As we pass the midpoint, Rosebelle makes a dash towards the forest clearing as though she sensed its presence lurking. Following behind, Rosebelle once more reinforces her orders as I pay close attention. Feeling the throbbing adrenaline pumping through me, I grasp against my beating heart as the distasteful nostalgia of it all is almost unbearable.
"...It's different. I'm different now."
Unlike the past, it's here I could make a difference. There's no need to be afraid.
"Akira!"
Luel calls out as she tosses one, two, three potions to me as I retrieve them.
"Make sure you come out of this alive!"
Answering with a nod we scale the hill as I'm soon knocked down against my back by a strong gust of wind from above. Accompanied by a loud screech, a giant mass flies over with a terrifying presence.
"Not good, Akira, watch out!!"
Rosebelle calls out as I immediately rise to take action, however, before I could even turn around, a deafening crash resonates from behind. Rosebelle appears to have blocked the initial blow as I'm hit by the shock wave. A cloud of dust forms around us as it's difficult enough to withstand it eyes open.
"Luel!"
Following her strike against the air as the griffon takes off, Rosebelle calls out to Luel as the dust cloud vanishes in an instant. The ground tremors with intensity as large cracks form before giving way to a formation of earth that spikes out in front, merely scrapping the griffon as it takes flight once more.
"M-Magic?"
The griffon gains altitude as Rosebelle orders for us to stick close and be ready to either dodge or support her if given the chance. Despite taking the initial blow head on, she appears to be holding up. It's almost surreal, that in this sort of situation that she looks absolutely stunning.
As it dives Rosebelle once more, this time she's pushed back as it attempts to tear the shield off her arm. With it preoccupied, I attempt to swing at it, though caught in motion it swipes at me as I miraculously dodge it. No, that's not it, the earth below me shifted.
Regardless, I land a single hit on it, however my attack simply bounces back against its thick coat. Taking flight once more, my palms throbs from the pain as I try to endure it for the fight to come. Unlike swinging against poras, there's more muscle on that griffon than the Master himself.
"You can't pierce it with that. Strike from beneath where it's softer."
Chugging a potion as the contents empties, it disappears as Rosebelle readies herself for the long haul.
"We can't always keep an eye out for you, Akira, so take this chance and learn. If it appears to be defenseless, then you're looking at it all wrong, you can't make a single mistake. Be patient, an opportunity will come to pass."
There's no way I would've seen that swipe coming, if I took a direct hit from that...
Out of nowhere, Luel pats firmly against my shoulder.
"Empty out those thoughts. If you're too stiff then so is your mind. Allow your body to loosen, but not your focus, only then will you survive."
"R-Right..."
Luel takes a sip from a concoction as she coughs before reaching the end.
"Luel?"
Wiping her wrist against her mouth, she materielises a staff from thin air and plants it in front of her.
"Don't mind me, It's coming!"
The atmosphere turns tense as the earth tremors once again, however, this time it's centered below Rosebelle.
"Rose!"
"I know!"
A strange sensation hits my gut as I duck from the sheer force, the Arch Griffon moves once more towards Rosebelle. Not sure if it's due to their previous encounter, or the fact that its in their habit to target the most provoking, she steps back as a wall made entirely of earth emerges before her as the griffon breaks through.
The debris disrupts my vision as it sends large fragments scattering, leaving Rosebelle nowhere to be found.
Looking back to Luel, suddenly she's on one knee as she supports her body with her staff to prevent her from collapsing. Her other hand is against her chest as blood spews from her mouth, dribbling down her chin, she merely wipes it with the back of her hand and takes out another concoction.
"W-What... b-blood?"
Hit by sudden nausea, my vision falls hazy as I fight back the urge to throw up.
Blood. There's blood. Blood exists in this world, but why is she bleeding?
"Don't just stand there slack jawed, you're a Hero Candidate, aren't you? So... do something worthy of that title, fool."
"Y-Yeah but... wh-"
The vial falls from her grasp, coughing as though she were choking, more blood spews out from her mouth as it's become dark as tar with a few strings of red.
Picking up the fallen vial, a window pops out as it displays that its contents restores a portion of mana, but this one is a bit different.
"...A mana restoration vial..? But-"
If it restores the consumers mana, then why is it causing her to bleed? That makes no sense.
