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—
/Drip…/
""?!""
/Touch…/
"This is…"
'Before Uskari could swing his sword down, a simple iron-head arrow flew through the air, slashing across his cheek before piercing a nearby tree with uncanny precision.'
Had I moved to finish the strike… My neck would've been pierced.
'Realizing the treat, Uskari jumped back as he wiped his cheek off.'
/Gulp…/
'At the same time, Haruhime swallowed dry as she looked at her reflection on the edge of Uskari's cold blade, her legs weak as she realized how close she had just been to eternal darkness.'
"Coward, attacking an unarmed lady like that!" Momiji exclaimed as she pulled Haruhime closer to her, trying to act tough despite her evident fear
"..."
'Kaede also took a step forward to try and protect them, counting down how long Haruhime's blessing would last on her head as she looked for a chance to escape.'
/Tremble.../
'Meanwhile, the forest continued to tremble...'
"..."
'Regardless of their defiance, Uskari paid them no heed. Instead, he focused on finding his opponent, hidden in the trees somewhere.'
I know it's cowardly, but I'm willing to take the blame if it means saving the others.
... Judging from its angle, the arrow came from a nearby tree, but I couldn't feel anything.
The wind... Feels normal.
Who shot it?
"Girls… You should all move on before it's too late." A voice echoed from the side, answering his question
""!""
"He needs you."
/Step/
'From atop the canopy of a nearby tree, a cloaked woman jumped to the ground, bow in hand, clutching a scarf to hide her identity.'
'It was hard to say who she was, as her clothes hid her appearance and any visible trace of her skin. But she was undoubtedly a girl with pure blue eyes, her voice sweet and melodic, a pleasure to listen to.'
'Albeit her aura… Was strange.'
"You…"
'To all but Uskari, the woman was a mystery, but the Elf immediately recognized who she was... What she was.'
'Although they had never met, he heard from Bhera whom she may be.'
'Two Goddesses had recently arrived at Belthane, and from this one's chest... It was evident which of the latter she was...'
"You think I'll let them walk past me?" He asked as he looked at the mysterious archer
'She shook her head lightly as she pulled an arrow from her bowstring, placing it on her bow.'
"No, that's why I'm here."
/Pull…/
"I won't be giving you the chance to stop them."
/Clench…/
'This time, Uskari felt really offended.'
"You?"
/Release!/
/FWOOSH!/
/CLANG!/
"Quickly, follow the sounds!" Exclaimed the archer as she began releasing arrows
"Humph."
/CLANG!/
'Uskari effortlessly parried every arrow, but strangely enough, whenever he tried to move out of his spot or swing his weapon to interrupt the trio, an arrow would fly at an awkward spot and prevent him from moving.'
'Arrows aiming at his feet, falling from the sky, aiming at his throat, arms, and legs...'
'The darkness obscured his vision, the wind was strangely against him, he couldn't smell anything properly, and the light from the torches was getting in his way more than helping.'
'But for the archer, all of those things were inconsequential. Instead, they seemed to be helping her land her arrows more accurately.'
"Tsk."
/CLANG!/
This is annoying.
'In no time, the three vanished, leaving only the two behind.'
/CLANG!/
"... You're good with the bow. But you're now all out of arrows." Uskari said as he raised his sword
'To keep him pinned down, given his Stats, the archer used an entire quiver worth of arrows in just a few seconds.'
'Even so, she didn't seem worried in the least.'
"No matter how fast they are, I can catch up with them, this is at most a fleeting distraction." He said as he got onto a stance like a proud knight
"Maybe. Maybe you're right. No... You're right." The woman replied as she pulled a pair of daggers from her waist
/Unsheath/
"But I'm not going to fall that easily." She added as she got onto a stance as well
/Tremble.../
"... I don't want to hurt you."
"Neither do I, but as someone I know would say… Someone has to draw the short end of the stick." She said in a quirky tone as she bent her knees
"Urg… I really hate your tone… And that bastard's too."
/FWOOSH!/
'Uskari suddenly vanished, reappearing before the archer.'
"I'll give it to you then. Try resisting!"
'Uskari swung his sword sideways with incredible speed, cutting through the tall grass with such precision it didn't waver even a millimeter as it arched through the ground.'
/CLANG!/
"Arg!"
'The archer parried the attack, causing his blade to be deflected upward!'
/KICK!/
'But that was little to the Elf Swordsman, who quickly kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing against a tree.'
/THUD!/
"Huff…"
'As she recovered, the cloak and scarf hiding her identity fell, revealing who she was.'
'Her ephemeral blue hair contrasted heavily against the dark tree and grass, its Divine sheen seemingly illuminating the surroundings.'
"Pardon me for my offenses, Goddess, but I have a duty to fulfill."
"I'll bear the punishments for my transgressions after this is all over, together with the sin of not keeping my Oath, once more." He said as he momentarily bowed his head
/CUT!/
/CLANG!/
'But instead of replying, Artemis slashed her daggers forward, causing Uskari to block them as his expression tightened hastily.'
"Don't drop your guard against your opponent." Artemis said as she ducked, kicking Uskari's legs and causing him to lose his balance
"Tche!"
