Mystical Fantasy : The Analogi

The fog of battle thickened, and the ground trembled from the power of clashing beings. In the distance, the sound of explosions and elemental blasts rang out relentlessly. The village itself now looked like an open gate to hell.

Zeo and Ravyn, surrounded, could do nothing but observe while keeping a close eye on the Ifrit soldiers who could attack at any moment.

"Their queen… she's starting to struggle," Ravyn whispered, her eyes narrowing at the sight of Velzhara being pushed back by Jakovi and his allies.

Zeo didn't respond. His gaze was fixed in the distance—at the cave halfway up the mountain, the one they called the Forbidden Cave, which now lay exposed from the earlier massive explosion. There, the orc troops moved quickly, their ranks pounding the rocky path, forcing their way toward the cave's mouth.

Zeo felt a strange sensation—a light burning pain on his back. The divine symbol etched into his skin was resonating. It seemed to be urging him into the Forbidden Cave, vibrating gently as if responding to something within.

He closed his eyes briefly, and in that darkness, he saw flashes of fire and heard a sound like the breath of a slumbering giant. As if something in there was waiting. The symbol on his back remained warm—almost painful.

"…I have to go there," he murmured.

"What?" Ravyn snapped her head toward him.

Zeo turned, looking Ravyn in the eyes.

"I feel something coming from that cave. Something inside me is reacting to something inside there... it might be connected to me."

Ravyn bit her lip. "Then I'm going with you, Master."

Zeo quickly shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous."

"But—"

Zeo gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ravyn… I need you to stay safe. Wait for me outside this territory. If I fail, run. If I survive, I'll come for you."

Ravyn was stunned. Her eyes reddened—not from heat, but from worry.

"No, Master. I have to go with you."

"You were just complaining about wanting to go home, and now you want to follow me?"

"Of course. I only want to go home if we're together, Master. If you're going there, I'm coming."

"No. It's too dangerous. Right now, we'll only hold each other back. So leave this territory—so I can focus on what's inside that cave."

"Master… You promise you'll come back?"

Zeo nodded. "I promise."

Though still anxious, Ravyn could only nod.

"I'll attack them. When I move, you run and get out of here."

"Alright, Master."

Ravyn stared at her Master a moment longer, trying to memorize his silhouette amid the thick battle haze and suffocating heat. In all this chaos, her fear wasn't of the battle—it was of loss. But she knew, Zeo's goal this time was something greater than survival.

Without waiting any longer, Zeo launched his strike.

BOOOM!!!

A shockwave slammed into the ground—a violent blast rippled outward, slamming into the Ifrit soldiers surrounding them.

Their focus was already splintered by the village's chaos and Velzhara's condition. They weren't prepared for Zeo's sudden attack.

Three were flung aside immediately, two more froze just before being struck down by Zeo's swift movement.

Wasting no time, Ravyn sprinted away from Ifrit territory. Zeo intercepted any remaining soldiers capable of pursuit, though a few managed to go after Ravyn. But to Zeo, they wouldn't be able to defeat her in their current, battered state.

Zeo watched her shrinking figure as she ran off, then bowed his head for a moment.

"You'll be fine… wait for me," he whispered softly, before launching himself toward the mountainside.

He surged toward the volcano, leaping over hot rocks, dashing across flowing lava, following the same path as the orcs.

Ravyn could only watch his back disappear.

"…Be careful, Master."

---

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Velzhara couldn't stay focused on Jakovi—her eyes kept drifting toward the Forbidden Cave. A heavy sense of worry rose within her. Several orcs were getting close, and though her soldiers tried to stop them, they were too spread thin in this large-scale battle. Despite fighting in their home ground, the Ifrits were outnumbered by the orcs and frog djinn alliance.

In a commanding voice, she issued an order to the elder.

"Zelalehm! Don't let them through! Prioritize the cave!"

Zelalehm—his wounds still fresh—nodded and rushed forward, breaking through the front lines toward the cave.

He soared, leaping with the help of fire waves that boosted his speed, burning the ground beneath. A few orcs tried to block him, but the elder struck them down with a spiraling wave of flames.

As he raced through rubble and roaring fire, Zelalehm recalled the message once given by the human named Aram. That the Forbidden Cave housed the key to an ancient power, one day to be claimed by its rightful bearer—marking a turning point of power in the Blue Star territory.

But…

When he finally caught up to the rear of the orc forces, their numbers were overwhelming.

One versus dozens. And that didn't count the ambushes from behind.

Zelalehm gritted his teeth. He kept attacking, but his body was slowing.

"There are too many…" he hissed.

Meanwhile, the front-line orcs didn't stop. Some were mere steps away from the unsealed cave entrance.

Zelalehm looked on in defeat.

"I won't make it in time… they're going to reach the cave…"

But then—

BOOOOMMM!!!

A massive explosion struck the cave's entrance from the rocky slope—earth shook, and fire mixed with dust blasted into the sky.

Zelalehm staggered, staring at the thinning smoke…

And from within the blast—

A human figure appeared.

Upright. Still. His body lightly smoking from residual energy. Those sharp eyes stared straight at the orcs—without fear.

Zelalehm recognized him.

"…You…"

Zeo stood there—in front of the cave mouth—as if becoming the final barrier.

His body radiated a faint golden-yellow aura. The symbol on his back glowed softly.

In the distance, Velzhara clenched the air, holding back her fury. "That boy…" she hissed.

Meanwhile, Jakovi, his body bloodied but unbroken, grinned viciously. "What?! Don't tell me… he's going in first?"

Neither leader had expected that the human boy they both dismissed as a mere rat now stood at the front lines, faster than any troop. Not only did he embarrass both of them—but he shattered the pride of the battle they led.

"Infuriating," muttered Velzhara and Jakovi almost in unison—both feeling as if they'd been disrespected by someone neither of them had ever considered an equal.