“You son of a bitch!”

The bastard at the front charged in, swinging a makeshift club. His momentum was impressive, but his attack was reckless and amateurish. I waited until he closed the distance, and as he raised his weapon, I severed his arm clean off.

“Aaaargh!”

“Ugh…!”

Amidst the burst of blood droplets, we both screamed simultaneously. The sore muscles in my shoulder felt like they were going to tear right off from the movement.

But there was no time to rest. Just as I barely managed to steady myself, another bastard entered my field of vision.

“Get him!”

I gritted my teeth and thrust my sword toward his outstretched hand. The sharply honed blade pierced straight through the center of his palm and embedded itself in his forehead. A chilling sensation of tearing flesh sent a shiver down my spine as I felt his brain give way.

Then, an excruciating pain shot through my ankle. I had only twisted it slightly, but a groan escaped my lips involuntarily. It seemed nowhere on my body had been spared from the impact of the fall.

“Damn it…”

“Uwaaaah!!!”

“Die!”

Through my ragged breaths, two more charged at me this time. I yanked my sword free, slashed the eyes of the first attacker, and immediately slit the throat of the one following behind. A red line appeared across the pale flesh before blood erupted out like a fountain in an instant.

“Urk…”

“Huu…”

Blood poured down over my eyelids, obscuring my vision. I rubbed my face against my sleeve and steadied my stance. When I opened my eyes again, three bastards stood before me.

“Th-That son of a bitch!”

“Bring something! Don’t we have a club or something?”

“Throw rocks at him!”

“At least block him from escaping!”

“Haa…”

No, four? I blinked frantically to clear the blood from my eyes. With every flutter of my eyelids, their numbers kept growing. Four. Five. Six. No, ten. The calculation for this absurd battle was a fucking multiplication table.

Fortunately, they didn’t immediately rush me. Perhaps the reputation I had built all this time was finally having an effect.

But it was by no means good news. As if the Academy had finally felt a wave of nausea, it was gagging up the parasites in its stomach. The sight of them pouring out of the main gate, radiating madness and a foul stench, looked exactly like vomit.

“Is that him? Is that Lope?”

“Fucking bastard…! He’s injured too! Now’s our chance!”

“Don’t be scared, just rush him! How long are we gonna be terrified of that guy!”

“How many of us did that fucker kill by himself!”

“Haha…”

The karma I had accumulated all this time leaked from their mouths one by one. Roselia was right. I must have done a lot to earn their hatred. Then again, it wasn’t just one or two who had lost their hands to me.

Still, I had been trying my best not to kill them, out of consideration for the bond we once shared.

It seemed it was already far too late to make such a modest excuse.

“You son of a bitch!”

Eventually, the bravest of the bunch lunged first. But the size of one’s courage doesn’t necessarily match their skill. I swung my sword once more and severed his wrist. A familiar scream rang out like a school bell.

“Fuck!!!”

“Get that bastard!”

“Uwaaaah!!!”

That was the signal. The war cries of the dead and the dying surged forward like a tidal wave. Dozens of footsteps charged solely at me.

And I, too, started running. Behind me, my name, howled like a curse, sprinted after me in a frenzy.

“Lope!!!”

“Ugh…!”

With every step I took, every joint in my body rattled and screamed. I hadn’t fully recovered from the aftermath of the fall and the fatigue of the ensuing battle. Even my vision was blurred by the blood caked over my eyes.

Besides, I wasn’t particularly fast at running. Naturally, there were those among my pursuers who were quicker than me. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before one of them caught up to my side and swung a club.

“Stop, you fuck!”

“Damn it…!”

His awkwardly extended hand was severed along with the club in a futile effort. But because of that, my speed dropped and my footing tangled. I had only stumbled for a brief moment, yet an iron crowbar immediately came flying at me.

“Ugh…!”

I ducked urgently, and the sharp piece of iron grazed precariously over my head. Without even a moment to look back, I reversed my grip on the sword and thrust it backward with all my might. It was a reckless move, but the blade sank deep into the bastard’s stomach, taking him down.

But immediately, another reached out as if to grab the hem of my clothes. If this kept up, there would be no end. Unlike the frenzied mob chasing me, I was already deeply worn down by fatigue. It was clear that soon, my breath would run out and I wouldn’t be able to run anymore.

I had to find a way to shake them off somehow…

“Uwaaaah!”

“…Shit.”

Another body lunged at me through the gap in my thoughts. Despite his heavy build, the man had run fast, and he hadn’t even pulled up his pants properly. Dirty bastard. Had he been right in the middle of something before rushing over? Filled with disgust, I shoved my sword into his bare chest.

