The main street is littered with people all over the place but Riku’s eyes are focused on the sack of gold coins that the figure left him with.

  “You’re kidding right…” Riku still surprised by the sudden realization

  “That was the main villainess… from that one game…”

  Stumbling in his words, Riku peered into the dark alleyway adjusting his eyes to see the figure’s silhouette dashing straight ahead. He clenched the sack of gold coins in determination and shouted—

  “Hey! Wait a second!”

  The figure jumped as she glanced over to Riku, but she kept on running as her silhouette grew further into the dark.

  “Hey wait! I just wanted to talk!” Riku shouted but his voice only echoed through the abyss.

  He then chased after the figure that ran into the dark alleyway, his eyes began adjusting to the darkness in the alley and saw her disappearing into the corner.

  But once he reached the turn, it was a dead end.

  “She’s gone.”

  He took a step back and look around and found almost nothing to climb on to or get out of but somehow the princess escaped.

  “Hey you!”

  Riku spun around and found a figure geared from top to toe with metallic garments. The figure had his hand on his sword as if prepping to slash those that’s in front of him.

  The alleyway soon began to tremble as Riku finally realized the situation that he’s in.

  The guard then unsheathed his sword and pointed it inches away from his face.

  “Wait wait wait!” Riku shouted, as his voice echoed through the entire alleyway.

  “You were with the princess, correct? It’s best you tell me where she is now, where did she go?”

  His arms raised showing his innocence, but the sword still aimed at his with precision. The thought of chasing after the princess were paused by the sudden death that’s in front of him.

  “Luis, did you find Princess Anya?” a distant voice echoed across and soon multiple sets of footsteps followed.

  His attitude quickly shifted as he tried calming down the incoming guards, geared with their metal suits and swords.

  “No, not yet. But this man was last seen with her.” The guard pointed

  The soldiers were starring daggers at him, as if he were found guilty for her disappearance.

  Hastily one of the soldiers approached Riku menacingly and proceeded to deliver a sharp jab to his face.

  Now on the floor, the ground became uneasy as he fell tending to his bruised cheek.

  “Listen.” The voice snapped “I don’t want to ask again, where is she?”

  The pain swelled all over his face temporarily took him out of his own head; as this was the first time he had ever been in an actual fight, but the threat looming over him were real.

  “I… I dun kno wher she went” he muttered

  Dazed from the punch he just took Riku slowly leaned right at the wall next to him to pace himself.

  “Orlaf, secure the perimeter and scout the next routes.”

  “On it, Captain.”

  “I’ll take it from here.”

  The guards then seized their way out of the alleyway and caused nearby streets to be heavily guarded with them.

  —The captain of the knight, one of the knights that I assumed were looking for Princess Anya, if I remembered it. He was also the minor antagonist in the story.

  —Though to be more fair, he and she were in a kahoot together, one’s a greedy asshole the other is a narcissist. You always find them to be together at all times most of the time.

  The captain knight, pulled Riku off the ground with only one of his hand effortlessly and slammed him against the wall.

  “Alright, right now it’s just between you and me.”

  “Where is the princess?”

  At this point his face became unbearable from the stinging sensation the knight did.

  “I swear I didn’t know where she’s gone.”

  Though the words were honest, Riku further irritated the knight’s captain. When that happened, he snapped and slammed Riku’s bruised face on to the concrete wall further damaging the already scarred face.

  “Wrong answer, I’ll ask again.”

  “Where is she?”

  “I s-swear, I was just trying to chase after her.”

  The knight slowly picked Riku already sagged body back up against the wall only to just punch his face again.

  “So you lie and you see what happens?”

  Despite how he’s being treated Riku was thinking as hard as he can to figure out a way in getting out of this situation, but each time he tried to the knight’s punch sent him back to zero.

  But then sudden flashes of his past memories came, one of which is the memory of the time when he used to play the game with his ex.

  “Riku, hey Riku. Are you even listening?”

  The voice was heard, it was familiar. A voice he never thought he’d hear again.

  —That voice… that sounded so familiar…

  “Hey Riku, this part right here. This is where the villainess gets taken in!”

  —Was that my ex-wife? What’s she doing here?

  “If you go over this route the MC gets together with the dark prince!”

  In his vision Riku saw his ex wife, alongside him an old set of magazines and a bunch of bookshelves storing mangas and other DVDs, this was his old room the one where he used to live with his ex. The TV displayed the otome game she’s currently playing the same one in which he’s trapped in.

