Hina sank to her hands and knees, screaming so hard that the taste of blood wetted her tongue as her fingers dug downward, crushing the very stones that made up the road. Around her was a wall of angels, blades raised... but not toward her; instead, the angels were threatening the commoners as Hina roared in pain... it felt as though she was being forcefully ripped apart...
Hina awoke again, sweating profusely, yet again having had a bad dream. Quietly getting out of bed and dressing by moonlight, she hurried down to the lobby of the inn, feeling sick; but more than that curious, because this time, she remembered the dream. Sitting at a table in the empty room, still lit by a fire in the hearth, she touched the status band at her throat, looking on as her stats appeared again.
Level- 9
Class- Summoned Hero
Strength- 1100
Intelligence- 810
Agility- 1300
Endurance- 1500
Magic- 685
Mana- 8000
Skills: Hero-Skill Transformation, Hero-Skill Partial Transformation, Natural Armor Lv. 15, Beast Senses, Hellfire, Future Sight
Hina swallowed slowly. Future sight, after a dream where something was ripping her apart from within... and the angels seemed to support it. Hellfire, a set of skills that only demons could use... it was important that Hina figure out what was going on, but what if going to the Capitol was a bad idea? In her dream, she'd been in a massive city that might well have been such a Capitol... but, the angels were there, making sure it happened. Was Hina doomed to die, or doomed to transform?
Slowly, somebody sat at the table across from her, a worried look on her face. It was a pretty, young girl in a maid's dress; perhaps the girl who tended the fire at night.
"I do hope you can forgive me for rudeness such as this, but I'd like to ask what the matter is. If talking would help you, I'd be happy to lend an ear." As she spoke, Hina waved her status out of the air.
"It's... not something I can share, sorry." Hina immediately spoke these words, but... "I'm dying, you know? And, I just..." When she didn't continue right away, the maid spoke.
"The whole town is talking about your bite; the girl who received the Devil's Bite, and is likely cursed... some are saying it's a divine punishment for something you did but haven't shared. Some say Heaven wants you to die and become an angel to serve them... but... what do you think is going on?" She didn't seem like she was trying to gossip; the simple maid seemed like she really was only trying to lend an ear.
"I don't know," Hina sighed, resting her chin on her hands. "I know I've got a good life, here... but did I really get summoned from another world just to die so quickly? There has to be a way to fix whatever this is... my skill list suddenly has new things on it, including Hellfire." The maid paused, thinking for a moment.
"Why don't you ask the angels directly? It's said that an angel can purify any demonic infection or sickness, cleansing all the bad and filling your body and soul with goodness... a cruel or wicked person would be destroyed entirely, but if there was goodness in one's heart, they'd survive. If an angel... well, purified you... at least, I don't think it would kill you. With all these angels roaming around the Capitol, you shouldn't have too hard a time, right?" Hina blinked slowly, drinking this in as the maid added; "That teenager, Lily... she won't shut up about how you fought to protect her, jumping right into danger without a second thought and turning your back on an enemy Hero for her sake. You're can't be damned, that's for sure."
"Hellfire... yes, you're right, as far as I know... thank you," the badger girl breathed out slowly. "I wish I could say that makes me feel completely better, but... dying, and then what if that isn't going to work?" Hina remembered what she'd done to Lily's would-be rapists and shuddered.
"Yes... it's a lot to think about, isn't it." The pretty maid leaned back a bit, smiling, and Hina gave her a closer look. Short blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin... she was just like any fantasy video gamer's fantasy, in that maid's dress, but Hina only sighed and stood up slowly.
"Thank you, miss... I'd say I need some air, but I'm a bit nervous about going outside at night right now."
"Understandable," the girl across the table answered. "If you'd like, I can show you into the back garden? It's fenced in, and you could spend a bit of time outside with a door right behind you."
"Yes, please," Hina answered, another slow exhale leaving her. "Thank you, as well."
"It's not a problem," kind young maid answered, standing up and headed around the counter. "Just follow me, please." Hina did, following the girl down a hallway and outside into, just as promised, a nice little garden enclosed by a wrought iron fence.
