Chase - 2
Rene felt her head spinning amid the abruptly shifting situation. She clung to her hazy consciousness, desperately trying to grasp what was happening, but it wasn't easy. Of course it wasn't. How could she understand the sequence of events when she'd been sound asleep one moment and suddenly jolted awake, thrown onto a horse, and set galloping off the next? All she'd heard was that pursuers were on their tail. The only thing Rene knew for sure was that this was a dire emergency.
The horse raced forward, jolting her body up and down. The cold night air whipped across her face, stinging her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut and ducked her head—then Vera's voice rang in her ear.
"Saintess, you must hold on tight."
"Ah, yes."
The response came back lower than usual. A voice Rene had never heard from him before. As anxiety began to swell inside her, she tightened her grip around Vera's waist even more, still sitting sideways on the horse, and steadied her heart.
"I-Is it really bad?"
"There's no need to worry. No matter what happens, I will protect you, Saintess. For now, just hold on to me a little tighter so you don't fall off."
Reassuring words. Rene nodded faintly as she listened, drawing in a deep breath.
It'll be okay...
That's what Norn had said. Vera was one of the top three strongest in the Holy Kingdom in terms of raw power. No matter how many enemies came, he wouldn't lose. Thump. Thump. Rene's heart began pounding wildly. She figured it was a reaction to the tension and fear.
*
Vera spurred the horse onward, his thoughts racing.
Just cross the border.
Troops would be stationed at the border. He'd given Vargo advance notice before leaving, and once in Remeo Territory, he'd requested support again through Norn. Unless the Holy Emperor had dementia, there would be forces there. At this pace, they could reach it in an hour. The problem was...
...of all things, Night's Followers.
The pursuers had to be them. Children of Nertania, Queen of the Black Season. Recluses of the shadows. And on this dark night, they were the ones following.
Fighting is... unavoidable.
No matter how fast they rode, in the dead of night, they couldn't outpace those who traveled by shadow. Getting caught was only a matter of time. What mattered now was protecting Rene as best he could while breaking through whatever lay ahead.
His thoughts churned on like that for a while—until.
A slicing sound—shwick—and the horse suddenly buckled.
"Whinny—!"
"Kyaaak!"
Vera tensed in an instant. His eyes widened as he saw a shadow erupt from the ground, severing the horse's legs.
Already...!
They'd been caught. The horse pitched forward dramatically. Vera released the reins in a flash, scooped Rene into his arms, and leaped from the saddle.
Thud—!
Landing with Rene cradled against him, Vera tensed his entire body and drew his sword. His gaze swept the surroundings.
Whoosh... Eerie wind rustled through. Mingled in it were sounds that weren't the wind.
...They're here.
The Night's Followers.
"Saintess, put your arms around my neck. Hold tight."
"Y-Yes!"
Squeeze—.
Feeling the pressure around his neck, Vera readjusted his hold on Rene, gripped his sword firmly in his other hand, and fixed his eyes forward.
"Norn. Get ready."
"Understood."
At Vera's words, Norn—who'd been silent until then—drew his sword. That's when the anomaly began. Shadows rose from the underbrush, taking human form. One, two... soon dozens, and Vera's tension thickened accordingly.
"Will you hand over the Saintess?"
A deep, resonant voice filled the space. Rene's body stiffened even more at the sound. Vera bit his lip faintly at her reaction in his arms and stared toward the voice's origin.
At the end of his gaze stood a middle-aged man in a large cloak that seemed almost comical at first glance, his red eyes striking.
...Vampire.
Nertania's elite guard.
Even they are here.
Vera clicked his tongue softly at the vampire hovering in the air, looking down on them, then scowled and spoke.
"Don't talk nonsense."
"This is a negotiation. You hand over the Saintess and guarantee your safety—good for you. We fulfill our kind's longing—good for us. Not a bad deal, is it?"
"That's why it's nonsense. Who do you think you are, you bat spawn, crawling out of your hole? Does it take cracking your thick skull to get some sense into you?"
Twitch.
The vampire's brow furrowed. Vera's taunt struck at their deepest humiliation. Fifty years ago, they'd waged war on Vargo alone and fled after near annihilation. The vampire emanated a fiercer aura as he continued.
"In any case, you so-called servants of God are all so rude."
"And you're brainless."
Vera raised his sword as he spoke.
I'd love to fight...
But with Rene in his arms, his movements were restricted. Plus, the vampire's presence meant hundreds of troops blanketed the area. The best option now was escape. Having decided, Vera signaled Norn with a glance, locked eyes with the vampire again, and murmured softly so only Rene could hear.
"Saintess."
"Y-Yes...?"
"Hold on tight."
The moment he finished, Vera spun and bolted toward the border.
Thung—. The sound of him launching into the air.
"S-Sloooow—eeeek!"
Rene's scream trailed long.
