The Night the Storm Descended
To put it simply, that day was just like any other.
There was the sudden checkpoint blocking the road, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and just as naturally, the three of us slipped out of the carriage into the woods while the other three started putting on their act. Once that routine was over, we chattered away as if nothing had happened, bickering with Eileen at the lead until, at some point, Asha poked her head out the small window.
Asha's voice drifted out.
"Ain."
"Yeah?"
"Aren't you tired? You've been driving the carriage non-stop without any rest."
It was her usual voice, full of gentle affection. Even without seeing her face, I could tell she was worried about me.
"I'm still good. You cast that healing spell on me earlier."
"But technically, healing magic doesn't erase fatigue completely—it just restores the parts of your body worn down by it back to normal."
"That's enough for me. We need to get as far as possible, so I'll push a bit longer and rest once the sun sets."
I replied like that, but I kept my grip tight on the reins, not letting go. In truth, I'd been skipping proper camps and driving through the night. My companions had managed simple meals of hardtack and jerky before dozing off inside the carriage, but I'd stayed awake, relying on Asha's spells to keep going.
And for good reason.
The checkpoints were getting more frequent, and it felt like the Holy Kingdom's pursuit squad was closing in tight behind us. My mind was growing impatient, so with the single thought that their influence wouldn't reach as far once we escaped human territory, we were pushing hard toward the border.
"Still, tell me if you get too tired, Ain."
"Yeah, thanks."
"...Stubborn."
Of course, Asha wasn't thrilled with my answer or my actions—she poked my back with a poke and pouted her lips. But still.
With a bounty on our heads, constant inspections, and the Holy Kingdom's pursuit squad hot on our tails, there wasn't any easy fix. I kept racking my brain for solutions even while driving, but answers don't just pop out on demand.
If I had to nitpick, sure, I could call the Holy Kingdom a pack of lunatics, but gray was indeed a calamity as the world defined it. We couldn't just attack the soldiers following orders from above or the holy knights and priests chasing us. Doing that would make things worse—we'd never be able to return to the Empire.
So the best I'd come up with was fleeing across the border. No clever fix in sight, so that's what we'd settled on.
"Ah, shoulda saved the golem instead of using it..."
If I'd known things would blow up this fast, I would've been more cautious with it. Only a month left now—two more months before I could use it again. Bitter regret.
Anyway.
We kept pushing the carriage hard like that. Before long, night fell, and my companions nodded off one by one, eventually all asleep. The only sounds around the carriage were the soft rustle of grass against the wheels and the occasional cry of a wild beast.
It was eerie, if you wanted to call it that. The atmosphere felt ominous enough. But I'd grown used to it all—it didn't faze me anymore. Those were just familiar, everyday things now.
And so.
In that landscape, one thing alone approached us, utterly out of place and unnatural.
"...?"
A brilliant beam of light, bright enough to light up the dark night sky for an instant. A long, massive glow aimed straight at the carriage. Golden light, brimming with clear killing intent, poured rapidly from behind us.
"What the—fuck...! Asha!!!!!"
I spotted it and yelled toward the small window.
"Got it!"
Thankfully, Asha chanted a spell in a flash, scattering mana to wrap a barrier around the entire carriage. Then the beam hit.
KABOOOOOM—
"Kyaaah...! W-what's happening...?!"
The beam hammered the barrier, shaking the carriage wildly. Eileen's scream rang out—she'd been snoring away moments ago.
"It's a straight-up ambush! Wake the sleepers, quick!"
"O-okay, okay! E-everyone, wake up quick...!"
In the midst of it, a crack sounded. The once-solid barrier weakened with every beam that struck it, cracks spiderwebbing across.
"Ngh.... W-why is the barrier breaking so fast..."
Asha muttered in confusion, chanting to reinforce it. She'd held against endless barrages from black mages, so a few beams nearly shattering it must've been shocking.
"It's not magic—it's a divine spell. Eileen, use the staff with the kids. Layer the staff's barrier over Asha's magic."
