While being toyed with by the enemy, he sacrificed himself to land a single blow.
The bow was drawn to its maximum. If I took that hit, my body would be blown to smithereens. But I couldn’t get up and escape anymore. Even if I could, I’d be killed before that.
Suddenly, the boy jumped sideways while holding the bow taut. Red droplets flew and wet the plants. Cecilia was the one who attacked from the side.
The boy promptly shot an arrow at Cecilia. However, the lightning arrow missed and disappeared into the depths of the forest. Before he could nock another arrow, Cecilia closed in on the enemy.
The boy recoiled, dodged the sword, and used a one-handed backflip to create distance.
“Hmm, you’ve got some skill. But what about this?”
He then took out two arrows and nocked them. Cecilia’s movements stopped. Was he planning to aim at both me and her at once? Cecilia might be able to dodge if it were just her. But I couldn’t move, and she wouldn’t abandon me… no, she would.
Just then, someone approached from behind.
“Here, don’t forget this.”
Karubene swung his sword down at the boy. His tail twitched, and he instinctively dodged just before the arrowhead touched him.
“Ah.”
His hand slipped from the string, which had been pulled to its limit. The two arrows flew in separate directions. One hit a tree, calling down lightning.
In the moment everyone’s attention was diverted, the enemy had already fled.
“Chase after him. I’ll help Brother. Come on, can you stand?”
Cecilia started chasing before Karubene even finished speaking.
“Sorry, both my arms are numb. Ah, it hurts.”
Looking at his arms, they were red and burned. But the pain was internal. It was like his muscles were being ripped to shreds.
“But you did well. If your shoulder is damaged, you can’t draw a bow.”
I managed to stand up with Karubene’s shoulder. Sharin and Nina also arrived, and Lauren was there too.
“Are you alright? You were attacked from behind.”
“I’m somehow still alive. Lauren, you were here too?”
“I met you on the way. Why do you think that brat fell earlier?”
So it was Lauren’s threads. She had been secretly controlling them. Veronica wasn’t here, but perhaps she returned to the village.
“Come on, let’s go. I can’t let Cecilia have all the fun.”
Everyone quickly moved towards where the two had gone. I followed behind, clinging to Karubene’s shoulder. After a short distance, I spotted Cecilia’s back. It seemed she had lost sight of him and was cautiously scanning her surroundings.
“Where did that brat go? You didn’t lose him, did you?”
“It seems so…”
“Ugh. Let’s split up and search.”
Then, I saw a tail swaying on top of a tree. I saw it, so there was no way they would miss it.
“He went that way!”
With Nina in the lead, Cecilia and Sharin followed.
“Hey, aren’t you forgetting about me?”
“Ah, Elana, you were hit by the lightning, are you okay?”
“Does this look okay to you? More importantly, is it alright to charge in like that?”
Elana’s fur and wings were scorched black, some parts frizzled. I’ll have to comb them for her later to appease her.
Following the three, they cornered the cat-boy in the tree.
“Come down quickly. If you interfere any more, I won’t show any mercy.”
“Eeeek, so scary, scary.”
“You!”
Nina, angered, tried to climb the tree. Something felt strange. After running away, he was now staying within reach. It was as if he was waiting for us to arrive. And he was accustomed to stealth, enough to evade Cecilia. Would he so easily let himself be caught by his tail?
Could this be a trap? One to lure us all to one spot. But with so many people, a single arrow wouldn’t be enough to defeat him. But what if it wasn’t just one?
“Ha, step back.”
Elana bit and pulled on my pants. I rolled backward.
“I can do tricks like this, you know.”
The boy snapped his fingers. I thought I saw a few sparks. The next moment, lightning streaked before my eyes. Released from several arrows, it formed a cage covering the entire area.
Smoke rose with a roar. The smell of burning vegetation drifted on the wind. The intense flash seared white in the back of my eyes.
“Hmm, snapping your fingers is harder than it looks. I’ll have to ask my brother to teach me next time. For the time being.”
He landed on the ground without making a sound.
“Everyone’s down. I’m so good!”
Huh? What happened? Lightning flashed, and everyone fell? Smoke was rising from the sword in Nina’s hand. Karubene was only a step away. She too was lying there, motionless. I couldn’t comprehend what had just happened before my eyes.
No way, I need to provide first aid quickly. No, the enemy is still in front of me, but I need to hurry, my life is in danger.
“Wow, you’re making a surprised face. Heh, my name is Aurion, the sniper with the Thunder Guiding Rod.”
