34 Riko

"Riko, don't!"

The youthful knight who appeared as young as Lyrica, bravely charges towards the Guardian Snake who's glaring daggers at him.

"Don't risk your life trying to save someone already dead!"

"Think about your family! Your Grandmother and your siblings! What will happen to them if even you were to leave them?!"

Despite all their plea, the knight continues to go forward, determined to get his Father back who is most likely dead.

"Why are you guys wasting your saliva, trying to bring that brat to his senses?!" Said the knight standing behind the others who are all looking at Riko. "He's a goner, but we can still live and see our families! It's our chance to escape! If you want to live, then follow me!"

The rest of the knights acted deaf with his statement as they went straight after the young man named Riko.

The middle-aged knight gritted his teeth in frustration.

"You're all fools!"

Leaving behind his fellow knights for his survival, the man sets off in the opposite direction.

All the while, Lyrica and the voice watch him from above as he disappears into the distance.

"That man must be their commander." Said the voice. "Talk about not caring for his men. I wonder how did he become a commander?"

"It's not about not caring for the lives of his men." Lyrica mouthed her thoughts. "He probably made a choice. It's either to save his own life along with the others or risk their own to save the one who already disregarded his own life. It's only an assumption though."

The knight commander chose to save his own life, but the others chose the exact opposite. To Lyrica, what the commander decided to do was the smartest choice. If she were put into the same situation as him, she would do the same thing without a doubt.

"I can't understand why they would bother risking their lives to save someone who already disregarded his own life." The girl uttered. "Perhaps this is what it means to be a selfless, dignified knight. Or maybe they're fools, just like what their commander called them before."

"Stop it, Riko!"

While Lyrica and the voice continue discussing on top of the cliff, one of the knights managed to catch up to Riko. He wrapped his arms around him as soon as he got a hold of the young knight.

"Let me go!!"

Riko desperately pleaded to the knight to let him go, but the knight refuses to do what he demanded.

While giving Riko a firm hold, the knight speaks.

"I thought you said you despised your Ama? Didn't you say you don't give a damn whatever happens to that idiot who only does is drinking all day and all night?!"

Lyrica's eyes narrowed. The words that came out of the knight who's holding Riko caught Lyrica's interest.

'That Riko... So he's the same as me, huh...'

Similar to how Lyrica despised her parents, Riko appears to harbor the same feeling towards his Father, but not as much as Lyrica do.

"Yeah, I said it. I despised my Ama who's nothing but a worthless piece of garbage who couldn't protect his own kasintahan. But..."

Tears started trickling down from the corners of his brown eyes.

"... He's still my Ama!"

Right then, Lyrica's memories came flashing back on her. Memories remind her of the days she spent along with her parents before everything fell apart.

Lyrica shook her head in an attempt to forget what she remembered.

"Tch..."

"Bring me back my Ama, you damn snake!"

Riko's desire to save and see his Father allowed him to exert enough strength to break free from the adult knight's tight hold by throwing the said knight to the ground.

"Ack!" The knight grunted in pain. "How are you so strong all of a sudden?!"

"That kid..."

Even the voice is surprised by how Riko managed to throw the knight down despite the obvious heaviness of their armor.

"We're done here."

"Lyrica?"

The girl stood up and turns away from the Guardian Snake, Riko, and the others. Lyrica bites the corner of her lower lip, her hand clenched into a fist, trembles almost unnoticeably right before she makes a straight face.

"We learned that your prediction is wrong, and I also learned that the people here are using the same language like mine," Lyrica said to the voice. "We already got what we want to know, which means the deal is now off and my life is now in danger. It's about time that we head out."

"L-Lyrica...!"

Just like that, Lyrica walks away without looking back to the Guardian Snake, Riko, and the others.

Graaagh!

On the other hand, the Guardian Snake starts making its move against the rushing young knight.

Bwooooosshh!!

"Uwagh–!"

Following a loud roar, the Guardian Snake fires a strong surge of wind breath.

"Hold on!"

The force of the Guardian Snake's breath had Riko and the others struggling to keep themselves from being blown away. However, one of the knights who couldn't get a strong hold of the ground is sent flying along with tiny rocks, dirt, and the grasses he peeled off the soil.

"No, Marlo!" One of the knights screamed in despair.

"I can't... It's too strong...!"

"Hey, Karlo! We're all going to die here at this rate! We have to escape while we have the chance!" Another knight suggested to the one he named Karlo.

"Sorry, Magdalo! But I can't leave that fool here!"

Karlo responded to Magdalo while keeping his eyes on Riko.

Meanwhile, using every ounce of his strength, Riko takes a step against the storm of strong wind.

"I... I'll kill you!" Uttered, the furious young knight.

Soon after noticing that its breath isn't enough to make the young knight falter, the ruler of the forest stops its attempt on blowing Riko away. Instead, the Guardian Snake starts slithering with its humongous body towards Riko.

Graaa... Raaagh!!

Karlo, Magdalo, and the rest fell on the ground in relief.

"It's over..." Magdalo said as he turns his back on the ground, exhausted.

At that moment, Karlo sees Riko pushing forward soon after the Guardian Snake stopped exhaling its breath.

"That reckless fool!"

Karlo stood up as quickly as possible. And while clenching his teeth, he uttered:

"Liksi!"

Karlo's whole body glows in light for a complete second. And then, the next second he started sprinting with incredible speed, allowing him to shorten the distance between him and Riko.

The Guardian Snake bellowed once more, opening its mouth wide as it slithers towards Riko. The young knight responded by letting out a loud cry. He pulls his sword out of its sheath as he uttered:

"Lakas!"

Similar to Karlo, Riko's body glows with light. Although his speed didn't change, the firm grip of his sword, as well as his eyes are brimming with strength.

Riko points the edge of his sword towards the Guardian Snake's open jaw.

"Raaaaaghh!!"

Riko no longer thinks about anything. Not his Grandmother, his siblings, nor his own life. At that moment, the only thing that matters to him is his Father and nothing else.

"Riko!"

As he disregards his surroundings, Riko failed to realize that Karlo is already beside him.

"You fool!"

Clang!!

"Agh–!"

Before Riko and the Guardian Snake's one-sided clash occurs, Karlo pushes the young knight aside using his body.

"Kuh...!"

Riko got himself rolling over the ground. Luckily, he has his armor which protected his body from receiving minor wounds.

As soon as the momentum disappeared, Riko gets himself back up. However, as he turned himself around, Riko sees the face of the man who pushed him aside.

"Karlo–!"

He shouted at the same time he saw the Guardian Snake's fangs barely touching Karlo's head.

"Karlo, hurry!"

Riko dashes and tries to reach his hand over to the adult knight. However, Karlo knew it was already too late.

Seconds before Karlo gets himself eaten by the Guardian Snake, he tells Riko:

"Don't leave my daughter, too, you fool."

"Aah...!"