  —That forest… that looked familiar…

  Riku thought upon further closer investigation into the TV that’s playing.

  —It can’t be.

  Riku momentarily gave up his legs and fell down due to being hit so many times now.

  But out of the ground he took a stand and faced the very same knight who abused him with a glance of confidence.

  “I know where she is...” Riku said

  “Pardon?” The knight now confused by the sudden confident expression Riku gave

  “Lying again, peasant?”

  “I’m not lying.” he muttered picking himself back up again “But I know where she’s gone!”

  The small alleyway now felt the ever smaller, as the words that came out of Riku now aroused more suspicion than answers.

  “You’re not drunk, are you?”

  “NO! I’m seriously telling you I can help you, let me help.”

  The knight’s eyes now fixated on Riku with irritation but decided to give him a chance at speaking.

  “Then tell me, beggar. Where did she go?”

  Riku tried his best to remember and quickly thought of a place. The knight already wasted all of his options at him now rest his tired hands on his hips.

  “It was in a forest. A cabin inside a forest.” Riku spouted with his half-bruised face still

  —This was a crucial plot point where the antagonist villainess was hiding before she was brought to justice by the king. I’m not too entirely sure why but I felt like that was the only place where she could’ve gone.

  “Cabin… That place. With a broken-down watchtower nearby— right?”

  The knight thought for a second, to him; Riku’s words were real but then he became much wary of something else entirely different.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The knight giggled. “How did you know that?”

  Riku expecting some kind of praise then met with a sword drawn on him.

  “You are to be held captive for further questioning then.”

  But before Riku can properly take a deep breath.

  He realized his mistake.

  “No. No. Wait I really know where she is.”

  The knight quickly slashed Riku with his sword but missed.

  “Tch.” The knight grunted, with his arm now steady with his sword. “Stand still peasant I don’t want to make this any less painful.”

  Riku quickly pulled out his phone and flashed the knight with his consecutive flashes before quickly tumbling his way out of the dark alley.

  “What the… what was that?!” The knight momentarily blinded with his hands on his eyes.

  —Hahh... Hahh…

  Riku panting as he ran passing by knights and other sentries blocking his path.

  “Hey get that guy!”

  Knights were heard screaming at Riku but he didn’t look back, he escaped and that’s all that mattered to him.

  Riku ran and ran as fast as he could, to the same crowded area where he can hide amongst the crowd.

  As day turned to dusk, he was sweating, with his teary eyed on the lookout for the people looking for him.

  Covered with some plain cloth he found lying down on the ground he covered himself with it as he became one with the crowd.

  Other knights can be seen at a distance, one of them is the captain. Who stood tall with his arm out ordering group of city guards & other knights to scramble and look into every nook & cranny of the streets.

  In his mind the area had become too dangerous for him to stay any longer so he snuck away to a nearby exit only to find guards and sentries alike blocking its path.

  There are lines of people now, with each of them having to take off the cowl or hood just so that the guards can take a good look at them.

  —I might’ve accidentally made a hotspot here…

  Riku thought as he regretted

  Then it hits him—

  —While she was in hiding in the cabin, the monsters came and attack but sir captain knight here; were with her, but since the knights are here that means she’s… alone?

  Fear slowly crept in; his arms began to tremble as the thought of the princess dying by his inability to do anything about it made him shiver.

  —Princess Anya, the daughter of the king and the main villainess of this world. If her existence came to an end what would that mean for this world?

  Riku thought for a moment, maybe it’s out of nostalgia or the traumatic attachment he grew when he used to play the game. But the idea of seeing the last shred of memory he shared with his ex-wife to just disappear from the very same world he’s teleported to, that feeling became unbearable like an itch waiting to be scratched.

  —Even if there’s a slight chance at saving her. I have to save her.

  Riku unknowingly thought to himself.

  He turned and look back at the guards, still guarding the exit with no hole in sight. He thought for a moment and he thought a while, then stared back into the same guard twice as if to make sure that they are in fact, there.

  He became calm collected. Focused. Deep in his thoughts.

  Fearing that this might be the last time he’d see her, he took a chance and dashed towards the exit with zero prep in mind.

  The gap between him and the exit grew closer, and so one of the guards too.

  “Hey you, wait!” Said the guard, caught by surprise.

  But before he could do anything, Riku was stopped by the guard. But this didn’t stop him, he pushed and pushed even just a little. The line became a shaky raft almost disorganized by this one human who acted like a frenzied wild rabbit.

