-Francis POV-
As we sprinted through the dense forest, flickers of yellow embers broke through the canopy, signaling the chaos ahead. It looked like the goblins had set fire to the nomad camp. Whether it was deliberate or some unfortunate accident during the battle, the damage was spreading fast.
"Rethusa, take half the squad. The rest with me!" Artemis commanded, her blue hair flowing behind her like a banner as she charged toward the fire.
Before she could direct us, I quickly interjected, "Alex, Angel, take the right flank. Uriel, you're with me." They all nodded without hesitation and moved into position.
I could practically feel Artemis sighing in frustration behind me. This was probably one of the reasons she had a tough time warming up to me initially. I wasn't one for following orders to the letter. We were friends, not her soldiers.
As we neared the camp, the smell of burning wood and flesh filled the air. Bodies—both human and goblin—were scattered everywhere. The scene was gruesome, a slaughter. I noticed Uriel struggling to hold her composure, clearly fighting the urge to vomit.
"Are you okay? You don't need to push yourself," I said gently, not wanting to force her into anything that might bring up old trauma. She had lost her parents not long ago, and this massacre would only stir up painful memories.
"I'm fine. I just... need a moment," she replied, taking deep breaths to calm herself.
Without thinking, I brushed my hand through her hair. It was a small gesture, one I often did to calm Angel or Alex when we were kids, or even my mom. I'd done it for Uriel before, and I knew it helped her relax. It was almost instinctual at this point, something I did when I wanted to comfort someone.
Uriel seemed to appreciate it, taking another deep breath before gripping her sword. "I'm alright now," she said, her usual sweetness replaced by a steely determination.
Moments like these, I could hardly believe she was the same girl I had saved just a week ago.
As we pressed deeper into the camp, small groups of goblins emerged from the smoke. Uriel dealt with them swiftly, her movements improving despite some minor stumbles.
She still had a lot to learn, but her progress was remarkable. Every time she faltered, I was right there, picking off the goblins that got too close with my [Ace of Spades].
Suddenly, Alice's voice rang in my head, her warning urgent. {Francis, be careful. There are multiple signatures hidden in the rubble.}
"Shit!" I muttered, just in time to shove Uriel out of the way as an arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing her head. From the debris, a dozen goblins sprang up, an ambush waiting for us.
I quickly unsheathed my [Fragrant Olive Sword], infusing it with the gravity aspect of [Void] to lighten the blade. Despite my strength at level four, the sword was still ridiculously heavy, and I doubted I'd be able to wield it properly until I reached a higher level—maybe ten or eleven.
As the goblins closed in, four of them lunged at me with crude weapons. I responded with a swift slash, [Horizontal Square], sending a blue glow from my blade that deflected all of their attacks in one smooth motion. In the moment of their hesitation, I took the opportunity to strike, thrusting forward and slicing through one goblin's neck. As blood sprayed, I activated [Horizontal] again, the force of the swing cutting two more goblins clean in half.
The last one tried to flee, but I drew my gun and shot it down before it could escape.
I turned, worried about Uriel, but what I saw made me pause. She stood atop the bodies of eight goblins, panting heavily but victorious.
"Damn," I whispered in awe. She had improved drastically, but I could see she was exhausted. She had been using too much mind power, reinforcing her entire body with mana instead of focusing it on key areas.
"Are you alright? Any injuries?" I asked, helping her sit down and catch her breath.
"I'm fine," she panted, "just... need to rest."
I ran my fingers through her hair again, calming her. "Good job, Uriel, but you should focus your mind power on specific limbs when fighting. You'll last longer that way."
She nodded, her eyes tired but grateful. "I'll remember that. Thanks, Francis."
Suddenly, an idea hit me. I had been wanting to try this technique for a while now. I lifted my sword and called out, "[Enhance Armament]." The blade began to split into thin, deadly flower petals that floated around us like a dangerous, beautiful dance. Uriel stared in awe, the fatigue momentarily forgotten.
Without hesitation, I directed the petals toward the remaining goblins. The flowers sliced through them with ease, leaving no survivors. The petals reformed back into my sword, and I sheathed it with a satisfied nod.
"Let's head back. Artemis' team probably has a healer or something," I said, helping Uriel to her feet.
After a few minutes of walking, we returned to the outskirts of the burned camp. The Artemis Familia had gathered, looking weary but victorious. I spotted Artemis giving out orders, her posture tense, a hint of sadness in her voice. No survivors. They'd have to bury the dead soon.
"Yo, Artemis! Need a hand?" I called out, trying to lift the mood.
She turned to me, shaking her head. "Just help finish off the remaining monsters."
I could sense her guilt. The village had been wiped out, and I knew she blamed herself for not getting here sooner.
"So you're back?" Spoke a voice suddenly behind me.
"Holy shit!" I jumped in surprise only to be met with the laughter of my two brothers.
Even Uriel and Artemis were trying to hold in her laughter.
"Don't scare me like that! Quinella, why didn't you tell me they were close?" Quinella should have warned me that they were close.
{I didn't see any need since they don't pose any threat}"
*Sigh* please tell me next time no matter their intentions please" Who knows if someone got close to me and wanted to hurt me? Their emotional control could be so good that even Alice's radar wouldn't pick it up as a threat.
{Understood}
As I watched her, I felt a nudge from Alex. In Spanish, he whispered, "Entonces qué quieres hacer?" obviously referring to Artemis' sad complexion.
{Translation: So what are you going to do?}
"No lo sé, ¿qué chingado quieres que haga?" I responded, frustrated.
{Translation: I don't know, what the fuck do you want me to do?}
"Haz uno de tus movimientos románticos de anime o algo así." Alex smirked.
{Translation: Do one one fo your romantic moves from one of your Anime or something like that}
Fuck it
Rolling my eyes, I approached Artemis. I wasn't exactly smooth when it came to this stuff, but I wanted to comfort her. Without thinking too much about it, I placed my hand gently on her head and ruffled her hair.
Artemis blinked, clearly not expecting the gesture, but slowly a soft smile spread across her face. My heart skipped a beat seeing her like that.
"Thank you," she whispered softly, her voice barely audible.
The moment was sweet, almost perfect—until I glanced over and saw Uriel glaring daggers at me and Artemis.
Well... this was going to get complicated.