The cold breeze touched Hiroki's skin as he stood still. He directed his gaze at Renne and the distant mountain outline.
"That mountain… looks exactly the same one from my previous dreams… the same place before I saw the catastrophe. Could it really be related to this? Was that vision a warning? A glimpse into what's about to happen?" He clenched his fists, shaking his head slightly. "No, this isn't the time to think about something ridiculous"
Meanwhile, Renne's eyes shone as the knights positioned themselves defensively behind Seina. Their coordinated steps quietly reverberated through the forest, embodying strength and discipline.
"Ah, so that's her game…" Renne muttered with a sharp tone. She glanced back again at Hiroki, with a smirk on her lips. "You know, I really hate being interrupted. But no matter…"
And with a single fluid motion, Renne raised up her hand, summoning a sword powered with glowing red mana. The pulsating energy flickered like fire, casting the eerie glow on her face. With a voice laced with hatred, she pointed the blade at Hiroki.
"Let's make this simple. Come now with me, or…" She tilted her head toward Amaya, who was still bound and trembling. "I'll end her life right here. It's Your own choice… Join us!"
A wave of unease washed over Hiroki. His body shook as he stepped forward unsteadily, "You're… lying… You wouldn't…"
Renne tilted her head back, her face showing a clear disdain. "Wouldn't I? You're too naive. Why then would I drag her all the way here? If you want her back, the answer lies with you."
"Over my dead body!" Yoru's voice broke through the tension as she stepped closer to Hiroki, her gaze sharp.
"Well that's an option for you too," Renne replied casually, raising her sword "Though, I wouldn't recommend this."
Kenji placed his left hand on Hiroki's shoulder, "Hiroki, don't let her mess with your head. We'll figure it out with Seina."
Hiroki moved Kenji's hand away from his shoulder and stepped forward, his vision narrowing as anger flared within him. "Don't mess with me, there's no way I'm giving up Amaya. I'll save her myself… without giving in to your insanity." His voice quaked with determination, and as he moved ahead, his eyes glimmered with a faint attractive golden glow.
Renne's expression shifted slightly. Her confident smirk faltered for an instant as she stared into Hiroki's glowing eyes "Well, well… that's new."
Kenji and Yoru exchanged uneasy glances. The atmosphere around Hiroki seemed to have an unusual intensity.
But before Hiroki could take another step, a sharp, blinding light erupted from Renne's mana sword. The forest was bathed in a violent red glow. Hiroki staggered back, and with a sudden jolt of pain in his eyes, his hands instinctively went to his face.
"AHHHHHHH…!" He cried out, falling to his knees.
"Good boy. Stay down," Renne sneered, with a tone full of derision. She twirled the blade playfully before pointing it at Yoru, who had already taken action.
Yoru sprang high forward, aiming a powerful kick at Renne's face.
"How dare you!" she shouted.
Yet, before her blow could hit, Renne skillfully blocked it with her shining sword. The red mana from the blade sparked as it hit Yoru's leg, causing her to fall to the ground.
"GUH—!" Yoru gasped, gripping her leg as pain shot through her. Even though the injury was throbbing, she forced herself to sit up, her determination undeterred.
"Persistent, aren't you?" Renne taunted as she moved closer towards Yoru. And with her smirk, she raised the blade again.
"Leave her alone you bastard!" Kenji yelled while rushing forward with clenched fists.
But Renne merely sidestepped, letting him stumble past her. "How adorable. You really think you can stop me with your fists?"
Kenji turned instantly, glaring at her, but before he could even act, Renne snapped her fingers.
The mana blade disappeared, and then some thick red chains shot up from the ground, coiling tightly around Amaya.
"No… STOP!" Hiroki managed to yell, still struggling to see through the fading pain in his eyes.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm just taking what is mine" Renne replied smoothly, "We'll meet soon, Kurogane-kun, the next month, the Kingdom Palace…" Then she pulled up the chains, dragging Amaya closer to her side.
Yoru pushed herself up, despite the pain in her leg. "You're not getting away with this!"
"Heh, but I already have," Renne shot back with sarcasm.
From the far side, Seina finally moved into action and made her way toward them. With a swift motion, she drew out her own weapon, a shimmering blue crystal sword. The bright light collided with the red shimmer of Renne's chains.
"You're not leaving from here without damages," Seina declared with a firm unwavering voice.
Renne's eyes narrowed as Seina raised her blade. A massive mana thunderwave burst forth, arcing through the air toward Renne.
"Not bad…" Renne muttered irritably. She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the sheer force sent her stumbling.
Seina didn't stop there only. She thrust her hand forward, sending another wave of energy to intercept Renne's path.
The strike hit this time, grazing Renne's side. Her flight slowed, and she descended lower, nearly hitting the ground.
"Tch…" Renne's face showed her frustration. "I'll admit, I underestimated you. But this won't change anything."
She turned towards the dense forest behind her, trying to escape with all power left "This isn't my win in this situation, but it isn't yours either, Seina... Next time we meet, I will make sure to welcome you well."
And with every ounce of remaining strength that barely kept her floating off the ground, she pressed on toward the unknown, taking Amaya along with her.
Seina lowered her sword, maintaining a calm but ambiguous face, "Well played to escape in such a situation, even my tactical preparations weren't enough," she murmured softly under her breath. She approached towards Hiroki, who was struggling to his feet.
"You okay?" her tone softened slightly as she asked while casting a spell on him to alleviate his pain.
Hiroki didn't respond. His hands were shaking, while staring at the spot where Renne had disappeared.
"Amaya…" His voice cracked as he muttered. Tears welled up in his eyes as he fell to his knees. "I couldn't save her… I… couldn't…"
Hiroki pushed himself up forcefully with his hand anger evident in his eyes.
Seina placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him as he tried to stand to follow her, "It's too late now… You did your best. At least now we know who we're up against."
Hiroki could only gaze at Siena's face, which made it clear to him that there was nothing to do now, which led him to sink to his knees and sob heavily.
Yoru, with her hurt leg, looked at Seina from nearby, doubt echoed in her voice, "And what can we do with this information? We don't even know where she came from."
Seina's eyes sharpened in their focus "We don't need that much of information. What we have for now is enough to draw them into one place. When the time comes, we'll strike back."
Suddenly, Hiroki's tone setted, and he clenched his fists, his anger bubbling to the top. He punched the ground hard, his voice shaking with rage. "I'll get her back… I WILL FIND YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
The forest went quiet again after Hiroki's scream echoed out into the night.
The battle was over, but the scars it left behind were just starting to show.
What he pondered most at the end,
"Was this truly a loss? Or was it the first step toward a greater fight?"
[ To Be Continued ]