According to the plan, I separated from Ellen and Noelle. While they distracted our pursuers, I silently moved to approach them. They didn't even notice anything was wrong with my sudden departure; most were more focused on Ellen than me. This gave me the perfect opportunity to create a gap.
I watched them closely from atop a tree trunk. As I suspected, their number was considerable. If we were to engage in direct combat, it was likely that either I, Ellen, or Noelle would end up injured. So, I proposed that we attack them first, catching them off guard. That way, we'd be at an advantage.
I carefully observed each member of the group until my eyes landed on a specific person. It was hard not to notice her, as she was the only one with white hair — something relatively rare in my town. Moreover, she seemed to be the only woman among them, from what I could see. Honestly, I wasn't sure if these people were just from my town or if they came from elsewhere.
Although it has been proven that people from various countries were transported here, at least last time, my group remained composed of people from my town. Strangely, that girl with white hair didn't seem entirely unfamiliar to me. It wasn't like I had seen her before, but there was something about her appearance that seemed familiar, as if I had heard of someone with her description.
(Ah, it seems she noticed me too) I thought as I watched her closely.
Her eyes locked onto mine with a surprised expression. According to Noelle, she matched the description of the person who seemed uncomfortable with the group. Moreover, being the only woman here, it could only be her. Anyway, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. She looked like an angel.
I stared at her for a few seconds, until I realized I had been looking at her for too long. That was dangerous. I needed to remember the reason that brought me here. With that thought, I raised my hand to the side, making my scythe appear. Then, as I prepared for the next move, I declared firmly.
"Do you know it's rude to follow people without their consent?"
As I said these words, I leaped from where I was. The next few minutes were filled only with incessant screams. I attacked recklessly anyone who appeared in my field of vision. At some point, my scythe stopped just inches away from the girl from before. She trembled, and her eyes, wide open, stared at me with pure fear.
"Noah!"
It was only upon hearing Ellen's voice that I came back to myself. Somehow, it felt like I had entered a state of frenzy, or maybe extreme focus. Probably because I didn't see this girl as an ally, that triggered my reaction. But, in truth, I never had any real intention of killing her. Proof of that is that I stopped before anything happened.
"Wow, I'm glad I left Noelle downstairs; I wouldn't want her to see this" said Ellen, looking around with a disgusted expression.
Honestly, I understood how she felt. I think I went a bit overboard. The amount of bodies around was simply absurd. There were also various body parts, like arms and legs, scattered around.
"I think I went a bit overboard" I muttered, bringing my hand to my head.
Upon hearing my words, Ellen looked around slowly before turning her gaze back to me.
"Okay, I admit it's way worse than I'm making it seem, but it's not my fault, they were..." Before I could finish my sentence, I simply stopped.
"What were they?" Ellen asked, confused.
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, I think she's the person Noelle mentioned. At least she fits the description" I commented, turning my gaze to the girl.
I should note that while hiding, I overheard everything they were saying about Ellen and Noelle. It's not that I got angry, but for some reason, I felt more unsettled than usual as I listened. Anyway, I preferred not to comment on that with Ellen; she didn't need to know that kind of thing.
"Are you okay?" Ellen asked as she approached the girl.
Upon hearing Ellen's question, she alternated her gaze between me and her for a few seconds before nodding. Although she claimed she was fine, she was still trembling.
"Can you get up? I think it would be better if we left here and went to a more... hygienic place" Ellen said.
The girl remained silent after Ellen's words. We looked at each other for a few seconds, wondering what could be wrong. Did I really hurt her without realizing it? This thought made me somewhat apprehensive because it wasn't my intention to hurt her.
"Umm... I..."
I was pulled out of my thoughts when the girl's voice echoed in my ears. It was strangely charming, with a sweetness that I found simply lovely. In short, I found her voice beautiful.
"I can't get up... my legs are locked" she replied, her cheeks gaining a reddish hue.
Ellen and I looked at each other again. Her look clearly indicated that it was my fault and therefore, I should fix it. I couldn't deny her words, as it was true. But honestly, I had never touched another girl besides my sister, let alone done what I'm about to do. Slowly, I approached the girl and said.
"I'm Noah. This certainly wasn't one of the most pleasant first encounters. I'm sorry for almost... well, you know, cutting your head off. Anyway, it's not safe for you to stay here. Can... I carry you? If you want, of course"
I don't know why, but saying those words made me embarrassed. I mean, really embarrassed. I was so embarrassed that I could hide in a hole. I should remind myself that I'm just a normal college student. Also, I have very little to no experience with girls, aside from my sister.
This also made me wonder why I felt comfortable with Ellen and Noelle. And thinking about it made me realize that I considered Ellen my best friend and Noelle my little sister. In other words, the girl in front of me right now, I was seeing her as someone of the opposite sex.