*
No matter how desperately they fled, they couldn't outrun the Night's Followers who moved via shadows. Even as he ran, Vera swung his sword relentlessly at the enemies reaching from all sides, pressing on.
His back, ankles, above his head—basic spots—and they even shot shadows at the Saintess he targeted. His nerves were razor-sharp. Biting his lip, Vera assessed the situation.
Still some distance to the border.
They could break through for now, but if this continued, their retreat would be cut off. Above all, they needed more speed. His gaze flicked to Norn.
He's reaching his limit.
Norn was different from him. No stigmata, no superhuman physique to match. As his thoughts churned, another shadow flew at Vera's right thigh. He thrust his sword to deflect it, sending it flying the opposite way, then resumed sprinting and spoke.
"Saintess, are you alright?"
"Y-Yes! I'm fine, so don't worry about me—just keep running!"
"Then, pardon me."
After those words, Rene felt Vera readjust her position and clung tighter to his neck. Her body trembled. She tried to calm herself, worried it would unsettle him more, but it was futile. Crises in the dark, with nothing to see, were like that. All she heard were slashing sounds, screams, and the wind overlaying it all. All she felt was the chill enveloping her body and the occasional splatter of liquid on her skin. Because she couldn't see, couldn't confirm with her eyes. Those unknowns clawed at her insides in far more terrifying shapes than reality.
Squeeze—.
Rene clenched her fists. She gritted her teeth and clung to Vera. A thought surfaced.
Before, too...
Before leaving the village, Vera reeking of blood—that must have been a fight like this. Fights he waged out of her sight were this frightening. A small regret bubbled up inside her.
If I hadn't stubbornly refused like an idiot...
If she hadn't acted out about not wanting to go, this wouldn't have happened. As that choked her, guilt swelling—
Boom—!
A massive explosion rocked the space, deafening. The vibration made Rene stiffen further.
"It's fine."
Vera's voice followed. He soothed Rene, who was rigid and shivering in his arms, then glanced toward the blast's source.
What entered his view: trees swept clean, ground torn open, earth exposed.
Not the vampire's doing.
The violently upheaved earth was clearly from an explosion.
...Magic.
A suspicion arose. Vera scanned widely as he ran: the ground, distant trees, then the sky. Moments later, far at the edge of his vision, high above—
"Kieeeek—!"
A flock of wyverns dove in. Vera narrowed his eyes at the sudden arrivals, inspecting one's back.
Draconian.
Scales densely covering bare skin. A Draconian in pursuit. They'd caught wind of the commotion here.
...This is bad.
In other circumstances, he could pit them against the Night's Followers and slip away, but with the border near, that was impossible. They weren't fools; they'd know fighting each other here meant the Saintess crossing safely was all for naught.
"Tch."
A short tongue-click escaped Vera's lips as he pondered. Fight? As that thought crossed his mind—
"Wh-What's happening?"
Rene's voice followed.
"It's fine. You needn't worry at all, Saintess."
"St-Still..."
"It's dangerous—hold tighter?"
Rene realized from Vera's dismissal that things were very bad. She knew this stubborn man was saying it to reassure her.
Squeeze—.
Her fists clenched again.
This helplessness...
She couldn't accept it. Pathetic, trembling while the man fighting for her sake strained so hard. It was her fault. This crisis was on her. Negative emotions surged. The pent-up frustration rose to her throat, and Rene thought of what she could do. Blind, half-crippled and unable to walk alone—but she had something.
My power...!
Rene had stigmata. The power of the Lord God. Without hesitation, she ignited her divine power.
"Saintess!"
Vera's urgent whisper pierced her ear. Rene gritted her teeth and spat a curt reply.
"Run."
She felt his sharp intake of breath but focused on gathering divine power again. She knew how to use it.
Yearn desperately.
Wish and wish again, twisting reality and fate. Rewove destiny, turning the near-impossible into certainty.
Rene envisioned.
What I want most right now...
For Vera, herself, and Norn to escape safely. To reach the border unharmed. Whummm—.
Divine power resonated. The power trapped in her body stretched outward in all directions.
"Stoooop iiiit—!!!"
"Grrraaahk!!!"
Screams like wails echoed in her ears. Rene ignored them, concentrating on manifesting her power. She didn't know what it would do. But all she could do was wish—so she prayed again.
Divine power pouring from her body hit its limit. The more she pushed, the more her head burned. Pain intensified with each surge. Amid it, the Lord God who granted her this power flashed in her mind.
If you won't fix my eyes...
Shouldn't you at least grant this much? Whummm—.
Divine power thickened, spreading everywhere. As her prayer continued, it blanketed the ground, bushes, sky. Rene didn't know what her power wrought; she just focused on wishing, drawing it out.
Until she'd exhausted it all, none left in her body.
Pop—.
Her thoughts snapped. Her mind sank into haze. Strength drained from her limbs. The searing head pain vanished in an instant. Before blacking out, the last thing Rene felt was—
Ruuuuumble—.
The entire earth shaking.