Tina POV

"When is this going to end?" I panted tiredly from the continuous battle with the Nightmare.

I, Tina Fulff, in all of my life as an adventurer had never met situation as abnormal as these. There are actually four Nightmare in one place! Even though the monster supposed to be a solitary creature...

Tulgan was dealing with one Nightmare, and me, Brey, and Elva was dealing with the other two. Hiiro gone to help Gil and Villaren. The situation has gotten worse, our wounds continue to accumulate as our healer was in another battle. I bite my lower lips in frustration and glared at the monster in front of me.

I ran toward the monster, my short red hair fluttered in the wind, with my glowing gauntlet raised in front of me, I punched the Nightmare head with all of my might. I throw an upper kick at the stunned monster and followed with another middle kick. I dodged a swiping claw above my head and throw a consecutive punch as my counterattack. I turned my body to avoid the monster deadly maw, but I was distracted and didn't notice the other monster creeped up to me until the last minute. I raised both of my gauntlet, braced myself for the impact that will hit me.

A slicing flesh sound resounded in my ear, accompanied with blazing wind. I peeked through my gauntlet and found the monster head has been cleanly sliced into two. I was shocked, I turned my head and saw Hiiro with his usual flat expression landing on the ground, a thin barrier appeared and protected him from the attacking monster.

My eyes fixated on another person. It was Gil. He was running and panting, his garment and cloak is battered and messy, his face seems pale, otherwise he is all right. I sighed in relief, as if something heavy burdening my heart has been taken away. I immediately ran toward them.

When I arrived to their position, what I learned had shocked me, Gil said that Hiiro alone managed to defeat the C rank monster! I was in awe with the fox kin in front me. Before I managed to ask more about it, the barrier that Gil deployed made a cracking sound. I immediately turned my head toward the monster. It was whipping its tail to the barrier. We readied our weapon in front of us, even with two of our teammates injured, my heart feels lightened with the arrival of Hiiro and Gil.

I immediately rushed out with the same timing as the barrier destroyed. I attacked the monster with all my might. When we are busy beating the monster, a javelin shaped ice attacked the monster. Since I'm pretty sure Gil didn't had any ice spell in his arsenal, it must be Hiiro spell. How does he managed to control the ice like that eluded me.

When the monster was at its end, it suddenly ran away, or so I though. Instead, it hauled up its kin dead body and munched through it. Blood splattering and crunching sound, I was thoroughly disgusted by the Nightmare behavior. And worse, the Nightmare somehow was getting stronger! I had never heard or saw Nightmare getting stronger like this.

My heart shrank when I saw the wound we inflicted to the monster started healing, when I though this battle was going to be endless, Hiiro shouted to us. I turned my head and widened my eyes, countless of floating ice shard was right above Hiiro head. I understand his intention and quickly make way for the spell.

It was beautiful, and deadly. That was my first thought when I see the falling ice shards. The shard impaled the screeching monster one by one until nothing was left. The Nightmare deformed shape was far away from its former self. I turned my head to Tulgan battle, it seems like he is already done with the nightmare and walking toward us, as expected of a former A ranked adventurer. He was in a different league than us.

I trembled, felt relieved and happy with the outcome. All of the monster is dead and I couldn't contain my excitement. I walked toward Hiiro direction, hugged him, patting and feeling those fluffy fur. I was in bliss until Gil separated me from Hiiro. I was disapointed, but Hiiro had a relieved expression though. We talked for a while, while the other joined in.

"Bordg is dead"

My mind went blank for a few seconds, before I truly realized what Elva told to us. Tears slowly welled up in my eyes, I was crestfallen. Bordg, that dwarf, he joined us when we met in a quest at the capital. Although we only had known for a month, he had slowly growing in my heart, he maybe a little perverted, but he always kind and helpful.

The tears accumulating in my eyes fall down to my cheeks, I sobbed, mourned my passing comrade. I have seen a lot of dying adventurer in my profession. I thought I had grown numb of it, but when it is someone I know, I couldn't stop my feeling from pouring out.

Silent cascaded, our leader and Elva had gone somewhere before I know it. Gil was muttering about something but I didn't really focus on what he had said. I raised my head and saw Gill walking past me, when he was a few steps away from me, I noticed something wrong.

I squinted my puffy eyes, I thought I had saw someone behind the trees over the dead monster, I blinked and the shadow had gone. That shadow, I feel like I had seen it somewhere, a memory flashed within my mind, then an image popped at my head.

That shadow is..., why, why is he here?

Before I could think about it, something else happened. The dead monster moved. It was squirming but slowly. My skin crawled and my heart pounded. The nightmare opened it’s torn mouth. I quickly moved toward Gil, where the nightmare directed at. I raised my hand up, reaching him.