/SLASH!/
'As he tried to recover his balance, Artemis slashed with her daggers sideways, cutting through his leather chest armor before he fell to the ground.'
'Even to Artemis, Uskari's skill with the blade was incredible to watch, but to her, this result had already been predicted from the very beginning.'
'It felt cheap to try and "hunt" a mortal, but right now, she had bigger issues to worry about.'
/Roll!/
"..."
'Uskari got up from the ground, touching his chest with one hand as he raised his head to face Artemis.'
"You... You could've finished things off by now. Why play around like that?" He asked as he took his hand off his chest
'Artemis had two chances to deal significant damage to him, her ambush and now. Yet, in those two opportunistic moments, she did nothing but kick him aside.'
'He felt he was being looked down upon, but then again, it gave her the chance to speak. As at least now, he was willing to listen.'
"... I'm not here to take lives. I'm here to save them… Yours… And hers."
"Does any of that matter now? It's too late to try and play friends."
"Is it?" Artemis asked as her expression grew heavy
"..."
'Uskari didn't like it… Because it made him remember his weakness.'
'Right, the reason he was here and not…'
"Are you sure you should be here?" Artemis asked him deeply as she looked at him from afar
'Her words tugged at his heartstrings, causing his jaw to tense as he clenched his teeth.'
"..."
/FWOOSH!/
'Uskari dashed ahead, swinging his sword as his expression twisted!'
/CLANG!/
"!"
'Artemis parried the sword, but even with her dispersing its strength, one of her daggers still flew off her hand, and intense pain assaulted her wrist.'
"Enough talk."
What I want... Does not matter.
/Fwoosh!/
/Pull!/
"?!"
'The fight had been reversed, and now Uskari saw himself in the upper hand.'
'But before he could act, Artemis moved first. Once again, having already prepared for this scenario.'
'How far had she seen to have prepared so much? Did she expect Bhera would betray them and send Talvi alone to sacrifice herself?'
'Given the path to the Spring, there were only so many places they could walk past; she must've expected him to prevent anyone from disturbing her, given that from this point on, the entire Spring is surrounded by dense woods and a caustic Swamp.'
'Unless one could fly or walk amidst the trees like a monkey, this was the sole path...'
/Shoosh!/
'As he swung the back of his blade to knock her out, she pulled a small string tied around the tree she jumped from, causing a small trap to trigger and pull his feet.'
'Although the rope's force was negligible, it was still enough to destabilize him, as at the end of the day, an adventurer's foothold was only as strong as their weight.'
'First Class adventurers were usually seen fighting and being sent around the place at high speeds. Even so, they would hardly take any damage from smashing their head against solid stone.'
'It was exactly due to this fact.'
/SMACK!/
'After evading his sword strike, Artemis jumped in the air and pushed him back by kicking his chest, causing him to be pulled by the trap and hang upside down.'
/Shaa… Shaa…/
'As he hung there upside down, Uskari took a deep breath, asking with a tired expression:'
"Just when did you…"
"Phew. I knew you would be here, but I couldn't be sure so… Call it a… Precaution." She said with a smile as she crouched on the ground, fetching his sword
"There are seven more traps scattered around, the precaution of the precaution. I'm glad this one worked, though." She said as she smiled sweetly
"..."
'To Uskari, it would be far too easy to break the tree in half and retrieve his weapon, but right now, what he wanted the most was just to stop.'
'More than anything, he wanted this entire situation to stop so they could return to the life they had before… He and everyone else.'
'He was mentally tired... Maybe Silver's words from before had taken root deep within him.'
'He was... A coward. A weak man hiding behind the sacrifices of thousands. Trying to justify himself with duty and honor...'
'That wasn't what he wanted; what he wanted was to stand tall and fight.'
'But who would remain if he was gone?'
"Don't underestimate a Goddess of the hunt." She said with a chuckle as she tied his sword around her waist
"..."
Was this all just a game to her?...
She knew things would end up like this. That those three would eventually run through here, that I would choose this place to stand guard…
Was I too obvious? Or is she just that perceptive?...
Maybe… This was planned from the start. After all, just when did those extra girls appear?
She doesn't look surprised by their presence, they must be part of their group.
'Uskari let the wind move him around as he thought deeply, and his expression dropped as he sighed again.'
"Precaution?... Do you think something will change if they gather?" He asked as he looked at the path leading to the Spring
"Yes I do, I believe in them. I know what they can accomplish."
Well... Silver and the fox... The other two are new to me...
'Artemis smiled awkwardly inside her mind.'
"A God must always believe in their children, but my faith is not from that alone, but trust in their abilities."
"Together, I believe this isn't a challenge they cannot overcome."
"... Is that so?..."
"... Do you believe this is all you have to offer?" Artemis asked as she looked at the Elf
"Haa ... Not at all… If I'm allowed to say it… I feel like crap." He shouted as his expression twisted
'Maybe because he was talking with a somewhat gentle and understanding Goddess, not the rude... His Goddess was.'
'Uskari ended up speaking his mind. Letting go of his defiance as he let the weak breeze pass through his face.'
'Maybe it was all the blood rushing from his head due to gravity...'
