The sound of war drums spread across the lands as the Three Great Tribes and the Orcs encircled the Allied Tribe’s Stronghold.
The old, the young, and the women of the tribe were all gathered at the very rear of the Stronghold, prioritizing to shelter them from the bloody battle that could erupt at any moment.
Their enemies were standing hundreds of meters away from their Stronghold, and at this distance, Ethan was able to get a good look at their appearances.
He didn’t mind looking at Humans, but the Orcs unnerved him. This wasn’t the first time that Ethan had seen monsters, but these humanoid creatures had a savageness that made his heart shudder.
They were nearly two-meters-tall, and even though it was dark, the torchlights highlighted their green skin, making them stand out.
Their war cries reverberated in the surroundings, drowning the war drums whose booming sounds were similar to a strong beating heart.
Ethan, who was standing on the ramparts, started to breathe heavily. At first, he was only taking deep breaths in order to calm his nerves.
But now, he was breathing raggedly, as if he was suffering from a panic attack, which caught Lily’s attention as well as those who were near him.
“Come with me,” Lily said as she held Ethan’s hands without hesitation.
She didn’t even wait for his reply and simply pulled him away from the Ramparts, not caring about the gazes of the people who were looking at the young man behind her, whose face was now as pale as a candle.
Entering the tent that was provided for them, Lily made Ethan sit down on the ground before rubbing his back with her hands.
The young man’s body started to shudder uncontrollably, fear gripping his heart. A moment later, he started to puke, leaving a sour smell in the air.
Lily continued to rub Ethan’s back, until he stopped emptying his stomach. When he was done, she took out her wand and gave it a wave, sending his vomit flying outside of their tent.
After this, she went to fetch Ethan a cup of water and made him hold it with both of his hands.
“Stay here,” Lily stated. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that none of them get to you.”
Without another word, she left the tent, leaving the young man alone. She understood that not everyone could stay calm on the battlefield, especially if it was their first time doing it.
For those who had lived very peaceful lives, this was something that was akin to a nightmare.
Ethan gritted his teeth as he held the cup in his hand firmly. He was feeling afraid.
Very afraid.
Unprecedented fear that he had never felt before.
When he fought against the Wendigo in order to save Luna, he was afraid, but his fear wasn’t as profound as the fear he was feeling right now.
He didn’t know why, but standing on the ramparts and facing countless monsters and humans, who planned to kill him, made him feel terribly afraid.
All of his training suddenly seemed inadequate.
All of his victories in the academy seemed to have lost their importance.
Champion of Dud Manor?
How could a one-on-one duel be compared to a battle that involved thousands of people?
Was it wrong for him to be fearful?
Wasn’t that a normal thing to feel?
No one wanted to die, and he certainly didn’t want to die!
If possible, he wanted to run away.
He wanted to run as far as he could, leaving everything behind, including Lily.
He felt ashamed.
He felt guilty.
He felt like trash.
He felt like scum.
But most of all, he felt afraid.
Very Afraid.
At that moment, a voice spoke inside his head.
‘Are you afraid?’
“I am.”
‘What are you afraid of?’
“Dying.”
‘Everyone dies sooner or later. Even the elves who lived for thousands of years will die once their hearts are stabbed or their head is severed from their bodies.
“I’m not like you. I’m not strong like you.”
‘Indeed. You are not strong like me. So, do you want me to help you?”
Ethan didn’t reply right away and looked at the cup in his hand. Although it was dark, he could see his reflection on the water.
His eyes glowed in a purple light, and a devilish smile was plastered on his face. This reflection of his was very different from his pitiful state, which was drowning in shame and guilt.
“Please…,” Ethan said softly. “Help me.”
The smile of his reflection widened after hearing his words.
“Understood. Leave everything to me. But know this, Ethan. I can’t always be there for you. If you want to live a peaceful life, you must become strong. So strong that you make others feel the same feeling you are feeling right now.
“You need to make their hearts tremble, their breathing ragged, and their eyes widen in terror every time they look at you. If you are unable to do that soon, you and Lily can kiss your chances of returning to the present time goodbye.”
Ethan, whose body was trembling earlier, suddenly became still. His eyes were closed, and a smile was slowly spreading on his face.
A moment later, he drank the water in the cup before putting it to the side.
He did a few stretches before propping himself off the ground.
“Well then, this is going to be fun,” Ethan smirked.
The handsome young man walked out of the tent with a confident smile plastered on his face.
He walked towards the wooden ramparts with a spring on his step as if he couldn’t wait for the battle to start.
The Sea God’s Trident in his hand glowed faintly, boosting the strength of his body.
“Oh, I almost forgot about this,” Ethan said as he took out the Magic Bracelet from his storage ring and wore it.
The warriors of the tribe noticed his return, and they all looked at him in surprise.
They had seen how scared and pale his face was earlier, but the young man they were seeing right now was the complete opposite.
Ethan chuckled after seeing their gazes and even gave them all a playful wink. He then walked up the wooden ramparts and stood beside Lily, who was paying close attention to their enemies.
The moment Ethan stood beside her, the young lady looked in his direction with a frown.
“Ethan?” Lily asked. 𝒐𝓥𝗅xt.𝒞𝒐𝕞
The handsome young man placed a finger against his lips, making Lily’s frown deepen.
“Who are you?” Lily asked in a volume that only the teenage boy could hear.
A chuckle escaped Ethan’s lips.
“Who am I?” Ethan smiled before pointing in the direction of their enemies, making Lily subconsciously tighten her grip on her wand.
“I am their worst nightmare.”
(E/N: This other Ethan is hot.)