Hajime did as Toufu said, and ran.
Toufu’s special move wounded Akira and raised dust to block their vision. That was a good opportunity.
He pulled Chisato by the hand, as she was in a stupor, and dragged her with him.
He wanted to slap her and snap her out of it, but there was no time.
He had to run. Chisato had to make it. He invited her…
He thought as he tried to save his sister, but lost his legs.
Seeing her older brother lose his legs and fall finally made Chisato snap out of her stupor, and she tried to approach him.
“Don’t!!”
He saw a black blade coming from somewhere.
The shadow stretched, overlapping Hajime, and a blade appeared.
And from that shadow, the mage emerged.
“You’re not getting away. Be quiet and be nourishment for Akira.”
The eyes of the mage were mechanical and unfeeling. They were scary, as if he had left his emotions somewhere else.
But rather than be trapped by fear, Chisato held up her magic gun and fired. The low dry sound continued echoing until the revolver was empty.
“Hmph, we don’t need someone using such a weak weapon. Die.”
The bullets she used were not cheap. They had the power to kill killer bees, and she got them to use against the boss.
They were all blocked by a staff, and the mage was using a shadow to end Chisato.
But string coiled around his body to stop him.
The mage moved his neck, and saw the legless Hajime controlling the string.
Hajime looked pale due to blood loss, but he did not give up.
He was going to save his sister. Losing his legs did not deter him.
“Gahaaa!!”
He infused magic energy into the string, and tried his hardest to cut the mage.
The string was processed giant spider string. Tougher than iron, and made tougher through magic energy.
But the mage did not budge.
“Not bad. But that’s all.”
A blade appeared from the shadow and severed the string. Haijme’s final attack ended all too quickly.
“Dammit!!”
He tried to save Chisato even if he had to crawl, and let out what sounded like his final breath.
He put his life on the line to save his sister, but fell helplessly to a spear.
“Shut up.”
Akira stabbed Hajime’s heart.
Hajime vomited blood, and heard his sister’s voice as his consciousness faded.
He apologized, asked for help, and told his parents he was sorry, as his life ended.
◇ ◇ ◇
Chisato’s heart was full of despair.
Despair of her helplessness, her friends’ deaths, and now, her brother’s.
As her heart broke, she looked at the men in front of her and felt nothing from them.
She feared them, as it felt as though killing was normal for them.
She could not get away, and would not be allowed to resist.
“This one’s the last one. Bye, just think of it as bad luck.”
Akira held his spear to end Chisato’s life, and swung it after changing where it was pointed to block an incoming wind blade.
“…How did you move?”
Asked a confused Akira, but there was no response.
It was Toufu, who was near death due to the poison, who fired the wind blade.
He should be unable to move, much less counter with magic.
Akira was wary, wondering what happened.
“It’s just an empty threat. He can’t move, finish her.”
He heard his mage brother, and spat.
He faced Chisato again, and many wind blades were released from Toufu.
“What!?”
This was unexpected for them, but it was all neutralized by their hand.
Toufu spent all his magic energy and fell to his knees, and a spear pierced his chest.
“Making me waste time…”
Toufu’s consciousness was already practically gone due to using that magic.
The poison combined with the blood loss meant there was no hope of saving him. Still, he could not lay down as his partners screamed. He was the leader. His partner’s lives fell on him. And so, he had to resist.
He desperately used magic energy to cast all the magic he could.
He barely saw, and could not hear. Even getting up was a miracle for his limp body.
Not much blood flowed from his body at this point, and his consciousness flew far.
Help.
He wished as his eyes lost their light.
◇ ◇ ◇
Chisato desperately ran through the forest.
She lost her partners, and was the sole survivor.
She tried to face them, but could do nothing, and shrunk back in fear.
Her magic gun did nothing. Had it not been for Toufu, she would have failed to even run.
She looked behind her, but saw no pursuers.
Perhaps they had given up.
“Give up.”
That faint hope was crushed.
Akira stood in her way, and the mage behind her.
“You’re not gettin’ away. That’s greedy, wanting to live when your partners all died.
Because of you!
She held back that flash of anger, and held up her magic gun.
Her newly loaded bullets were all fired, but were deflected by a spear as though they were nothing, and fell.
“Like that obvious trajectory would hit.”
She was stabbed by the spear.
Her eyes could not follow Akira’s movements, meaning her stomach was stabbed without any attempt at reaction from her.
Blood flowed from her mouth.
Akira cackled, as if enjoying the sensation.
His face approached Chisato’s.
She hated it, and pierced him with the blade from her magic gun.
“Gah!?”
The unexpected pain led him to pull the spear back, and take distance from her.
Once he realized what happened, he was enraged.
“Damn you!!”
What he saw as a weakling hurt him, enraging him.
He swore to kill her, ignored the wound to hold up his spear, and he thrust it at Chisato, who was barely standing.
She saw certain death approaching, and gave up.
Poison was already flowing through her veins. It was the difference between the poison killing her, or the spear.
She told everyone she got one hit, and closed her eyes.
And…
“What the hell are you doing?”
She heard a voice as her consciousness faded.
ーーー
Kaname Toufu (23)
Level: 20
Skills: Swordsmanship, Wind Magic
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ーーー
Takeshi Asano (23)
Level: 19
Skills: Great Strength, Iron Wall
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Naito Asano (20)
Level: 17
Skills: Trunk, See Through
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ーーー
Ruri Nijou (23)
Level: 20
Skills: Fire Magic, Wind Magic
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ーーー
Hajime Shirabe (23)
Level: 19
Skills: Danger Detection, String Control
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ーーー
Chisato Shirabe (20)
Level: 17
Skills: Appraisal, Hawk Eye
ーーー
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The mage moved his neck, and saw the legless Hajime controlling the strong.
String*