"..And that's the last of them!" Sévir exclaimed in relief as he roughly pulled his dagger out of the corpse of a dead beast.
Kalvin dropped to the ground, letting out a sigh of relief. "We.. We made it..."
"We weren't gonna die anyways, these beasts were surprisingly weaker than I expected." Sévir commented.
Kalvin looked at him with surprised and curious eyes. "What do you mean weaker!? These beasts are strong as hell, I nearly died because of getting overpowered!" He exclaimed.
"But I saved you, right? You owe me one in the future." He sheathed his dagger, he kneeled down and inspected the dead beast.
The beast cried in pain as the fire engulfing it went beyond its skin, its chest rose and descended quickly again and again, rolling over non-stop to get rid of the undying fire.
"That should teach them!" Sanguinex returned her wand to her pocket.
Another beast struggled getting Percival to let go of it, it growled aggressively and tried biting his arm, which it unfortunately couldn't reach. "Now now.." He wrapped one arm around its neck, the other on top of its head.
"What are you gonna do to that beast?" Sanguinex asked.
"I don't know if it's gonna work, but let's try.." In one swift move, a crack can be heard, the head of the beast was tilted and it suddenly stopped moving.
Percival pushed it away and stood up, wiping off the dust in his pants. "That actually worked."
When he looked at Sanguinex, she was looking at him with a disgusted look, as if he's the worst person in the world. "What?" He asked.
She shook her head. "Nothing.. I'm just not used to seeing someone snapping necks." She turned around, looking at the burning beast who was no longer moving.
"Hey.. At least it's instant death, look at that beast! You're literally burning him 'till it dies!" He pointed at the beast.
"Snapping necks isn't common here, Percival. The last time I've actually seen one.. No, I don't even remember anymore." Minerva commented while she sheathed her cutlass.
He rolled his eyes. "Anyways, we should go check on the people behind us.. Actually, where the hell are the teachers!?" He's right, where are the teachers?
"They're with the freshmen and sophomores. Not really surprising." Minerva walked past Percival, checking everyone out for injuries.
"Is everybody okay?" Minerva asked everyone around her, which they all nodded to.
As she walked back even more, she eventually reached Sévir and Kalvin.
"Are you guys okay?" She observed their surroundings, only to see Sévir sitting on the lifeless body of another beast.
"Yeah. I'd say they're pretty fun to fight!" He exclaimed excitedly as he roughly rubbed the neck of the dead beast.
She turned to Kalvin, who had his palm on his forehead. "This guy is just in his own league," he pointed at Sévir, "let him fight something we find so hard to fight and he'll do it easily."
She sighed. "Just what are you really, Sévir?"
Sévir shrugged. "Beats me. I'm myself."
"Well, it's good to know you guys are fine, I'll check on the others." She passed by the both of them, planning to reach Noelle and Meredith on her way.
She gets lost in thought somewhere along the way. Sévir's nonchalant behavior.. She imagined Sévir sitting on the dead beast. And Percival's uncanny behavior towards beasts, as if he's experienced in handling them.. She imagined Percival snapping the neck of a beast. Just who and what are those two..?
She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice she bumped into everyone in her way, until she bumped into Noelle.
"Minerva?" Noelle called out to her.
"H-Huh?" She snapped back instantly.
"What happened to you?" Her voice had worry inside it. Rarely does she see Minerva bump into someone, lost in thought. It's only once in a blue moon!
She shook her head. "I'm fine." She looked around, only to see blood splattered everywhere in the trees and bushes. "It seems like you guys are okay."
"Come on, we wouldn't be an Undefeated Octet if we couldn't face this much!" Meredith said confidently, she had her hands on her waist, posing with nothing but confidence surrounding her aura.
Minerva flashed a weak smile before turning around. "That seems to be the case." She said before walking away.
Noelle leaned towards Meredith. "Something feels off about her today.."
She nodded. "..Maybe it's just this forest affecting her."
Noelle eyed her deeply until she disappeared from her sight. To her, Minerva isn't Minerva today.
...
It's been around 40 minutes since they last stopped, they inch closer and closer to the end.
In the third year, three girls remain stuck to each other, the one on the left and the one on the right have shrunk in intense fear, as if they were going to be killed instantly. Their arms, locked onto the one in the middle.