"Y-yes...! Tori! Grab the staff, quick!"
It was simple matchup disadvantage. Divine power hits hardest against what they deem evil, and gray was evil incarnate by the world's standards. Mana mixed with ash dust had a glaring weakness against pure spells, even if she'd hidden the ash swirls during casting.
And that was why the Holy Kingdom led the charge against evil—and gray.
"Ugh... My precious barrier spell...!"
"You can lament wasting it after we survive—keep lamenting if you want!"
Two layers of memorized barrier spells from the staff wrapped over Asha's. They weren't from a powerful mage, so they looked shaky, but they blocked more steadily than hers alone.
However.
While fending off the divine spells, our carriage slowed. The white carriage squad behind us sped up, closing in. The gap narrowed until we could see the riders: pristine white armor, snowy blades and shields. Immaculate priest robes, thick tomes painted pure white. Lunatics obsessed with purity, yet their faces were twisted with demonic fury.
Holy bastards.
"...The bounty says 'capture or kill,' but now that they've caught up, capture's out the window—it's all murder in their eyes."
They might be saints to others, but to us, they were just holy bastards. Asha hadn't done a damn thing wrong, yet they'd assembled an extermination squad over her powerful gray.
I spat that out and said,
"Horn, hand over my armor, gauntlets, and sword."
"Here, catch."
The distance had closed enough that holy knights were leaping from their white carriages, swords drawn, ready to charge. Even if the priests' spells were blocked by the double staff barriers and Asha's magic...
Those psychopaths hell-bent on slaughtering us? Me and Horn had to handle them personally.
I quickly donned the armor and gauntlets Horn handed over, then strapped the sword to my waist.
"Aberly, you can at least drive in a pinch."
"I-I'll give it a try...!"
With his answer, I flung open the carriage door, yanked Aberly out, plopped him on the driver's seat, and shoved the reins into his hands.
"Just keep the horses running forward. They're smart—if you don't fuck around, they won't crash into a tree or anything."
"Haha... Even I wouldn't screw around in a s-situation like this...!"
What was that.
"This holy bastard realizes his usual antics are 'fucking around,' huh?"
"Ah."
"...We'll talk after you survive."
Thanks for giving me one more reason to make sure we all live, you prick.
Anyway.
I ruffled Aberly's hair once, then leaped onto the carriage roof and eyed the closing white carriage squad. Even a rough glance showed holy knights drawing swords, glaring like they were about to pounce.
We'd swapped carriages and kept Asha inside, yet they seemed dead certain we had the gray they'd been chasing.
Of course.
How they'd spotted and attacked? Details like that would come soon enough.
The gap shrank to nothing, and the holy knights charged our carriage like brainless beasts.
These pricks.
Leaping onto a moving carriage? Pure madness. I met the incoming white blade with my own.
But instead of a clear clang, it grated like ka-gak, trying to shatter mine.
"Die, minion of gray!!!"
"Shit...!"
Mana. And divine power.
Again.
Every. Damn. Time.
Kriiiiiind—
"You dare... dare hide gray and aid it, disrupting the world's order, sinner...!!"
"Ngh...! We haven't done jack..., hup! Treating us like sinners outright ain't right, you holy lunatics!!"
Every moment was like this. This goddamn talent gap kept making ugly noises. Every time, every instant—it pissed me off, infuriated me.
I kicked the holy knight's knee, shoving him back, then swung my sword with all my might atop the jolting carriage.
"Kgh...! Don't resist, sinner!! No future awaits you all no matter how you struggle—hup!?"
A holy knight with divine talent should've blocked easily, but he didn't. Blue mana residue trailed my swing, scattering.
Of course.
Regrettably, it wasn't mine. The pure, brilliant blue aura I'd never wield clung to the sword in my hand.
Chaaeng—
Finally, a proper clash rang out. The holy knight, blasted back by my blade, tumbled off our carriage to the ground.