"Ever since that guy appeared, I feel like I've been all over the place."
"I can understand. That's just the way he is. He doesn't stop moving, and sometimes it can be… Overwhelming." Artemis agreed as she thought of Silver
"You too? That brings back memories… Talvi has been like that, too… Ever since she was a child... And that blind bastard as well. At least when he was younger…"
"Both were quite… Troublesome to take care of." He said with a small smile. Acting old despite looking to be in his 20s
"Not to speak of my Goddess… You know how she can be…"
"... Oftentimes, it's me running around the place trying to calm everyone down after she speaks her mind a bit too much." He said with a faint smile as he closed his eyes
No... It's just me.
Lidari doesn't care about anything that isn't Talvi or his training.
"I can understand. There was a time I… Well…"
'She didn't finish her words.'
I used to be like that as well… Albeit a bit more… Hands down…
'Memories of her times hunting down Gods with her bow and arrow passed through her mind before she coughed loudly, embarrassed.'
"Curious, I thought she was the worst of the Gods." He said with a weak chuckle as he took another deep breath, looking at Artemis deep in her eyes
"..."
"... The Swamp King is immortal."
"They'll find a way to break past it."
"Can you guarantee it?"
"Well… No."
"Sigh, then what's the point?"
"That's the entire point, though?" She asked him as she touched her chin
"Wha...?"
"It's the uncertainty of the world that makes it beautiful. It's not knowing that makes it worth pursuing the truth."
"I believe in them, and that's enough."
"When you give up hope and begin sacrificing yourself and others to keep something going… Is it even worth it to let the idea live?"
"Wouldn't it be better... Thrown away?"
"But we…!"
"I know... I thought like you too once before... But I learned that you can seek another answer. There isn't always one way to solve any issue. Even if you have to make a gamble."
"When before a wall you cannot surpass. You must adapt."
"To break through it and achieve the impossible. That's what we seek by lending your kind our blessings."
"So you can all live your lives to the fullest."
"Stagnation… Sacrifice… Can be noble… But also…Evil."
"Too many depend on you... A great honor... And a curse."
"There's a mistake your kind often commits when dealing with us… You look up to us too much."
"We aren't and never will be 'everything'. Much of what we know, much of what we are, was built upon by you."
"We observed and learned. To love, to hate… Some saw the futility of their lives, and others grew bored from it."
"So they all came down to seek that purpose they all thought off."
"In the end, we were all drawn here. To Genkai. Where all possibilities collide."
"Such idealistic thoughts... Not everybody can continue to adapt and change. Not all have the will the pursue greater heights, does that mean we have no right to live?!" Uskari exclaimed as his furrowed his eyebrows
"... You know that answer full well, don't you?" She asked as her expression grew melancholic
"I…"
"... Stop trying to cling to what you don't desire merely because a God said so, for as disrespectful as that may be to you..."
"The greatest tales were built by mortals with their own hands. The favorite ballads of the Gods were written by mortals, to mortals."
"We aren't all-knowing. Otherwise, the world would be gray. Or just a shade of another color, be it red, blue, dark, or whatever ideal color a God envisions."
"The mixtures of these colors is what makes the Lower world so interesting."
"And if the world were to be so plain... I..."
'But she didn't finish her words, growing embarrassed as she realized she trailed off.'
"..."
/Pull…/
/SHINK!/
"Here, I'll leave this with you." She said as she took a step back, shoving his sword against the ground as she left
"Now, I have somewhere else to be."
/Swoosh…/
'Like the wind, Artemis vanished amidst the trees, leaving the pensive Elf behind.'
"... Sigh."
I shouldn't have let them go.
I'm done... Bhera will kill me for it. Two times over...
/Tremble!.../
"That is... If I can make it out of here alive."
Maybe I can still catch up to them if I start running now...
'As he thought about what he should've done, he was interrupted by the sound of leaves hustling near him and the acrid smell of burnt and rotting matter.'
/Sha sha sha…/
/Step…/
"Ah, it's you. A bit late... Did you shower today?" Uskari said with an ironic smile as he looked at Lidari
"... How did you get like that?" Lidari asked as he approached him, ignoring his remarks
"Well… I gave in to their dream. That's the least of it."
"I might as well add... I feel somewhat clear-headed. I guess I needed some... Change of pace, for once."
"It could be due to all of my blood rushing down to my head as well."
"..."
/FWOOSH!/
'Lidari's arm turned into an afterimage as his sword was drawn and sheathed, setting Uskari free before he moved on.'
/THUD!/
"Ouch… So much for a warning…"
/Step step.../
"... Where are you going?" He asked as he saw Lidari walk away
"..."
'Silence... Only a momentary stop.'
"Haaa… Not you too… Fine."
'Uskari jumped from the ground, grabbing his sword before he landed.'
"Might as well wash away my failure with my blood. Besides…"
"I've always wanted to see for myself… How strong it truly was."
Corned and injured, how much of a struggle will it show?...
'Uskari followed Lidari into the depths of the Swamp, the echoes of an ongoing fight resounding in the distance.'
/ROAAAARRR!/
'The final chapter of this story was about to start.'
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Notes