Krogar, a tall humanoid golem that carried a single-bit axe with a short handle.
He was pointing his axe at the chest of the human commander, Cornelius.
Before he could deliver the final blow, his attention was suddenly caught by a release of energy.
An unleashed power almost equal to his master, Magnior.
He couldn't help but laugh and get excited.
Finally, an entity appeared that may be as strong as his master but not him.
Someone or something that he can fight and has the potential to fight back against him.
His body automatically moved towards the direction of power.
He walked off as if there was nothing around him.
Branches broke and trees fell as he attempted to track down the presence that overpowered his own foreboding aura.
He was searching through the Aliaria forest, attracted to a raw power that chaotically flowed in the forest.
It was hard to tell where it came from. It was just a one-off wave, so he used the evidence of a recent encounter to search for the exact location of the source.
Hoof marks, blood dripped on the ground, and the ruffled foliage.
He followed the tracks persistently, as if he was hunting a beast in the wild to claim it as his trophy.
After a long pursuit, he felt the aura was retracted.
The released energy that expanded in the forest seemed to have returned to its master.
This helped Kroger track the source faster.
After a few moments, he stumbled upon a silver-gray-haired, confident, form-fitting human vigilant about the surroundings while tending to a whimpering magic sorcerer.
"I finally found you. One entertaining little human." Krogar growled to himself.
Reiji turned towards him with a face of quiet anticipation.
Rowan stood and shoved Reiji to face Krogar. "Paratus sum…" (I'm ready…) he muttered.
Krogar snarled as he stared down Reiji, pointing his axe directly at Reiji.
Rowan, in front of Reiji, suddenly spread his arms and shouted, "Me nunc occide! Paratus sum." ("Kill me now! I'm ready.")
Reiji quickly pulled him away. "What are you doing? That thing will definitely kill you."
Krogar's eyes remained fixed as he watched Reiji intently.
Reiji continued to lecture Rowan. "Stop being so dramatic—"
But Krogar stomped the ground abruptly, shaking the ground and making the branches of the trees shudder.
This stopped Rowan's antics and caught Reiji's attention.
Then Krogar scowled, "You dare insult my presence, you little insect! How could you even speak our language?!"
Reiji pulled Rowan even further away.
Then Reiji asked, "Why is it asking if we could speak his language when he's clearly speaking our language?"
Rowan curled his eyebrow, puzzled. "Possesne intelligere quid diceret?" ("Could you understand what it was saying?")
"Couldn't you?" Reiji returned a confused look.
Their confusion was interrupted by Krogar, who got even more agitated by their dismissive response and began charging at them, scowling, "How dare you disregard my question!"
With his massive frame clad in a thick layer of stone skin, he ran toward them.
He swung his axe through the air, aiming to bite into the flesh and bone of the humans he's facing head-on.
Rowan raised his staff forward and prepared to invoke a chant.
"Exi, flamma–" He began casting.
Reiji swooped him away just as he conjured his spell.
"Flameball!" Rowan bellowed.
A blazing fireball hurled at Krogar.
He swatted the fireball aside with his left hand, and it exploded harmlessly against his palm.
Krogar halted momentarily, then continued his pursuit of the two.
Reiji cited, "Proprioception."
A wave of energy passed through Krogar that made him stop his chase.
"I knew it was you. Where did your power come from?" Krogar snarled.
Rowan, behind Reiji, asked, "Intellextisti illud? Quid dixit? ("Did you understand that? What did he say?")
"It was talking as if he knew me, but then asked where I came from." Reiji translated.
Rowan prepared himself for battle once more. "Serone intellegis ista? An me ludis?" ("Are you seriously understanding that? Or are you just messing with me?")
"You're that one messing with me. Let's just focus on the battle." Reiji responded, completely ignoring Krogar's query.
Krogar growled in exasperation and then lunged forward to swing his axe, aiming at the two.
Although it was a surprise attack thrown by Krogar, Reiji immediately reacted by tossing Rowan away, and he caught the tip of his axe with his bare hand, stopping him and his powerful arc.
Krogar was impressed, and his rage has risen exponentially by his excitement at Reiji's raw physical ability.
"You stopped my axe, but I have another hand." Krogar grunted as he threw a punch at Reiji.
Reiji reacted to his attacks seamlessly, and he was still able to block and absorb the impact from Krogar's punch, only pushing him back a few steps, minimizing the damage.
Krogar was agitated, enraged by how he was treated. Then he was exasperated by the continued dismissive attitude towards him.
But at that moment, he couldn't help but laugh.
The excitement and experience of an actual combat elevated his temper.
He raised his axe and pointed it at Reiji. "You are not a human, are you?"
Krogar this time did not expect an answer. But he received one anyway.
"Good question, I don't know." Reiji responded. "But one thing I know, I could surprise you much like how you surprised us."
Reiji charged at him this time.
But Reiji's speed came as a surprise that made him step back one time to defend.
He crossed his arms, anticipating a heavy blow, but it did not come in front.
Reiji suddenly appeared and landed on his left shoulder and stumped at the joint of his arm and shoulder.
*THUD!
An impact he did not expect to receive.
I was powerful but not enough to do significant damage to his structure, so he shook Reiji off of him.
As he landed, Reiji smirked. "Did I surprise you?"
Krogar did not respond with words. Instead, he threw his axe at Reiji with full force, then immediately advanced almost at the same time with the axe, throwing a right hook as Reiji tried to avoid the axe.
Reiji was still able to block the punch, but it was a punch that came from Korgar's more dominant hand, so Reiji was sent crashing through the trees.
"Cocky," Krogar growled as he pick his axe on the ground near Rowan.
Then, he faced the direction of where Reiji was sent flying completely ignoring Rowan, and assumed a combat stance.
"You'll not surprise me again."