The unstoppable duo

The borders were flooded with huntsmen and other warriors observing the situation from afar. Despite having the two strongest people there to fight the monsters, the king, in a strategic move, brought a group of twenty knights to help with control and the cleanup operation later, instilling a sense of security in the villagers. 

As soon as they saw the king approaching, followed by his personal guard, the people started to part like the Red Sea as they trembled out of fear and reverence for their king. The leader of the extraction team greeted the king politely and explained the situation to him as quickly as possible. 

"That's enough, " he said, stopping the leader from speaking further. With a swift and decisive action, he ordered, "Have your men and all the extras clear up the space. We will deal with this quickly." This reassured the villagers that the situation was under control. 

The leader didn't have to be told twice as he turned to the group of men who looked battered and bruised, clearly exhausted from fighting so long. 

"Alright, let's move out!" He ordered. 

With no obstructions in their way, Hael and Ceremus walked into the heart of the fray, and without even having to communicate with one another, they got to work. Using their fists alone, they defeated every beast and monster that came their way. 

The onlookers watched with amazement as the king and his guard were perfectly coordinated, exuding power and strength with each blow. 

They would defeat the first flood of monsters and welcome the second flood with no problem, and after the fifth wave ended, the villagers could finally rest easily. 

"I can't believe it took us an entire day to end these pesky creatures," Ceremus sneered. "I must've gotten a little rusty after being secluded in the palace all these years." He then turned to look at Hael, who still seemed to be in good shape. 

"You still look ready to fight a sixth horde of monsters." He laughed as he watched the white-haired man come down from his high. 

Hael returned his smile. The sight before them amazed the villagers, huntsmen, and knights standing by the side. Their cold-hearted king was capable of a genuine smile, radiating warmth and relief. It had been quite some time since they had witnessed such a sight. 

They suddenly started to miss their old king, always warm and smiling. One of the braver villagers slowly approached the two men, bowing her head slightly. 

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty, Sir Hael. You've saved us all," she said gratefully. 

The young man smiled at the older woman, and Ceremus felt his heart warm slightly at the sight. It had been a long time since someone had thanked him. He had forgotten the happiness one felt when receiving genuine praise for committing a good deed. 

He couldn't help staring at Hael, the cause of this change. Hael, the young man he had taken under his wing, had brought a new light into his life. 

"Your Majesty!" A knight yelled as he ran towards them. 

"What is it?" He asked, his tone tinged with annoyance. He didn't want to deal with another problem right now. 

"Apologies, but there has been a report of a monster sighted near the Aphthonia Forest!" The knight said in a weak voice. 

Hael turned his attention towards the knight, grabbing his shoulders with a little too much force. "The forest?" Hael asked, his voice full of alarm. 

The knight winced but still responded to the ultimate warrior. "Yes. According to the report, this monster seems much more dangerous than the ones you fought here." 

Ceremus was no longer paying attention to the knight and directed his gaze to the white-haired man who had gone pale. The two made eye contact, and Ceremus knew without Hael saying anything that he wanted to check out the monster. 

Without wasting a second, the King ordered the knight to bring them their horses, and the two hopped on. "We'll be heading to the forest. You guys stand by here and help clean up the rest of this mess, " he said. 

The knight's eyes widened. "Y-Your Majesty! We cannot possibly send you guys there alone. At least allow a few of us to escort you!" He exclaimed. 

"Do not make me repeat myself." He said sternly, making the knight step back. 

"R-Right, apologies." He responded while taking an unconscious step back. He knew that there was no use arguing with the King with the murderous look in his eyes. 

He'd rather incur the advisor's wrath than take another one of the King's menacing stares at that moment. 

The two didn't wait for the knight's response and quickly set off for the Aphthonia Forest. 

They arrived quickly. The forest was not too far from the village, so they could make it there in an hour. 

This would be Ceremus' first time seeing the forest in all of its glory, and true to its name, it was a bountiful place. 

"How does one even enter the forest?" He wondered. 

"There's a clearing up ahead. Most people don't know this, but the forest has two entrances. One leads the mortals to the part of the forest occupied by normal animals, while the other leads to divine animals." He started to explain. 

"That path is normally closed off to humans and never opens to anyone unless Yuuja allows it. I was surprised to see those three huntsmen and Anthanasia enter through the second path. It's something that never happens." He said. 

Ceremus frowned when he heard this. "The deity, do you think he purposefully let them in?" 

Hael shrugged. "I'm honestly just as confused as you." 

As they neared the forest, a question burned in his mind. "Have you ever met the deity?" 

Hael shook his head. "Never. I don't think most divine animals in the forest have met him, either. I've only heard from Loki and the others that Yuuja is a powerful creature who holds the powers of a god." 

Ceremus' eyes sparkled with curiosity when he heard this, but they heard a roar from a distance before he could ask any more questions. The two didn't waste any time as they quickened their pace, finally reaching the entrance. 

Meanwhile, a dangerous energy was lurking ahead of them, its large, scaly body blending with the shadows. Its webbed feet made their way inside the forest, where it sensed a large concentration of divine energy. Its mouth watered as it smelled its potential prey, but it sensed something behind it before it could enter. 

Two strong forces were coming towards it; their smell was so delicious that it made the creature's mouth water.

It abandoned its main objective without a second thought, approaching the two men who unknowingly brought themselves into the belly of a vicious beast.