Something black came out from the monster with scaring speed as it travelled toward Gil. With no hesitation, I pushed him out of the way. Gil was shook, he fell to ground and our eyes met. As if time is slowed down, I can see his horrified face, dread gleamed within his eyes. That black glob is now just a meter away from me.

Memory flashed, my whole life was flashing through my eyes. My parents, my village, my friends, my comrades, my adventure, Gil. Gil, we always bickering, I remembered when we finished our first quest, you were laughing happily like a child. I remembered when we saved a carriage from monster, the girls were fawning over you and I was jealous. I remembered when I was mad at you even though it was not your fault, yet you still didn't get angry with me. I remembered you carried me behind your back while I was hurt, even though you were not strong physicaly and trembling while carrying me.

Gil, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for always being selfish, but for the last time, let me confess this selfish word...

"I like you."

My vision went white, and then fall into darkness. I can no longer feel anything.

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Hiiro POV

I closed one of my eyes, somehow the blood splattered into it, red blood dripped from my stained hair, fresh blood clinging persistently on my clothes. I stared at the bloody mess in front of me, the girl I just spoken before is long gone, replaced with a deformed corpse. Her head was gone, destroyed with the impact, her upper body is a mess, with broken bone jutting out, her entrails fell out from her ripped stomach and decorating the ground around her, endless fresh blood keeps flowing out from every part of her body.

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She died.

I turned to Gill. His appearance was messy, he was sitting in the ground while painted in Tina blood, bits of flesh cling on his face and body. He had a blank look on his face, as if his brain couldn't process what had happened in front of him. He slowly tilted his head down, looking at the fresh corpse. His shoulder trembled, then followed by the rest of his body. He opened his mouth, but his word came out incoherently. Tears rolled down to his cheek, he started to sob, then slowly became a full mourning cry.

It was too fast, or maybe it was my sense have dulled. We weren’t able to do anything except watching it happen before our eyes. Brey and Elva with the dwarf corpse lay on the ground, they were speechless by the sudden death of their comrade. Tulgan was walking toward the squirming monster. He unsheathed the knife he had and ended the Nightmare life for good.

The atmosphere is at the lowest was miserable. No one moved, except Tulgan.

“We need to move from here, any more monster won’t do us any good.” Tulgan spoke with a flat voice. He walked to Villaren unconscious body and picked him up over his shoulder.

“Wait, Tina.., Tina body.” Gil spoke with a hoarse voice. His hand was trembling, Brey with Bordg corpse behind his back walked toward him, Elva followed right behind Brey.

They mourned for a while, then they solemnly moved away. I was a little surprised. I though they will mourn for a little longer, or is it because they are an adventurer? For this world which is full of dangerous monster and magic, dead is more of a norm in here than my previous world. This notion made me realize for the second time that I was on a far different world now.

Tina body was too messy and beyond salvable to pick up. They decided to burn her body right here, better then letting it to be eaten by the wild beast. Gil lit the first flame, then it slowly travelled to all of her remains. The fire blazed with an orange hue, Brey had his head down casted. I couldn’t saw his face clearly but I could see a tear rolled down to his cheeks.

I watched the flame slowly eating up her corpse. Various thought flashed through my head, I only know her not even for a day, and spoken to her for a few times, she is a stranger just like the other, her death shouldn't affect me much. So, what with this uneasy feeling keep nudging in my heart? Is it regret? Or guilty of not being able to save her? Or is it something else? I look at the red eyed Gil and the image of her pushing him out from the danger appeared from my mind. I shook my head.

No, just forget it.

My back faced the fiery flame and started walking away from that uncomfortable place, the other started to move after the flame died with a slow pace, they were tired and wearied mentally from the death of their comrade. When we exited the forest, it was already noon with the suns high up in the sky, Tulgan said he will handle the rest and they left to report to the adventurer guild. I was left alone in the busy town bustling with activity.

I was thinking about following them, but decided against it since my job was over. With nothing to do and free time to waste, I wandered aimlessly in the town that I had been living for these past two weeks. My first adventure has end with bad taste in my mouth. Even if all of the monster was exterminated, two people died in this quest.

I was wandering while looking for something to distract me from my bad mood. The vendor and merchant were shouting out for their goods, many weaponry and magic tool shop has been established in the streets. I decided to stop at one of my favorite food stall. When I was looking for bench to sit with for meats skewer in my hands, my eyes caught a familiar blue haired twin tail and I smiled.

Found it

I walked to a fountain with stone sculpture decorated it, my feet stopped walking when i was in front of the familiar girl. The girl that I had been trying to get along for a while. She raised her head and stared at me with her big blue eyes. Her face twisted into annoyance in the moment that she realized it was me.

"Hello Llna, want some meat skewer?" I spoke to her with the best smile I could muster.

