.
.
.
—
/Step…/
"..."
In the end, I'm here again.
But I'll end it here, this time.
'Following the trail left behind by the Swamp King, Silver returned to the Spring of Life.'
/Bubble…/
'If not for the toppled and the occasional dead and corroded trees, it would be hard to spot any changes in it as, from every angle, the Spring still retained its millennium appearance, despite all the destruction beyond it.'
'However, caustic bubbles slowly emerged from its depths, releasing toxic gas before him, a simple and silent sign of the aberration it hid in the darkness.'
/Bubble… Splash…/
/Growl…/
'From its waters, something slowly emerged, parting the lake as it rose above the trees before arching over to inspect Silver up close.'
/Shuaa…/
'Water fell from its body forming small waterfalls, like a curtain unveiling a treasure…'
"... Phew…"
It's… Ugly.
And smelly.
"... That's how you look like, huh?" Silver said with an exhale as he raised an eyebrow
'The Swamp King, now released from its shell. Stood at an unimpressive four meters tall. However, it was evident much of its body laid submerged in the water.'
'It consisted mostly of dark vines and roots, tangled together to mimic skin and flesh.'
'Holding onto the edge of the Spring were two large arms which ended in three large claws; however, how long its limbs were was difficult to tell as they vanished under the veil of vines and moss.'
'Before Silver, the vines coiled together to form a large open maw full of sharp teeth, each about the size of his entire arm.'
'Along the vines, dozens of large eyes locked their gazes on him, watching his every move.'
'Above its head, the roots and vines solidified under the protection of a rocky shell.'
'An unusual shape, but sturdy, this monster was built to be imposing.'
'And to a certain degree, it was working.'
(Image)
"..."
/Clink!.../
'The swamp King climbed out of the Spring, growling as it inspected him. Calculating its moves before engaging its foe.'
'Its hesitation gave Silver the chance to drink a vial of the purified Spring water, throwing it on the ground once he was done with it.'
'After the Monster pursued him in anger, he took the chance while it was distracted to take a sample from the purified Spring for later use, and now was the right time for it.'
'Since, if not now, it didn't seem he would have the chance to drink it again.'
"Phew…"
Good stuff.
'He felt the water run down his throat and stomach, and immediately after, a soothing sensation took over his body, healing everything it passed through, from minor injuries from many of his past encounters to his headache.'
I feel... Great. I'm in my optimal state.
Even the strongest Elixirs and healing Magic could not fix my darned headache, but this Spring Water could.
This would sell for thousands…
But… It's better if the adventurers don't know it exists.
I'll bottle a few dozen of these once I finish this.
Yeah...
'Recovered, Silver cleaned his mouth with the back of his hand…'
/Shadow.../
'The Swamp King approached, towering over his body, casting a long shadow over him as it blocked the moon and the stars...'
'It seemed to be trying to intimidate him; maybe it drove satisfaction from the fear of its prey.'
'That wasn't unusual, as Silver knew full well that monsters grew intelligent as they grew stronger, even if little.'
/Shuon.../
"Round two." Silver said with a small smile as he pulled his Halberd from his pocket space, slamming its bottom tip onto the ground
/Crack!/
/Move…/
/FWOOOOOSH!/
'In the blink of an eye, a thousand dark tendrils reached for the sky!'
'The final battle had commenced!'
…
/Meanwhile.../
"Ahhhhh! T-They're catching up!! Run! F-Faster!"
"Huff... S-Shut it, you stupid fox! This is the best I can do, and your screaming in my ears doesn't help!" Kaede replied as she ran downhill
"Eh?" Haruhime asked with a confused glare as she turned to her
"Not you! The other stupid fox!"
"But I..."
""STOP RIGHT THERE!""
'While the final battle began, a great chase ensued back at Belthane.'
'With their Goddess's 'heroic' sacrifice, the trio of beast girls now ran with all their might as they fled from a crowd of knights, all deeply angered by their transgression.'
'Well… To say the three were running would be a lie…'
"Huff… Huff…"
"Keep running, Kaede! You can do this!" Momiji exclaimed as she cheered her friend on
"..."
