After being splashed in healing potion, Gerard was lifted up on the shoulders of one of his subordinates that Lovel had quickly called over. Enduring the pain, the badly burned man reached for his last resort, grateful that his clothes did not burn up like his body did.
“(… I’m sorry, Hames.)” [Gerard]
In his hazy consciousness, Gerard apologized to Hames as he tightly gripped onto a black stone in the shape of a triangle-based pyramid.
----------------------------------------
“IT WAS A SMALL RED DOG, RIGHT?!” [Hames]
“…” [Ryner]
Hames shouted, enduring the pain to taunt Ryner who quietly stared at him.
“*Cough* WITH, WITH WHITE FUR! BARKS A LOT!” [Hames]
“…” [Ryner]
“YEAH, I KILLED IT! HIT IT SO HARD! *wheeze* THAT ITS HEAD AND HALF ITS BODY BLEW OFF!” [Hames]
“…” [Ryner]
“WHAT’S THAT LOOK?! YOU ANGRY?! THEN COME ON! COME GET ME!!” [Hames]
As soon as Hames was finished riling Ryner up, his nose got crushed by a straight punch, spurting blood from his nostrils. His body was knocked back and he rolled on the ground like a wheel at high speed. But, before he tumbled too far, Ryner appeared behind him and stopped him dead in his tracks, with a knee to the spine.
“Gaha…!” [Hames]
Wide eyed and mouth wide opened, the young man lost his breath from the merciless blow. His body powerlessly fell down and his twitching limbs desperately tried to lift him up. His right hand still tightly clung onto the magic sword, refusing to let go. The Artifact was giving him power, enhancing his strength, yet he was already badly injured. As such, Hames knew that if he lost the Artifact, he wouldn’t even be able to buy any time at all for his allies to escape.
“(Ha, who am I kidding…?)” [Hames]
Or rather, he wouldn’t be able to endure Ryner’s torture.
“(There’s no way I can actually take on someone who beat Master.)” [Hames]
For he also knew that the man of different colored eyes was just playing with him, taking his time to end his life. Whatever the reason was, that dog Hames killed belonged to Ryner, and he had been looking for its killer. Hames had taken advantage of that to get him to focus his attention on him, but he didn’t have a concrete plan to win.
“(But, that’s fine.)” [Hames]
The only thing he could do was be a punching bag and wait for his master to deploy their trump card.
“(Master will escape… And in the end, we’ll win.)” [Hames]
Hames thought, doing his best to stay strong as he tried to see how far his comrades had managed to escape. However, before he could, Ryner, standing behind him, put his hands in his mouth, partially covering his vision.
“Urk!? Agh?! Argh!” [Hames]
Grabbing the lower row of teeth with his left hand while grabbing the upper row with his right, he pulled his mouth open.
“Argh! Aaagh! AAAAGGH!” [Hames]
Caught like a helpless fish swung around on a hook, Hames, yelling, struggling, panicking, clawed at his foe’s left arm and blindly attacked with his magic sword. He desperately tried to resist as his jaws were stretched open passed their limits. But, he couldn’t do it.
“AAAAAAAARGGGGHHH!!!” [Hames]
His skin was torn, his joints broke, and his entire lower jaw was ripped off in a spurt of blood.
“Agh…! Uh…! Huk…!” [Hames]
He let out bloody gasping noise and put a hand to the gaping red hole on his face. His chest was already dyed in blood and the agonizing pain felt like it was going to drive him insane. But, he reacted instinctively, deactivated his body strengthening magic, and used the flames of his magic sword to sear the wound shut.
“UUUUUUUUHHHHGGG!!!” [Hames]
“(It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts!)” [Hames]
Hames fell on his stomach. His vision became blurry and his ears were ringing. It was from the visceral experience of losing half of his face then burning the fresh, gaping wound. Still, he somehow managed to catch sight of his comrades while Ryner put one knee on his back, keeping him pinned down. Just like he wished, they were all making a break for the gate, but giant vines, roots and carnivorous plants were besieging them. There were gunshots. There was shouting. Then, there was a flash of light followed by a high-pitched, beastly roar.