"I'll leave you alone, just come inside whenever you like." Smiling once more, the friendly employee turned and left Hina alone in the garden. Slowly, Hina cast her eyes over the fence, at the outside world. Ahead and to the right, the town. To the left, plains, and on the horizon in the same direction, the Fae Forest was situated. All in all, it was a rather simple view, not an uncommon one... but right now, it was the most peaceful one imaginable. In the morning, they would be off for the Capitol...
"Hey. Late night, huh?" The voice was more than familiar, and Hina turned slowly, confused.
"Aerendyl...?"
"Yeah, it's me," spoke the lean, curly blonde as he blinked slowly, admiring the view of the forest. "I lied to you, about being a bastard and a half elf; thought it's time I told you a few truths you're not up to date on."
"Yeah? Please, catch me up to speed," Hina answered quietly, returning to watching the town. Somehow, she didn't mind that he was admitting himself a liar; she'd suspected before that there was more to his story than he gave, anyway.
"I'm an angel," Aerendyl answered quietly. "I didn't tell any of you right away because I was told to keep it a secret, simple as that. Now, though, all of us who have been hiding as members of different species... we're revealing ourselves. See?" Aerendyl lazily waved his wrist in a small circle, and as if a switch had been flicked, a white halo began to swirl over his head. At the same time, his shirt vanished, leaving him in pants and boots with a massive pair of wings folded down behind his back.
"I knew you weren't telling us everything, you know... I just didn't know what we were missing."
"Yeah, I figured you were a lot smarter than the average nobody. Beast Men are supposed to be, after all... so, onto the next truth, that you don't know. It's King Henrik, ruler of Starria, who's responsible for that scar on your neck."
"Not surprising, but not particularly expected, either. What exactly is it?" Hina inhaled slowly, enjoying the smells of grass and smoke and fire and soil all around.
"It's an infection that will kill you, slowly, if nobody does anything about it. Though... you already knew that, didn't you, Hina?" Aerendyl threw her a sideways smile, and Hina felt her tail flicking about against her calves again.
"I did, yes... so why don't you tell me something new, holy boy?"
"Holy boy, huh? Well... all I can tell you along that route is that in order to be cured, you need to go to the Capitol, just like you're planning. There's a way for you yet, you just need to let it find you there. I'm sorry I can't say more... but I promise, as long as you live that long, you won't die in a way that matters."
"What...?" Hina narrowed her eyes, confused.
"There are two more things I can tell you," Aerendyl pressed on, his wings twitching a bit. "The first... Emily is going to get stabbed through the heart, and you have to let it happen. She might survive it, as long as you don't interfere."
"What the hell? You tell me that, and I assume I'm not allowed to ask questions? Might isn't very reassuring, you know?"
"You aren't, no, and I'm sorry to tell you that. There's one more thing, though; two of your group are going to die. End. Cease to exist. The higher ups in Heaven know who one of them is, but the other remains to be seen... it could be any of you." Suddenly, Hina didn't feel the least bit sleepy.
"Two of us are going to die?!" She looked to see what Aerendyl would say, but... again, that bastard was gone.
~~~
"Hey, Hina... what are you doing, up so early?" Emily smiled, walking down the front steps of the inn's porch. Hina was in the street just before sundown, practicing her magic and practicing it hard. She hadn't touched Hellfire, yet, feeling that it was a line she shouldn't cross, but instead, she'd been working on Summoning... it was a surprisingly easy task, and Hina had no trouble summoning dogs, cats, rabbits and birds... the textbook that Aurelia had stolen claimed that Summoning took very little skill, but extensive reserves of mana. When she was fully recovered, maybe as they camped tonight... she'd try summoning something more advanced, something helpful. Something that could, in theory, help to make sure the two deaths didn't happen.
"I've just been practicing with summoning... really, it isn't hard at all," Hina sighed softly. How much should she tell Emily about Aerendyl last night? "I was thinking I'd try summoning a Nekomata, or a kitsune, those were the final spells in this textbook... all the spells in here are pretty similar, it's the binding that's tricky."
"Hm, what have you summoned so far?" Reaching down, Emily helped Hina to her feet, a smile on her face.