But that was a mistake.

“Ugh… ughhhhh!”

“You crazy…!”

The bastard let out a monstrous shriek and grabbed the sword embedded in his body. Even though I had pierced a vital point, his eyes rolled back without showing any sign of pain. Seeing him constantly drooling, it seemed he had inhaled some kind of drug before charging at me.

Regardless of the cause, that single mistake proved incredibly fatal. Behind the man’s massive back, a huge crowd was rushing in. I frantically tried to pull my sword free, but ultimately gritted my teeth and headbutted him.

“Keugh!”

“Ugh…!”

Piiiiiiii…

A ringing sound hit my ears, and my mind went hazy. Even so, a massive silhouette loomed before my eyes. His hands were even twitching, looking as if he were ready to grab my body again.

“Just fuck off, you son of a bitch!”

I screamed like a madman and yanked my sword out. And since that day. No, actually, for the very first time in my life, I completely severed a man’s neck.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

…!

…

When a person’s neck is severed, it doesn’t make a dry, snapping sound. Rather, it makes a soft, fragile sound, like forcibly prying open and tearing the tender inside of a tree. The fountain of blood spewing from the severed neck overwhelmed my vision along with that sound.

The vast night sky, dyed a deep blue. The crimson tribute the earth offered to her. In that hazy, dreamlike landscape, I took a deep breath for the first time in a very long while.

And before I could even exhale that breath, three bodies pounced on me all at once.

“Got him!”

“Ugh…!”

“Everyone, rush him! Grab his sword first!”

Fuck…!

Lost in the dream, I bit my own tongue and frantically tried to regain my senses. But six hands were already gripping the hems of my clothes. I somehow managed to hold my sword in a short grip and danced like a madman.

“Ugh… ughhh…!”

“Just stay still… aaargh!”

“Fuck… fuck!”

“Push him down! Just push him over!”

Thrust. Slash. Stab. Bite. Amidst the chaos, blood—whosever it was—splattered in all directions, dyeing my vision red. Even so, they kept rushing to pin me down, and I kept stepping backward.

…!

Just then, a mound of dirt crumbled beneath my heel. I turned around and saw a slope leading down into the forest. I say slope, but due to the sheer drop, it was practically a cliff.

If I kept going like this, I was definitely going to fall. But there was no way to resist the force pushing me back. I realized the future that awaited me and let out a hollow laugh.

Damn it.

This is already the second time today.

“Ugh…!”

“Uwak!”

I gave up, wrapped my arms around one of the bastards’ bodies, and threw myself over the cliff without a second thought. Once again, the cold wind brushed past my ears, and a string of crude curses tore through the empty air.

“Lope, you crazy bas…!”

“Ah…”

…

“…Ah.”

It hurts. My bones ache.

And it’s cold.

“Ugh…”

Beneath my palms, dirt and pain shattered into pieces. The dirt, dyed red unlike usual, was particularly jarring to the eyes.

“Haa…”

The breath I exhaled turned into white mist, further clouding my already hazy vision. Even so, I looked around instinctively for my sword. An infantile attachment to a pacifier. An obsession beyond that brought redness to my eyes.

It wasn’t long before I found the white blade stuck into the ground. So there you are, you son of a bitch. It was within arm’s reach, so I raised my arm while still lying face down.

But just then, something moved behind me. And before I could react, a blunt impact struck the back of my head.

“Die…!”

“Ugh…”

Something heavy crushed with a crunch above my head and slid down. At first, I thought my skull had split open and my brains were leaking out. But when I actually touched the back of my head, what came off was dirt and clotted blood. The attacker seemed flustered as well, opening his mouth and letting out a futile sigh.

“Shit…”

“…Haha.”

It was absolutely no laughing matter, but the corners of my mouth lifted. Did he think he was swinging a rock? But what the guy held wasn’t a hard stone; it was a clump of dirt tangled in tree roots.

I savored the first stroke of luck I’d had in a long time, pulled out my sword, and shoved the blade straight down the man’s open throat.

“Keok.”

“…”

Another person died before my eyes. Yet, I didn’t feel the same shock as before. The fact that I was already getting used to the sensation must mean I was a born piece of shit.

I used my sword as a cane and barely managed to stand. My legs, exhausted from fatigue, trembled so much they felt like they would snap at any moment. I couldn’t even tell if the blood flowing on my skin was someone else’s or my own.

Looking around in the meantime, there were more than one or two bodies lying about. Aside from the ones who had fallen with me earlier, it seemed some couldn’t handle the speed. Perhaps because most of them were not in a rational state, none of them showed any movement.