“(… Ah!)” [Hames]
But, what caught Hames’ attention the most was Gerard’s vague figure who was being carried off. Without looking back, his master’s silhouette was gradually getting farther away.
“(… Master…)” [Hames]
Hames was being left behind.
“(Go, Master… Go…! Go…!)” [Hames]
However, that was fine. He was prepared for it. He was ready to bravely and selflessly lay down his life, fighting to the end.
“(Go…)” [Hames]
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Or, at least, he thought he was.
“(Go… Wait…)” [Hames]
The sight of his allies leaving, the pain of his brutal injuries and the fear of death flared up the despair in him that he had tried to contain.
“(…Wait…)” [Hames]
The memory of his younger self, crying alone in his burning village, reappeared in his head.
“(… Wait… Wait…! Wait! WAIT! PLEASE!)” [Hames]
In his hazy consciousness, Hames let go of his Artifact and reached out to his departing comrades. As if he had gone back to being the scared little boy from the past, he begged them to rescue him.
“(COME BACK! I DON’T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS! HELP ME!)” [Hames]
Sadly, his plea could not be formed into words without his lower jaw and became weird screams. Furthermore, Ryner did not care what the target of his wrath felt.
Kill.
Tear.
Destroy.
He only cared about what the voices in his head were telling him.
End him.
Rip his head out.
Make him suffer.
He doesn’t deserve to live!
Make him pay!
Make them all pay!!
KIIIILLL!!!
Ryner grabbed onto his neck with both hands and pulled it backward. At that moment, Hames’ eyes opened wide in fear as he realized how he would be killed.
“(MASTER! DON’T LEAVE ME HERE! LOVEL! ANYONE! HELP!)” [Hames]
The young man’s back arched. His neck creaked from the strain. He could feel his muscles tearing, his bones breaking. He could feel death biting down on his throat, claiming him.
“(NOO!! STOP!! STOP!! SOMEONE STOP HIM!!)” [Hames]
Gradually, the skin ripped, the red flesh was exposed and blood flowed.
“(HEEEEELLLPP!!!)” [Hames]
Finally, the neck gave in and the head was torn off the flailing body with a part of the spine still attached in a shower of blood. Hames died having completed his final goal in the land of the elves he loathed, but deeply regretted it.
“… It’s done…” [Ryner]
Ryner, standing over his corpse, looked at the mutilated head in his hands. He had carefully observed Hames and confirmed that he wasn’t lying when he claimed to have killed Mi. As such, he put his whole concentration on reaping his life.
“It’s done, Mi…” [Ryner]
Now that he had finally killed his dog’s killer, his emotions, his bloodlust that went out of control were beginning to settle down, receding like a wave. His vision was no longer narrowed, focused on revenge, and widened back to the world around him. His ears no longer seemed to be blocked, ringing with a constant whisper telling him to end his enemies.
“… Ner…” [???]
His senses gradually went back to normal.
“… Ry… Ner…!” [???]
As such, he could finally hear someone calling him.
“Ryner…!” [???]
And realized what was happening around him. First, there was the blue glow of lightning illuminating the area. Second, thunder and screams could be heard.
“RYNER!!!” [???]
Third, someone had grabbed onto his arm from the side. Ryner looked up, tearing his eyes away from Hames’ head.
“RYNER!!!” [Meirith]
It was Meirith, who was desperately calling out to him, her voice helping to pull him out of his stupor.
“PLEASE, WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!” [Meirith]
She begged, her voice laden with fear, grief and anxiety, her face wet with tears and her body trembling. The elf was clearly distraught and even using Ryner to prevent herself from falling to her knees. However, she wasn’t asking him to help her. Her eyes full of worry and terror were asking him to help them.
“GUOOOOOOONNNN!!!” [???]
