Hora was sent back to the physical world feeling pleased with the events that took place in the Black Dream.
He found himself on the white grass, with the sky above clearly darkening. The shadows seemed to be covering the ground too, attempting to block his vision.
It was his first night spent in Ilona.
Before looking at the changes in his status he looked around. Something felt wrong.
There was no sign of Mariketh.
"Ashfinder?" Hora called as he looked around him.
As he focused on the surrounding darkness, the Ashfallen's night vision kicked in, allowing him to see further than other races might be able to.
That was when he saw it. A group of figures in the distance circled around a woman sitting on the grass. They seemed to be amused, especially when one of the figures kicked the woman in her face, sending her falling onto her back.
What's going on...
Hora focused further. He was able to deduce that whilst he was able to see the figures in the distance, they were unable to see him.
It was because they were humans with normal eyesight, and the woman they were circling... was Mariketh the Ashfinder.
Why have they taken her? Why her and not me?
Could it be that she sensed them coming and led them away from me?
The thought almost angered him. Would she risk her life just to keep him?
No, now wasn't the time to complain. What was important was that Hora was alive. He needed to think of the safest way to deal with the situation.
Part of him wondered if he should just leave her. Allow her to be carried back to the White Ravine, where the rest of the Ashfallen were being enslaved.
That idea didn't sit right with him.
Allowing the Ashfallen to stay in the position that they had gotten themselves into in the past was one thing, but watching it happen in front of his eyes was completely different.
Besides, despite being a human on earth, he seemed to carry a hatred for them on Ilona.
As the group continued to carry Mariketh through the field, Hora slowly followed through the darkness, keeping his wings out, and his sword in hand.
He used this time to focus on his enemies.
[Adult Human Male]
[Rank: Copper]
[Adult Human Male]
[Rank: Copper]
[Adult Human Male]
[Rank: Copper]
[Adult Human Male]
[Rank: Bronze]
One against Four... Three Coppers and One bronze...
Were these odds possible to overcome?
Hora knew that he was limited to one skill; however, he did have the wings and a longsword to fight with.
If he was able to pick off the Bronze human fast enough, he could quickly turn this into a one versus three.
Hora let out a sigh.
Alright then, let's risk my life for the Ashfinder.
With a burst of his wings, Hora tore through the darkness, closing the distance between himself and the group in a mere second. As they heard the sound of the blowing winds, they turned towards the direction.
They were too slow.
Hora flew past the bronze man and swung his sword horizontally, using cleave. The heavy blow met resistance; however, when aided by the speed of flight, it became even easier to sever the man's head from his body.
A blonde-haired head flew through the air before landing on the grass with a thud.
The three others were unable to even react. They simply looked at their leader in disbelief.
Mariketh turned her head towards the winged figure. She knew who it was without having to even see his face.
His hair was long and black, and two dark wings extended from the man's shirtless back. As he turned around, two entirely white eyes landed on the four men like prey.
"Hora, The God of Ash." She whispered.
Hora twirled his blade, sending droplets of blood flying through the air. Then he looked at the remaining three men.
They were dressed in blue military suits with button jackets and straight pants, leading to heavy black boots. Around their waists were silver swords, and they also had gun holsters over their shoulders.
Immediately the men drew their swords in one hand, and their flintlock pistols in the other.
"Shit." Hora cursed beneath his breath.
No one told me that guns existed in this world. I should have expected that from humans.
"Y-you've killed him... You've killed our master you dirty paleskin!"
Bang!
One of the young men fired his gun. Hora expected this and defended himself with his wings.
The bullet was unable to penetrate him, but still sent a sharp pain through his spine.
By the time he uncovered himself, the same young man was charging with his sword. Flintlock pistols could only fire one shot before needing to be reloaded, so he had to switch to close-quarters combat.
The young man's silver swords gleamed with an orange light as he activated his skill. The bottoms of his feet also glowed white from another skill, which seemed to hasten his footsteps.
But no matter how fast the human was, Hora knew that a winged Ashfallen was faster.
With a flap of his wings, he flew forward and stopped right in front of the young man.
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then, the young man looked down at his chest.
The point of a Shadowsteel Longsword had entered his chest and penetrated his heart.
"M-mommy..." He cried once before sliding off the blade and falling to the ground.
Hora then looked back up at the two remaining human men. As they realised what they were up against, their hands trembled in fear.
A smile spread across Hora's face. To his surprise, he found that he was enjoying himself.
"Unfortunately, one of you has to die. The other will be kept for questioning. Choose which one of you will be the lucky survivor." He spoke calmly.
The two men looked at each other, gritting their teeth in rage. They didn't speak a word between them.
Then, they activated their skills and charged.