Paltio & 5 Realms

"Look out!" Mok shouted, grabbing Paltio by the hand and pulling him out of the way. Ron trembled with fear but did the same for Alita, pulling her to safety, while Pax leaped twice to the side. Everyone managed to dodge the enormous fist that slammed into the ground, though they couldn't avoid the shockwave, which sent them flying several meters backward.

"What the hell is this?" Pax asked, igniting a torch with his signature blue flame. The light revealed something slowly emerging from the ground: a mound that grew larger as it shed the earth around it.

The mound continued to rise until it gave way to a gigantic monster covered in dirt and grass instead of hair. It was as tall as a three-story house. The colossal creature let out a deafening roar that echoed through the forest, causing the trees to tremble as if they were made of paper.

"Thank you for saving me," Alita said, looking at Ron with a mix of gratitude and irritation.

"You're welcome. We're friends; I'd do anything for you," he replied, trying to hide his nervousness and the faint blush that appeared when he realized he was still holding her.

"You can let go of me now," she said sharply.

"Oh, right… of course," Ron muttered, quickly stepping back, though she also seemed uncomfortable and slightly flushed.

"Is everyone alright?" Mok asked, with Paltio by his side.

"Yes," they responded in unison.

"I believe we're facing the Raitrobal," Pax indicated, adjusting his cloak while gripping his sword.

"Let me guess… another one of Tejod's failed creations?" Alita remarked sarcastically, brushing the dust off her clothes as she stood up.

"That's correct," Pax confirmed, keeping his eyes fixed on the monster.

"And what does this thing do?" Ron asked, visibly anxious.

"I don't plan on sticking around to find out," Alita retorted with determination.

"It's an earth troll," Pax explained. "It likes to plant itself in paths and block them before devouring unsuspecting travelers."

"So, how do we kill it?" Mok asked, gripping his sword firmly.

"Destroy its yellow eyes," Pax replied. But reaching them will be difficult. Also, you must destroy both at the same time. If you only eliminate one, it will regenerate. If you manage to damage both simultaneously, it will turn to stone and collapse.

"Understood," Mok said, nodding decisively. "Since you woke up, you'll help me with this."

"I don't take orders from you," Pax responded arrogantly, "but if I need to move forward for Lord Tejod, I will."

"Fine, then we'll need to synchronize if we want to take this creature down," Mok instructed, but Pax had already begun to act.

"Die, damn thing!" Pax shouted, unsheathing his sword and charging toward one of the troll's arms.

"You lot, take cover over there," Mok ordered the others, pointing to a cluster of nearby rocks.

"But I can help you," Paltio insisted.

"No, not yet, young master," Mok replied firmly. "You still lack enough experience. We don't want you passing out again like last time."

"Alright…" Paltio reluctantly agreed.

"It's better this way," Golden interjected. "You haven't fully mastered my powers yet. If you tried using it now, you'd probably end up knocked out for days. Perhaps we should train more."

"Fine, if you say so…" Paltio conceded, though clearly frustrated.

Meanwhile, Mok advanced toward the monster with determined steps, sword in hand. Pax had already scaled the troll's leg with agile movements and reached its face. With a dagger in his grip, he prepared to strike.

"I got here first, you foolish butler!" he shouted, lunging toward the troll's eyes. However, he only managed to reach one, as the creature raised its enormous hand to block the second attack.

"Damn it, I was so close," Pax muttered, clenching his jaw in frustration to silence the presumptuous butler. "Now I'll have to be more precise and wait a bit," he thought silently.

Without waiting for Mok's support, Pax launched another attack.

"Wait!" Mok shouted, but it was too late. Pax leaped again toward the troll's eyes, though this time he failed to land any blows. The creature had sprouted small additional arms from its shoulders, which were elongated to protect its vulnerable weak spots.

"This troll has awareness… I thought it was just a simple creation, but it seems Lord Tejod designed it with intelligence," Pax reflected as he swung his sword to cut through these new appendages. However, before he could reach the eyes, whips of earth began to dance in front of him, blocking any attempt to damage both eyes simultaneously. Mok managed to strike one, but now he had to wait for his target to regenerate.