But the situation wasn’t over yet. Voices came from above once again.

“Th-That crazy bastard…”

“Is there a way down? It has to be around here somewhere…”

“Found it! It’s right there!”

“Haa…”

They were certainly persistent. Of course, I couldn’t entirely blame them. Coming all the way here only to turn back would be a shitty situation. Besides, seeing my current state, giving up might actually feel more bizarre.

Eventually, I started running again. Without even knowing where I was. Toward the space between the trees.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

“Where is he? It was somewhere around here…!”

“Keep quiet, you idiots! I hear something over there!”

“Haa… damn it…”

My mind crumbled under the irresistible fatigue. They say superhuman strength is unleashed in extreme situations, but my accumulated injuries crushed even my survival instinct. The more I ran, the narrower my vision grew, and my thoughts simplified. I just had to shake them off. That single thought filled my head.

Right. I need to shake them off. But the moon is too bright tonight. No matter where I go, I can’t hide my body in the darkness.

My legs hurt. I’m out of breath. It’s hard to run. I even think that if I just drop flat here, maybe I can hide somehow.

Of course, that would be suicide. The voices had caught up considerably. Was I leaving a trail of blood on the ground? No matter how much I ran, they wouldn’t fall behind. For every step I took forward, the voices closed in by two. I was undeniably twice as slow.

Should I just stop here and take them all on?

Right around when such an irrational thought crossed my mind, a voice lunged at me from directly behind.

“He’s here!”

“Ugh…!”

I immediately spun around. And this time, without any hesitation, I swung my sword at his neck. Before I could even process it, the screaming bastard’s neck was half-severed, and blood spurted out.

“Keok…!”

“You son of a bitch!”

But I wasn’t satisfied. I shoved the sword into his torso and twisted it with all my might. It was highly emotional and excessively irrational. Even knowing that fact, I unknowingly roared like a beast. The blood splashing into my mouth wasn’t even metallic; it just tasted flat and dry.

“Come on! Bring it!”

“O-Over there! He’s there!”

As if answering my call, three sets of footsteps echoed. I thought there would be more, but strangely, their numbers had dwindled significantly. Only three. Maybe some had given up and turned back.

Could this be the end? I gritted my teeth amidst a futile hope. I’m so sick of killing that it gives me a headache. I’ve never felt any thrill from it, so I want to stop even now.

Yet I can’t stop. Because I brought all of this upon myself. I can’t make excuses now, saying I lacked information, or that I never expected Roselia to find out there were elves on this island. A variable is a variable, and a result is a result. While I steeled my resolve, a voice echoed from nearby.

“I see him! He’s over there!”

“He’s half-dead already! Just rush him!”

“Yeah, fuck it. Come on…!”

As I muttered through gritted teeth, they finally appeared. Just when I thought this was the end, another voice echoed from the other side. A somewhat pathetic, mournful voice called out not a curse, but my name.

“Lope!”

“…!”

At that moment, my breathing stopped involuntarily. The voice I had just heard was so clear and beautiful that it couldn’t even be compared to the others. I didn’t need to think long about who owned that voice.

“Lope! I’m coming!”

No. Saya.

She was coming this way. With her keen elven senses, she must have noticed the situation from afar. Could the decrease in their numbers have been because of Saya? The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly erased it. I couldn’t possibly imagine her doing such a thing.

The important thing was that Saya shouldn’t be here. Her existence must not be discovered by those bastards. And more than anything, I didn’t want to show Saya this gruesome sight.

“Ugh…!”

That is why I raised my sword. And I charged at them first.

“Let’s just end this already!”

“Uwaaaah!”

Three figures leaped toward me simultaneously. I swung my blade at the one who reached me first. The bloodstained sword tore through the night sky once more.

But I was already too exhausted. The blade I barely managed to swing was effortlessly blocked by the iron lever he raised. By the time I realized my mistake, his head slammed hard into my forehead.

“Ugh… ah…”

“Ugh…!”

For a very brief moment, my vision went black. I desperately tried to stay conscious, but my body was already sprawled on the ground. The guy I collided with must have taken a hard hit as well, as he was also lying there.

The feel of the earth beneath my body gave me goosebumps. The soft dirt seemed to whisper death into my ears.

But the other two didn’t approach. They looked toward the bushes as if they had discovered something. My gaze followed theirs involuntarily, and the leaves rustled slightly.

At that moment, something pale yellow burst out like a flash and pounced on the two of them.

“Wh-What!”

“Uwaaah!”

“No!”

