The Ogre-Lord began walking slowly toward the man. It was an ogre over four meters tall, towering above the rooftops of the village. Its skin was blood-red, and a sharp horn jutted upward from the center of its forehead.
The man I had summoned readied himself to face the advancing Ogre-Lord.
The little girl on my lap continued to cry silently. Her body was frozen with fear at the sight of the terrifying monster. Her hands trembled violently.
I wasn't much different from her. Cold sweat drenched my body as I was gripped by fear at the sight of the blood-red ogre.
"Elena-sama!"
A sudden voice startled me. It was the soldier I had saved earlier.
"Please heal your wound, Elena-sama. Your face is becoming increasingly pale."
He was right—I was injured. My right arm had been wounded by a slash from the ogre's axe.
I quickly began chanting a healing spell for my right arm. I am a Priest, and like most Priests, my magic is light-elemental. Light magic is generally used to support the front lines of a party, with healing and protective spells being its foundational abilities.
However, I was growing tired—likely due to the blood loss from the wound on my arm.
"Elena-sama, are you alright?"
The soldier beside me sounded worried.
"Yes, thank you," I replied simply.
Then, I turned my gaze back to the battle between the man and the Ogre-Lord.
All the ogres had gathered around, forming a ring around the fight. They cheered for their leader as he clashed with the hero I had summoned.
Without realizing it, I had acknowledged him as a hero.
The cold night air mirrored the ominous and terrifying atmosphere hanging over the village.
The wound on my arm was nearly healed. The little girl on my lap clutched my left hand more tightly now. In her eyes, I saw not just fear but also hope.
It wasn't just the little girl—every villager who had survived was watching the battle with their hands clasped in prayer. All their hopes rested on the hero I had summoned to save them.
The man dashed around the blood-red ogre with incredible speed, confusing the massive creature. The Ogre-Lord's eyes struggled to follow his movements.
Even the gathered ogres began to fall silent as their leader, the towering four-meter Ogre-Lord, struggled against a mere human who wasn't even two meters tall.
The man leaped forward, slashing at the Ogre-Lord's ankle with his sword. He continued circling the massive creature, focusing his attacks on its legs.
The Ogre-Lord roared in rage, wildly swinging its enormous axe—twice the length of the man's body. It stomped its feet in frustration, its fury evident.
By now, my wound had fully healed. I turned to the soldier next to me; it was time for me to heal his wounds as well. But he was frozen in place, his eyes fixed on the fight before him.
"Elena-sama… Is he the hero you summoned with your spell?"
I nodded, affirming his question.
The soldier's gaze remained locked on the battle. It wasn't surprising—what he saw before him was a mere human holding his own against the Ogre-Lord, a creature that typically required a full party of Rank A adventurers to challenge.
As I healed the soldier's wounds, the little girl who had been on my lap began walking toward me. She clung to the sleeve of my robe, her eyes glued to the ongoing fight.
Yes, that was the current situation. The man I summoned was fiercely battling the terrifying Ogre-Lord on his own. Remarkably, he was the one dictating the flow of the fight.
His eyes remained sharp, watching every move the Ogre-Lord made. Occasionally, he would leap back to regain his rhythm and catch his breath, only to launch himself back into the fray.
Roaring with fury, the Ogre-Lord swung its axe overhead and slammed it down toward the man.
But the man deftly dodged, leaping swiftly to the side. Seizing the moment, he jumped onto the axe embedded in the ground, running up the ogre's massive arm.
Realizing this, the Ogre-Lord yanked its axe from the ground, but in doing so, it inadvertently flung the man into the air. Using the momentum, the man swung his sword downward, slicing through the ogre's right eye.
The Ogre-Lord stumbled back, clutching its injured eye with both hands, roaring in even greater rage.
It grabbed a handful of dirt with its left hand and hurled it at the man, then charged at him.
Blinded by the flying dirt, the man failed to dodge the Ogre-Lord's powerful tackle. He was sent flying, crashing into the wall of a nearby house, which crumbled under the impact.
I was horrified by the Ogre-Lord's underhanded attack on the hero I had summoned. I felt compelled to join the fight and help him. But as I tried to stand, the soldier beside me grabbed my arm.
"No, Elena-sama! If you interfere, the other ogres will join the fight to help their leader, and they might attack the villagers again."
I froze, realizing he was right. If I intervened, it would provoke the ogres to resume their assault on the villagers.
All I could do was pray for the hero's safety and victory.
"Hahahahaha!"
Suddenly, loud laughter echoed from the man who had risen to his feet. He seemed unscathed. After laughing, his sharp gaze turned back to the Ogre-Lord. Slowly, he began walking toward it.
"Arrrggghhh!"
With a fierce battle cry, he broke into a sprint toward the Ogre-Lord, sword in hand. He leaped forward, slashing relentlessly at its legs. His wild swings caused blood to spray out as his sword struck over and over.
Soon, the man climbed up the Ogre-Lord's body, leaping high before slicing clean through its neck.
A heavy silence fell. Time itself seemed to stand still.
The man stood tall and proud, and behind him, the Ogre-Lord collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
The remaining ogres froze, staring in shock at the man standing amidst their leader's blood. Moments later, they scattered, fleeing in terror.
The man turned toward me and said,
"Hey... I kept my promise to save you and your village."
Then, he collapsed to the ground.
I rushed to his side, cradling his body. He was panting heavily, and I feared for his well-being.
Sensing my concern, he spoke again.
"It's fine… I'm okay. Just exhausted."
I bowed my head, holding his body close, and before I realized it, words spilled from my mouth.
"Thank you... Thank you so much!"
Tears flowed freely down my face, falling onto the body of the man who had saved us—our hero, the one I summoned from another world.