With the setting of the sun, the already biting wind grew even more piercing.
Beneath the white tree wall, a woman stumbled along, her hand brushing against the surface. Her tattered golden armor creaked harshly with every movement, like an old machine, as if she herself were nothing but a heap of scrap metal. She wandered aimlessly, muttering under her breath.
“Where is the exit?”
“Paladins... the exit...”
Screeech!
Suddenly, a black, mantis-like monster charged toward her, its crimson eyes glowing through the mist like two dancing lanterns.
Though as large as a war elephant, it was more agile than a horse. Advancing like a meat grinder, it closed the distance with its scythe-like, razor-sharp claws.
Splash!
With great effort, the woman raised her golden longsword. She brought it down in a swift arc, slicing the monster in two.
As the beast collapsed, it melted into a puddle of liquid. A few stray drops splashed onto her arm, corroding her black clothes and exposing the skin beneath.
But this single strike completely drained her remaining strength. She fell to her knees, gripping the hilt of her longsword, which she had driven into the ground, and panted heavily.
Corroded by the acidic fluid, the honorary badge on her chest fell into the dirt, but she didn't bother to pick it up.
Everything was over.
This was supposed to have been a successful march, a campaign that would yield glorious military achievements.
She had gladly accepted Phaetnis's proposal, only to meet this end.
There was no escape. None at all.
Ever since they were sucked into that cursed vortex, no one had been able to escape.
They were going to die here.
Let it end. Rather than face humiliation and endless regret, it was better to simply die here.
So the woman thought.
Leaning her delicate frame against the white wall, she resolved that even if another blackwood dryad appeared, she wouldn't resist. She would let those creatures kill her and become nourishment for the countless lost souls.
But just then, a faint voice drifted from far away.
“Com... der...”
“Commander...”
She raised her head slightly, her vacant eyes looking in the direction opposite the wall.
“Commander!”
The voice gradually grew clearer. Leaning against the wall, the woman—the Paladin Commander—tried to sit up a bit straighter, if only to look slightly less pathetic.
By the time the voice was so close she could have heard it even with her ears covered, a man collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Four or five others followed closely behind him.
“It's me, Geran! The real deal! Commander, I never expected to run into you here!”
The man removed his helmet. The sword at his waist was worn down to a pitiful state; clearly, his journey had been anything but easy.
She had no choice but to shatter the knights' hopes.
“Deputy Commander, we are doomed.”
“...”
Her words made the panting soldiers hold their breath once more.
“This wall is two thousand meters long. Not even the air from the other side can pass through.”
“There is no exit, and it cannot be cut down.”
“The mist will drain our strength. We will die here, and if we're lucky, we might find some supplies scattered nearby.”
She didn't even know how she, exhausted and ready to give up, had managed to utter those words.
Perhaps it was simply to give voice to the despair in her heart.
Everyone fell into silent contemplation, their heads bowed as they harbored their own thoughts.
It was as if a plague were spreading—a plague named “Despair.”
But in the next second, the Deputy Commander surged to his feet. He grabbed her by the collar of her armor, hoisting her up, and glared at her with eyes burning with tiger-like fury. “No one else has given up, yet you, the commander, are throwing in the towel? Why don't you just go home and herd cattle!”
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I... I can't do it...”
She burst into tears of frustration and grief.
Seeing this, the Deputy Commander tossed her back to the ground. A metallic clatter rang out; her armor, already pushed past its limit, shattered before she did.
No one spoke up to protest the Deputy Commander's insubordination, nor did anyone comfort the weeping commander.
She lay prone on the ground, her tears sinking deep into the white soil.
“I'm sorry...”
Another long silence followed.
“On the way here, I ran into a girl. She looked like a student.”
The once-furious Deputy Commander slid down to lean against the tree wall. He lit a cigarette, his gaze drifting upward.
“She was a strange one, wearing a mask. We all thought she was looking for an exit, but she told me the exit was this way... If not for her, we wouldn't have even found this wall before we died. Hilarious, isn't it?”
“Which means... she was running toward the center?”
The commander asked between sobs.
“Yeah, she was heading for the center. The Cardinals are probably there too.”
“...” She trembled.
“Do you hate him? I'm asking you, Commander.”
“...” Her fingers twitched, then clenched into a fist.
“Do you think this is your fault? Do you really believe that?”
The Deputy Commander glared like an angry bull, his hair seemingly ablaze with fury. He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.
The five or six men in the squad all raised their heads.
As did the commander.
She slowly climbed up from the ground, wiped away her tears, and bit her lip until it bled.
“Move out. To the White Dusk Ruins.”
...
Meanwhile, in the backyard of the white wooden cabin, within the core enveloped by tree roots, the young girl slowly opened her eyes.
The eggshell-like membrane shattered softly, and the roots burrowed back into the pale sand.
Before long, she would be able to fuse the entire forest with Shetiel, turning her into a thrall and boosting her own power as a magical beast.
And then, she would use that power to protect Sister Tina.
But when she extended her perception, she discovered that the airship was preparing to launch and evacuate—and the room where Tina had been bound was completely empty!
Sister Tina had broken free of her restraints.
Pushing open the door, she saw the four cute little girls sitting in the center of the room. They were holding hands, seemingly fast asleep along with the others who had been taken in.
A white root protruding from the cracks in the floorboards was wrapped around each of their hands, drawing in a steady stream of black energy and funneling it into their pale bodies.
Shetiel was still awake. She turned to look at Sathya and said, “Lady Sathya, the Demon King has already been here~”
“The Demon King?”
“Yes. She has already set out to kill those annoying humans. No one can leave my forest.”
Upon hearing this, Sathya's heart skipped a beat.
These girls were undeniably cute, but their words made Sathya's delicate body shudder.
Sathya had never expected her to come, let alone go after the two bishops before she herself had even woken up.
Sathya's original plan had been to absorb the forest's power and then use overwhelming strength to confront the two Cardinals.
To protect her, so that no one could ever hurt her.
Someone is interfering with my plans.
Rate on N.U.