A strange, high-pitched roar sounded out, more similar to the sound of a bird or a horn than anything. When Ryner looked, he first noticed a veritable voltaic field. Lightning bolts were literally raining down from the sky, incessantly falling onto a set area. Moreover, the invaders were gone. Ryner didn’t see it, but the survivors had all passed the gate and exited Hossylei Nac. On the other side, they were quickly regrouping with the few forces that were on standby.
“WE’RE EVACUATING! PREPARE TO JUMP!!” [Lovel]
Lovel, having drunk a healing potion, told everyone their next course of action. Though surprised, her subordinates quickly moved to follow her orders.
“… Buddy.” [Invader]
“… Yeah.” [Invader]
A pair of invaders quietly whispered to each other, but got to work. Seeing Lovel shouting like so, seeing Gerard so badly injured, and seeing so few of their people return alive told them that the operation had not gone well.
“The jumping point has been notified! They’ll welcome us!” [Invader]
Said one of Lovel’s subordinates, who poked his head out from a carriage. Hearing his report, she thought about the detached force, which Gawain and Marilyn were a part of, that had invaded the city of elves.
“(I don’t know if they perished or survived and are waiting for us… But, either way, even on the off chance they succeeded and are still alive… We just can’t go back for them.)” [Lovel]
Having made up her mind, she deeply inhaled, exhaled, and gave her next order.
“GATHER AROUND! QUICKLY OR YOU’LL BE LEFT BEHIND!” [Lovel]
Everyone hurriedly moved, helping the injured, driving the wagons, and surrounded Lovel. They packed together while the tanned-skinned woman closed her eyes and focused her will. As she did so, a ring of blue light spread from her feet, glowing on the ground. It then disappeared and another ring appeared in a similar manner, but slightly bigger. Over and over, like ripples on a water surface, more rings were formed in a larger size than the last.
“Guh…” [Lovel]
Lovel groaned as sweat flowed down her forehead, her expression strained every time she enlarged the ring until eventually it became wide enough to encompass all of her forces. At that moment, the ground between her and the ring glowed blue, forming a circle of light.
“Finally…” [Lovel]
She muttered, a note of relief in her voice. Opening her eyes, Lovel turned her sight to the twisted tree that showed no sign of moving, indicating that the hostile forces on the other side were too preoccupied to chase after them.
For their escape was possible not just because of the deceased Hames, but because of their last trump card.
When Gerard had thrown a black stone in the shape of a triangular pyramid, there was a flash of light and a creature had emerged from it. It let out a high-pitched roar to announce its arrival before flinging itself at Rosaminta, instantly closing the distance. The Gatekeeper screamed in pain simply upon contact, prompting the elves and the amazons to take action. They realized the danger it posed and focused their attention on it, giving Lovel’s side the perfect chance to retreat.
“(We could not accomplish our mission, but at the very least… May you all perish.)” [Lovel]
She thought as the circle of light under her feet began to glow brighter.
“(And may IT never return to us.)” [Lovel]
Then, all of the people and objects on the circle vanished in the blink of an eye before the light rapidly dissolved into small particles. There was no one left. Those that had invaded and slaughtered many in Hossylei Nac were all but gone, leaving behind a final parting gift. A gift in the form of a beast that they were hesitant to deploy since they could not control it.
And now, on the other side of the gate, said beast was standing under a rain of lightning.
“GUOOOOOOONNNN!!!” [???]
The two-legged creature that had come from the black stone roared as it stood upright on its toes. Around three meters in height, it possessed a big but slim body that had rough, grey skin like a reptile. On its back were non-uniformed scales that looked like a rocky black field. Its six arms were skinny and as long as its height. Moreover, the extra pair of arms were growing from its flanks.
The fists were large and each crooked finger ended in a sharp black claw. The head was similar to a bird with a long, sharp beak along with stiff black fur growing from its skull like a horse’s mane. However, there were no eyes or nostrils. It made it difficult to tell if it could see, or if it was even a living being. But, more importantly, it was hard to believe that it hadn’t been reduced to ash yet despite the thunder storm crashing down on its head.