Everyone immediately shifts their attention toward Mira, as she tries to get up by pushing her hand on the ground as she suffers some injuries.
The mage then slowly walks over to her "Be grateful that we are protecting your pathetic lives... Without us, you all will be like a fodder for that beast".
Aymi and a few mages who were near him quickly rushes to intervene. "Have you lost your mind, Uri? You are using offensive magic against an unarmed civilian." Aymi shouts.
"This bitch was getting on my nerve. So, I had to teach her a small lesson and show her where she belongs." Uri simply replied in a non-empathetic tone.
"Huh? That's it? Do you even realize what you have done already? You let your ego come better than yourself and harm an unarmed woman. What will happen if she dies?
"Well, Do I suppose to be careful? Is her fault first of all. Uri responds nonchalantly.
Aymi bites her lips hearing such words from her guild member, boiling in rage inside her, and she burst out.
"You are such a shit hole, Uri. There is a reason why no one ever wants to team up with you back then. You don't even deserve to be called a mage but a hooligan instead."
"Huh? What did you just say? Bitch. Do you want to go? Uri with his big green eyes glares at Aymi trying to threaten her.
"Didn't you hear what I said? I said you're a shit hole and bring it on I will mop your ruptured disc face on the ground".
"You guys that's enough stop fighting." the mages who were watching the scene jump in between Aymi and Uri before they start a fight.
Mira pushes her body up with her hands and tries to get up from the ground. Since the magic that was used was just a minor arcane blast. She escaped with just a few scratches. she puts her hand on her injured belly and heavily breathes in.
From a distance, Yahiko comes running toward Mira with a painful voice screaming "Mom! Mom!".
Yahiko seeing her mother in that state starts to cry beside her. "I'm sorry. I lied that I was hungry. I'm really sorry".
Mira quickly embraces Yahiko into her and holds him tightly.
"Is alright. I promised your dad I won't let you suffer in any kinds of ways." Yahiko continues to cry under the affection of his mother's kindness.
"Now stop crying, didn't you promise you want to become a powerful wizard in the future and look I'm fine." As Mira wipes the tears of his son a footstep slowly walks toward them.
"Here. Please have this. It is not much but, this is the bun I saved to eat after the event but I forgot to.
" Both, Yahiko and Mira look up and sees dark red hair with beautiful brown eyes offering a loaf of bread along with water. It was none other than Fanny.
"But what about you, Oni chan. Aren't you hungry?" Yahiko asked.
"Oni-Chan is not hungry at all today. So go ahead and eat."
Yahiko pulls the bun from Fanny and starts chopping down inside his mouth.
From the side, Fyo and Kazu help to get Mira up.
"Are you alright?" Fyo asked as she helps clean up the dirt from Mira.
"Yes...I am fine. Thank you"
Mira stares at the three mages' generosity in wonder.
"I don't know what should I even say. Not only do you offer your food to my son and even try to help me. I am indebted to you all."
"No, no, no don't say that I'm only just fulfilling the duty as a wizard."
Kazu turns around and faces Aymi and Uri.
"You guys, what are you planning to fulfill by hurting these people when it is our duty to protect them, especially you Uri. Are you planning to tarnish the name of Chronicles?"
"Huh? Don't you know the guild is already dead when you are busy snooping around-"
Aymi took this opportunity and conjures a paralytic spell from behind. She taps her hand on Uri's back and activates the spell inside his body. Uri suddenly falls to the ground in deep sleep.
Aymi steps over the sleeping body of Uri with her shoes and as if it is a wooden log meant to walk over and slowly walks toward Fanny.
"You have some nerve to say that Fanny when you guys weren't even present at all the entire time."
"We were busy searching for our guild members that went missing during the event. You are welcome, Aymi-chan." Fyo replied with a sliding attitude.
"So? Have you found them?"
"No, but..."
Fyo turns side away and meets the stares of the mobs who have been watching the whole scenario with a discernment eye.
"Everyone listen, the royal knights are here. We are all saved." Fyo announces.
By hearing the news of the Royal Knights, the most powerful units of the continent on their way to help them. All the civilians including the members of comradeship quickly get to their feet in a spark of relief. Their time of sulking in the middle of the unknown forest might finally be over.
" Really?? Thank goodness. We are saved!" One of the villagers replied.
"Are they here? The Council is sending an army from the capital till here." another villager joined in to rejoice to hear the news.
"Yeah, they should be here any time soon. So, everyone please settle down here, and let's wait for them." Kazu replied.
The dreadful silence once mimics the hopelessness and depravity, now it is replaced by hope. Sure, enough there is a future tomorrow for them, and the citizen of Gardania celebrates in joy.
