To speed up his search for a way out, Yuuki took to the sky and began flying at high speed while simultaneously using Location to scan for any humans within his detection range.
Yet, even after flying for several hours, he still hadn't managed to find another person. Just as Yuuki decided to stop for a moment to rest and eat another chicken leg, his Location suddenly detected the presence of three individuals nearby.
Seeing this, Yuuki became elated and felt that his efforts had finally paid off. He immediately decided to rush toward them, hoping they could help him leave the forest and provide some information about this unfamiliar world. After all, Yuuki was eager to find out exactly which world he had ended up in.
However, Yuuki was still in a bit of a pinch. The three individuals appeared to be surrounded by a group of Flame Ape.
They were only B-Rank monsters, and to Yuuki, these monkeys were hardly worth mentioning. But for the three individuals, they posed a serious threat, a very serious one.
Yuuki directly used teleportation, hoping he could reach them before anything happened. After all, he still hadn't even had the chance to properly explore this new world.
...
"Careful, Bisca! Behind you!" Alzack Connell shouted, warning his wife, Bisca Connell about the Flame Ape's sneak attack.
"Shit!"
Bisca couldn't react in time as the Flame Ape swung its massive fist toward her. Fortunately, a streak of purple flame suddenly shot between her and the ape, disrupting its attack just before it could hit her.
"Thank you, Romeo." Bisca looked at the boy standing guard against the incoming apes with grateful eyes. Alzack also let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that his wife was safe.
"Mn!"
Romeo simply nodded in response, his eyes still firmly fixed on the group of Flame Apes.
After escaping the danger, Bisca summoned a new type of gun into her hands and aimed it at the ape that had nearly injured her.
"Damn you, bald monkey! Eat this!"
A powerful magic blast erupted from Bisca's gun, carrying a large portion of her magical power. The attack struck the Flame Ape head-on.
The result was exactly to her satisfaction.
The ape was roasted to crisp, and its body was charred black like a piece of charcoal.
"Hmph! That's what you get for bullying women."
Bisca was satisfied with the result, but their situation were far from over. They were now completely surrounded by the remaining Flame Apes. The monkeys angrily drummed their chests, enraged by the death of their comrade.
Alzack knew the situation was not in their favor. Glancing around at the numerous apes surrounding them, he began thinking of a way to escape.
"This is bad. We're completely surrounded."
If there had only been three or five of those monkeys, the three of them might have been able to defeat them. However, there were nearly twenty Flame Apes surrounding them, putting the odds heavily against them.
What confused the three even more was the fact that Flame Ape in this part of the forest usually traveled alone. Yet, somehow, they had stumbled upon an entire family of them.
This made Bisca recall the terrifying phenomenon that had occurred earlier.
Thinking about it, Bisca voiced her suspicion to Alzack and Romeo.
"Do you think these beasts were driven out of the deeper parts of the forest?"
Romeo and Alzack exchanged glances before nodding. They had reached the same conclusion.
"That might be the case." Alzack said. "Something must have happened deeper in the forest, forcing these normally solitary Flame Apes to gather together."
"But what should we do now? We're completely surrounded." Romeo gritted his teeth, refusing to give up. No matter what happened, he had to protect his comrades.
Seeing the determination in Romeo's eyes, Alzack nodded in approval. Even though Romeo was still young, he already possessed the resolve and demeanor of a capable mage.
After thinking for a moment, Alzack spoke seriously. "Bisca and I will create an opportunity for you to escape, so you must seize this chance."
"What?!"
Alzack's words shocked Romeo, but Bisca seemed to agree with him as she nodded. "Romeo, you're still young, and you still have so many things ahead of you. We just hope that you can take care of Asuka in the future."
"My thoughts exactly, Romeo." Alzack gave him a gentle yet sorrowful smile.
Seeing the expressions of the two people who had traveled alongside him on many quests over the past few years, Romeo's eyes began to well up with tears. But he simply couldn't bring himself to leave them behind while he escaped.
At that moment, the figure of his idol appeared in Romeo's mind, the person he admired and respected above all others.
'If it were him, he would definitely fight alongside his comrades until the very end!'
As if finding a new source of strength within himself, Romeo stood firmly and gritted his teeth. "No! If I leave, you guys are coming with me! There's no way I'm going to abandon my comrades and run away like a coward!"
(Author's Note: Tbh, I feel like I was hearing a battle ost from Fairy Tail writing this scene. I just can't remember which one exactly so I settled with Dragon Force. (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) )
Alzack and Bisca were stunned by Romeo's words filled with determination, yet both of them couldn't help but feel a little teary-eyed. His words resonated deeply with them, and for a fleeting moment, they could vaguely see the figure of a comrade from the past overlapping with Romeo's.
