The next day dawned at last; emerging from our forest hideout after a night of concealment, we embarked on our journey, aiming to stealthily evade enemy detection and flee beyond the borders of Osha to a place of greater safety. To the distant east lay the domain of the Croterin Empire, our sole beacon of hope amidst the chaos wrought by the Devil.
As per our map, it appeared to be the only region spared from the Devil's ravages, offering our only chance of survival.
With no respite, we pressed on, vigilant against the threat of discovery by our adversaries. Ichijou bore the burden of carrying Ellisa upon his back, while I scouted ahead to preempt any dangers lurking in our path.
"Do you know where we even heading to right now?" Ichijou asked,
"According to the map, we will arrive at the border in about 6 more hours of walk," I responded, my gaze fixed upon the parchment spread before us.
Ichijou then said, "Once we passed the border, we should find somewhere to crash first. I don't think I can feel my leg right now. Ellisa is lowkey heavy..."
His words rang true. We had been journeying for what felt like an eternity, and Ichijou's fatigue was palpable. Bearing the weight of our supplies, I too was on the brink of exhaustion.
"Yeah, for now, let's make sure we do arrive at the border safely," I replied,
According to our map, our route led us through the Wasomin Hills before reaching the border. Yet, something seemed awry. The map functioned akin to Earth's GPS, yet a crimson marking adorned the far side of the hills. Initially dismissed as an ancient bloodstain, its movement across the map as we advanced piqued my curiosity.
What could this ominous red marking signify? My mind, clouded by weariness, struggled to conceive an explanation. Nevertheless, as we neared the border, a flat expanse atop the hill came into view, shrouded in an eerie stillness.
"Ichijou, hang on just a little bit more. Once we climb Wasomin Hills, we can set up camp and rest," I encouraged him, noting his labored breathing.
He nodded, determination etched in his expression. "Then keep walking. I wanna reach there as soon as possible," he replied between breaths.
As we ascended the hill, the desolation surrounding us became increasingly apparent. Had it always been this way? The once lush landscape now lay barren, the trees withered, and the earth scorched. Ichijou's observation confirmed my suspicions.
"Seems like, wherever the Devil's army go, they always leave a trail of destruction behind them. This hill used to be lustrous with trees and animals not long ago. But now, not a single spec of life can be seen around," he remarked solemnly.
"I see... Ichijou, I have a question. Do you know how the war started?" I asked him out of curiosity,
He shook his head, his expression grave. "Nobody knows when the war started. Even the Specia of Ruina couldn't identify when and why it happens. But, from what I've heard from the other Sinner back when I was protecting the kingdom I was in, the Devil suddenly appeared out of nowhere about thirty years ago and sent her army to terrorize the land."
The lack of a clear motive or beginning was confounding.
"But what makes no sense is, over the entire course of the war, no one ever actually seen the Devil before. Despite many attempts to hunt her down, we never knew where she's hiding. Some people even speculate that the Devil never exist in the first place. While others think that she's lurking somewhere deep underneath the land of Ruina,"
The Devil does exist, alright. But to never show herself to anyone is rather suspicious.
Finally reaching our campsite, we were greeted by a breathtaking vista. Here, we could rest without fear, the open terrain offering clear visibility for miles around.
I unloaded our supplies and began preparing a fire to warm the leftover food from the previous night, while Ichijou carefully laid Ellisa upon a sleeping bag, ensuring her comfort.
After setting everything up, I made my way to the hill's edge, scanning the horizon in the direction of the border. Despite my intense scrutiny, nothing out of the ordinary caught my eye. Yet, the presence of the red marking on the map continued to unsettle me. What could it signify, and why couldn't I perceive it with my own eyes?
Opting to maintain a hopeful outlook, I returned to Ichijou and Ellisa.
Twenty agonizing minutes later, Ellisa stirred, slowly regaining consciousness. Her bewildered gaze darted around, signaling her confusion. It was time for the daunting task of explaining why we had left Han behind and soothing her distress.
Suddenly, Ellisa sprang to her feet, reaching for her staff and unleashing an ice bolt spell toward Ichijou.
Engrossed in organizing his gear, Ichijou narrowly evaded the incoming magic, saved by sheer luck.
"Why didn't you save my dad!" Ellisa's voice trembled with fury, tears welling in her eyes.
Her rage was palpable, her emotions tumultuous. I had to intervene.
"Ellisa, please, calm down—" I began, but before I could approach her, she aimed another spell, this time directed at me. Swift reflexes spared me from the icy blast, narrowly dodging the attack. I would have been skewer by it if I wasn't quick enough.
"Kiseki! You stay out of this! This is also your fault for not convincing dad!" Ellisa's accusatory shout pierced the tense air as she aimed her staff at me.
"O-Okay..." I replied, hands raised in surrender.
Suddenly, Ichijou pivoted towards Ellisa, his voice firm. "Enough, Ellisa."
"You damned coward! Dad might still be alive if you'd just persuaded him to come with us! Why'd you knock me out when there was a chance he might change his mind!" Ellisa's voice cracked with anguish.
Unmoved by her outburst, Ichijou met her gaze with steely resolve. "There's nothing left for us to convince him. He was serious with his decision. Staying there longer would result in our own death."
