Lancer gripped his spear tightly, his knuckles turning white as he watched the fight. His heart pounded in his chest as Selene and the girl clashed again, their movements sharp and unrelenting. He couldn't just sit by and do nothing.
"I'm going to help," he said, rising to his feet.
Livia grabbed his arm. "Lancer, don't! You'll only—"
"I can't just stand here!" he snapped, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination. Without waiting for her response, he sprinted toward the fight.
Selene noticed him approaching out of the corner of her eye. "What are you doing, idiot?!" she shouted, her voice laced with anger and panic.
Lancer ignored her, positioning himself on the opposite side of the girl to try to box her in. He jabbed his spear forward, aiming for her side. The girl twisted, dodging the attack effortlessly and retaliating with a quick slice of her dagger.
Lancer barely managed to step back in time, the blade missing him by inches. Selene's eyes narrowed as she blocked a follow-up attack, her movements becoming more aggressive to cover for his mistakes.
"Stay back, Lancer!" she yelled, her frustration mounting as she parried another strike.
But Lancer refused to retreat. He lunged forward again, his spear aimed at the girl's exposed leg. This time, she swatted the weapon away with her dagger and turned her full attention to him.
A shadowy energy began to coalesce around her free hand, forming into a blade-like arc. Lancer's eyes widened as she slashed it toward him. The air seemed to hum with dark power as the attack surged forward.
He froze, the realization that he couldn't dodge hitting him like a ton of bricks.
Before he could react further, Selene was there. She moved faster than he thought possible, her body a blur as she placed herself between him and the attack.
The shadowy slash collided with her, a burst of dark energy rippling outward. Selene grunted in pain, her body jerking slightly as she absorbed the blow.
"Selene!" Lancer shouted, panic gripping him.
She turned her head slightly, glaring at him through gritted teeth. "I told you… to stay back," she said, her voice strained.
The girl smirked, her shadowy blade reforming as she prepared for another strike.
The girl laughed wildly as she sent another arc of shadow slashing toward Lancer and Selene. "What's wrong, little boy? Too slow? Too weak? Do you need your big sis to protect you?" she mocked, her voice dripping with condescension.
Selene gritted her teeth as another slash tore into her, forcing her back a step. Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth, staining her clothes and pooling on the ground. She barely had time to breathe before the girl launched another volley of dark attacks. Each strike hit harder than the last, and Selene's body shook under the strain.
Lancer clenched his fists around the spear, his heart sinking deeper with every second. He couldn't keep up. He couldn't do anything. His Venomous Touch was useless if he couldn't land a hit.
The girl tilted her head, her grin widening. "Oh, I get it now. You're just dead weight! A cute little puppy trying to play hero. It's adorable, really!" she cackled, sending another wave of slashes that Selene barely managed to deflect.
Selene stumbled, coughing up more blood as her knees buckled slightly. "Lancer… get out of here," she rasped, her voice barely audible.
Before Lancer could respond, the air shifted, and the man who had been fighting Nero suddenly appeared beside the girl. His presence was unnerving, his calm demeanor and predatory gaze making Lancer's blood run cold. In his hand, he clutched a medallion—a strange object made of multicolored crystal and deep red metal that seemed to hum with power.
"We've got what we came for," the man said, his tone icy and indifferent. He cast a glance at Lancer, barely acknowledging him, before turning back to the girl. "Let's not waste any more time here."
"But this is so much fun!" the girl protested. She glanced at Lancer, her grin returning. "Besides, look at him. He's about to cry! Isn't it hilarious?"
The man didn't even look at her. "Enough. We're done."
Lancer's breath hitched as the man's earlier words registered. "What happened to the chief?!" he demanded, his voice shaking.
The man regarded him with a chilling detachment. "The old man? A hindrance. He was removed."
Lancer's grip on the spear tightened. "You're not going anywhere!" he shouted, anger burning in his chest.
The girl laughed again, her voice echoing with cruel amusement. "Oh, sweetheart, we're already gone. Be a good boy and clean up the mess we left behind, okay?"
She stepped closer to the man as a swirling pool of shadow formed beneath their feet. With a final wave, she said, "See ya around, weakling!"
The two sank into the darkness, their figures dissolving into the inky void. Within moments, they were gone, leaving behind nothing but destruction and silence.
Selene collapsed onto the ground, her body trembling as a dark stain of blood spread outward beneath her. Lancer dropped to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he pressed against her wounds. No matter how hard he tried, the blood wouldn't stop. His breaths came in sharp, shallow gasps as desperation clawed at his throat.
"Selene, stay with me!" he cried, his voice cracking. "You're going to be okay!"
From behind the broken remnants of a wall, Livia emerged, her eyes wide with panic. She rushed to Selene's side, kneeling down and fumbling to assist. "We'll get you through this. Just hang on!" she pleaded, her voice trembling.
Selene's lips moved, but her words were barely audible. Lancer leaned closer, catching only fragments. "… No… use…"
"Don't say that!" Livia shouted, tears streaming down her face. "You can't give up! We're here—just hold on!"
Lancer's shoulders shook, his hands slick with blood as he pressed harder, as if sheer willpower could make her wounds heal. "This is my fault," he choked out. "If I had been stronger, if I had been faster, you wouldn't have gotten hurt!"
Selene's eyes fluttered open briefly, her gaze soft and full of something he couldn't name. A weak smile tugged at her lips. "Lancer… it's not your fault," she murmured. Her breath hitched, a faint cough following as her words grew slower. "You… both did your best."
"No, stop!" Livia cried, gripping Selene's hand tightly. "Don't talk like this—you're going to be fine!"
Selene's chest rose in a shallow breath before her voice barely whispered, "Meeting you… was… fun." Her eyes closed, and her body stilled. The faint rise and fall of her breathing faded into silence.
Lancer froze, staring at her face as if willing her to move again. His hands trembled before slowly falling away from her. A void opened in his chest, a hollow ache that swallowed everything else. "Selene…" he whispered, his voice breaking. "No…"
The sound of boots crunching on gravel broke through the suffocating silence. The remaining bandits emerged from the wreckage, surrounding them with cruel grins plastered across their faces.
"Looks like your 'hero' couldn't save her after all," one of them sneered, tilting his weapon menacingly. "Typical. You villagers never learn. You're weak. Always have been."
Another stepped forward, gesturing toward the devastated scene with mock pity. "We should just finish them off now. It's not like they can fight back."
Lancer didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on Selene's still form, his grief an all-encompassing storm. The bandits exchanged uneasy glances, hesitating as the air around them seemed to shift.
The temperature dropped suddenly, and an unnatural chill swept over the area. The bandits instinctively stepped back, their laughter fading as they felt the oppressive weight of the cold. It wasn't just the temperature—it was as though the very air had turned hostile.