After this is over, I'll have you stop eating at those bakery shops for an entire month!
'Obviously, the only one running here was Kaede.'
'A black fox in her right arm, a blond one in her left.'
'With the help of Haruhime's Level Boost, she now had the strength of a Peak Level 2 adventurer, being much stronger than most of the Knights!'
(N0)
'Coupled with the difference in their equipment, the heavily armored knights were being left behind as they failed to keep up with their pace! Especially as they went downhill.'
"Take a turn here!"
"Huff..."
...
"I... I think… We lost them!" Momiji exclaimed as she looked back with difficulty
/Jump!/
"Huff… Huff… Where do I go now?!" She asked as she jumped over Belthane's walls
"The forest!" Haruhime said out loud as she raised her head
"Huff… You want me to go where that monster just was?!"
We'll be squashed!
"Don't worry, it seems things have settled for a while now." Momiji said as she gulped silently
Still... Why do I have this strange feeling of danger?...
"But… If that was the case. Sil… I mean, the Captain would've been here by now..." Haruhime said in a worried tone as she looked at the distance
I hope everything's okay...
"Guys… Can you two not talk while we're in this circumstance? It's weird…" Kaede said as she resumed her run
"I'll try to get us as close as possible."
"If the Captain needs us… I mean, needs you, then you know what to do, otherwise… We're booking out of there." She said as her eyes sharpened
I really don't want to do this… Just what did I sign myself for this time?...
The world outside... It's scary... I'm sorry for doubting you father...
'Kaede's expression was tense and pale, but she kept running, holding the two girls tightly under her arms.'
"LOOK AHEAD!"
"!"
'She glanced at her friend, but immediately stopped as she almost hit a tree.'
"Pay attention, Kaede!" Momiji exclaimed with a distressed gaze as she exhaled in relief
"Huff..."
Momiji doesn't seem too scared, but that was just because she never fought properly before.
The little she has experienced in the Dungeon so far is nothing compared to... That thing.
She doesn't understand how catastrophically powerful that monster is.
Well… It can't hurt to try… Much…
'The trio resumed their rush, a single order to be completed, a Divine decree issued by their Goddess.'
'Would their valiant hearts achieve what she desired?'
…
/Meanwhile…/
'As the battle ensued, all corners of Belthane followed.'
'In this historical day, all eyes and ears looked at the Swamp as the fireflies passed by...'
"... Tche. They fled. Sigh, what a mess." Bhera said out loud as she looked at the lit torches in the distance
'She recognized most of them, but their behavior was sporadic... It meant they were after someone.'
'They had failed to surround their target.'
"Fufufum, I knew they could do it!" Hestia said with a smile as she proudly raised her nose
'Not that she had any pride left in her…'
'Right now, she was tied like a sausage and thrown on the side like a sack of potatoes, of course, the one who did said bandaging was Bhera herself, mostly due to Hestia's previous actions.'
"You talk about honor and trust, but then you go and do such a thing." Bhera said as her forehead tensed
'Just moments before, when Hestia and the others were surrounded, Hestia knew she had to do something fast, so she simply… Threw herself at the soldiers.'
'She knew they wouldn't try to hurt her, a God in the flesh, especially since it seemed that wasn't what Bhera wished.'
'As expected, the soldiers hesitated to move, pulling their blades away, giving Haruhime enough time to finish chanting her spell, strengthening Kaede so they could all leave together.'
'All of these months of training paid off. Although not much had changed, Haruhime now knew when she needed to chant, not relying on being requested to chant anymore.'
'Her awareness of the world had greatly changed as she took an active role in a party, and that change alone might've altered Belthane's fate...'
'A second of hesitation may have cost them their window of opportunity.'
'To give them more of a chance to escape, Hestia continued being a nuisance, and it worked: The soldiers were all forced to retreat or drop their weapons in fear of hurting her.'
'She gave Kaede one order: to bring Haruhime to Silver so she could assist him. However, why did she grab Momiji, too?!'