"Akira, listen. Go aid Rosebelle and leave that vial with me."
"B-But..."
Her voice is hoarse, almost like her throats been scorched by boiling water.
"...If it's one thing I hate, it's brats who play Hero thinking that it's cool, easy. Believing they're strong just because they're different. But-"
More blood trickles down from her mouth as she coughs up large amounts against the ground. Now it appears to be sticking against the grass as it piles up.
"When they're being counted on, the moment they truly realise what it takes to be a Hero, the daunting truth, the consequences. They become indecisive, thinking that it wasn't what they wanted at all, thinking that it's all just a mere game. ...Show me, Akira. Show me that you're not one of them."
"..."
In the grand scheme of things, I guess most people would think they've been given tremendous power to use at their leisure. Thinking they're some sort of unstoppable force; boosting their ego, they'd revere to themselves as someone special, perhaps even gods. Now that I've witness such a terrifying creature, it's certain that there are more out there. After realising that, it's only natural that they'd crumble from the undeniable truth of this world.
A world that's beautiful, but at the same time terrifying and unforgiving.
"...I understand, but where's-"
A thunderous clap resonates from the edge of the forest as the earth vibrates with intensity. Numerous trees fall accompanied by a hollow screech as a cloud of dust rushes forward. Rosebelle emerges out of it in midair before landing, with the griffon following after.
"Rose-!"
"Get down!"
Luel abruptly pulls me down as a loud shriek suddenly resonates. Continuing without pause, as I cover my ears, the pain still seeps through as it echoes inside my head.
"What the hell is it doing!?"
"It's."
Taking a stand, Luel twirls her staff above her before planting it down in front. A large magic circle spins as it expands from beneath as it soon rises. Before long, a loud crack resonates after a sharp rumble of the earth as it puts the shrieking to a halt.
"Was that..."
A familiar sound when being in the midst of a thunderstorm; a frightening sound.
Turning back, it appears that lightning has struck the griffon as Rosebelle as the opportunity to go on the offensive, placing her sword right by her shield, she kicks off the ground at an incredible speed as she utilises her momentum to pierce the griffon; a devastating strike, though almost too easy.
"Get ready, Akira, some are about to join the fray."
"What do you mean..?"
The griffon suddenly shrugs off Rosebelle as though it regained it's senses; knocking her away and into the air, another griffon latches onto her before another quickly swipes her back down into the earth and quickly follows her down.
"W-What the..."
Two griffons appeared out of thin air as they all cooperated to take down Rosebelle. Where the hell did they come from?
"We should be glad only two answered its call."
Luel who appears to be in worse shape than before clutches against her staff as though she were about to collapse.
"Yeah but... What about Rosebelle? Shouldn't we do something?!"
"We? I'm more than willing to offer support, but how about you, Akira?"
Asking me that very question on how I can be useful, I draw many blanks. I thought that if I were here, I could do something, anything. However, now I know how wrong I was.
"I-..."
Perhaps this is what I needed, perhaps this is what Luel and Iphis wanted to show me, about how powerless I am compared to Rosebelle.
"Hahhh!!"
Observing Rosebelle, the moment she took the plunge she rose back up immediately and leaps away from the coming griffon. Before hitting the ground, the griffon pulls itself up and follows after Rosebelle with its talons out stretched. Grasping against her shield, Rosebelle knocks it away and delivers a clean cut against its underbelly before following it up by driving her sword into it.
Without pause, she continues on as she pushes forward, charging the griffon to overpower it and knock it down while it's still in midair to which she delivers numerous strikes until the griffon simply bursts into ethereal shards.
With the scene unfolding before my very eyes, I couldn't help but stare in awe as the shards fade before the other griffons could do a thing.
"...Elps fon einz."
Luel mutters something under her breath she directs her staff towards the smaller griffon.
"We'll take care of that one, so you can focus on the Arch."
Saying it normally like another ordinary day for them, Rosebelle might not have even heard her voice but she sets her sights on the Arch.
As the other griffon dives us before colliding against a wall of earth.
"If you don't want to fight then run, don't just stand between the boundaries! Put your heart onto one road and see it through!"
With a piercing screech, the wall only temporarily dazes it before having a clear window to strike the both of us standing by each other. With one swipe, the ground below us shifts as we're pushed back a few yards with it quickly following after us.
