A Life on the Line (1)
I'm alive. Nathan Maia thought as much after running for what felt like an eternity and finally collapsing. He must have reached a safe zone. He hadn't drawn the longsword Aspen Peres had given him once. Partly because fleeing was wiser than cutting down pursuers, but mostly because he simply hadn't wanted to. The thought of losing something of hers in the chaos made his stomach twist.
Nathan checked the blade inside its scabbard, then laid Santra down. He stared blankly at the battle unfolding before him. Steam-belching metal steeds thundered in formation, Celestial Guard riders perched atop them. He recognized the uniforms—they matched Empato's. The cavalry leveled their staves at the surging tide of Void Maw and unleashed a barrage of magic. Light flashed in every color imaginable, like lightning wrapped in rainbows. Swift, overwhelming force meant to keep the creatures from spilling into the residential districts and the city proper.
For some reason, it kept reminding him of the massacre in Graveyard Valley. A sudden surge of anger rose in Nathan's chest. So they had the power to help all along. He'd heard the Eleim of the upper districts looked down on the slums. Maybe they saw it as a convenient way to cull the unwanted.
More than just the Celestial Guard had arrived. A group of swordsmen appeared without shields or heavy armor, armed only with blades. Yet they needed no defense. They stood at the vanguard, and any Void Maw that survived the magical barrage were sliced apart the moment they drew near, limbs severed by eerie flashes of sword light. Nathan squinted. Even if these were wraiths revived by the Abyss, their durability should have matched the original creatures. But these swordsmen severed every part of them with casual ease.
Looking closer, he saw a magical blue glow shimmering along their blades. Too vivid to be mere reflected light. Nathan felt he'd seen that radiance before. What had they called it? Sword Qi?
One of the swordsmen suddenly waved toward him, as if they had all the time in the world. "Hey, pitiful Sapiens! Been a while!"
Nathan, seated on the plaza floor, raised an eyebrow. "Pitiful... what?"
The face looked familiar now. The man he'd seen in the cage-like prison of the Floating Arena. Bin of the Sword Star Sect, if he remembered right.
"Focus, junior! Where are you looking?"
Ignoring his superior's furious roar, the swordsman hurled something at Nathan. A heavy cylindrical object spun through the air and dropped toward his face. Nathan snatched it before it could strike him. It sloshed. "A canteen?"
Only then did he realize how parched his throat was. Running at full speed would do that. He hesitated before drinking—his experiences had left him paranoid enough to suspect poison. But if it were poisoned, the Rune of Kelsa on his hand would have glowed cold. After a moment's thought, he brought the canteen to his lips. Well, if they'd just spat in it—
"Step away from our master, Nathan Maia."
Nathan spat the water out and coughed violently. Pounding his chest, he turned around. A warrior in crimson armor had appeared without a sound, stopping a short distance away. One hand rested on his sword hilt. He wore a skull mask like the other members of the Peres family.
"Cough. What the hell?"
"I said step away from Lady Santra. I won't repeat myself a third time."
Nathan blinked. The sheer audacity. "Step away? Do I look like I'm holding her hostage right now—"
"No. You look like you've rescued our gravely injured family head. But I cannot afford to be careless. I know the feelings you harbor toward my master are far from kind."
Quite the loyal retainers. Dozens more crimson-armored warriors approached behind the first. Nathan glanced around, then whispered to Santra while covering his mouth. "These guys—are they your subordinates? I'm not exactly familiar with the situation here."
Sweating and pale, Santra gave a faint nod. "My... private soldiers."
Nathan immediately backed several steps away from them, visibly relieved. Whether from trauma or something else, being near that woman had felt suffocating the entire time—even while she lay unconscious and near death.
Small figures hurried forward through the ranks of warriors. They spread a tarp on the ground and began examining Santra's wounds. Dwarves? A warrior stepped in front of Nathan, blocking his view.
"Thank you."
Nathan gave a small nod. He didn't mention how many times he'd been tempted to throw her off his back during the escape.
"You could have left her on the road and pretended not to notice."
Nathan flinched, wondering if his thoughts had been read. The crimson warrior chuckled. "Hit the mark, did I? I've had the same thought myself once or twice."
After making such a disloyal remark so casually, the warrior removed his gauntlet and extended a hand. "A pleasure to meet you."
Nathan hesitated, then clasped it. The warrior's skin was ice-cold, like a log freshly pulled from a river. Nathan's eyes twitched. Undead?
"Quite the grip. The Lion Wing Knights of this generation have reached impressive heights."
This generation? And "Lion Wing Knights"—plural? The implication made Nathan tilt his head. "You, perhaps—"
"The arrowheads are coated in anti-magic material. To a mage, it's essentially a blood toxin. It was reversing her mana flow and stopping her heart. It's fortunate we can still treat her."
The dwarves tending Santra's wounds interrupted. "But we need to remove the arrows immediately. We require a proper surgical environment and blood transfusion. All we can do here is stop the bleeding."
"Understood. First squad, with me. The rest, escort the lady and retreat. A shame we don't have time for further conversation. You have more important matters than dealing with an old relic like me."
The warrior pointed over his shoulder. "Your friend was looking for you."
Benny emerged from between the crimson warriors. She was drenched and trembling, but appeared uninjured. She's safe. Nathan started toward her with relief, then stopped at the look on her face.
