The desperate screams of the fallen, echoing off the wall similar to how their pain resonated throughout their body, filled the open battleground. An abundant number of Undead pushed against the living, prying apart their defenses and reaching at their souls. Their lifeless and empty eye sockets, like the deep abyss, stared into the wavering and frightened eyes of the living, scorching their mark into the memories of the living. These are the Undead, former humans that after who knows how long, remains animated, driven by their unknown desire for revenge against the living. No one knows how they came to be about; no one knows how they're formed. What one does know is that the Undead are out to kill whatever is living. That is the case for the adventurers and knights who desperately held off the advancing hordes of Undead soldiers.

These Skeleton Warriors, wielding rusty but still deadly blades, marched on towards the humans. Whenever one is defeated, two more would rush in and take the former's place. This cycle continued on repeatedly, making this battle between the few living and the majority Undead to be a battle of perseverance. Who could last longer, the Undead that lacked all signs of vitality, or the humans whose vitality is slowly draining?

Amidst the chaotic battle between the living and dead, there was a battle between a beast and two humans. One of these humans was the Flora, the most powerful of all humans that existed in this underground ruins of the ancient city. The other, was Loganel.

Loganel could smell the scent of the crimson roses as the petals spun around where him and Marsha was standing. These bright red flora, tiny and innocent to the vision, burned deeply at its master's enemies. Whenever Loganel would just so happen to brush by one of these petals, a gentle warmth could be felt from the point of impact. This warmth reminded him of the fire burning in the fireplace at his dorm. During the winter times, him and Juliana would usually gather by the fireplace, sitting there and each occupied with their own business. Loganel would usually be sitting on the nearby couch with a novel in hand, and Juliana would be not too far away, knitting something while their cat Mazriel would purr and curl himself up next to Juliana. Occasionally, Loganel's siblings, Laurina and Redgilus, would come over, and the four of them would share each other's company deep into the night when the crackling flame would act as a lullaby and lure them into the dreams.

When the wolf was to close in on Loganel and Marsha, it would always be stopped by the rose petals. Then, unlike what Loganel would experience, the wolf would endure a burning flame that forced it to retreat and roll around on the ground in order to put out any flame that were to have been caught on its fur. However, most of the time, the creature would just jolt back at the unexpected heat with nothing too severe.

Standing beside Marsha, within the protective barrier created by the rose petals, Loganel felt a sense of security that reminded him of his old home at the Ainzloft manor. It reminded him of the days of his youth that he spent sitting in his mother's lap as she would read to him at night.

When was the last time she had done so? Loganel's consciousness started to drift away and into the sea of memories. It was when I was nine I believe... He felt a familiar dread and horror as he realized something: he has forgotten something really important. It is something that defined who he is, but he has allowed it to slip away from his memory. What was it? But he could not recall. Whenever he concentrated hard enough, he would only see brief flashes of memory: a young woman standing over him. The backgrounds of that brief flashback, Loganel was sure that it was of the forest near the Ainzloft manor. However, he could not recall this incident.

"Don't lose your focus now," Marsha whispered to him.

"Sorry." Loganel shook his head so as to clear his mind of the cloudy thoughts, and directed all of his attention to the task at hand.

"Listen," Marsha said to him. "I can't maintain this barrier of roses when I'm attacking. So when we attack, you better be ready."

"Got it." Loganel nodded.

Marsha lifted her blade into the air, and with a swift motion, pointed the tip of her blade at the beast before them like a skilled conductor of an orchestra of roses. The roses streamed towards the wolf, making a rustling noise as they made contact against each other.

In response to this incoming attack, the wolf allowed its body weight to shift back to its hind legs in preparation of a sudden burst of energy from its legs to propel its body elsewhere and away from harms way. The wolf leaped through the air and to the side and evaded Marsha's attack. However, as it was preoccupied with dodging the incoming blast of roses, it allowed Loganel an opportunity to get up close to the beast with his blade charged with his Mana.

What Loganel had anticipated as an easy attack was immediately nullified. With a swift motion of its front paw, the beast knocked the air out of Loganel as it canceled out all of his forward momentum, causing Loganel to fall towards the ground with the wolf's paw pressed against his chest.

"Loganel!" Marsha called out, but it was no use in adverting the wolf's attention.

Meanwhile, the wolf stared at Loganel with its deep, intelligent eyes that shined with hatred. However, Loganel did not know whether or not it was his eyes playing tricks on him or what but it would appear that the burning fire of hatred in the wolf's eyes softened a bit after the creature was able to sniff him over and have a closer look at him. Loganel felt the pressure on his chest decrease and he could sense the wind that the wolf's wagging tail created.