"Aymi where are Garth-senpai and Liz-senpai?" Fanny asked.
"They went further deep inside the forest to find a good resting place for Gin- Are you guys aware that Gin is dead? "
"Yeah. with howitzer's help, we kind of grasp the situation what is going here, about Selene-senpai, the dragon, and Zyun senpai..." Fyo replied in a sad tone.
"Then I suggest, you guys don't go to where they are at" Aymi closes her sentence in a serious tone.
"Oh, why?"
Aymi stares at Fanny with a solemn look and replies back
"Well, seeing someone who hasn't been around to help when their comrades were trying to save themselves for a dragon... I won't be surprised if Garth tries to kill you."
"Garth won't do that-"
" I'm serious, Fanny" Aymi breaks Fanny's sentence with a serious stare. "He didn't look like his normal self. He was furious;
his eyes almost seem like a murderer's eye. It is as if he transforms into a different person".
Fanny and others listen quietly in all earnest.
"And it is all thanks to certain someone. He used the trust in their friendship and used the advantage to infiltrate our guild and go all the way to kill our guild master. He is such a scumbag, worst of all. I'm sure he is the reason why that monster attacked us in the first place." Aymi rages out.
Aymi hovers her face slowly at the front from her grievance and sees that Fannywas no longer there.
"Wait what?"
Out of disappointment and annoyance, she quickly looks around for him. "Where do you think going?" Aymi asked Fanny who is already running out of the forest.
"To know the truth". He stops and answers without facing back
"Truth? Wait don't tell me..Fanny have you gone crazy? We need you here."
"It is no use. When he is like that. Just leave him be" Kazu said knowing quite well the nature of his friend.
"Don't worry, the royal knight will be here anytime soon. They also have an Echelon along with them." Fanny shouts as he continues running in the direction of the arena.
Aymi widens her eyes out as she was struck by surprise after hearing the word.
"An Echelon... Oh god. You mean one of those elite ten mages in the whole continent."
"Yeah. And I can sense people are fighting that dragon in the arena. One of them is Zyun-senpai I'm sure of it. Right now, what important is to me to confront and asked him, whether he betrayed us and all this time he was lying to me." Fanny replied.
"He is an elf, what is more, left there to proof."
"But he is still Zyun-senpai, isn't he?"
Fanny quickly turns back and smiles at Aymi before running out of the forest.
"Take care of everyone. I will come back fast!"
As the whole refugees celebrate in happiness as they're going to be rescued soon by the royal army.
Aymi sulks in the corner reminiscing that one single part at how Akat'sa wanted to know the whole truth about Zyun without accusing him of all sorts like everyone else.
Out tired of putting too much thought, she sits down and slowly brings her face between her legs.
"Maybe...I do also want to know the truth" She mumbles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Away from the keen eyes, deep inside the forest, Liz watches in grief as Garth buries the body of Gin under the forest ground, their guild lead, and their childhood friend who have been together before the starting of the guild.
"We were lucky to find his body before the building collapses," Liz said as she watches the dead body of their childhood friend being buried.
With the help of a shovel, Garth slowly fills the grave with dirt.
"I don't what should I have done, Garth. I wish I could have done something to change it."
As Liz contemplates her lack of action during that time towards Garth, all she could hear back was the sound of the shovel digging the ground and filling with no words from him.
" I don't know any more what to do. Our guild that we always look forward to going back to is no more now and Gin... I-I hate me for being this weak! All I did was watch, nothing else."
Liz tries hard to hold her emotions by gripping and clenching her fist tightly but a few tears slide from her cheek, due to unable to control her frustrations and emotions rushing toward her.
"Then...why didn't you release it?"
Garth breaks his silence, without looking back he asked Liz in a solemn voice.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Liz responds in confusion.
"That time... when that bastard was left in open, why didn't you release your arrow," Garth demanded.
"I-"
You could have left a fatal wound to him if not death with your "True shot", so why didn't you do it. Answer me, Liz. Why didn't you kill that bastard right there?"
Garth slowly turns back and advances towards Liz with a fixating eye, a sight she has never seen before, Liz quivers in fear not from the rage but from the fear of not recognizing his one and only remaining friend anymore.
" Garth...your eyes... Stop! This is not you anymore." Liz starts to tremble in fear as he watches Garth approach towards with unfathomable anger in his eyes.
"If you don't want to regret anything later in the future then next time-"
Garth comes close to Liz and glares down with his raging eyes
"You better stop being a candy-ass" Garth shouts directly at Liz's face. After throwing his rage, Garth slowly walks away from her.
Liz slowly fell to the ground on both her knees and tears rolls down from her cheek like water fell on the ground.
"Someone ... please... Someone, please save us before I lose everything."