"Aaahhh!"
Leon's stab didn't elicit a scream, but Triss's did.
Leon was biding for the seconds just to create moments for Triss to recover. That is also the reason why he went off of his path and used his points on STR.
Strengthening himself was a strategic move, essential for holding his ground against the knife that was making his sword, which was stolen from the guard, get closer to his head.
Fortunately, his actions paid off handsomely.
Tired and wounded, Triss swiftly extracted the knife from her pocket. Her labored breathing remained unchanged from a moment ago, inconspicuous to the guard's ears.
He had no reason to glance back and assess her situation, especially when he faced a lethal attack with his own sword raised against him.
She didn't get up, kept herself on the ground. Be it conscious or not, this was the best route of action she could take.
As her hand gripped the knife, her eyes lost their color. Her masked face transformed into that of a hungry beast, immediately zeroing in on her prey.
Not because Leon's stab had been superficial—-his knife had gone entirely through the guard's back, leaving only the handle visible. Yet, Triss, with a beastly determination, continued her relentless assault on his Achilles' heels, the only exposed fleshy target she could see.
"Aaaahh!!"
One stab followed another one for a few seconds non-stop, like a machine gun.
One kid attacks from the front, the other from the back. The guard's routine patrol had turned into one of his most agonizing days.
Yet, he also wanted to live.
He also had a brain to keep him living in this world. Although his left leg had to be literally dragged around, he chose to turn to his right and ran away.
Shaat!
"Aaaahhh!!"
Thud!
Leaving one's back exposed to the enemy is a grave mistake, one of the worst mistakes.
Leon seized the opportunity and slashed the guard's back in a cross pattern. Blood dripped incessantly onto the muddy ground, mingling with the raindrops.
However, the situation had veered significantly off course. Triss, now a bloodied beast, shot a puzzled look at Leon for a brief moment.
"What are you doing!?"
"He was about to send a signal! Shut up and catch him!"
'I'd have done so if I was in his shoes.'
Without evidence to support his claim, Leon's story seemed so plausible that Triss immediately rushed to restrain the guard.
In the presence of adrenaline, Triss, despite her muddy and pained state, acted without hesitation. However, the fear of the worst outcome also played a role in her sudden adrenaline rush.
"H-Hey kids… What did I do to you?"
"Don't you remember her!?"
"Her..?"
The guard's face mirrored Triss's—muddy and sweaty. Compared to them, Leon appeared as fresh as if he had just stepped out of a bath. Sweat drops hindered the guard's vision, making things worse for him.
Let alone that…
"She is wearing a mask…"
"What do you mean you can't remember her!?"
"W-What did I do to her? L-Look I'm sorry, okay? N-No one will learn what has happened here!"
His stuttering was expected. He desired to live, but Leon's demeanor suggested otherwise. His eyes had lost their color, and the masked face resembled that of a killer.
The juxtaposition of his happy emotion mask intensified the fear in the guard. His huffing between sentences echoed the growls of a wounded and hungry beast.
At this point, even Triss felt a chill down her spine. Her bewildered eyes locked onto Leon, attempting to comprehend the unfolding events. Things were deviating from the plan, and Leon was uttering things that made little sense to her.
Yet, she had no choice but to trust him.
Moreover, every second he earned was to her benefit. Every second meant more time for her to get herself together.
"Spill the beans or I'll kill you!"
"W-What are you talking about!?"
Plop, plop, plop.
The demon's feet touched the ground thrice. Slowly advancing toward the man on the ground while the girl demon restrained him by pressuring his hands.
Both of them were demons, demons that attacked him for no reason at all and wanted something from him. And he had no idea what that something was. This was the helpless situation of the guard.
"P-Please just tell me what you want!"
'I don't know either, f*cker. I thought if I do something like this, you would give us some useful information. It was like that in the movies.'
"Sigh…"
Pow! Pow! Pow!
"Aaahh!!"
"Don't you know what I want!?"
"P-Please don't! P-Please!!"
His pleas failed to move Leon's heart but touched Triss's. She released his hands momentarily, swayed by compassion.
"Hey, isn't that enough!? That wasn't the pla—Gaah!!"
"Triss!"
Push someone to the edge, and they will retaliate.
The guard seized the opportunity, using the momentary reprieve to his advantage. As Triss's weight shifted, he extended his left palm toward a distance. It was the opportune moment he had hoped for.
Not only did she avert her eyes from him, but she also stole the eyes of Leon. He couldn't have asked more.
"Aaahh!!"
In less than three seconds, he retrieved the knife from the ground, ruthlessly stabbing her arm.
Unfortunately for him, he targeted the upper arm, between her right shoulder and elbow joint—a safe place.
Adrenaline and her brief scream fueled his belief that his attack succeeded. The idea of success revealed his hatred as he cursed in the following second.
"F*ck yo—"
Yet, his words were abruptly cut short.
"Ga-Gaah…"
That was the only sound he could let out by mustering his power.
And…
Drip, drip, drip…
Gentle drips of red bid farewell to the ground for the last time.
Leon, prompted by a momentary impulse, severed the guard's throat.
His hands sensed the flesh for a split second. The sword was sharp, sliced through the guard's throat like a tomato. Freshly cut tomato red mixed with mud on the ground.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You've killed a Human for the first time!]
[Unassigned Stat Points +2!]
[You've killed a Human!]
[Unassigned Stat Points +1!]
[You've managed to kill someone 1 level above of you!]
[Unassigned Stat Points +1!]
Leon was stupefied by the sudden appearance of status screens.
Before he could process the events, the spectator, who had been next to him from the start and watched the entire event like a movie, opened her quivered lips and spoke.
"I-Is he dead?"
"F*ck! Ruun!!"
He quickly pulled Triss to her feet.
Their plans had not only unraveled but plummeted to new depths. According to Triss's earlier warning, they were racing against time. And having their a*ses on fire made them forget their pain and exhaustion.
If they didn't run, death awaited. Even if they avoided death, their lives would be over if caught. They ran as if a phantom horseman hurled spears at them from behind, extinguishing their light of life.
Ten seconds passed before Triss slowed down.
"Hold on!"
"What!?"
"There's a way to base from here," and she didn't even wait for Leon to agree with her.
She trusted that Leon would follow without question, and indeed he did. Which is what exactly happened. They kept on running forward for about twenty more seconds.
No words uttered in the meantime. They couldn't afford to tire themselves out with unnecessary words.
Besides, they were currently running through right in the forest and biting their tongue would have been one of the most foolish decisions they could ever make right now.
To get to the secret path, they had to keep on running for a little straight and turn to their right, to the depths of the forest. Then, they have to find a tree with a tiny 'R' mark on the roots. The same scenario as with the time of finding the right building to enter the branch.
Triss wasn't that stupid. She not only been following him, but she also been checking up this place every time she visits the forest. It could only be fair to say that she is the only one on the branch that can find this place as fast as their leader.
Just like most of the people out there, she also had the brain and used it to memorize this path, for just in case scenarios.
From the tree's below, specifically from the underneath of the roots, was a tunnel stretching all the way to the city. That was their path to saving light.
"Don't jump," whispered, Triss.
Leon just followed instructions and used the stairs below. But the moment his feet touched the metallic ground.
Ding!
A blue screen with a weird message took his attention.
[Your 'Status' screen has been updated!]
[Congratulations!!!!(????)]
'What the hell is that?'
[You've unlocked a new stat, 'Chaos'!]
'Status.'