"Ze-Zephyr.. H-H-How are you not scared!?" Deleena exclaimed with her shaky voice.
She looked at Zephyr's hand, it was shaking like crazy. She looked at Zephyr, who looked back at her, her face expressed nothing but terror. She forced a smile. "W-Well.. I can't be scared i-if y-you guys–you guys are scared!" It couldn't be helped, her voice was also shaky.
Deleena also couldn't help but notice Zephyr's irregular breathing, her chest, rising and descending again and again rapidly.
She's as nervous as us.. Deleena looked ahead. I've never been this far since I always backed out! Same to Adi- Her thoughts were interrupted as she looked at Adina, tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Adina!? W-Why are you crying!?" Deleena whispered in worry, Zephyr took notice and turned to Adina.
"I-I'm not c-c-crying.. I'm just.. Letting out my tears before it can burst out later!" She murmured with a rough voice, clearly trying to hold back more of her tears.
"Come on.. Let it all out!" Zephyr encouraged her, Adina let go of her arm and looked at her with a badly upset face. She no longer needed any encouragement, her sobs were desperate, she launched herself onto Zephyr's arms, burying her face on her shoulder. Her sobs flowed freely without anything holding it back.
"Come on now, let me just.." Zephyr slightly crouched as she reached for Adina's legs. Carrying her like a princess.
Zephyr flinched, her arms were struggling to carry the whole body of the distressed Adina. Dammit, she's so heavy..!
Deleena clicked her tongue. "You damn baby.." She walked to Adina's side, reaching her hand out to caress her hair. "T-There there.." She tried making a gentle and soothing voice, but it only came out as rough and forced.
Zephyr looked at her with disapproval in her eyes.
"Let me do it.." She looked down, lightly rubbing her back. "Hey, hey.. Don't worry.. Me and Deleena are here for you!" She gently whispered in her ear.
Although freely letting out her tears, Adina did her very best to not let out as much noise, knowing very well it might just attract beasts.
Zephyr turned her eyes to Deleena, her eyes screaming desperation. My arms are gonna give out.. Help me for god's sake!
Deleena looked back at her, only to give her a mischievous grin. Hehehe.. You wanted this.. So bare with it!
Zephyr realized what her grin meant. No... She could only flash a look that someone would give when they realize they were betrayed. YOU TRAITOR!!!
As if satisfied with what she's done, a smug smile tugged her lips, she flicked her hair off her shoulder in such a dramatic way.
Just as they were to indulge in their own stress with a crying Adina, they heard something, or someone move around the bushes when it rustled.
The forest reminded them that they're not in just some place, but they're in that forest for a reason. The three of them were quick on the uptake, Adina let out a broken sigh, nudging Zephyr to let go of her.
"Are you okay now?" Zephyr whispered.
"Y-Yeah, you can let go of me now.." She wiped the tears off her cheeks.
Zephyr nodded and slowly let go of her, letting her stand on her own two feet.
"Thanks." She sobbed one more time. I'm still scared.. She looked around her surroundings.
But nobody's crying, so I shouldn't cry! Although fear still struck her and wrapped her so tightly, she found it so hard to breathe.
She has found her determination to continue the march with Deleena and Zephyr by her side.
I don't wanna be seen as the baby between us three.. It should be Deleena! She narrowed her eyes as she stared at Deleena, which had nothing more and nothing less than competitiveness.
She turned her eyes back to Zephyr. "Hey.." She whispered. "Isn't it weird that there's no light in here, and yet we can still see enough?"
Zephyr nodded. "You're right.. It is quite weird." They looked around, and no matter where they looked along the road, even if it was dark, there was unexplainable visibility.
Adina rubbed her temples. "This is killing my head. Let's just not bother."
...
"Minerva.." Sanguinex looked at her with a refreshed look on her face. "I-I SEE IT!" She pointed at what's in front of their sight. "I SEE LIGHT!"
From a distance, they could see light as if it was an opened door to a whole new place.. This is it.. Right? What they've been eager to see is finally a few steps away from being reached!
Out of excitement, Sanguinex dashed forwards all of a sudden, catching Minerva and Percival off-guard.
