"Ah!"
Selene's foot caught a rock and she stumbled, leaving her wide open for the Wither Bee to strike. But Itsuo reacted rather fast.
"Quick Footwork!"
Itsuo shoots himself towards the Wither Bee, sending the creature away from Selene. But at the same time, Itsuo fell on the ground pretty badly after hitting himself with the Wither Bee like a rocket.
"Itsuo...!"
'They're all after Selene, is it because we got away from the Mother Bee by her magic?'
With the damage he received after falling to the ground and his exhausted body, Itsuo struggles to stand up.
"So monsters hold grudges, huh?"
"Itsuo, I'll heal you!"
Itsuo tapped Selene's hands away before she could cast her healing magic. Then, he reached his hand to give the bottle containing the honey they took from the Mother Bee.
"Can you bring this bottle to my Mother for me?"
Selene gave him a perplexed look as she answered.
"What are you? I'm not taking it back, we're taking it back to your Mother!"
The Wither Bees took the chance and attacked, but Selene quickly used her blinding ability that is even more weaker after using it for the third time.
"Flicker!"
After buying them a few minutes, Selene quickly approached Itsuo to try and get him up. After doing so, Itsuo begged to Selene.
"We don't have time. Please, take this."
Selene gently pushed Itsuo's hand holding the bottle back to him.
"No, we're going to bring it home! Let's go!"
"Stop being so stubborn, Selene! We're not gonna outrun them!"
The effect of Selene's magic is starting to wear off as they slowly regain their vision.
"Sorry, I raised my voice. But..."
Itsuo throws the bottle to Selene, making her catch it through impulse. He then raised his head with his sword on his hand. And with his fragile legs that are shaking vigorously from exhaustion, he stood tall as he turned around, facing the Wither Bees who got affected by Selene's spell.
"I've already put you both into too much trouble all because of my own personal problem that I can't resolve alone. Ever since we became Adventurers, everything seems going all down the hill. There are also times that we thought we would die. If you think about it, we are lucky that we're standing here right now."
Itsuo slightly turned his head around to look at Selene, he smiled awkwardly as he spoke.
"But it looks like we've used all our luck now."
"Eh?"
As the words escape his lips, Selene realized that there's no way of getting out of their situation without one of them leaving behind. Tears ran down her cheeks as she listens to the words she'll probably hear last from Itsuo.
"Go back to your family, live peacefully with them, and please tell my family... I'm sorry. Goodbye, Selene."
At that time, the magic wore off, the Wither Bees began their assault towards Selene once again. Itsuo bellowed, loud enough to taunt the insects, getting their attention and attack him instead. Itsuo prepares himself to meet his end, but suddenly, a familiar voice of the girl Itsuo thought had gone have started resonating through their ears.
"Why don't you both go back together?"
A light pierced through the Wither Bees bodies, cutting their body in half, severing their heads one after the other. The two was left in astonishment as the black haired girl they thought was gone had appeared once again, saving both of them in the nick of time.
"Looks like I got here just in the right time, huh?"
"Christa... I thought you were..."
Itsuo stopped as she saw Selene throwing herself towards Christa, wrapping her arms tightly that shook and baffled Christa.
"Eh? Selene? Are you okay?"
Selene did not say word, all she could do was let out her tears on Christa's dress. She could not say a single word towards Christa, but her cry speaks more about her gratefulness, relief, and gratitude towards Christa, more louder than words.
"Hey, aren't you hugging me a bit tighter?"
Selene ignored her as she continues to tighten her embrace on Christa.
"It hurts!"
Standing in the background as he watch the two, Itsuo began to think.
'Christa, she suddenly came out of nowhere again, every time when it feels like this is it for me, when I knew and accepted that it was the end, she's there. It's so strange, I feel like things aren't supposed to happen this way. In fact, this is not the first time I felt it that way.
Memories of the past flash through his eyes, from the day they took the quest all together, from being trapped by goblins, to saving them from the band of goblins outside the cave, to holding the Mother Bee for them, up until now.
'She would always appear at the most important times, times where no one would think she'd pop out out of nowhere - Handling things both me and Selene couldn't do on our own, fighting strong monsters, saving us from danger. She went on her way to help us get the honey even though it's not a quest. She's kind and strong, but also kinda strange and mysterious. I don't know why she's so strange and mysterious but, there's no need to think about it. All I know is... I owe Christa everything.'
Christa abruptly stopped Selene from crying over her as she gently removed her hands wrapped around her.
"You two should go now. You need to bring that honey to Itsuo's Mother, right?"
Itsuo woken up from his thoughts after he heard Christa telling them to go.
"Eh, what about you, Christa? Where are you going?"
"Me? I just realized something important so I have to take care of it."
Christa scratched the back of her head, smiling as she spoke. Then, towards the morning sky, a bright light flashed as a giant sting flew, aimed straight for Christa's unguarded head. Christa, who's still facing Selene, with her wooden sword, she parried it accurately as if she could see where it is coming.
"A sting...?"
"I forgot that I had destroy and take it out of that thing."
A giant monstrous creature was floating in the sky, flapping its wings vigorously as it makes a buzzing sound, and its crystal-skin clad in purple reflecting the light of the sun - The Mother Bee appeared once again.
