CHAPTER 21: HALF A DAY (3)

"Huff…Huff…" So this is the current extent of what I can do then.

"I am impressed. You not only survive but you even managed to wound me like no other."

At the end of it, my attack manages to drill a hole through his ice and pierce and burn his demonized side completely. It didn't cut his arm though so it is my loss. On my side, my arms are encased in ice. I can feel them anymore and everything around me is cold. I can feel the sting of this cold everywhere in my body.

Still, it is frustrating. To know that I am so close to the top of that hill and I have to stop now.

"I wonder what I was lacking."

"Lacking? Do you think you were lacking something?"

The commander slices his ice wall and creates a path to me. Now that I think about it, it seems I was able to split the wall in two. I would like to say that I can take pride in this before I die but I can't.

The commander then stands before me and the cold is becoming hard to stand. I would like to scream my heart out but I can't give you that satisfaction.

"Personally, I don't think you were lacking something. It was simply the limit of what you could do. Just like I hit my limit in the past, even with my anger and my desire for revenge. I was never able to accomplish what I truly desired."

"The limit? Don't lump me together with the likes of you who have given up halfway through." How could I have been about to give up when I have spent all my life trying to overcome those obstacles. That's not who I am!!

"I shall at least acknowledge your resolve. My name as a human was Warren D'Herms. What was yours, child?"

"Only those who are going to die need to do this. Therefore, you don't need to know my name."

"So be it." He raises his sword and I try to raise my arms as well. But they are heavy. They are really heavy. Still, I can let it end here. I am too close to him to let it end like this.

"Ahh!!" Come on!! Move!

"This is the only reality of this world. The weaks are trampled no matter how much good they hav-"

"Tremor!!"

Suddenly, Ian's voice resounds and the next moment, the ground around me all breaks apart as if an earthquake has started. It makes me fall while the commander jumps out of the hole created.

"Lightning spear!!"

What were you guys hoping to do by coming here?

Sarah lands next to me after throwing her spear at the commander who deflects it. It looks weaker than normal though.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Shut up!!"

While she creates another lightning spear, Ian lands as well and carries me. Then he starts running with me like I am a bag of potatoes.

"Hey. Let me down, I can run by myself."

"Just shut up dammit!"

This guy…Whether it is him or Sarah, they are trembling. If you are afraid, you shouldn't have come here.

Soon after Ian has started running, Sarah appears on his trail and as if to answer them, a flurry of arrows starts falling around. There were still so many monsters around? The result of my battle with Warren is clearly visible as well. On each side of us, there is a great wall of ice that is at least five meters tall going down the hill. It seems the fight was more intense than I thought. There aren't a lot of monsters on the path apparently. I don't see a lot of them as e are moving. Now, the only problem will be this guy.

"Where are you guys trying to go?"

Warren's voice resounds as he instantly appears five meters away from us. His blade is all ready to strike and it seems his shoulder has already started to heal as well.

"You guys are really-"

"They are going where they have to!"

Now, another surprise, Emilia and Telestal appear out of nowhere, striking the commander back before he can unleash his attack. They manage to push him back using their auras that is released in full then jump back and start running with us. No, not with us, Emilia carries Sarah and runs with her while Telestal stays a bit behind.

"This is not half a day, you know?" I look at him but he just turns angry.

"Do you really think it is the time to crack jokes?"

"What are you guys running for anyway? He will catch up even if we reach the city."

"No! If we reach the city, we will be safe!!"

Emilia accelerates a little and finally, we reach the other soldiers who are…retreating?

"Retreat!! Full retreat!!"

Right as we arrive, I can only see people retreating. Also, after a few steps, Ian's body finally gives up and we both fall to the ground. I manage to quickly regain my balance and stand back up quickly. But as I do…

"Haoo!!"

"Giii!!"

The monsters whose eyes are redder than before all come to me. I barely have the time to react that Telestal has already cut them. He then grabs me and starts running as well.

"Release me, goddammit! I can still fight!"

"It's not a matter of fighting anymore! We must flee for now!"

"Tch!"

He accelerates and I don't see Ian anywhere, I guess someone picked him up. To my surprise, the commander isn't after us anymore. Surely, he knows just like me that there is no need to run after preys that are trapping themselves. But then, I feel it again, the stinging sensation of the desire to kill.

"Telestal, watch out!!"

Right as I warn him, the assassin appears and while trying to kill me, she cuts Telestal's arm.

"Argh!!"

"Fuck!!" That's why I told you guys that there is no use running! We must fight!

I try to free myself from his grapple but Telestal holds me with even more strength and accelerates again. We enter the city through a gate and right after we do, a sort of light wall appears before my eyes.

Telestal then falls and me with him.

"Teles!!"

Emilia and other people start rushing to him, pushing me to the side brutally. My arms still hurt like hell so I can't even move them.

***

"Teles! Stay with us!! Teles!!"

Emilia has been shaking him for the past minute. Doesn't she know that this makes him lose more blood? Well, I can't speak because I discovered this by myself as well after getting wounded once. Wait, when was it? It must have been around the tim…

"Will!"

Sarah ignores the numerous people that are gathered around Telestal and runs to me. When she arrives, I can see how pale her face is. This… He said something about lack of magic once. I think this is how you are supposed to look when it happens. Which means that if she continues using magic, she will die.

"Stop."

"Don't worry! I will heal and-"

"I said stop. Check your status window first."

"W-what?"

As if I brought the hammer of judgment on her, Sarah falls on her knees and she seems to finally feel the fatigue of the fight. The droplets of sweat that were running down her face multiply and her hands start shaking as well. At this rate, she will certainly go into shock.

"Hm…" he told me that the problem I had was magic absorption, right? Which means that if I increase her magic absorption, she should be fine. But what is magic absorption? Argh, I can't think straight with my arms stinging like this. "Sorry, but I will just do it. I hope it works. Amplify."

I touch her with my foot and use Amplify. Thankfully, her body shines a little and her face immediately regains colors. Yup, my guess was right.

"W-what did you do?"

"Nothing important. Just rest for a while."

I stand up and go to the group around Telestal. It seems a priest has come as well. Is he here to provide first aid. Then I will apply what he told me about the human body. Normally, I should be able to stop the bleeding.

"Teles! Stay with us, okay?! We are going to save you!"

The guy's blood is already all over her. Emilia is holding his head while the priest is trying to bandage his bleeding shoulder. So that assassin manages to cut up to the shoulder. That's one near-miss she did there.

"Move."

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

I push through the knights standing around him and by the time Emilia sees me, I am already touching Telestal with my foot.

"Amplify."

Instantly, Telestal's body jolts as if he has received an electric shock. Well, I did increase his heart's beating as well so.

"What have you done?!!" Emilia almost drops him to come to me but then she calms herself and lets the other soldiers push me back.

"Get away from him!! Are you crazy?! What have you done?!!"

"Hey! Stop!! Don't hurt him!!"

Two knights put me down on my stomach and when one of them puts his knees on my back, Sarah starts screaming again. This is becoming a rather annoying situation. And my arms are still encased in ice.