"Just simple animals, to experiment. Some of them had some weird traits I'd never seen, like a cat with four tails and a dog with eight legs... but, I sent them all back to wherever I took them from, I'm not trying to start a farm. I think it's easier because I have so much mana in the first place."
"Probably so... but, Hina, when you got up last night, it woke me. You didn't come back, and I started to get worried, but the maid at the fire said you were just outside clearing your head... what was wrong, what happened?"
"Aerendyl visited," Hina admitted readily, frowning. "Apparently he's an angel."
"Yes? I'm sure that isn't what's bothering you, though, you didn't seem like you fully believed his half elf story; that was probably just to cover up his pointed ears. Elves are so endangered, like they'd ever be walking around like that in Starria..."
"He gave me some sort of... divine message," Hina sighed, throwing her hands up and turning to face Emily more directly. Where they stood under the eaves of the inn was like a quiet, sheltered little wonderland all their own. "He said that... two of us are going to die, two of this group, and he didn't tell me who either of us are." Hina thought about telling Emily about Aerendyl's promise that the Devil would be stabbed through the heart, but something made her hold her tongue. Don't interfere, Aerendyl had said. "He said, also... he said that I'm definitely going to live, if I make it to the Capitol, wh-which means..." Hina's throat was pulsing, and she was having trouble speaking. Slowly, Emily pulled Hina into a hug, softly combing her fingers into the badger girl's hair.
"Hina... he might have said those things, but an Angel will also be the first one to tell you that the future is never set in stone. Nobody has to die, if we're careful; maybe he was warning you so that we could avoid it."
"Maybe..." Hina groaned quietly, leaning into Emily. The Devil was warm and inviting, and Hina found herself loosing a tired, content sigh. "I might need to sleep on the carriage, I've been up most of the night. Ah, and, Emily... my Skills. There's two new ones, Future Sight and... Hellfire. Apparently, King Henrik is responsible for this... I don't think it's the infection itself that's supposed to kill me. I think..."
"I get it," Emily answered gently. "He also said that you just have to make it to the Capitol, right? We're starting to head there today, so it should all be fine, in the end. Now come on, let's-" Emily's voice broke off as a loud, long horn rang through the entirety of this city. There was a deathly silence... and then all hell broke loose, screams and shouts and people starting to hurry to and fro, leaving buildings in a rush.
"Hina-nii!" A voice cried out. Hina whipped her head around; it was Lily, the thirteen year old from Lop, with an absolutely panicked expression on her face. "Starria is attacking! A scout came and said that we have to surrender and the chief told the scout to fuck himself in the ass with his sword and now they're attacking! We need your help!" The more words left Lily's mouth, the more Hina's heart dipped toward the bottom of her stomach.
"I'll wake the others, come grab your weapons and run." Emily bolted inside, and Hina followed like a man possessed, beating Emily to the stairs and springing up them in a single, forceful bound. Down the hall to her room, strapping on Tanuki's Claw and her knives after changing into her bikini armor and a plain outfit, then she opened the window and launched herself back to the street where Lily still stood while Nao and Aurelia groaned, not even half awake in bed yet.
"You're like the beast men in the horror stories, now! That way, though!" Lily laughed and pointed, toward the Lop encampment.
"Alright, Hina! Better than ever," she muttered, drawing a breath and taking off. Every step, when she put force into it, cleared six meters, and when she put more, she made that six into twelve. In less than a minute, she arrived in the encampment, where there was already a horror show breaking out, knights in light and heavy armor alike trying to hack through the innocents of Lop.
They stop here... that thought filled Hina, rage pricking at her. They'd killed one Hero all their own, they were trying to cause her demise, these knights had nearly raped Lily... they, stopped, here. Slowly, Hina found herself blacking out, ceasing to be aware of her own actions... but she still stood there, strong and unreserved.
