White Night Festival (3)
“Hwaaaang—! Daddy, Mommy……”
“Kyaaaak!!”
Screams from all directions crushed my eardrums. Parents clutching their children as they ran, elderly folk sprawled on the ground, crowds shoving one another in blind panic. Chaos spread between the festival lanterns blazing brightly.
How the hell……!
I bit my lip. Sure, Liberuno was a small city, but it was a strategic hub managed by the Church with its own branch office. Protected by holy barrier devices blessed by the Saintess and guarded by holy knights—it shouldn’t have crumbled this easily, no matter how many demons swarmed outside.
“O-Oppa……”
Glancing back, I saw Sera’s face drained white as a sheet. Her eyes, brimming with terror and on the verge of tears, stared at me.
Seeing her shoulders tremble sent my mind into sharp focus. Right now, I was all she had. So I had to pull it together.
“……Sera. Come here.”
I gripped her shoulders firmly and locked eyes with her.
“Listen to me carefully from now on.”
Her body was still quaking. I whispered low.
“Don’t let go of my hand, no matter what. And do exactly as I say. Got it?”
Sera nodded with effort. I gave her a quick hug, then took her hand and bolted along the riverbank. I readjusted our slippery, sweat-slicked grip over and over while mapping the city in my head.
Where to? I glanced across the river. The first screams had come from the east, and that’s where people were fleeing from too. If the eastern wall had fallen, we still had time. We were on the city’s west side—if we kept our bearings, we could escape with the demons before they swarmed here.
The Church branch was south, but demons would’ve zeroed in on the divine power there first. By now, it was probably a brutal battlefield.
Only one option left.
Head north and find a hiding spot.
Reinforcements from the Church and Empire would arrive soon. If we hunkered down somewhere safe until the priests and holy knights restored the barrier, we’d make it.
We ran along the road for minutes, dodging demons and screams alike. Through our clasped hands, I felt Sera’s ragged breaths.
I turned to check her face.
“Hang in there just a bit longer. We’re almost there, okay?”
Sera nodded, lips pressed tight, her face ghostly pale.
“Y-Yeah, Oppa…… I-I’m fine…… huff……”
Then—
Boom!
An explosion rocked nearby, flames erupting skyward. Debris from the collapsing building rained down on Sera.
“Tch……!”
I yanked her arm and threw myself forward. Something heavy slammed into my head, hot pain exploding. I’d shielded her instinctively, so she ended up under me—but she seemed unhurt.
“O-Oppa……”
Sera’s eyes flew wide. Blood trickled from my forehead and dripped onto hers.
“Oppa, you’re bleeding……!”
“……I’m fine.”
I rose slowly, rubble pattering off us. Tearing a strip from my shirt, I bound my head roughly. A little dizzy, but I could still move.
Only then did I take in the street. People sliced open, torn apart, trampled to death. Corpses littered the road—victims who hadn’t escaped the demon raid.
“Oppa……”
Sera’s voice trembled. I soothed her calmly.
“It’s okay. Trust me.”
But inside, anxiety gnawed. The air reeked of blood. The demons were faster than I’d thought. We could run into them anywhere now. We needed shelter fast.
Luckily, this area had plenty of empty houses. Pick one and hole up……
That’s when I rounded the corner.
“……!”
I clamped a hand over Sera’s mouth on reflex. Finger to my lips, I peered cautiously ahead.
Two pairs of reddish eyes glowed in the shadowed alley.
Demons……!
Twice my size, with sickle-like claws instead of hands at their arm ends. Their bark-like, gnarled bodies oozed some black, viscous fluid.
They hadn’t spotted us yet……
I gritted my teeth. If only I still had divine power. My body, branded by the Church, couldn’t channel any—it proved I’d been cast from the goddess’s embrace, a sinner.
But.
No choice but to fight.
We had to pass that alley to escape the street. Sera clutched my sleeve, reading my face. I flashed her a faint smile and shook my head to clear it.
First things first: get her somewhere safe.
I scanned around. No good weapons in sight. My usual dagger was back at the inn, of course.
Cursing inwardly, I spotted a pile of junk nearby. Amid torn tents, splintered wood, and paper scraps protruded a rusty iron rod.
I yanked it free—it was thick and heavy, probably a tent pole.
Won’t kill with this……
But better than bare hands. Without divine power, demonic miasma would corrupt me on contact, turning me into one of them.
“Sera, hide nearby. Don’t come out till I call.”
“But, Oppa—”
“Listen to me.”
She wiped her eyes, nodding reluctantly, face etched with worry.
“……Come back quick.”
I grinned at her, then crept into the alley.