'Well, not that she was a bother, but… Hestia didn't quite understand why she would be that hard on herself.'
'Nonetheless, her ridiculous plan worked… Until Bhera slapped her in the face.'
'Only a God could deal with another... That was the unsung rule. And Bhera used it now after Hestia's dishonorable display.'
'Bhera had never been physical with her… Not even when they first met. Although they did have a little scuffle when Brigid tried to steal the Staff of Winter…'
'This marked the point at which Bhera lost her patience with Hestia. It was impressive that it lasted this long.'
'She wondered if she should've done so earlier... But now, what was the point in thinking about it?'
"It worked, didn't it? Although my face still hurts…" Hestia said with a pitiful expression as she pouted
"That's the least you deserve, for all the time you annoyed me back in Heaven and now down here, you just can't leave me alone for once, can you?" Bhera asked as she looked away
"How shameful of you, the keeper of the eternal flame, using her status like that!" Bhera blurted out loud as a frown formed on her face
"Humph! Had I never visited you who can imagine what would've happened by now? Brigid would've likely waged war against you to resume Summer!"
"And what was that about Status?! Don't make me remember what you did!"
"..."
"Wait... Are you thinking that would've been better?!" Hestia exclaimed as her eyes grew teary
"... Was it that obvious?" She asked with a teasing smile as she turned back to Hestia
"Mnmumumumuuu… Untie me!" Hestia exclaimed loudly as she threw a fit
"No, you can squirm all you want. You already played your part."
And so did I.
"Although… There's still someone missing. Someone left to join the play." She said with a tired expression as she looked at the overall direction of the Spring of Life
"Aha!" Hestia exclaimed as she smiled
Artemis!
…
/Step step step…/
"Huff… Huff… T-Time out…" Kaede said amidst gasps as she stopped near a tree
I can't move my legs anymore...
/Drop!/
/Thud!/
"Oof, ouch! No need to throw me on the ground like that… My dress' all muddy now!"
"..."
'Kaede turned to look at Momiji with a collected and calm glance. Her calm expression seemed to say: "Do you think I give a f...".'
"##!!"
/Tremble…/
""...""
'Before Momiji could voice her indignation at the destruction of her precious dress, the Swamp echoed as the trembling began again.'
"They're fighting again… We're close." Haruhime said as she looked at the darkness beyond the range of their torch
"Huff… I… Give me a moment to breathe, and we can…"
"That's where you all stop."
"You'll go nowhere." A voice echoed from the darkness
""?!""
'From behind a tree, an elf with pale green hair walked out with an unsheathed saber already in hand.'
"Y-You!!" Momiji exclaimed loudly as her eyes sharpened dramatically
'The situation seemed tense. Here, at the end of their goal, would they finally be stopped?!'
""... Who are you?"" She and Kaede asked as their expressions dropped
/Dot... Dot... Dot.../
"Haa…"
'Haruhime also awkwardly looked at the Elf, not knowing who he was supposed to be.'
"Urg…"
'Uskari felt his pride break even further as he closed his eyes in pain. But that only lasted a moment as he resumed his seriousness, pointing his blade at them.'
"Who I am is inconsequential. No one shall interfere in the ceremony."
"I vowed to accompany the Priestess throughout her life until she became ready, and today, I'll end it."
"I don't know who you three are, but given what's at stake…"
"I'm sorry for this, I'll make it quick."
"... Wait!... ?!"
'But before Harruhime could speak, Uskari vanished from her vision, his speed too great for her to even react.'
/FWOOSH!!/
/Drip…/
'Before her brain could comprehend what transpired, the wind was cut, and flesh was broken, staining Momiji's pure white garbs… Red.'
…
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Notes
N0
It was mentioned before, but Kaede came to Orario because of her coming-of-age ceremony. She is a warrior trained in the Far East, so I gave her a Level already. This way, according to the game's lore, she would be around mid to late Level 2 by the time the story came to be, which was when the game took place.
Of course, there's so little information on that game that I can create my own story, but yeah...