“What?”
“Monsters are approaching from all directions. And at the center of it all, right on this road, there’s one with a completely different aura.”
The first arrow aimed at Selena.
After that, as if it were a signal, enemies appeared all around them.
Frondier’s deductions painted a grim picture.
‘They know the maximum range of Menosorpo.’
What did that mean? He didn't have time to dwell on it.
They had to escape.
"We can't take them all on. We'll break through one side and head straight for Charon."
"Which means going through the densest concentration of enemies," Elodie said, her face a mask of cold fury, a rare sight.
"I don't know how they found us, but they're about to learn what it means to mess with us."
“Watch out for more arrows. We know the general direction from that last attack, but there’s no guarantee it’s just one archer,” Frondier said, trying to raise their guard. But in truth, he was certain.
There was only one archer.
‘That arrow, it moved exactly like the arrows shot from Khryselakatos.’
The implication was clear.
It had the [Sure Hit] effect.
He had confirmed the arrow's design; it wasn't Lokhiera. Meaning, the bow wasn’t Khryselakatos either.
Which meant the absurd situation of the Goddess Artemis joining their enemies wasn't the case.
However, the mere presence of a bow with the [Sure Hit] effect meant their enemy was not to be underestimated.
Meanwhile, Carla placed her hand, glowing with healing energy, on Pielott’s wound.
Her brow furrowed.
‘It’s not working.’
The bleeding wouldn’t stop. Neither did the wound show any signs of closing. Judging by Pielott's expression, the pain wasn’t subsiding either.
“Pielott, this might hurt, but can you describe the pain? Be as specific as possible. You might have been poisoned.”
“…It feels like… it’s tearing. Centered on the wound, like it’s being ripped apart.”
Carla’s face paled. If what Pielott said was true, the wound wasn’t healing; it was getting worse. And Pielott’s senses were rarely wrong.
“…This is bad. It’s risky with the bleeding, but we need to get that arrow out now…”
As Carla examined the arrow, she noticed something.
A thin, almost invisible thread, shimmering faintly, tied to the arrow’s fletching.
‘…A thread?’
Zzzt!
The moment Carla noticed it, the thread went taut.
“Aaaaaargh!!!”
Pielott was yanked into the air, the arrow dragging him away, towards wherever the archer was hiding.
“Pielott!”
Frondier’s Mana surged. He had been barely holding himself back after Pielott took the arrow, but seeing him dragged away like that sent him over the edge.
If he chased after Pielott now, he would find the archer.
And he would tear them apart without hesitation. He would show them, their family, their friends, their loved ones, the true meaning of hell.
He would kill them. But not before making them suffer.
—Senior.
But then.
The voice that stopped Frondier in his tracks, the one that stayed his hand, belonged to none other than Pielott.
He could barely speak, but…
As he was being dragged away, Pielott looked back at Frondier, his jaw clenched in determination.
—Go.
“…!”
Those words, that silent plea, forced Frondier to stand down.
He could only watch, fists clenched, his entire body trembling with barely suppressed rage, as his student was dragged away.
“…Frondier, I’ll go,” Elodie said, her voice firm.
“Whoever this enemy is, they’re trying to lure you out. Attacking Selena, the thread on the arrow, taking Pielott… it’s all a trap! But if I go, it’ll be fine. I’ll get Pielott back.”
“…No.”
Frondier’s voice was heavy with dread.
“If this is a trap meant for me, no one will make it out alive. This bastard… they know everything about me. My abilities, my limitations, how I think… There’s no telling what they’ll do.”
“…! Then we have to save Pielott even more!”
“Their target was Selena, or me. It would have been ideal if Selena had been taken and I went after her. But they couldn’t have predicted Pielott would take that arrow.”
The place Pielott was being taken to… it was a hell designed for Frondier and Selena. Not Pielott.
Therefore…
Therefore, Frondier made a decision.
“It’s a trap meant for me. None of you can survive that. But Pielott… he’s different.”
“…What…?” Elodie was dumbfounded.
Frondier didn’t elaborate. He looked straight ahead.
“Can the cars still move?”
“…”
“Aral, Lily.”
Aral and Lily hesitated, unsure how to respond, but eventually nodded.
“Good. We can’t afford to lose the vehicles here. Lily, Aral, you two keep driving. Basileo, Carla, stay inside. It’s too dangerous. Elodie, Selena, and I will clear a path.”
“Frondier.”
Elodie’s voice, infused with Mana, stopped him again.
“You told me once,” she said, her expression resolute, “If you ever made the wrong choice… to stop you.”
“…”
“Are you saying this isn’t that time?”
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