Though not as large and foreboding as the Arch, its presence is still enough to make my legs wobble; as though my childhood horrors have come to life. It goes without saying that I don't want to die but running isn't an option if I want to stay in their good favor. I wouldn't be able to face them If I chose to turn tail and run away now.
But even then, I'm terrified. Truly terrified, this doesn't even compare to the fright I experienced all those years ago.
But if I don't step in now...
"...All right, all right, I'll fight! I believe the road I'm choosing now is correct, so please provide support, Luel!"
"That goes without saying! Show me what you've got, Akira!"
...
A world in which one could very well die without knowing. Of course such a thing occurs normally from the world where I'm originally from, but here, battles against monsters seem to be a normal thing for Hero Candidates.
"Akira, watch yourself, you're acting too brash!"
Leaping away to Luel's side, I use the time to catch my breath. We've landed several strikes, but the griffon refuses to stay down.
"Yeah but..."
Slowly biding its time, it stares down at us menacingly as it moves; circling around us.
The beat of my heart still rages on and despite Luels bravado, she's not exactly doing too well as the battle draws on; which is why I'd like to do what I can to finish it post haste.
"...Two minutes left..."
Muttering, she takes a deep breath before planting her staff in front as it sinks into the ground; causing a large magic circle to expand beneath her.
"A minute is all I need. If you can hold out for a minute, victory will be ours. I'm counting on you, Akira."
"A minute..?"
"We need you keep him occupied for at least a minute until support arrives, got that? Do whatever it takes! Don't let him get away!"
A faint memory resurfaces through old wounds, as I hyperventilate. The day where everything changed, the day where my dream came to a crashing end. Back then, I couldn't do a thing; always caught up in fear, it had me locked down as I failed twice to protect the things that truly mattered to me.
"...Yeah, you can count on me."
Will that similar event occur again? No, I can't let that happen, I won't let that happen!
Taking the last remaining potion, I take just a sip to return to 100% as the other half would be enough to save me from being in the red. However... It'd be for naught if I take a direct hit.
Approaching it in small steps, it charges me as I swerve to evade, however, it still manages to land a hit against my back, even if just barely, it drops my HP down by a quarter.
"Tsk, faster. Come on, Akira!"
Turning to see another incoming blow, I fall against my back as it swipes from where I once stood. Taking the small opportunity, I scurry to strike below it and pounce away.
Taking the small opportunity to recover, the moment I take out the remaining HP potion, the griffon takes flight, screeching as it soars up high.
"Oh, no... no no no. L-Luel, is it ready yet!?"
While I wanted to believe that it'd be a saving grace for me if it were to just stall itself in the air; I knew it was on to something. Unlike Rosebelle, my reflex doesn't even come close to hers, nor could I withstand its attack head on.
"Luel!"
Running about as I scream, it soars quickly towards me as I take a dive in hopes it'd swoop overhead. However, it's collision course was far from targeting me as the shock wave momentarily affix my gaze to the ground as I realise too late as to where it's heading.
"Luel, Luel!!"
Rushing back to my feet as fast as I can, I sprint despite the great distance between us; despite knowing well that I can't bridge the gap fast enough, I run.
It's happening again.
It's going to happen again.
Again. Again!
"Fight me! Target me you bird brain!!"
Resulting to calling it names like a middle school student, no matter what, I can't allow same thing to happen twice.
Reaching my arm out to her as though I could simply grab her and pull her out of harms way, I continue to sprint even if my legs give in.
"Fine, then I'll just go in alone!"
Due to my fears of being hurt or worse, I left her to go on her own. If I had the courage to follow along, perhaps we would've avoided being separated; no, I know that outcome would've been avoided if I wasn't such a coward.
I killed her. Because of me, she died. If we never met, then that incident would've been avoided.
"Luel!!"
With its talon outstretched, it would definitely tear through her body at such speeds. Shutting my eyes to avoid the sight, a strong force soon hits me as I collide against the base of a tree.
"!!?"
Almost choking on the impact, the pain worsens against my chest; as though my ribs have been broken.
"What... just-..."
Breathing heavily, the pain becomes almost unbearable. Groaning as I try to grasp my chest, my arms don't follow; my entire body has become paralyzed.
With my vision fading ; my thoughts become vacant as the scene before me flashes red.
"...A-ki-ra...."
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