"Get away from him!"

A stream of rose petals broke the sudden playful gesture, causing the wolf to reenter a combat stance after it had evaded Marsha's second attack. Marsha, after forcing the wolf away from Loganel, rushed over and helped him up.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah."

Loganel took a deep breath and picked up his sword once again, gripping it tightly in his hands so as to not drop it the next time. He stared at the creature before him, which snarled as it eyed Marsha. Immediately, the wolf swiped at her with his front paws, forcing Marsha to bring her sword, along with the large swarm of rose petals, in front of her to block the incoming attack. The impact from the wolf's powerful swings forced Marsha to slide back a bit despite her best efforts to stand her ground.

Marsha retaliated in response, leaping towards the creature and jabbed with her sword with rose petals following the attack. The wolf, however, was able to swiftly move out of the way, causing Marsha's attack to lose energy. The flower petals that was created and accompanied her blade in its stab lost its imbued energy and slowly fluttered to the ground.

This cycle repeated, with the wolf and Marsha constantly attacking and counter-attacking. All Loganel could do is watch, realizing that this wasn't a battle that he could truly intervene in. Marsha is on another level compared to him, and only her could prove an equal match with the wolf. However, Loganel wasn't content on just standing around. He would occasionally attack the wolf's blindside, and he was successful in connecting on a few hits. In response to his attacks, the wolf would turn its head and tilt it as the creature stared at him with a confused and betrayed look in its eye.

Loganel faltered a bit by this sudden and unexpected expression by the wolf, thinking to himself whether or not this was truly the correct course of action. However, once he recalled the numerous lives this wolf had taken, the temporary hesitation was completely obliterated. He felt a fire burn within him as it sought revenge for all those that had died under its hands.

Together, him and Marsha was able to overpower the wolf. The main factor that contributed to this result was that the wolf, seeing that Loganel was also heavily involved in its eradication, somehow hesitated in its every move as if doubting itself. It constantly glancing over at Loganel with a confused and troubled look, and each time the wolf did so, Marsha and Loganel was able to pressure it even more, delivering to its body numerous cuts and burns until finally, the beast was down.

Loganel and Marsha stood over the bloodied great grey wolf as it laid on its side, panting for air. Blood flowed out of its wounds and the creature appeared to be in pain. Despite this, it continued to stare into Loganel's eyes with its intelligent eyes as if awaiting for his command.

Why are you looking at me like that? Loganel thought as he slowly raised his blade into the air. Why? How am I suppose to end you if you keep acting like so?

Loganel's hands trembled. He couldn't bring himself to lower the blade onto the creature and ending its life. For some reason, the creature eyed him with a look of trust, even when he had participated in the battle against it and was one of the main reasons why it laid on the ground with life slowly spewing out of it.

"Loganel," Marsha, seeing Loganel's wavering eyes, softly whispered to him.

"I know," Loganel responded. "But I can't."

Meanwhile the two talked, the battle between the dead and the living continued around them. The dead fell in large numbers, but their abundance balanced it out. Some of the living also became deceased, and the living being severely outnumbered, missed each fallen member dearly since it meant a heavier load on each person from there on.

As the struggles carried on, and the sounds of battle echoed, no one noticed the slowly opening of the coliseum door until the rusty gears produced such a loud noise that all paused to stare. A lone figure, clad in a dark full body armor, walked out of the formerly closed coliseum. The man slowly looked to his left and then to his right. When its eyes scanned over where Loganel and Marsha was standing over the wolf, it began walking towards them.

As it walked, the Undead and the living alike both stepped aside and allowed it to pass through. The living eyed the figure with shock, causing them to be temporarily unaware of their current situation and stare. The man in the dark armor paid them no attention. Instead, it walked past Loganel and Marsha, knelt down over the wolf, and placed a hand on the giant wolf's mane. Upon making contact with the armored figure, the wolf wagged its tail, albeit with a much slower frequency as its vitality slipped away from its body. The man then stood up, summoned a dark long sword from thin air, and ended the wolf's suffering. He then released the blade, causing it to dissipate into small particles and into the air, and turned to walk back to the coliseum. However, after walking past Loganel, the man stopped and looked over at him from over his shoulders and nodded. Then, the man continued on.

You want me to...follow? Loganel asked in his mind.

Author's Note:

Sorry people for not updating the past few days. Been real busy these past days.

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