"That's...!"
"The Mother Bee!"
Selene and Itsuo were both startled with its reappearance. The monster roared angrily that echoed throughout the forest and even reached out to Itsuo and Selene's neighborhood. As it did, countless numbers of Wither Bees appeared before the Mother Bee, the ones who Christa killed before they entered the cave, and the ones lying in dead in front of them have their bodies reconnected, returning from the dead, alive and well as they gather around the three humans.
"Wha? Those things were still alive?"
"Once I gathered them all, use that chance to get away."
"Huh? You're going to fight all of them?"
Itsuo furrowed his brows after hearing Christa blatantly spoke about gathering all the monsters onto her.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna fight all of them, I'll just kill them all."
She gave Itsuo a self-assured grin.
"I'll go see you both in a bit."
Christa sprung upward to the sky in an instant, leaving but a force of the impact of her feet from jumping instantaneously. Itsuo and Selene was left from below, completely surrounded at every corner, until...
Right in front of the Mother Bee, Christa gently closed her crimson red eyes, afterwards, she glared at the monster, but at the same time, a sound wave that only monsters could hear was sent outward from Christa, extending and reaching quite a far distance that it even reached the Reilaea Capital City. The Wither Bees surrounding Itsuo and Selene averted their murderous glare at the two as they looked up in the sky where Christa was floating.
In the middle of the battle in Reilaea City, where the Knight Guards and Adventurers are fighting off the Wither Bees, the five Adventurers came to the battlefied to help fighting the insects. With Sieghart leading their party, the five Adventurers storm through their enemies. After listening to his lecture that felt like a whole day, Edle and Kaien followed Sieghart's to the battlefield as well.
Soon as the Demon Slayer and the Prince entered the field of the battle, their presence greatly increased the Knight Guards and the Adventurers morale.
"Hey, isn't that the strongest Adventurer of Reilaea?"
"It's the Demon Slayer, Sieghart!"
"It's really him!"
The Adventurers spoke in amazement while the Knight Guards focused their attention on the Prince.
"That one over there, that's the Prince, right?"
"It is the Prince!"
"The Prince and the strongest Adventurer of Reilaea are both here!"
"We can do this!"
Merely just by their appearance in the middle of the battlefield, the tables turned in favor of the humans who are outnumbered. Now, they are the ones pushing the insects back. After the fight that's been dragged for quite some time now, the number of Wither Bees have been reduced, killing more than half of their numbers. The both sides are now fairly equal in number and mostly strength, but most of the Knight Guards as well as the Adventurers are in a tired and worn out state from the battle.
"It looks like most of the Knight Guards and Adventurers are completely exhausted during the battle."
"Yes. Our unit is quite exhausted as well, I think it's better to call in new reinforcements."
Edle and Kaien spoke until Sieghart suddenly cuts in.
"There's no need to call another reinforcement."
"Huh?"
Edle turned towards Sieghart with a stern look.
"You did well in battle, Prince Edle. Now let us handle the rest."
"Handle the rest, you say?"
It was then, a Knight Guard shouted.
"Hey, look! The Wither Bees, they're acting strange!"
Sieghart and Edle turned their attention to the Wither Bees, the insects that are endlessly attacking the city one after another had stopped their barrage. Everyone was utterly confused about the sudden occurrence.
"What's happening?"
A puzzled expression was printed on Edle's face.
"This is..."
"Sieghart."
Eileen approached their party leader.
"Something is attracting the Wither Bees."
"What?"
Edle got his ears on Eileen's word.
"I thought so, there's no way that they are trying to move past the Kingdom without someone leading them. Or should I say "Controlling" them."
The Wither Bees turned towards the direction where they came from. They turned around at the same time as if they are being hypnotized all at once, with whatever it was that is attracting them. Much to their strange and suspicious behavior, the monsters screech in anger as they all flap their wings furiously, flying away from the city.
"They're kinda angry, don't you think?"
"Well, we should be able to find out what caused them to fly away in anger if we follow them. Let's go, everyone."
Sieghart responded to one of his party members before telling them to follow the Wither Bees. But before they could take a few steps, Edle stopped them.
"Wait!"
"Prince Edle?"
"Sieghart, right?"
...
"If you're following them, then let me come with you."
The five Adventurers grouped up in a circle, they mumbled into each other about the Prince coming with them.
Watching the five from a distance, Kaien approached Edle to ask him.
"You're going to follow them? But it's so dangerous?"
"This city will be more in danger if we don't find out what made the Wither Bees came all the way here. And if I follow them, I might find out what that man told me really mean. If monsters really do think not just about killing."
Kaien quietly stares at Edle before he answered in approval.
"I understand. Then, to ensure your safety, I will come with you."
After a brief moment, the five Adventurers have finished talking with each other. With Sieghart warning Edle about the danger of following the killer insects, he accepted Edle's request.
"Alright, it's decided. You're coming with us, but we might find ourselves in a situation far dangerous than fighting Wither Bees. Are you prepared for whatever happens?"
Edle spat out a short sigh before he responded as Kaien followed suit.
"Yeah, I'm prepared."
"If anything happens, I will have the Prince retreat back here right away."
"I see. Then, let's go."