"Stop it, your smile looks so fake." She berated me but still take the meat skewer from my hand. I sat down right beside her and we were silent for a while.

"So..., what are you doing here?" I attempted to form a conversation with her, I bite my last meat skewer from the stick. She glared at me and I stared back, it seems I was quite hated.

"Nothing." She spoke with a curt tone and turned back her head to the busy market in front of us.

"Oh, I see." I answered back. Then we were silent again.

My effort for these two weeks at trying to get along with her seems working. At first, she avoided me like a plague, then when she realized that she wouldn't able to shake me off easily, she shooed me with harsh words. Of course, I won't back up with just a few words. In the end, she gives up and started to open up to me, but still glared at me for a few occasions though.

I burned the wooden sticks on my hand, the leftover from the meat skewer. The fire lit at the tip of the sticks, then slowly made way to the end. When the fire was going to reach my finger, I let the stick go and it fell to paved ground. The wooden stick burned nicely until nothing was left. The reason I did this is because I was lazy to find a trash box though.

While I was washing my sticky hand with the water I conjured, I noticed the girl beside me was staring intently at me for a while. I turned my head to her and she seem to be surprised by my sudden motion. She immediately turned her head elsewhere and pretended to not staring at me.

I didn't speak and we continued this pleasant silent (at least for me) for a while. When I was idly counting the number of people going past me, Llna turned her head to me. Her mouth opened and closed again, as if hesitating about something. I waited patiently. She gulped and finally decided what she would speak.

"How do you control it, I mean, your own Mana." She fidgeted in her position, seemingly uncomfortable with her own question.

"How? Well, I just imagined a water tank." I thought for a while then answered her question calmly.

"A.. Water tank?" LLna tilted her head, confusion was apparent on her face.

"Yes, a water tank." I nodded sagely. We stared at each other for a while, when it was apparent that I didn't look like I was going to explain more, she bite her small lips in annoyance.

"Are you playing with me?" She frowned and pouted at me. I was mildly amused by her expression.

"No,no, I was serious. Look here." I created a floating water sphere in front of me. Llna seem to be in awe by my quick spell casting, her slightly widened eyes is evident of that.

I slowly molded the water into the shape that I want. A square box with a short tube in the middle. The tube had a lid on it. I nodded satisfied with my creation. Complicated shape was still beyond my ability, but this should be enough for now.

"Imagine this square box is a water tanks. The box is our body and the water is our Mana." I pointed at the floating box, Llna was staring at it intently, her back was straighten unconsciously, like a good student.

"This tube and lid is our control at Mana. When I want to cast spell, I opened the lid until I get the amount that I want. When I don't use it, I just put back the lid." I end my explanation there and collapsed the floating water. The water fell into the fountain behind me with a splash. Llna seemed to be processing what I said.

"Wait, how do you, err, opened the lid until you get the amount you want?" She asked me impatiently.

"Practice." I answered to her question with no hesitation.

"Even a Mana control genius would still need to practice their ability, there is no other way." I shrugged my shoulder lazily.

"...it’s impossible." She tilted her head down, her long bang covering her face, her tiny fist was gripping tightly. It seem I had flipped a switch in her. So the rumor about her uncontrollable Mana is true.

“Do you even try it?” I asked her bluntly.

“Of Course I had tried it!!” She shouted and stood up facing me. A few pedestrian stopped to see her outburst, then walked again when they realized it was nothing serious.

“Do you tried it again? And again?” I asked her for the second time.

“Huh?” this time, she had a blank look on her face.

“I see, so you stopped trying when you failed for a few time. Of course you won’t get any better with that.” I spoke without putting any consideration on my word. Her face slowly turned red. She’s angry.

“Someone like you wont understand!” she shouted again, this time closer at my face.

“You are afraid of hurting other people when your Mana explode right?” I stood up and stared right at her eyes.

“Wha, what, you…” She was deflated by my proclamation. Her previous red face gone, replaced with disbelief.

“Let me help you.” Her mouth was agape, she was unable to follow my pace.

“Aah, before you misunderstand, my purpose on helping you is because I am curious with your case, not because out of pity. So you don’t need to feel responsible with whatever happen next.” I raised my hand and patted her shoulder.

“…it’s dangerous you know.” She tilted her head down and muttered under her breath.

“Well, you did saw my ability, so that’s why you asked me that question right? And like I said, whatever happen to me will be my own problem, not yours.” I sighed and crouched down, I raised my head and my eyes meet hers.

“So? What is your answer?” I stared at her for a while.

“Even if I said no, you will still nosily stick in my business.” She sighed tiredly.

“Yes, you are right.” I nodded sagely.

She glared at me quite fiercely, then turned her body and walked away. I hastily followed behind her. My previous bad mood had completely gone.

“Hey, wait for me, Llna~!!