Perhaps it was the determination in his eyes or the burning flames in his hands that made the resemblance all the more similar.
Because of his words, both husband and wife regained their fighting spirit. Alzack wiped away the tears that had begun to form in his eyes and smiled at Romeo.
"How can I refuse you when you're this determined? You've really grown into a great mage, Romeo." Alzack said.
Seeing the two exchange words, Bisca couldn't help but shake her head. However, she too was touched by Romeo's words.
Reloading her gun, she raised it toward the surrounding Flame Apes and smiled.
"Let's break through this hurdle together, Romeo! Al!"
"Yes, Bisca-san! Alzack-san!"
Romeo replied with a resolute look in his eyes as flames began to gather around his hands.
Alzack nodded and readied his gun as well, switching it to its cannon form.
The Flame Apes had also grown impatient. With furious roars, all of them charged toward the three mages at once.
"Fight! We will not give up! Because we are members of Fairy Tail!"
The three of them roared in unison, their voices echoing throughout the forest.
Romeo, Alzack, and Bisca were just about to unleash the magic they had gathered when a deep and clear voice suddenly resounded through the forest, causing them to halt their attacks.
"Good resolve."
The moment those words echoed through the forest, a brilliant purple beam descended from the sky and blasted the surrounding Flame Apes.
BOOM!!!
The impact of the purple beam was immense, sending a powerful shockwave throughout the area. Romeo, Alzack, and Bisca instinctively closed their eyes and raised their arms to shield themselves from the overwhelming force.
GRAAAAAAAAH!
The Flame Apes could only roar for a brief moment before their cries were abruptly silenced and fading into nothingness.
Cough! Cough!
"W-What was that just now?"
As the situation finally calmed down, Romeo cautiously opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a shocking sight.
Alzack and Bisca were equally stunned, their mouths hanging open in disbelief. The Flame Apes that had given the three of them so much trouble had been completely wiped out in the blink of an eye.
The scene before them had been completely transformed. Where the Flame Apes had previously stood was now nothing but a deep gorge, with the three mages standing at the center.
"So powerful..." Romeo's eyes glinted with awe as he clenched his fists.
Meanwhile, Bisca still seemed unable to believe that they had actually survived. To make sure she wasn't dreaming, she reached over and pinched Alzack's cheek.
"Aw! Aw! Aw! B-Bisca, what are you doing?" Feeling the pain, Alzack couldn't help but plead with his wife to let go of his cheek.
Seeing the pained expression on Alzack's face, Bisca finally came to terms with reality. "I'm not dreaming... We actually survived."
Bisca happily threw her arms around her husband and hugged him tightly. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she cried tears of joy.
"Al, we're alive... We're alive. Hick!"
Alzack couldn't blame his wife, as he, too, had believed that even if they fought with everything they had, they were still doomed and would never get the chance to see their daughter again.
Fortunately, that mysterious purple beam had wiped out the Flame Apes and saved their lives.
After finally calming down, the three of them noticed that someone was actually floating high in the sky.
However, they couldn't make out his true appearance. He was hovering directly in front of the sun, his silhouette obscuring its light like an eclipse, casting an ominous shadow over everything beneath him.
At that moment, the figure in the sky finally began to descend. All three of them immediately fixed their eyes on the approaching figure. They weren't fools, they had already realized that this mysterious person was the one responsible for unleashing those terrifying purple beams.
As the figure descended closer, Romeo, Bisca, and Alzack finally got a clear look at the person who had saved them.
It was a young man and a very handsome one at that.
Even Bisca was momentarily stunned, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she gazed at him.
Like a god descending from the heavens, the young man slowly descended toward them leaving the three of them at awe.
If Bisca had to describe his appearance, she would say he was a tall, handsome young man with short black hair, a few bangs falling across part of his face. His sharp were eyes and had a well-defined nose which gave him a stunning appearance, while the faint smile on his lips carried a certain charm that could easily captivate even those lonely maidens.
His remarkable appearance was further enhanced by his well designed battle outfit, a combination of black, white, and various shades of purple that suited him perfectly.
As he descended, the fabric of his outfit fluttered gently in the wind, adding to his imposing and almost otherworldly presence.
Finally, his feet touched the ground, and he landed about a meter away from them.
The three of them were still staring at him in a daze, seemingly unable to process his arrival. Seeing this, the young man waved a hand in front of their faces, trying to bring them back to reality.
"Hello? Oi, you guys okay?"