Clang—
The metallic ring echoed. The demons slowly turned.
Their eyes fixed on me.
“Kiaaaak!”
I rolled aside from the claw swipe, slamming the rod into its side. It staggered but didn’t fall. As expected—no divine power meant no real damage.
But it still hurt them some. Simple: beat them till they dropped.
I dodged their rushes, landing blows relentlessly. Their mocking sneers turned to confusion.
“Kieeeek!!”
With a wretched death cry, the last one went down. The alley floor was piled with their slimy remains.
“Hah, hah……”
I panted heavily. Arms burning, lungs screaming—but no time to rest. They were tougher than expected; too much time wasted. Needed to check on Sera.
“Se—”
Rounding the corner to call her—
“You there—a sinner.”
A holy knight appeared, sword at my throat. Black fluid splattered his white armor. Sweat- and blood-matted hair spoke of desperate battle.
His cold gaze bored into me.
“Did you cause this?”
I flicked my eyes around. No Sera.
“I don’t know anything about that. More importantly……”
I stepped forward; he raised his blade. The tip nicked my throat.
“Move and I’ll cut you down.”
I clenched my jaw. Not now. If something happened to Sera…… Every second ratcheted my anxiety.
Then—a flash. The knight’s head flew. Blood fountained; his body crumpled.
“Oppa! Watch out!”
As I backpedaled, Sera burst from nearby trash.
“Sera! Get down!”
The thing that decapitated the knight lunged at her. I snatched his dropped sword and parried.
Clang!
The sharp ring pierced the air. Sera flung herself into my arms, face tear-streaked.
“Oppa, Oppa……”
“……I’m okay.”
I shoved her behind me, scanning. Demons came in all forms—some typical like the ones I’d killed, others house-sized with shells. All built to kill humans.
Ching—!
“Ngh……”
I barely deflected the charging shadow. Then I saw it.
“Vargas……!”
An upper demon—one needing five or six knights to fell. Spider-like, it clacked its grotesque pincers at me.
I glanced at Sera behind me, backing away step by step. Alone, maybe—but protecting her? Impossible.
But blood loss hit hard. Vision blurred. Its red eyes gleamed.
“Guhk……!”
I reacted to the blind-spot strike, but the follow-up barrage broke through. Its leg pierced my shoulder, miasma flooding in like bile.
“Oppa—!!”
Sera’s cry from behind. I tried raising my sword, but my sliced arm wouldn’t obey. I spat blood-mixed saliva.
If I fell, she died. Switched to my left hand, bracing with the right, reset my stance. Stared down its eight eyes.
Objectively, I was screwed. It knew, pincers clicking mockingly.
But this was my shot. Upper demons commanded lowers. Kill it, and the rest would flail leaderless. Sera could run.
I whispered just loud enough for her.
“……Sera. Listen close.”
“O-Oppa, the blood…… your arm……”
She’d collapsed, pale as death.
“Sera!”
I forced volume. She looked up, trembling.
“Next attack’s the last. I’ll block—then run.”
“N-No…… No, Oppa, come with me, together……”
Tears streamed down her face. I shook my head.
“Can’t. Not both of us. Please, listen to Oppa.”
“B-But… but……”
I smiled faintly.
“I’ll catch up soon. Go first, okay?”
She hesitated, then stood shakily. Vargas raised its pincer high.
“Now!!”
I exploded off the ground, batting the pincer aside, diving into the gap. With all my strength, I slashed upward from under its head.
Crunch!
The blade pierced shell and sank deep into its skull. But that was it. No divine power—no cleaving its miasma core.
“……Ah.”
It twisted, eyes flashing painlessly.
“Guhk!”
Its massive foreleg smashed my side. Impact like a steel pipe hurled me like paper into the wall. Something crunched inside. Blood filled my mouth.
“……”
Couldn’t move a finger. Through fading vision, I scanned the street.
No Sera.
……Good.
A bloody smile tugged my lips. Smart kid—she’d run at my shout. That was enough. As long as Sera lived.
Vargas oozed slime, approaching, pincers clicking in satisfaction.
Then.
“……No.”
A frail shadow overlaid my view. Narrow, trembling shoulders spread wide—Sera stood blocking me.
“Sera…… why…….”
I rasped. She should’ve run. Why come back?
“Why…… why didn’t you go?! I told you to run!!”
But she didn’t budge an inch, staring down the demon without looking back.
“How…… how could I leave Oppa and run alone!!!”
Her desperate scream echoed down the street. Eight eyes glowed red, massive pincer descending—
——.
All sound vanished.
No screams, no roars—just silence. From the pitch-black night sky, a pillar of pure white light poured straight down.