"This is bad… Looks like a lot of soldiers were affected."
Rain adjusted the scarf he wore to protect his face. He was on the manor's rooftop, monitoring the surroundings. At that moment, the lord's men were shouting at the top of their lungs to inform their populace of a particular set of instructions; they were to drench themselves with water and hide at a location as far from their walls as possible. It came from Stain, who had briefed everybody on the plan beforehand.
Of course, the shouting only attracted the attention of all the nearby corroded, who used to be the sentries posted on the village ramparts. All within earshot gathered towards the manor in droves. Seeing them mindlessly attacking the gate and walls while spewing rusted smog made Rain's stomach turn. And to think that he had met some of them last night, just before their deaths.
"They should give the signal soon."
There were several phases to the plan. The first was already underway, and while it wasn't the most dangerous, it was still nerve-wracking. After all, they had to rely on the robustness of the manor's walls to hold out, and there was no way they could reinforce it, as it was still unsafe for people to step outside.
After that, it would be time for the main star to shine. But for someone in the spotlight, that person didn't seem happy.
It was Hornet. She sat on a stool with a miserable-looking face. The aura she exuded gave mixed signals, as if she didn't want anybody to bother her, but at the same time, she was seeking attention. He felt that her mood was related to that incident from earlier. Or not. Either way, he didn't know what or if he could even do anything about it.
The question is, could she perform what was needed from her when the time came?
Rain shook his head and focused back on the matter at hand. The nearby corroded were a problem, but the larger horde outside the village was the more significant issue. Would they notice all the shouting? He anxiously raised the telescope he borrowed from the lord and looked toward the distance.
And he breathed a sigh of relief.
It didn't seem like they heard all the commotion at that distance. At least that was one problem they didn't have to pay any mind to for the time being.
"Hey. How are you doing?"
Rex stepped out of the stairwell and stood beside him. She handed him a bag filled with freshly-baked bread and a cup of water, saying, "I didn't make that this time. The bakers and chefs are working through this mess to calm their nerves. They need to make enough food for when the people arrive."
He nodded in acknowledgment and placed the bag on the flat railing. The surface was charred black, just like everything else on that floor, to ensure that it was safe for them to step on. It wasn't Hornet who did it, though. Stain simply asked for some people to spread crushed glowstones on the rooftop. Apparently, the fragments catch flame exceptionally quickly. As for the air, well, there was little they could do about it, at least not until phase two of the plan started. So they… he needed to wear facial protection.
"Why aren't you two wearing any?" he suddenly asked. Pointing to the scarf on his face, he looked at Rex curiously.
"Oh. Right."
But then, she jumped and quickly pulled a fine piece of cloth from her pocket to wrap her lower face with.
That was strange. He looked back toward Hornet. There was no way she didn't hear them, but her face was still uncovered.
"Don't mind her. She's… unique."
A moment of silence took over as they immediately ran out of things that were apt to talk about. Concerned for his nerves, Rain mentioned the first thing that came to mind when Rex appeared earlier.
"By the way… I haven't thanked you yet. For the offer, I mean. It would have sucked if we decided on this without getting anything."
Upon hearing that, Rain heard her chuckle before saying, "What are you talking about? I would have rewarded you with it even if you had decided earlier. It's to save my people, after all. I did so first because you seemed like you couldn't choose. In fact, I should be the one thanking you again. Just one word of gratitude isn't enough for what you did."
That made him sigh in relief. Though he hadn't entirely made peace with his decision, he was still convinced it was the right decision.
After that, Rex turned around to leave. But before she did, she stopped beside Hornet and looked down on her. The latter ignored her gaze and sat cross-armed, staring at nothing. Rain heard Rex sigh in what sounded like a depressed tone before going down the open stairwell by herself.
Shortly after that, the shouts quieted, along with an unnerving sound of metal snapping. The heavy gates were beginning to give way. Sure enough, Stain's voice echoed from the stairwell to provide them with the signal. It was time.
Rain turned to Hornet so he could ask her to start. But he found himself paralyzed after he caught a glimpse of her face.
She was glaring at him.
"Y'really made this choice, huh?"
Hornet stood up from her seat and walked with heavy footsteps until she stood before him. Though her stature was much shorter than his, it felt like she was staring him down from a mountain.
"Tell me. D'ya believe 'n heroes?"
Her question surprised him. And much to his chagrin, he responded with a stupid answer of his own.
"Yeah. You guys are real heroes, right?"
"Tch! No. I mean, d'ya "believe" in heroes?"
Rain couldn't understand. His baffled face elicited a sigh from the inebriated hero before him.
"Tell me. What d'ya think a hero's purpose is?"
A hero's purpose? Isn't that to save people in need? Just like what they were going to do?
"Wrong. Moron," Hornet reprimanded. "I dunno 'bout now, but back in my day, that's the job of th'idiots in silver armor. Knights, I meant.
"A hero's purpose is 'ta turn the impossible into somethin' barely within reach. We find hope where there's none. We push on when e'rybody else's given up. So, tell me. Do 'ya "believe" in heroes?"
Rain was astonished into speechlessness in the face of her commitment. The strength in her voice showed her conviction in her belief. Under pressure from her glare, Rain could only stammer with his reply.
"Yes."
"No. 'Ya don't. If 'ya did, 'ya would'a asked us–asked me 'ta think of a way 'ta make 'yer wish come true without sacrificin' people.
"We would fight tooth an' nail to th'last man if 'ya did, just 'ta make it real. We wouldn't let anythin' down, not you, an' not these humans. We'll save everythin'. Because that's a hero's job."
She shoved him away indignantly and stood on the edge of the rooftop. The gates were close to completely failing. But even so, she showed no fear of the situation before her. With a back that was ramrod straight, she beheld the scene with absolute confidence in her ability.
"If 'ya don't believe, then I'll show 'ya what a hero can do."
Hornet pulled three coins–Binding Tokens from her pocket… and swallowed them. She then took her gourd and drank several mouthfuls with an audible gulp.
Rain knew what to expect next. But what he didn't was the sheer scale of it. Somehow, the coins she ate pulled something out of her. When she opened her mouth, it was like a volcano had erupted. Massive jets of blue flame exploded toward the misshapen monsters on the ground, incinerating them instantly. The fire traveled quickly and spread throughout the streets and across the entire village within moments. But for some reason, the flames didn't burn through the houses. It even seemed like it had a mind of its own and avoided the structures altogether. However, it pressed on, fluid like water, and completely engulfed every alley and street into a blazing inferno.
The shrieks of the monsters that hadn't been caught in the immediate kill zone echoed eerily. Rain peered through the telescope and spotted one of the corroded roll on the ground after having been caught on fire. Soon, it, too, stopped moving. The same scene happened everywhere. Nothing survived in that fiery hell that Hornet raised.
More importantly, the rust vaporized under extreme heat. The metallic smell was replaced with the scent of burned flesh and lumber. Thick black smoke rose into the air before it was dispersed by the wind.
And then, the rain came. Pure, wondrous rain that calmed the inferno. It was Stain's magic, the third phase of the plan.
"Go now," Hornet said. Her wet hair and clothes and mixed expression of pride, disappointment, and expectancy briefly made her look like an ordinary girl.
"Get those humans here quick… Before the others arrive."
She pulled out six more coins from her pocket and swallowed them.
"... Weren't you supposed to use eight?" Rain asked apprehensively. Hornet glanced at him for a moment and shrugged.
"Don't need it."
That was it. Perhaps he misunderstood something. But it didn't look like she was half-hearting anything. There was a feral glint on her eyes that showed her excitement. Her lance vibrated in anticipation. Then, she smiled.