"SANGUINEX!" Percival shouted her name, it was so loud, it echoed as far as to Noelle and Meredith, which caught their attention.
Minerva immediately dashed forwards, drawing her cutlass as fast as she possibly could. There's no time to think, only her instincts can bring her forward and reach Sanguinex.
Their hearts raced, so fast that they could feel it leave their chest every single second that Sanguinex moved forward.
Minerva aimed her cutlass at Sanguinex, water rushed forward and desperately tried to catch up to Sanguinex.. But it was too late.
As fast as her legs moved, something from beneath the road rose up and in the blink of an eye, bit the entirety of Sanguinex's right calf.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!" She screamed as she tripped, roughly landing on the road. The beast that bit her pierced its teeth way beneath her skin.
She looked at it, her heart raced even faster, way faster than a normal human could do. All she could do was to kick it with her free foot. "GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!" She was flat out panicking.
Suddenly, a gush of water wrapped around the beast, Minerva pulled her cutlass as hard as she could.
A splash could be heard as the beast's huge, worm-like body fell to the ground, its head severed and still on Sanguinex's calf. Minerva stabbed her cutlass on the head of the beast, barely missing Sanguinex's calf. In one fluid motion, she sliced the beast off of Sanguinex's calf.
Sanguinex's breathing was still irregular, but it was more silent now, what remained of the beast were its super sharp and narrow teeth.. Tons of them.
"Dammit Sanguinex! Are you okay!?" Minerva kneeled down and tried taking the teeth off, only to recoil in pain. "Ow! Why is this so hot!?"
Percival slightly nudged her to the side, kneeling down. In an instant, he took off 7 of them, holding back the pain stinging his hands.
Sévir arrived after dashing straight as fast as he could, reaching the 3 students. "What the.." He looked at the dead beast and Sanguinex's calf.
His legs moved by itself and walked towards the injured Sanguinex.
"Hey.. Can you take over? My hands can't take it anymore.." Percival stepped aside, Sévir nodded and kneeled down and looked at Sanguinex. "Sorry, Sanguine.. This'll hurt a lot."
She nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah.. J-Just please get it off me..!" Her cries were painfully clear. Sévir looked at the teeth and held his breath.In a quick maneuver, he quickly pulled the teeth of her calf, she covered her mouth, trying to hold back her screams as much as possible.
Minerva looked away with her eyes closed. I've seen worse.. But I just can't see if it's Sanguinex!
Percival bit his lip, he could only look straight, his pride and experience did not allow him to look away.
A tear rolled down Sanguinex's cheek. Dammit.. I can still feel it burning inside my leg! J-Just what was in the teeth of that stupid beast!?
A gruelling minute passed by, and at last, all the teeth in her calf had been removed.
Sévir turned his eyes to Sanguinex, one with worry. "How are you feeling?"
"I..-I don't feel my leg." She commented.
Percival crouched and took a look at one of the tooth. "It looks like this one is filled with some sort of poison.. A paralyzing one."
Minerva crouched beside Sanguinex. "Hey.. Can you not do that again?" Even Minerva's tone had worry in it. "You worried me there." Percival and Sévir took a quick glance at Minerva, as if what they heard is something they'll never hear ever again.
Sévir shook his head. "I'll have the witch scold Sanguine later. We should get out of this forest already." Sévir turned around and glanced at Percival.
As if he knew what he was saying through a glance, he nodded and helped Sanguinex up. "We'll let Sévir carry you."
Sévir stood up with Sanguinex on his back. "Percival, you got any cloth to wrap around her calf?" He asked.
"Mm. Yeah, let me tie it." He hurriedly grabbed the cloth from his pocket, wrapping it and tying it around her bleeding calf.
Meredith tip-toed and saw the four of them, she was close enough since she walked her way to the front rows of the line. Sanguinex..? Is Sanguinex there? She spotted Sanguinex on Sévir's back, her arms wrapped around him comfortably as if he was a pillow.
Oh.. It seems like they're okay.. She's relieved.. But what is this painful feeling that she feels around her heart?
She's relieved.. But why is she frowning?
She's relieved.. But why is she clenching her cold fists?
She let out a depressing sigh, and at last, she turned around and walked away.