"Why do you look like that?"
"Nathan. I... I..."
Benny's hands shook as she clutched the blanket draped over her. She hadn't even tried to wring out her wet hair. Nathan couldn't tell what had soaked her, but her deathly pale complexion suggested it wasn't just the cold.
He scanned the area quickly. No one else. The person who should have escaped with Benny was missing. Finally, Nathan asked, "Where's Aspen?"
---
Half an hour earlier. Inside the courthouse.
"Whoever catches up to me gets the mage I'm carrying! Besides me!"
The mindless monsters were easily baited. Their sole purpose was to kill whatever they saw or heard. They screamed and chased after the voice, vanishing into the distance.
"First come, first served—!"
"...Giving away Santra? First come, first served? What did Nathan just say?"
Benny, looking considerably more haggard after less than half a day, muttered to herself.
"Don't worry. That's just how he talks. Even when he's grumbling like that, he wouldn't abandon someone and run."
That wasn't what she'd meant to say. She'd been about to say "our way of speaking." But Aspen didn't correct her. This wasn't the time for petty emotions.
In the dark corridor lit only by emergency lights, Aspen followed behind Benny. The local resident was more likely to find an escape route. Yet Benny's next words made Aspen consider adding several more reasons for choosing to stay behind. If this woman slowed down from exhaustion, Aspen could always kick her in the rear.
"Still, I can't help worrying. He doesn't exactly overflow with mercy. From what I know, Nathan and Santra don't get along at all..."
What do you know about Nathan?
The building narrowed as they ascended, so the fifth floor had more connecting paths than the upper levels. But none of the unblocked routes were obvious. Benny's legs trembled after running and running. Holding the tablet out for light only drained her strength faster. Relying on its faint glow, Benny whimpered in frustration. "Huff, damn it. This is exhausting. I should've made it smaller next time. And definitely added a flashlight."
Aspen pushed her forward politely, careful not to let personal frustration show. Benny made a miserable face and started running down the corridor again.
"Huff. For the Hedonics of the Heavens, huff, she's an indispensable spiritual pillar, and for you, huff, she's the only one who can guarantee your identity in the Heavens. Huff. Santra can't—"
"I get it, so keep moving. I understand this situation is confusing and terrifying, but save your breath and focus on finding the exit."
Benny nodded and ran. Then she suddenly stopped, realizing something. She couldn't hear footsteps behind her. Benny whirled around in panic, shining her light backward. Aspen's footsteps had stopped far behind at some point. If one person pulled something like this in the dark, the other was bound to be terrified. Benny pressed a hand to her chest. I almost fainted.Isn't she being a bit inconsiderate? The thought crossed her mind, but she didn't voice it. There was no way Aspen would joke around in this situation.
"Hey. Lilac-head."
Lilac-head? Benny's breath caught. Was there anyone else here with pink-and-purple two-tone hair? Of course not. Only she and Aspen were present. That made the bloodthirsty voice even more terrifying.
"Do you know how to use magic? I heard your race is born with mana."
Benny tried not to tremble. "No, I—"
Something brushed past her face. A chilling, razor-sharp presence. Benny yelped and stumbled backward, falling to her knees. Aspen retrieved her sword from a distance that hadn't quite reached Benny and spoke calmly. "Doesn't look like you know how to fight, either."
This... Oh god. I'm sorry. I was wrong. From now on, I'll never touch a guy another girl has already claimed... As Benny drowned in horrific regret, Aspen turned around.
"Then run."
"What?"
"Go. I'll buy you time. Find the exit."
Aspen was staring down the barely visible end of the corridor. Human eyes were practically night-blind compared to other races or animals. But she could clearly feel the vibrations through the marble floor. And an overwhelmingly murderous aura.
"W-what do you mean? You're not coming?"
"Think you can outrun a two-meter-tall snake-headed lizard? The temperature's scorching thanks to the abyssal flames, too."
"What?"
"I'm out of the running. My ankle twisted when the ceiling collapsed earlier."
The sound of a blade scraping the floor was loud. The sinister stench of the Void Maw came with it. Among the Abyss's tools, some Void Maw retained their intelligence—if certain conditions were met. For example, if they'd already proven their slaughtering ability in life. In that sense, the Abyss's authority was surprisingly fair when evaluating talent. So the one humming a tune and deliberately dragging its sword closer was clearly...
Aspen took her stance. "A-Aspen. If you're thinking of doing this for my sake, you don't have to risk your life—"
"I swore to protect the weak and enjoyed a knight's honor and privileges. So I have to accept moments like this. Besides, that thing's shouting it loud and clear with its whole body—we can't both escape. If we start running together now, it'll chase us down immediately."
Even if it was an alien race with no connection to humans, and even if it was an annoying romantic rival who'd foolishly inserted herself, if she couldn't fight, she was a civilian. Come to think of it, this was the second time Aspen had told someone to run since arriving in the Heavens. And the third time she'd foolishly stepped in to shield someone else's crisis. She should be grateful she was still breathing.
"But—"
"Clinging to each other and dying together is also an option. Do as I say before I actually want to do that. Go, Lilac-head. And if you make it out alive..."
Aspen gave a hollow laugh. Was this really coming out of her own mouth?
"I don't know. Just be good to Nathan."