  “Hey get in the line buddy!” said one of the guys in the line

  “Yeah, we got places to be here.”

  “Come on hurry up!”

  Riku at this point, feeling almost discouraged still cling on that hope, almost redundant and useless he can’t look back and see him for what he truly is, a useless excuse of a human garbage who can’t even do right even in this world.

  From the line one large figure seemed to head straight for Riku.

  —This is it.

  He thought, his chance of finally saving the princess all thwarted by his inability to accept reality for the way it is, persistent and ignorant just like the old him.

  “Hey. What are you—"

  As the figure closes in on Riku—

  “Let me help with that…”

  A voice was heard, the creature who’s twice in size from the average human casually knocked one of the guards over with their entire body.

  Riku then noticed, one by one like a falling domino piece; the line formation which held Riku at a standstill now were broken and there were riot of people cheering as they kept on shoving the guards over and over again.

  “ONE MOREE TIMEEE!!” shouted by a nearby stranger, his entire body up against the guard as he struggled to push.

  “KEEP PUSHING!!” then another

  “GET IT TOGETHER NOW PEOPLE!” then more voices were heard.

  Like a tall Jenga tower, they all came collapsing down. The sheer force of a few hundreds of people gathered to break through the gate were no match for the guards. The chaos erupted and it has garnered attention of the other guards but they kept their distance at this point some even requested backup but didn’t. As they look at this stream of people pouring out of the gate like a cracked dam whose floodgates just opened. All they can do is watch.

  Others saw Riku and followed him, while some stayed behind still dazed by the sudden chaos, this was his chance he thought. The crowd that sticked behind him helped him in his escape. But then—

  The air shrieked as arrows whooshed down on them, some even miss but to the unfortunate souls who are caught by it; lied still on the ground with no help in sight as it was every man for himself. Except for one, the same demon creature that helped him knocked one of the guards down came picked 1 or 2 people up on her ginormous back with ease.

  Riku didn’t look back, he kept on running. Until—

  Sharp arrow struck his shoulder with brutal force jolted his entire body in a shock.

  “Ugh.” He anguished, as the pain exploded through his entire body knocking him over.

  But despite that, he didn’t stop he kept on pushing because that’s all he can do, there was no turning back.

  “Hey somebody stop him!” said one of the guards

  The demon lady whose face now basked under the moon light, with horns and golden eyes, her blood red skin bumped Riku.

  “Hey there! Where are you heading to now?” she asked as she carried the two injured people on her back.

  The warm blood soaked his shirt as the pain made him dizzy, but despite this he responded—“Huh, where?”

  Her golden eyes narrowed and starred at Riku with concern.

  “You have courage to not think of a plan after that. Human. Name’s Elineth by the way.”

  Riku still hurting from the arrow strucked to his shoulder can’t believe the amount of juxtaposed character that was besides him. But nevertheless—

  “Name is Riku. Thanks for helping me back there.”

  “Oh, that’s no big deal, plus I was about to do it anyway. Time’s come when all these imperial scums thought they can just control us?! They oughta know our voices too!”

  The creature raised her eyebrow for a second and thought.

  “Ri- Reekow?”

  “It’s Riku.”

  “Funny name. But I never really cared for names.”

  A chill ran down his spine at her casual dismissal of a human name, he can’t shake the feeling he might’ve accidentally invite trouble.

  “Anyways, I’m sure you got some places to be, if you’re that desperate. But I helped you so… mind lending some coins?” The demon said

  Her tall strong stature intimidated Riku, I’m sure if she wanted to, she could lift 3 people on her back but that would be asking for death. But despite her presence he replied—

  “I’m not sure if I can help you there. I just got here.”

  “Oh, you’re a refugee? You look so clean I just thought you were well off or something.”

  “It’s complicated.” Riku said exhausted after all the pushing and running

  “Oh actually…” Riku realized about the request Elineth asked earlier

  “Here.” With his arm extended he held a sack of gold coins that was given to him by the princess.

  Elineth, now face filled with excitement masked the horrendous stench of death nearby, then gladly took the sack out of his hands.

  “Thanks.”

  With arrows still making rounds and the ground still littered with dead bodies, the people that managed to escape dashed towards a nearby forest and made a run for it.

  Finally settling on a place to rest, the two of them paused briefly in exhaustion—though. To be more precise, Riku collapsed to the ground and so did others who had run; gasping for air, while the demon lady seemed unfazed despite having carried two humans on her back looked at Riku with a concerned face.

