The battlefield didn't look like one.
In movies, Hajime had seen wide, open fields full of clashing soldiers, banners waving in the wind. But this—this was chaos in a field of tall grass, fighting monsters instead of men.
He gripped his short sword tightly and ran through the waist-high grass. The battle had already begun. Screams and steel echoed all around. Some adventurers were wounded, others already stood over corpses—but Hajime didn't care. His eyes were locked on one target:
The goblin from before. The one that defiled the Whore Ram.
Hajime sprinted past the others, weaving between trees until he reached the edge of the forest. He spotted the goblin right where he'd left it—still thrusting, unaware.
What the hell is wrong with this thing? Hajime's disgust boiled over. Rage surged through him.
Moving like a shadow, he dashed forward with silent, ghostlike steps. Mana surged through his blade. One powerful downward slash—clean, precise.
Schlink!
The goblin and the Whore Ram were cleaved in half. Hajime circled the twitching corpse and spat on it.
"This vile monster deserved to die."
Turning to head back—
BAM.
Something slammed into him with brute force. He flew through the air and crashed through a tree, splinters and leaves flying.
"Tch…" Hajime groaned, slumped against another tree, pain flaring in every limb.
His blurry vision focused just enough to see it—a hulking creature nearly twice his size, pig-faced and towering.
An orc.
Panic struck like a bolt of ice.
I have to get up—now. Or I'm dead.
Hajime pushed through the pain and tried to rise. That's when he saw it—his left arm bent the wrong way, blood dripping down.
"Shit… broken," he hissed.
But he didn't stop.
Gripping his sword with his right hand, he faced the orc. It roared and charged, its massive arms swinging wildly hitting surrounding branches.
[Rank 1 Spell: Fireball]
A sphere of fire burst from Hajime's hand and slammed into the orc's right leg.
BOOM!
"Roar"
The orc stumbled—but it wasn't down. Hajime didn't need it to be. He needed an opening.
'Yes, it worked!'
Flames appeared around his blade.
'I need to get to him before he recovers!'
[Rank 1 Spell: Air Burst]
The spell launched him forward in a blink. He twisted midair like a hawk in flight, sword blazing in flame.
SHING!
His sword came down in a wide arc. The orc screamed as its arm hit the ground with a loud thud, severed at the shoulder.
Hajime landed, panting hard, sweat dripping into his eyes.
Damn. I missed the neck.
The orc dropped to one knee, clutching its burned stump. Hajime was bleeding, breathless, and dizzy—but he refused to stop.
I'm not wasting my second chance at life!
More Mana surged through his sword again—but this time, the flame turned blue. The fire sparked and crackled until it became lightning.
Electricity danced wildly across the blade, arcs shocking the ground, igniting grass and air.
The orc rose again. But this time, Hajime saw something different in its eyes.
Fear.
It knew it couldn't escape. With a final desperate roar, it charged.
Hajime raised his sword above his head. The lightning intensified.
[Rank 1 Spell: Boost][Rank 2 Spell: Boost Strength][Rank 2 Spell: Lightning Chain]
The orc thundered forward, each step leaving deep prints in the dirt.
Hajime struck.
The moment his blade came down, a massive burst of lightning exploded outward. Blinding light consumed everything. Thunder cracked. Trees caught fire. Bolts of lightning streaked into the sky.
Even the adventurers on the battlefield stopped and turned to look at the flash erupting from the forest.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
Silence. Lighting wildly burst outward charring everything around it.
When the dust settled, there he stood.
A bloodied boy left arm hanging uselessly. In his right hand—a sword wrapped in crackling lightning. Before him, a charred, corpse now unrecognizable.
Adventurers gawked in awe for a moment, then turned back to their own fights.
Damn... That thing was tough, Hajime thought, swaying.
"HAJIME!"
A familiar voice.
Hajime turned, eyes meeting Kazuma—blonde-haired, blue-eyed, armored in steel. Kazuma froze in shock.
"Father," Hajime said weakly.
Kazuma's gaze dropped to Hajime's broken arm. He rushed forward.
[Rank 3 Spell: High Heal]
A soft green glow enveloped the arm. Hajime grimaced, teeth gritting as the bones realigned.
"GAAH—!"
"It's not fully healed," Kazuma said. "I just set the bone and stopped the bleeding."
"Thanks… That orc was a nightmare."
Kazuma finally noticed the blackened corpse behind them. He walked over, inspecting it.
"It really is an orc. Good work."
Kazuma turned back to Hajime, his expression serious. "But your arm's still messed up. You'll have to fight like—"
THUD. THUD. THUD.
He stopped mid-sentence.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
A low rumble echoed through the trees, growing louder with each step.
Kazuma's eyes narrowed. He drew his sword in one swift motion.
"…Something big is coming."
Together, they turned—
A group of orcs—towering and snarling—marched through the trees toward them.