrow pierced the perverted guard's head, the one who tried to abuse naisha.
"I hope he's fine. He went straight for the Mad Clan leader to save Naisha," another companion murmured as they crouched low after his shot.
They slipped through the shadows and freed the villagers one by one.
As they approached, the hostages were startled. But they were relieved to see their familiar faces. More of their comrades then had arrived to help.
"What's going on?" one of those who were tied asked. "Why are you all here?"
"Don't worry," one of the rescuers reassured them. "The Chosen One is with us. He saved the elders."
***
A few hours earlier…
The peaceful village was torn apart by the sudden attack. Caught off guard by the ambush on their lookout, the villagers had no time to prepare.
Many were still asleep when the slave hunters burst into their tents. Panic surged through the village. In the chaos, their only instinct was to escape—get their families out, no matter the cost.
The few who managed to flee decided to return to the village once their families were safe. They had to do something—anything—to help.
When they arrived, they found a few Mad Clan members still lingering in the village, taking anything of value.
They also saw the elderly, bound and helpless, with a Mad Clan member poised, ready to start executing them, starting with Mother Venice.
Without a second thought, the hidden villagers rushed forward, desperate to save the elders—even though they were outmatched, and weaponless.
"No, no…" one of them exclaimed, thinking that they will not make it in time. The others also knew it and closed their eyes, believing that they could not save Mother Venice anymore.
To their surprise, a shadow flashed past them.
"Leave it to me," he called out.
It was Chayil. He had seen their bravery and their determination to fight against the odds.
He grabbed a rock from the ground as he ran. And when he reached the right distance, he launched himself forward, his arm snapping back as he hurled the stone at the Mad Clan member about to execute Mother Venice.
"Whoosh!"
"Thud!"
The rock collided with the enemy's head and blood splatter
The remaining nine Mad Clan members, who had been scavenging the village, spun around to face him, their hands reaching for weapons.
"Who are you?" one of them growled.
"I'm just passing through," Chayil said with a smirk as he charged at them.
Without a second thought, he slammed into the nearest attacker, using his raw strength to knock them off balance.
Chayil didn't need weapons—he simply made use of whatever was within arm's reach: a jagged rock, a fallen branch, the enemy's blades turned back on them.
The villagers who had returned to the scene could only stand frozen, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Ahh!" some were shouting in pain.
"Thud!" The sounds of Chayil's punches echoed in the air.
"Slash!" Chayil maimed them using their own weapons.
And there were more sounds of the Mad Clan's defeat coming from Chayil's attack on them.
In a matter of moments, it was over. The last of the Mad Clan members lay on the ground. Chayil stood over them, chest heaving with each breath.
The villagers rushed forward, their hesitation fading now that the danger had passed.
They moved swiftly to free the elders and cut through the ropes that bound them. Among them was Mother Venice.
"Who... who are you, anyway?" one of the villagers asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Mother Venice stepped forward. "He is the Chosen One." She turned to Chayil, her eyes pleading. "Please, if it's not too much to ask, we need one more favor. Save Naisha—and the other villagers, too."
"Naisha... my Naisha?" Chayil asked, his heart racing at the mere mention of her name. He was still reeling, hopelessly captivated by her. "Where is she?"
"They haven't gone far. If you head that way," she pointed down the path, "you might still catch up with them."
"Then I'll save her," Chayil said. His gaze drifted to a metal pipe lying on the ground. He snatched it up, his grip tightening. "And if anyone so much as tries to touch her... I'll kill them all."
Mother Venice looked at the pipe. Then she shifted her gaze to Chayil and smiled. Somehow she felt relieved that he would surely save the other villagers.
"Wait, let me help you get there," one of the returning villagers offered, stepping forward.
Moments later, more people emerged from the shadows of the trees. They looked eager—ready to fight if it meant saving one of their own.
"Please let us come with you. We feel guilty for leaving them and escaping. We should have stayed and fought for them," the others pleaded to Chayil.
"You'll be facing two hundred men," Mother Venice warned. "Going alone would be madness. Take these men with you. Lead them."
Chayil shook his head. "I don't need anyone," he said bluntly. "But if they want to save their comrade and clear their conscience, they can come. Just don't get in my way."
With that, twenty men villagers gathered their weapons and fell in behind Chayil as he strode forward, ready for battle.
***
Present time…
Once all the hostages were freed, they were handed some weapons.
"So… what's the plan?" one of the freed villagers asked, glancing around anxiously.
"We hold them off," someone replied. "All we need to do is buy time for the Chosen One to defeat the leader of the clan."
A murmur ran through the group, but one villager voiced the fear on everyone's mind.
"But… can he really beat Gorvex?" His voice trembled slightly. "I heard he is a Verdant too—like us."
The man in the group who unleashed them smiled, the memory of Chayil's fierce skill fresh in his mind—how he'd taken down nine enemies in the blink of an eye.
"Yes," he said with confidence. "He can."
With that, they surged forward, weapons raised, hurling themselves into battle. Despite being outnumbered by almost half, they fought the Mad Clan with everything they had.
They were determined to defeat the Mad Clan. Even though the enemies' brute force is greater than them, they fight with them head-on.
During the chaos, Gorvex's roar echoed through the camp. His attack shook the ground, destroying the tent.
Meanwhile, Chayil's eyes narrowed as he had just dodged Gorvex's brutal strike. He still had Naisha over his shoulder, her form wrapped in a blanket that barely clung to her.
The brute wasn't just playing around anymore.
Chayil put Naisha down. "Thank you for the recharge," he smiled at her.
Naisha drew in a deep breath as she tried to make sense of Chayil's words. 'What was he talking about?' She hadn't done anything. He had just scooped her up, and her body merely pressed against his.
"You're lucky you escaped from my attack," Gorvex cut through their conversation. "Now, let's see how you can stop me!" he bellowed, charging forward.
"Yeah, sure. I wanna see it too," Chayil smirked, his stance shifting as he readied himself for the fight.