"You didn't know that! You never see the possibility! We might be able to help him out or even force him to come with us!" Ellisa's voice wavered as she sank to her knees, hands clutching her head.
"You're dad put the responsibility on Kiseki and me to protect you! He knew if he comes with us, all he gonna be is just dead weight! He's too old for all this shit!" Ichijou responded,
"Don't say about my dad like that! He's not a dead weight! I can take care of him on this journey if you guys don't want to! And I didn't need your protection!" Ellisa's hands fell limply to the ground, her resolve crumbling.
Ellisa's voice trembled with regret. "I didn't have the chance to apologize to him about everything... I blamed him for my mother's death. I act childish towards him all this time... I always argued with him and never listened to him... Fuck!"
I approached her, gently pushing her staff aside before enveloping her in a comforting embrace. "Calm down, Ellisa. I'm sure Han never once took those things seriously. He loved you as much as he can and wanted the best for you... His opinion is that this is the best for you,"
"Waah! Dad... I'm sorry... come back, please... don't leave me..." Ellisa's tearful plea echoed as she clung to me tightly, her sobs wracking her slender frame.
I remained with Ellisa, offering silent comfort until her cries subsided. Despite her lingering tears, exhaustion soon overtook her, and I gently laid her down on a sleeping bag to rest.
Ichijou and I eventually leave Ellisa for a minute after she took a nap. About an hour later, I dragged Ichijou to the edge of the hill I was standing not long ago to explain to him the hesitancy that I had in my mind,
"Can you see anything over the distance, Ichijou?" I queried, gesturing towards the distant horizon.
He surveyed the landscape before us, then shook his head. "As far as I'm concerned, not really. What's your point here?"
"You need to see this," I said, presenting the map to him. "See this red marking? Something doesn't feel right about it. This marking has been there since we left the house,"
Examining the map closely, Ichijou furrowed his brow. "I never seen anything like this before. Is it indicating to us that there's some kind of danger?"
"Perhaps, but what's worrying is, we have no other route to use to go through the border. Every other area that I look for is impossible to walk over. Either it is surrounded by water or an unpassable rift." I responded.
Returning the map to me, Ichijou nodded thoughtfully. "So, we have to take the risk and find out what causes the red marking,"
"Mhm, and we need to take an extra precaution for it. Just look at the sheer size of this marking."
Before long, Ellisa approached us, her eyes swollen and nose red from crying. With a heavy heart, she bowed her head.
"I'm sorry... for everything I just said, and especially for trying to hurt you both."
Ichijou's silent departure left a huge tension in the air, but I reassured Ellisa,
"Don't mind him, Ellisa. He's isn't mad at you. There's probably a lot going on in his mind," I said to her,
Ellisa remained silent for a moment before drawing closer to me, embracing me tightly. "I'm sorry... and thank you, Kiseki. For calming me down just now." she whispered softly.
"You don't have to thank me," I replied, returning her embrace.
With her head nestled against my shoulder, Ellisa confessed, "I have no one else in my family now... I'm all by myself..."
I gently stroked her hair, drawing her closer. "No, you have us. When you decided to join us in this journey, you're considered part of our family now. We are your new family."
A glimmer of hope sparkled in Ellisa's eyes as she nodded in agreement. "Let's take care of each other from now on,"
** Two hours later **
We were mere minutes away from reaching the border, yet as we arrived at the location of the ominous red marking, my unease grew. But the landscape appeared innocuous—a vast expanse of rocky terrain, devoid of any apparent danger.
Perhaps I was overthinking it. After all, we hadn't encountered any attacks or threats thus far.
"We're almost there, guys," Ichijou announced, breaking the tense silence.
"Aaahhh! Finally! Walking this much is really tiring!" Ellisa exclaimed with relief.
Ichijou's patience wore thin at her remark, and he snapped, "You shut your mouth, you fat pig! You didn't walk that far! Do you know how numb my legs are feeling right now?! This is all because I have to carry you on my back!"
"Hey! Who do you call a fat pig, huh?!" Ellisa retorted, her temper flaring.
I chuckled inwardly, relieved that our journey seemed to be proceeding smoothly. Little did I know, we were about to face an unexpected and harrowing ordeal.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the ground beneath us, accompanied by violent tremors. The earth cracked open, and to our astonishment, something unimaginable emerged—a massive, monstrous creature.
"What the fuck is happening!" Ellisa screamed in terror.
"I don't know!" I shouted, scrambling to safety as the ground crumbled beneath me.
Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring our vision. When the chaos subsided, I called out frantically to Ichijou and Ellisa, my voice echoing through the haze.
"Are you both okay?!" I cried out, unable to see beyond the thick veil of dust.
"We're fine!" Ellisa's voice rang out amidst the tumult.
"Where are you?!" I shouted, my heart pounding with fear.
Then, Ichijou's urgent warning halted us in our tracks.
"Don't move!" he cautioned, his tone urgent.
I couldn't comprehend what he meant by that. But then, I realized the reasoning behind it,
Confusion gripped me until I heard it—a deep, guttural growl emanating from within the haze. It sounded like the roar of a colossal creature, dwarfing even Trelmir in size.
As the dust settled, we were confronted by a sight beyond comprehension—a monstrous worm-like creature, its immense form writhing before us in the dim light.