"Run."
"What?!"
"T-they are...going to take you!"
"Who ?"
"You need to run right now !"
"Ma'am, I need you to calm down now."
Aefrine took her from her shoulders and tried to calm her down while she was shivering and crying in the cold night. A few moments later, she finally went to a more mindful state, though she was still crying.
"Ma'am, tell me quietly what is there that I should be aware of. "
"You need to run away quickly, in that cave... Once you enter, he will kidnap you."
"Who?"
"...Çetin..."
"What ?"
"He... was tricking you the whole time..."
"You are joking, right? This is a test set up by him, right? HEY, ÇETI-"
Rose hastily put her hand around his mouth.
"I swear by my niece, I am not joking! You need to go now!"
"Ok,ok. Just...w-why?"
"There is a bounty on your head, but they need you alive..."
"Who needs me?"
"I don't know, someone will give 3 million duvats to whoever captures a boy with a green cape and a unique soul bow. They even offered a million duvats for your dead body."
"But I didn't see my name on the board...I-i..."
"It is an illegal quest from the black market. Çetin occasionally takes quests from there... even this quest is fake. There is no body to find."
"B-but..."
"Please, just run as fast as you can and leave the city and never come back. I will stall him here as best as I can."
"What about your niece and the money."
"Not now, I really thank you, but I won't be able to forgive myself if he gets you tonight. Just please just go."
"But I can't leave you here. I will carry you."
"No, he will catch up and kill us both. You are already staying too long. He might come out at any moment."
"Then, I will fight him."
Aefrine stood up and was about to head towards the cave, but Rose yet again grabbed him.
"He isn't even an average A-rank you don't stand a chance, please. If you take this opportunity and run, we will both survive. Just go, please."
"But..."
He used his soul hearing.
"JUST GO!"
That was it. He went running without looking behind him. 'I know I don't have the right to say this, but people outside are not as trustworthy as you. Remember that." Damn it. Damn it. I knew something was wrong when we were searching for a body in the woods at night! How could I not see this sooner. Rose has only fear and empathy. There is no way she is lying...
He was trying to swing as fast as possible with his arrows. He just wanted to get away from here as fast as possible. The wind was cold, and he was getting dizzy. The effects of his long day were catching up on him.
Damn it. Why did he need to take me on the same day of my tes- no way he did on purpose on it. HE DID IT ON PURPOSE! He wanted to catch me tired... Damn it, I need to get out of this city!"
He could finally see the city from behind the gigantic trees. But he also heard a lot of small unfamiliar sounds under him. He looked down, and a swarm of small dinosaurs was chasing him from the ground. They were waiting for the moment he fell. Aefrine couldn't count how many there were. 'Is this also the work of Çetin??? Wait, no ... I don't have the lamp... Damn it! We will be reaching the plains soon. If they are fast enough to chase in the air, then how I am supposed to outrun them on the ground. I can't even use phys magic!'
The plains were getting closer...
Damn it.
He took what was probably the longest swing in his entire life. He was so close to the ground that the dinosaurs were jumping to him, trying to get a hold of him. He pulled himself forward and went flying in the air. He was as high in the air as the tops of the gigantic tress, and now he was approaching the ground really fast.
I haven't thought this through...
He got his shield out and pulled his legs above it. Then, moments before he touched the ground, he activated its effect, creating a shockwave that saved his life but flipped him upside-down.
Oh my god. I didn't think that would work...My butt...
He didn't have time to check on his butt. The swarm was getting closer with every moment he didn't move. He shot multiple arrows at them, but whether they landed on their target didn't matter since they were so many. Aefrine was running as fast as he could, and in desperation, he started shouting to the guards.
One of them riding an Igua heard him and came forward. He was holding a lamp, so if Aefrine could get near him, then this chase would be over. He turned behind him for a moment. Despite some of them being alarmingly close to him, the horde of the small beasts were now retreating.
Why? I still haven't reached the guard yet? Did they give up?
"Hey, what you are doing here in the middle of the night."
"Oh, hey... I"
For a moment, Aefrine forgot what he was running from.
"I-I need to go inside quickly, please. My friends are in trouble, and I forget something important in my room. Please, I need to go."
"What? Are you a raider or something?"
"Yes. I am, I-i..."
"Show me your ID card then."
"Ok... here"
"Ok, get yourself a lamp or something before you go out again. "
"Thanks,
The guards opened for him the small door of the gigantic gates, and as soon as Aefrine passed the guards of the other side. He went running. According to his memory, the map showed that he could only go Eastwards if he were to get to Hamilton on foot. The boat is now too risky. He doesn't even know about how to get one, and he will definitely not be able to miraculously find one that is heading to Hamilton in this very moment.
Someone put a bountry on my head...does Çetin only know about this, or does everyone? How can I trust anyone at this point, damn it! I should just leave now! I need to find Larry.
And then he stopped running, out of the wide road, a man was standing in the middle of it opposing him directly.
"Arcangelo, how are you ?"
He was holding a broad sword and a green-copper shield and definitely looked in a battle position.
"Nice of you, to remember my name. You have a good memory. "
"Yeah, so ahem, I forgot a very useful enchanted tool, and Çetin told me to go get it. So, I will get going, you know. I don't want Çetin to get mad at me if you understand what I mean..."
I don't know how much this lie will work...
"Nice, Çetin also told me to kill any members who leave their mission halfway through. I suppose you also understand that I also don't want Çetin to get mad at me."
"Nice...joke..."
Aefrine hastily shot his arrow to the tallest building and attempted an escape. He got on the roof and jumped off as Arcangelo threw his shield at him. Upon impact with the building, the shield made a weak purple gravital force that pushed things away from it.
