Everyone was separated from me by a suddenly appearing black shadow.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
No matter how much I ran, the black clouds didn’t break. I was completely cornered. I couldn’t even catch sight of the opponent; I was like a wounded deer. Losing my direction, I ran blindly, my stamina running out, just to be killed.
The distance between me and everyone else shouldn’t have been that far, yet I couldn’t even find the camp site.
A *snap* sound came from within the clouds. I instantly raised my shield.
“Agh, GAAAAAHH!”
Sparks scattered before my eyes, and my vision turned white. It seemed I managed to avoid a direct hit thanks to the shield, but a searing pain shot through my left arm. My muscles were convulsing on their own.
“Ugh, hoo, ooooouch.”
My left hand, struck by lightning, was now unusable. I couldn’t even hold my shield properly; it was just hanging there. The jagged rock I was carrying on my back lost its support and slid down. The warm blood made it slippery.
It would be easier if it got up and clung to me itself. Then, as if my thoughts reached it, it started to wriggle on my back.
“Hey, Jagged Rock, wake up! Grab on yourself.”
As I stopped once to re-strap it onto my back, I was shoved by a shadow cloaked in darkness.
“Aaaagh, hah, damn it…”
I rolled on the ground, helpless. My left arm was numb and unmoving, and my right arm was weak from fatigue. When I somehow managed to get my body up, the near-dead Jagged Rock was menacing the black shadow.
“Fushuu-kaaah.”
Covered in blood, it was still trying to fight. The black shadow looked down at it as if it were an insect.
“Hah, is it a pet Siren?”
As if uninterested in such an insect, the shadow turned towards me. Its sharp gaze seemed to be sizing me up.
“H-hey, are you one of Auroa’s subordinates?!”
“…”
Without answering my question, it lightly clenched its hand and then lunged at me. I dodged the attack by diving underneath it as it flew low, narrowly avoiding it. Then, I picked up Jagged Rock and ran again.
I no longer knew how to move. My mind was completely blank. I had only managed to slip away from below by chance just now. The opponent probably didn’t expect me to approach either. But there wouldn’t be a next time.
“H-hey, leave me, leave me behind.”
“What are you talking about? Get a grip.”
I wanted to say, “I went to the trouble of saving you, so I’m not leaving you behind!” but at this rate, I’ll be caught too. Besides, if that guy is Auroa’s subordinate, shouldn’t their target be just me? But if I leave him here, he’ll surely die.
Jagged Rock couldn’t return to its companions anymore. It would only weaken alone.
The surroundings began to sparkle _snap, snap_. The stars were shining brightly. Lightning was coming; and this time, it was a much bigger one. Ah… I’m getting dizzy. My eyes are flickering from the strong flash. It should be dark, but it’s bright.
I’m tired; my lungs hurt from my heavy breathing. My legs are heavy; I can barely stand. Is this it? Do I have to face them here? I want to stop and rest…
Amidst the torturous flashes, a particularly shining gold caught my eye. I saw it for just a moment. It wasn’t like the stars; it was beautiful golden, horns? I squinted my eyes.
“Don’t stop, it’s this way.”
As if moved by those words, my legs naturally moved forward. One step, then another, I reached out my hand towards the guiding gold. Whose clear voice was that?
“Quickly, quickly.”
It was as if the clouds had parted just there. The owner of the voice was a Servitaurus boy. He had the lower body of a deer and the body of a human; I had encountered him many times before. But he was different from all of them.
I was so captivated that I forgot to breathe. I wanted to imprint his figure in my memory. He had short golden horns, bluish fur, and metallic hooves. In a word, he could only be described as mystical.
“Get on, if you want to live.”
Get on? With such thin legs, with soft fur, wouldn’t I crush him if I got on? Besides, he’s still a child; he can’t run fast while carrying a person.
“A-are you okay?”
“I can escape.”
Where did that confidence come from? But I couldn’t dither any longer; the lightning was about to strike. I decided to believe him.
I straddled his slender back and placed Jagged Rock in front of me.
“Hold on.”
“Huh?”
The scenery changed abruptly. My voice and consciousness were left behind.
“Don’t let go.”
The boy ran through the forest silently. I desperately tightened my grip, trying not to be blown away. Trees came and went rapidly. The gravity felt like it was crushing my chest. I couldn’t breathe due to the wind pressure.
What speed! My brain couldn’t keep up with the changing scenery. In contrast, it seemed to slow down.
Still, he accelerated further. Despite this speed, there was no sound at all. The wind should have been much louder too. And despite the trees growing haphazardly, he didn’t hit any at all. What was going on? What kind of race was this? One thing was for sure: he wasn’t just any Servitaurus.
“We’ve arrived. Get off, you’re heavy.”
“Eh, ah, ah.”
Before I knew it, the black clouds had disappeared.