Time passed: failed attacks, frantic movements, and evident exhaustion in both combatants. Fatigue was starting to take its toll on their bodies.

"Hey, soldier of the Red Shadows!" Mok shouted as he dodged another massive fist from the troll.

"What?" Pax snapped irritably.

"We need to coordinate our strikes! Together, at the same time!"

"I don't need help," Pax retorted stubbornly. "I can handle this alone."

At that moment, Golden intervened, visibly irritated by the lack of cooperation between the two. He watched as they repeatedly failed to bring down the troll due to their pride and selfishness.

He approached Pax and said sternly:

"You should set aside your arrogance for once. This is a job for two people. If you don't cooperate, I won't hesitate to reveal your secret right here and now. I don't care what Paltio says."

Pax paused for a moment, dodging another earth whip while weighing the situation. Finally, he muttered with obvious annoyance:

"Fine, if I have no other choice, I'll fight alongside this insufferable butler," referring to Mok.

Golden also addressed Mok:

"You're an excellent warrior, but don't be so rigid with him. Sometimes, some people simply don't understand reason until they're forced to," he said, clearly referring to Pax.

The butler nodded calmly.

"Understood. Then, Golden, give us the signal."

"As you wish," Golden replied, watching as both positioned themselves strategically at the troll's feet, ready to scale and coordinate their final attack.

"Mok, you take the right. Pax, you take the left," Golden ordered as they strategically maneuvered, dodging the troll's fists that continued to crash down with devastating force.

"Three… two… one… Go!" Golden shouted, giving the signal. Instantly, the butler and Pax began scaling the monster's legs with impressive speed.

Together, they reached the troll's head, leaping in front of its enormous yellow eyes. The creature thrust its small earth arms toward them, attempting to protect itself, but Mok cleanly severed them with his sword. At that moment, both warriors exchanged a quick glance before launching their swords in perfect synchronization. The blades traced a crossed arc through the air: Pax's sword struck directly into the right eye, while Mok's plunged into the left.

The troll let out an agonizing roar that echoed throughout the forest. Its body began to harden, turning to stone, until it finally collapsed in a rain of fragments.

Mok and Pax quickly descended to retrieve their weapons. Once they had reclaimed them, Pax broke the silence.

"Not bad," he said, sheathing his sword with an indifferent gesture.

"Likewise," Mok replied calmly, though his tone hinted at some underlying tension. Without another word, Pax simply nodded and walked off to find the carriage, as the horses had fled in the troll's presence.

When the troll vanished, the path returned to its original state, as if it had never been blocked.

"Well, it's time to move on," Pax announced, already seated once again in the driver's seat of the carriage.

"Alright," the others responded, smiling with satisfaction at having worked together to defeat the gigantic troll.

Golden approached Pax with a half-smile, though the latter couldn't see it since Golden was still wearing his armor.

"Not bad," Golden commented. "Sometimes you need a push to see reason, but when you cooperate, you're actually quite good."

"Don't mention it. Let's go already," Pax retorted, avoiding any display of gratitude.

Meanwhile, Paltio used his healing abilities to tend to Mok, who still showed signs of exhaustion after the intense battle.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Mok told him, but the prince insisted.

"It's better to be safe," Paltio responded determinedly, completing the healing with the spherical piece.

Later, Paltio approached Pax, intending to heal him as well. However, Alita and Ron stopped him for a moment.

"Leave him be," Alita whispered. "Maybe this is his chance to learn something."

"Yes, leave him," Ron added. "Perhaps this way, he'll realize he's not alone."

Despite their words, Paltio decided to proceed. When he touched Pax with his magic, the armored warrior felt his energy fully restored. He looked at the prince seriously, though a faint glimmer of gratitude briefly crossed his face—though it was hidden beneath his helmet.

"Thanks," he murmured, climbing into the driver's seat without another word.

Everyone boarded the carriage and continued their journey toward the next realm, leaving behind the remnants of the troll and carrying with them a small victory that had strengthened, even if only slightly, the cooperation between them.