TRACKED BY GOBLINS - AKI POV

It is mid-afternoon, and the goblins stumble upon their quarry - an unsuspecting trio of humans strolling along the path, blissfully unaware of the goblins' presence. The Goblin Boss grunts in approval, realizing they have found their targets earlier than expected. Surveying the surroundings, he spots a convenient clearing in the forest where they can gather unnoticed and plan their attack. With a commanding gesture, he motions for his tribe to follow him into the hidden refuge.

After a chaotic struggle of pushing and shoving, the horde of goblins manages to squeeze into the clearing. The Boss waits for his troops to settle down, but his patience quickly wears thin as a group of warriors engage in a wild fistfight with the shamans. He starts to roar but immediately catches himself - after all, they don't want their quarries to hear them. Instead, he marches over to the brawling goblins and promptly smacks them across the face.

However, rather than quelling the scuffle, his actions only spark further in-fighting. Reaching his limit, the Goblin Boss growls as he unsheathes his two-handed sword, raising it high in a daring challenge to anyone who dares challenge his leadership.

After a few tense seconds, silence finally falls upon the goblins. The Boss takes a moment to survey his subordinates, waiting to see if any more insubordination will rear its ugly head. Seeing none, he sheathes his sword and takes a deep breath before issuing his orders.

"You, warri-"

*BOOM*

Unbeknownst to the goblins, the trio has been observing them from the very beginning. Aki, positioned in the middle, has both hands open with palms facing up, utilizing the Scrying spell to view creatures and places from afar. His two companions stand beside him, struggling to suppress their amusement while pretending not to focus on the scrying image. Aki shoots Landale a glance as he stifles a laugh.

"The plan is working, Aki," Yumi says, unable to conceal her smile.

"Yes," Aki responds slowly, deep in concentration as he awaits the opportune moment to detonate the explosive symbols he has cleverly hidden in the clearing.

Earlier in the afternoon, Aki remained mostly quiet as Landale joined them. His gaze wandered through the forest, his mind preoccupied. After a couple of hours, he finally paused, ready to share the plan - a relatively straightforward one.

Aki gestured toward a hidden clearing he had discovered moments earlier. The clearing was cleverly concealed from their current position and offered ample space for dozens of goblins to gather. Once the goblins spotted them on the road, they will be sure to gather there to formulate their strategy. Aki intended to plant a potent Detonation Symbol there, one with enough power to ensure the demise of the Goblin Boss. With the Boss eliminated, the remaining goblins would likely scatter in fear.

Instructing the others to stay put, Aki retraced his steps toward the clearing. To his surprise, he heard Landale trailing behind, chattering excitedly about a supposedly superior plan. Ignoring the distractions, Aki focused on his task at hand. Carefully, he implanted the explosive symbol, meticulously covering it with dirt and leaves, before rejoining Yumi.

"This is no problem," Landale boasts smugly, barely containing his excitement. "I told you they aren't much of a threat. The Migh-"

"Here we go," Aki interjects as he spots the Goblin Boss positioned directly above the hidden explosive symbol.

With his left hand open, Aki raises his right hand, mutters the detonation spell, and snaps his fingers. However, as he does so, he hears another snap that happened much earlier than his own. Aki looks up in surprise to see a smug-looking Landale with his hands raised, having just snapped his fingers.

Realization hit Aki like a brick, He put his own detonation symbol!

The first explosion propels the Goblin Boss into the air - a powerful blast on its own. As the Boss soars through the sky, a second, even more potent explosion rocks the clearing, obliterating any surviving goblins from the initial blast.

With a resounding crash, the Goblin Boss crashes back down to the ground, his leg bones shattered and broken. His agonized screams of pain and anger reverberate through the forest. The surviving goblins, who had begun to flee, abruptly halt their escape, realizing their fear of the Goblin Boss surpasses even the explosive spells that have just devastated their world.

Reluctantly, the goblins march back toward their leader, their Boss's bloodshot eyes fixated on the three humans. The man in the middle, his face filled with fury, shouts at the other, who wears a pitifully horrified expression. However, the blond girl on the opposite side wears a mischievous smile as she locks eyes with the Goblin Boss. She unsheathes her shield and mace, prepared for battle.

The Goblin Boss roars, rallying the surviving goblins to engage in combat, while a few goblins lift him off the ground in retreat.

With a twisted grin, Yumi steps forward, meeting the Goblin Boss's enraged gaze with steely determination. She has long awaited this moment, honing her skills and anticipating the perfect opportunity to unleash her fury upon these vile creatures.

As the goblin horde charges toward her, Yumi swiftly swings her shield, expertly deflecting the first goblin's crude weapon. With lightning speed, she follows up with a powerful strike of her mace, crushing the goblin's skull and sending him sprawling to the ground.

With a final glare at Landale, Aki sighs deeply before redirecting his attention to the approaching goblins. Dozens of warriors are bearing down on them, but Yumi handles them with ease. From afar, Aki spots goblin archers readying their bows. Despite the explosive symbol draining much of his stamina, Aki raises his hand and channels his remaining energies to assist her.

A vibrant green ray shoots out of Aki's hands, enveloping the goblin archers. Instantly, they feel sickened, their strength drained. Helplessly, they watch as the blond beauty charges toward them, her raised mace promising a swift and dreadful ****.

For the next few seconds, the sounds of a swinging mace, skulls getting caved in, pained whimpering of goblins fill the air. Until with one final swing, the last goblin archer collapses to the ground. The retreating Goblin Boss thrashes about, shaking off most of his underlings. However, with his legs destroyed, he is rendered largely incapacitated, left only with vengeful oaths.

Yumi and Aki attempt to give chase, but the goblin shamans unleash potent Scorching Rays to cover their retreat. Aki quickly erects a barrier, and Yumi raises her shield just in time to deflect the spells, but they are unable to pursue further.

"Let them go, Yumi," Aki says. He said the words calmly even as his shield is pelted by scorching rays but, inwardly, he is cursing himself.

I used far too much energy on the Detonation Symbol. I mustn't make that mistake again - betting it all in a single trap was beyond foolish.

Aki gazes upwards to the sky before adding, "Night time is coming."

With her shield still raised, Yumi tuts in annoyance and looks towards Aki. "You look tired, Aki," she says compassionately before finally nodding, acquiescing to Aki's words. "Let's get some rest."

As the barrage of Scorching Rays slow down, the horrifying screams and threats of the Goblin Boss fade into the distance as the remaining goblins slip from their grasp.