~~~
"Hina!" Nao ran forward, into the fray. She had no weapons, she fought with magic, hurling flames into the knights' armor so that they were trapped in a burning, metallic coffin as they died... but clearly, that wasn't the Hina she knew. Alone, she would surely have been killed, but as Nao watched, the badger girl wielded her katana like a samurai of old, hacking her way through. Every time a knight drew close, she sent lightning arcing from knight to knight, or froze them in ice and cleaved them apart with her blade, or bored a hole through chests and limbs with pillars of flame... she was a demon on the battlefield, and drew stares from many.
"What the hell is with that girl...?" A girl with the legs and arms of bird talons and wings voiced Nao's thoughts, only to duck aside as a hammer rammed into the dirt where talons had been a moment before. In the distance, Nao noted as she helped the harpy out and dispatched her attacker, hundreds more were coming... but behind her, so too were hundreds approaching. No matter what happened... there was no way Lop and the Mirian citizens could escape this without losses.
"Are you alright, Nao?" Hina was beside her in a moment, gripping Nao's upper arm gently. She looked like herself... but something felt intrinsically wrong, here.
"Hina... I mean, yes, I'm alright, but-" Hina was gone before the words finished leaving the Lantern Ghost's lips. More and more, Lop's citizens were shoring up a wall of defense... but as the Starrian soldiers approached, neared...
A blinding flash of light, and then they arrived. Roughly one hundred angels, heading the line of Lop's makeshift militia... and they charged. As they did, Lop followed, screaming and roaring... but weren't they accepting this too naturally? Nao was standing far back, maybe she'd missed something...
"Nao! Where's Hina?" Emily and Aurelia were there, wide eyed and seemingly very concerned.
"I'm not sure, she was just here!"
~~~
She was there with the angels, but with the black in her hair and the fire in her eyes, she was more like a demon. My name... is William, and I may be important to this story, I couldn't really say just yet. Who am I... I'm a wannabe, a half assed, worthless, pathetic excuse for an adventurer... and as I watched that scene unfold, well, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that this was a country and a cause worth fighting for. Maybe it was her grace, splendor... maybe it was the angels on our side... hell, maybe I just felt good, being part of a team.
Before now, I'd never been able to use my magic... but now, I felt it coursing through me, felt that mental barrier shatter, and watched as brilliant blue light poured from my torso, spiraling around my arms. Divine intervention, destiny... I don't believe in any of that shit. The angels probably came to help because they were bored... but now, seeing what was about to happen, they stepped aside... even the Starrian knights paused and stared as a scream ripped from my mouth like Hell's oldest hymn, and the light poured forth. This... was an elf's magic.
Like lightning but different, arcs of pure, undulating power rammed clear through the soldiers, moving from body to body, flinging men and women alike, pushing them aside. I kept screaming like a madman, completely unaware; I'd do this for her. For the one who saved me. The one who gave me a chance, and who'd died for it... for Miyuki Gina, the girl from another world, who I was going to bring back.
"Not bad, kid!" Hina, the so called False Hero laughed beside me. Her steps were beautiful, lithe and graceful like a dance as Tanuki's Claw, the rumored Angel Blade, flashed and flicked, beheading and cutting open. That was all the attention I could give the literal devil... my Mana was running out, and I was getting weak. Even still, Starrian bastards crumpled, and by the time I lost my magic, panting raggedly and sweating like a pig up for slaughter, the number was far more manageable... and the angels went in for the kill. I could only stand there, helpless now, having done my part... but for the first time, there were cheers as my companions found me, patting my back and dragging me into tight, unashamed hugs.
"You crazy son of a bitch, you did it!"
"After all this time, I knew you had it in you!"
"Thanks to you, we can do this without losses a second time around!"
"Forget the angels, those crazy bastards need to be afraid of William Pendragon!" As I was dragged away from the front lines, I thought I heard a girl's voice say something along the lines of; "How many times am I going to... pass out...?"
So, in the end... well, I'm not as important as a Summoned Hero, but I certainly played a part in things, ever since my trip to the Capitol. Ever since I was freed by that gorgeous fox girl who didn't know where she was, who talked like a guy, and who could have lit all of Starria afire with that smile of hers.
I'll be seeing you, just like I'll be seeing Hina, and Emily, and so many others. For now, though... it's time for me to pass the torch back to the girls.