Because I was the only one who knew what it was, I screamed in despair. Scattering her blonde hair as she emerged from the darkness, she looked back at me with an expression on the verge of tears.

“Lope…”

“Saya…!”

“What the hell is this!”

Before I could even call out to her, the bastards raised their weapons. Seeing this, Saya pulled up her collar to cover her nose and mouth.

And then, at a speed invisible to the naked eye, she began throwing herself against the two of them.

“Wh-What the!”

“Ugh!”

“Heugh…”

Between the gasps of horror, Saya’s breath mingled in. Every time I blinked, dozens of flashes struck their shoulders and torsos. They flailed their arms trying to counterattack, but each time, she twisted her body in midair and easily evaded their grasp.

It was a movement as if she were the only one moving through water. If she had a bit more technique, she would have knocked them out long ago. Recklessly ramming her shoulders into them was probably the best Saya could do.

Besides, her body weight was far too light to subdue them just by crashing into them. At least for now, the most she could do was stop their advance.

“Ugh… ughhh…!”

Tilting my head back, I spotted my fallen sword in the distance. I needed to stand up first. But I wasn’t the only one who had that thought.

“Ugh…!”

“…!”

My crawling ankle was seized by a large hand. When I turned my head, the bastard who had regained consciousness was grabbing my neck.

“Die… just die!”

“Keugh…!”

My breath reversed under the overwhelming force, and the oxygen in my brain began to dry up. I gritted my teeth and reached out for my sword. Realizing my intention, the bastard grabbed my wrist. Just a handspan. I was short by exactly one handspan.

“No!”

Just then, Saya’s mournful cry rang out. Before the cry could even end, two dull thuds echoed, followed by the sound of urgent footsteps. I desperately reached out before the sound could reach me.

At that moment, the sword slid out somewhere. When I lifted my head, pale yellow hair fluttered down over my vision. She was trembling violently as she raised the sword as high as she could.

“Ugh… heugh…!”

Ah…!

I raised my hands in horror. Saya was about to step onto an irreversible path. But I couldn’t muster any strength in my arms, so I spoke with a crushed voice.

“Sa…!”

Crunch.

…

The next moment, the familiar sound of a skull shattering rang out. Blood dripped down over my tightly shut eyelids. And with a thud, the bastard’s body collapsed, and the grip on my neck slipped away.

“Keugh…”

I immediately turned my body and coughed violently. Oxygen clung to my throat, making a metallic sound.

“Cough… cough…”

“Ah…”

“Cough… Sa… Saya…”

“Ah… ah…”

When I opened my eyes, the blood-stained figure of Saya came into view. She was still gripping the sword, leaning against a tree and gasping for breath. I hurried over and grabbed Saya’s hand.

“Saya. Snap out of it. Look at me.”

“Lo… Lope.”

“It’s okay. Look at me. And give me the sword. Okay?”

“I… I…”

That small hand refused to let go of the sword. Her skin, once purely white and soft, was now stained with dark red blotches. They clung so stubbornly that it felt like no amount of rubbing would ever wipe them away.

When I tried to forcefully pry the sword from Saya’s grasp, she shook her head. Then, she suddenly looked up and stared off to one side.

“…Look over there, Lope.”

“Hm?”

“O-Over there…”

Only then did I turn my head to follow her gaze. Then, the corpse of the bastard who had been choking me earlier came into view. I thought his head had been split open by the sword, but it wasn’t.

An arrow was embedded in his skull. And not a crudely made one, but a military-grade crossbow bolt.

“…Huh?”

While I was questioning it, Saya grabbed my hand. And with trembling hands, she handed me the sword and spoke.

“It’s that person.”

“Who?”

“The person who called your name in front of the dormitory the night you brought Haru.”

A past memory suddenly flashed through my mind. Right. She had definitely told me that. So much had happened that I had forgotten for a moment, but she said someone had looked for me that night. They had murmured my name and their own name before turning back. Because the voice had been so small, the only fragmented clue left was that their name ended with a ‘ka’.

Among the people I knew, someone who knew how to use a crossbow and had those letters in their name…

“That’s…”

“Huu…”

Just then, a familiar sigh echoed from somewhere. The scent of cigarettes, ingrained with the passage of time, drifted from that breath.

“Not too late, I see.”

“…”

It was a familiar voice. The very voice I used to hear often at the school gates during my days at the Academy. I had thought it was Erika back then, but it was someone completely different.

The person who used to talk to me at the school gate let out another sigh. The clinking sound of metal mixed in between her footsteps. As she approached us, she tossed out a reprimand that was so familiar it made me nostalgic.

“I told you to learn some magic.”