The moment Tibaut entered the room, he was surprised by how massive it was.

(“Holy shit, what is this place?”) He wondered while running towards the figures he saw in the room.

Standing up was a familiar pink-haired woman and on the ground next to her was… he honestly couldn't tell looking from behind. They made some loud screams which unnerved him as he approached ever closer.

Tina had crouched to the person on the floor and seemed to be touching a wound on their back.

(“Ugh, that looks nasty.”) Even from a few metres away, he could tell they were in quite a rough shape.

Further ahead he saw… was that Elizabeth on the floor? Oh no.

Even considering the words the drake gave regarding their matter, he couldn't imagine she'd be too thrilled to see him. Even if she did allow him to leave, he didn't imagine she was too happy he fucked off to God's knows where, when they were in the middle avenging someone pretty close to all of them and putting a permanent end to a threat they'd all regarded as a threat.

He sighed as he approached closer, imagining the lecture she'd have for him when this was all over.

But who was she fighting? He looked young and unlike the little bastard priest he fought earlier, his torso was showing and his hair was black.

Regardless he must have been pretty skilled to get Elizabeth on the floor. He only spared them a glance but he imagined with so many here she wasn't in any real danger.

The only reason Tina was occupied was because she was tending to an injured ally. The other four standing about were likely to do something.

But why did Kevin say only he was allowed to go in? Was he overthinking it? All he needed to do was jump that black-haired kid, which as far as he saw was the only enemy and defeat him.

(“Are you sure about that?”) The drake asked. (“Oh well, it is your life after all.”)

He wasn't sure what the old bitch was complaining about. He reached his hand out to touch Tina but as he got another look at Elizabeth…

(“!?”)

Now he was closer, he could see she was looking rough! Parts of one hand were gone and another hand was gone entirely.

(“What the fuck are those idiots doin-”)

He gritted his teeth and quickly looked at others in the room other than Tina.

One took a few steps forward before being stopped completely. It was similar to something he had seen earlier. He focused more on Elizabeth's attacker and…

(“How the hell?”) It was a priest he encountered earlier, in a substantially rougher shape than how he fought him.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

He stood like a deer in headlights watching the two of them struggle.

(“What? How? Was he always that powerful? I thought his range was no more than-”)

(“Do you remember that powder he was talking about earlier? It seems he's taken some. I swear, you're unbearable when you don't put two and two together.”) The drake responded.

He saw him stop someone nearly twenty metres away with just a glance. How the hell was he going to stop him? Another odd thing was how long he stopped those people compared to Elizabeth. He stopped her in the same length of time he stopped Tibaut earlier but the woman he stopped was still frozen in place after three seconds.

(“Did it make his magic stronger? Then how is- nevermind for now I'll just assume he can stop me for the same amount of time.”)

In the brief seconds that passed Tibaut's mind went into overdrive.

Kevin said he met the priest earlier. I healed him.

He doesn't know I'm an adventurer.

Would he think I sided with them if I showed up with Kevin?

How am I going to defeat him?

Does he still think we're on the same side despite being enemies?

How do I get closer to him without getting stopped?

I know Elizabeth can come back from the dead and she seemed almost nonchalant about it, but, but this bastard has been putting her through the fucking wringer. Who hell does he think he is leaving her like that?

Every fucking time he meets someone in this world it seems some bastard has it out for them, is he not allowed to have a fami-

He snapped out of his thoughts and quickly thought up a plan.

Tina looked around and noticed him. She sighed and turned back around and got back to her feet.

“About time, you got back- Guaha!?”

She tried to turn around and struggled to get his hands off her neck. Her fingers dug into his skin but she eventually passed out after another few seconds. He gently laid her on the floor and tried to get the priest's attention with a fireball.

He made a bang but the priest seemed heavily focused on Elizabeth. He began approaching and the priest through a stroke of luck noticed him.

Elizabeth quickly pushed him off and turned to see Tibaut walking up to them.

She tried to get on her knees but seemed incapable of even that.

(“I'm sorry for running off.”) He thought as he approached.

The priest looked like he had seen a miracle when he was picked up by Tibaut.

He tried to mouth something but based on the bruise on his throat it seemed unlikely he was going to figure out what he was saying.

(“I can read lips if you so desire!”) The voice in his head cheerily stated.

(“You're another one. If it wasn't for you this wouldn't have happened.”)

(“Whoopsie! Can you fowgive widdle owd me?”) They responded in a pleasantly soft and almost vulnerable tone of voice. Which made it all the more infuriating.

He nearly let out a roar of anguish at this insult but managed to contain it. His face still gave away his true feelings but he couldn't care less.

The priest soon pointed to Elizabeth and signalled for Tibaut to leave her alone. Did he think Tibaut was incapable of handling her in such a state? Or did he know the supposed value she had? After all, she did mention if anyone were to find out, it'd make her life convenient. And with these bastards, he could see it being a living hell.

He couldn't hold it in anymore and tried to form a fireball.