Aefrine, however, didn't notice any of that as he had spotted his inn and was now swinging and jogging through the rooftops. He looked at the sky. It was very cloudy with no sign of the moon presence.
As he arrived by the rooftop of the inn, he climbed down the stairs only to hear the noise of a window crashing.
Larry!!!
He entered and found Larry next to a broken window.
"Larry, what happened?"
"Someone other than you entered and tried to steal your stuff, so I threw him out the window."
"What ? Larry, I told you not to hurt anyone!"
"Unless they try to hurt me, which the burglar did, he had a dagger."
"Oh my god, is he still alive?!"
"I don't know."
He ran to the window. He saw a big hole of an impact on the roof of the entrance, but there was no body.
"Damnit, listen, Larry, we are leaving. Get everything you can, and let's go. "
"Ok, master."
They hastily took everything useful and ran out, only to be met by the inn keeper.
"What is that noise?!"
"Er... there was a burglar and er...I am leaving, thank you. Here is your fee."
"What ? Get back here!...this isn't even enough to pay the window ! Get back here!"
He put everything on and got on the back of Yuta before the orc confronted him.
"Everything ok, buddy ?"
"Er.. yes. I just need to leave..."
"Ok."
Why does everyone have to get in my way...
The gate opened, and Aefrine whipped away and got out fast. He was heading for the Eastern gates. He was leaving for another town. He needs any place to stay low for a while. If Çetin a legal A-rank raider was after him, then who else was?
Who wants me ? Who would pay such a price for me?
He couldn't even get time to answer his own thoughts as a strong kick knocked him off his ride and knocked out some of his teeth as well. He hit some barrels next to a bar, and the people there quickly ran away screaming. As he opened his eyes, he saw a terrifying figure, a knight fully covered from top to toe with silver plates of armour with some pieces of black and dark-red cloth covering his waist. Two blood-red eyes were staring into his soul. He was weilding two medium-long swords, their blades curved in such a way that they could be called hooks instead. There was no mistaking that helmet. He had just seen it earlier this night.
It's Bloody Mary.
As the infamous murderer approached, each step quieter than the other, Larry shot a beam of fire at him using his mask. His target went flying two streets ahead, resulting in a small explosion that caused a fire that awakened most of the neighbours.
"Thanks, Larry -"
He was soon interrupted by a thick smoke that apparently spawned out of nowhere. Aefrine was quick to react. He shot an arrow to the nearest rooftop. Yet, he just got on his feet. He was ambushed. Another black figure jumped out of the smoke and tried to stab him on his right shoulder. It wasn't Mary but Afli. The dagger didn't get him thanks to his pauldron.
"Your brother is a monster?! You freak!"
"What?"
Afli didn't get the chance to speak as Larry punched him away and landed in his place.
"Don't worry, maste- "
Larry also didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as a shield was thrown at him. He did catch it, but as soon as he did, the purple gravital force threw him down the roof again. Aefrine looked down. Arcangelo was back.
This is getting too complicated...
He shot an arrow at a building in the opposite direction. But before he could even reach his destination, a flying broomstick seemtly out of nowhere hit his head hard and knocked him off mid-air. He fell on a couple of barrels, and his back felt really bad as always.
At this point, I think I am used to it.
As he got up, a sharp blade went for his neck. He blocked with his bow. Arcangelo was trying desperately to slash him in any way possible. It was visible on his face that he wasn't enjoying it. Aefrine couldn't blame him even though he was tired, his opponent was very weak with the sword. He was very slow that he had no problem blocking and dodging his attacks. This was childplay compared to the other three swordmen he had faced so far. And soon enough, he found an opening and kicked his opponent hard in the guts with phys magic.
Arcangelo was wearing armour, so it probably didn't hurt him that much, and yet Aefrine's leg was starting to feel dizzy. As Arcangelo got up and Aefrine was looking for any sign of Yuta and Larry, his shield seemingly dropped from the sky right next to him. Aefrine looked up, but the sky was too dark to see anything.
For a moment, it appeared like Arcangelo was about to throw his shield at him. Aefrine had no idea how he was going to counter that pushing force. Yet, the next moment, he gave a tiny squeak and started running in fear. Aefrine absolutely knew it wasn't him he was scared of, so he looked behind and true enough, it was Bloody Mary running towards him.
This time, he didn't hesitate and shot a barrage of arrows at him. Yet, to his surprise, he didn't even bother to dodge. The arrows seemed to tinkle him at best. At this horrible scene, Aefrine immediately shot an arrow ahead in an attempt to escape. Afli behind jumped high in the air and finally dig his dagger deep in his unprotected left shoulder from the back. The pain was severe, but it wasn't enough above what Aefrine could handle.
As they landed on the intended roof, Aefrine pushed Afli away. He turned and immediately found himself in struggle as Afli had pulled out another dagger and, this time, aiming for his chest. Aefrine was desperately to hold him back. He doesn't have any mana left to use phys magic at any moment, he was going to get overwhelmed by his opponent.
And then, said opponent got cut into four. His head, two arms and main body got slashed in X shape. And the one responsible? Bloody Mary.
However, Aefrine didn't get enough time to process what had just happened as Mary jumped away when a beam of fire was aimed at him. Aefrine looked down , it was Larry. He was shooting endless beams of fire at him, trying to keep the murderer away from his master. He succeeded as Bloody Mary disappeared once again in a dark alley away from him.
At this moment, Yuta finally appeared. Aefrine wasted no time and Larry jumped to them. And they all rode the beast to the Eastern gate quickly both Aefrine and Larry preparing their ranged attacks for any ambush. As they approached, the guards tried to stop them.