  Others were slumped on to a nearby tree, some even laid on the grass fully extending their arms basking in the moonlight.

  “You good there?” said Elineth

  “Y- yea… hhuhh..” he muttered

  Elineth them laid the two injured people on the ground. Though usually talkative earlier, she was now completely focused with her eyes fixed intently on the two humans she had carried here.

  “Looks like we made it out of there.” She said

  Elineth looked—

  The running had temporarily blinded him from his surroundings and he didn’t notice until later that the bodies were littered with arrows as if they were just shields.

  He kept his distance away from her cautiously as if not to provoke any sort of problem.

  “They’re... they’re dead.” He said, as his voice carried through the dark forest, steadier than he expected given the unknown nature of the creature before you.

  Riku’s legs felt weak beneath him as exhaustion took over, he then sat there and watch as this demon creature that seemed straight out of fairy tale moved around with curiosity. Whether or not he can trust this creature is yet to be determined.

  Riku felt a stinging sensation, the adrenaline rush died down and he remembered that there was an arrow stuck to his shoulder.

  “My, you got one on yours too.” Her eyes widened in shock, but didn’t tense up by the sight of death.

  After seeing the devastation, the arrows had done to the two dead people in front of him, he’s just thankful to still find himself intact with only an arrow to the shoulder.

  —I made it out lucky

  Riku thought to himself.

  “Here.” Elineth threw a flask like object right next to Riku, upon closer inspection he noticed a glint of light reflecting off the material. Then a strong odor and liquid inside of it.

  He took a closer look at it and observed it, wondering what kind of liquid that’s inside this flask.

  People noticed the interaction and some even pointed them out while others were, scared. A nearby observer glanced them both, hesitated but came up to Elineth and asked

  “Excuse me, would you be able to lend some?”

  She snapped “Bold little thing, aren’t you?”

  The quiet forest shifted as the air carried malice. People suddenly paced themselves and moved away from them, leaving just Riku & Elineth.

  Elineth turned and gave Riku an odd face. “You good there?” Elineth asked.

  “Huh. Yeah, I’m just…” Riku still deep in his thoughts were both fascinated and worried by the object that was given to him.

  Elineth moved closer to Riku and poured the potion all over him. “My lord.”

  The healing potion slowly took the arrow out of the shoulder, carefully pushing out through every muscle fiber with smoothness, as it expelled it. The tore skin patched itself up leaving only a scar.

  “Rejoice human. Healing potion, top grade. Made only through the finest materials available.”

  He thought he had gotten used to seeing weird things, from furries, to weird vegetables, to a talking demon straight out of the Bible. But the idea of a magic potion still caught him off guard, he took a breather.

  She turned her gaze to Riku studying his face with cold calculation.

  “Well, it’s been well human. I must depart.”

  She turned her back against him as her wings extending slightly in preparation for flight.

  “WAIT! I need your help.” Riku reached out and grabbed her with his hand, his fingers beneath felt her hot almost fiery skin, but the temperature around him drop to several degrees.

  For a moment, the forest became quiet with only the sound of distant screaming soldiers and the rustle of leaves.

  He swallowed hard, aware that this demon could end his life with minimal effort.

  “Speak quickly. Human.” She said, folding her arms across her chest. Despite her words, something in her stance had shifted. Perhaps curiosity about his desperation.

  “The princess is in danger and I can’t save her alone.” The desperate attempt spilled from his lips.

  Without another word, she spread her wings fully and launched into the air, the forest leaves shook from the gust of wind she carried and leaving only dirt and leaves scattered as Riku watch her fly into the sky.

  Her figure grew smaller against the sky, leaving him alone in the forest as the moon light penetrates the forest. Reality sank in, he’d have to find another way to save the princess and quickly.

  Suddenly—

  A rush of air hit his back.

  He turned to look to find Elineth hovering just above him.

  “The princess…” Elineth’s voice remained cold, but with an unexpected hesitation.

  “Princess Anya right?”

  Riku nodded frantically, hoping to persuade her even more. “Yes! The northen kingdom’s princess. Princess Anya. The king’s daughter.”

  Elineth landed gracefully on the ground as she folded her wings. For a moment, something flickered across her perfect face— a memory perhaps, or an emotion he couldn’t quite name.

  “She might prove useful for the demon kingdom.” Her sudden acceptance surprised you both. She raised her chin proudly as if to cover her embarassing gesture of empathy.

  “I will assist you.”