Chapter 29 (1/2)
—That person re, ”Don't cast aside your beliefs”The words still ring within her ears
She underwent strict and bitter training due to being the child of a spiritAny other aspiration she etting that she had to become a beacon of hopeShe will always remember that as her purposeEven in defeat, deep down inside herself, she'll remember
Believing in others, believing in
Not believing in the Goddess is fineNot wishi+ng for a miracle is fine”But those who believe in themselves until the end are rewarded”
A snapping sound rings out”I heard your wishYou want to protect that which you can protect”
Where did I hear such majestic and tender words?
It's because I've heard those words, because they echo inside my heart, that I hold them dearI still believe in themI still believe because I am here to believe[1]
Lefille rips open the ground as she runs across it aloneBy harnessing the unique poithin her body, the spirit's blessing, she shi+nes deep cri between the treesShe tramples tree roots and the ivy coiled around tree trunks with her feet as she exits the forest and tears over the h the worst-case scenario continues to replay itself within her mind, she presses forward for the possibility that so to be rescued
She stops halfway up the mountainside to look behind herselfThe trees underneath the overcast sky shake with an unnatural rustling, creating an eerie atmosphereHer eyes, however, fall upon the countless et in her way, so she cut them down
Rajas see herBoth the forest andwith mazoku in a few hoursHad she been any slower, she would have been trapped
The Deht also be nearby
Everything dear to Lefille was stolen by that mazokuEveryone she loved was forced to suffer a slow and painful deathNow, it's extending its fiendish claards those unrelated to herThathed as it said it would wait for her
She hears voices that no longer exist”Save me”She heard them, she held her hand out to thele voiceThis time, she won't fail
Just as Lefille oncedeep within her heart -Don't go, Lefille!
”Ahh…”The re within her heart wavers at the voice she shouldn't be able to hear anymore
In trying to calm her heart before the decisive battle, she reainst the treasuredsense of loss washes over her upon shaking her ensnared heart free
Lefilledoi, was an eccentric spell caster with no noticeable features other than his unco soentle eyes
There was an exotic aNo, the aura around hiic he fights with fro I've seen before
Had Lefille's iarded him as a peculiar characterHe, however, went on to surprise her ti to Nelferia, but was that really the truth?He was dull to the subtleties and coe of the worldIt was almost like someone had placed a lid on that part of his brainYet, at the saht
He's a kind hearted personEven though spellcasters have aloof and impertinent attitudes, he was compassionate and spoke with an air of naivetyHe didn't carry a trace of crueltyHe even followed her into the forest back when she separate fro for anything in return despite knowing that the arded her co there and refused to leaveHe worried about her
I can't say it was a good decisionNot with the danger that co around me
One other event gave Lefille a deeper gliht thatshamefullyBack then I was-
—Back then I was terrified
Sui terrified herHer body was exposed and she hile partaking in a depraved activity, she had no idea hoould reactNo matter how considerate her companion could be, he was still a man
The moment he wrapped his arms around her, she was overwhelh he only wanted to help, she beca to curl up in herself
The eyes hich he looked at her weren't in the slightest bit terrifyingThey didn't hold a shred of ferocityInstead, they eusted by her shameful action
Instead, his hands… his hands were very gentleThey were full of sy she felt was his anger towards the curse
”Ahh,”
A rey leaked out of his mouth before Lefille even realizedWith a reluctant tone full of guilt, he apologized for being unable to reation to help herHe apologized even though this curse is my responsibility
Even during their abrupt farewell, he tried to stop her because he orriedHe acted out of concern for her safety
”Suimei-kun…”
Therefore, everything is fine nowSuierHe can't stay with her or his fate would twisted into one ending in despairJust obediently wait in the forest until everything is overShe'll either defeat Rajas or be overwhelmed by the mazoku
So stay there where you're safe, even if that ain
Even if your voice follows me and tries to call me back
Even if that sorrowful and impatient face is the last one I see
She understands that her choice is hopeless bolsteringHer decision to rescue those who cast her aas inconsiderate to him after he reached out to herShe betrayed himSomeone like me doesn't deserve to be saved
Despite those thoughts— ”This is fineThis way…”
Lefille fights the wares of her eyesA wave of heat unlike she ever felt before surges from the depths of her heartIt's a sorrow full of loneliness and regret
It hurts
”If I wasn't burdened by destinyIf we could have meet in a different wayWhat would have happened?”
When you stayed with me, when you tried to stop ht, I was happy
Lefille's new emotion overflows beyond what she can holdIt isn't the pain fro a lost hooodbye
That's why I won't run anymoreI won't let anyone else dieI won't stand by and let the mazoku hurt more people
”…ugh”
So now Lefille runsShe has no choice but run alone as she shakes off the hot tears flowing from her eyes
–hello There, Cute Star ★ where's brother Moon?–
Lefille decapitates anything that gets in the way of her sprintShe focuses her senses and detects several people andshe isn't too late, she springs towards the her path
An unnatural clearing free of trees opens up on thethe sky, a dull stagnation fills the airThe smell of blood and meat assail her as she lands
Lefille is overwhelmed by the wretched hell before her”—Tch!?”
The source of the retched smell etches itself into her eyesSpread out before her is a battlefieldThey were slaughtered?
Shrieking howls of laughter grate Lefille's earsRajas's minions?Severalthe survivors trying to run awayIs this just a sport to them?The dead lay scattered around in pools of bloodTheir bodies are riddled ounds
Not a single person is spared frole person spared fro cri sacrificed by the mazoku
Lefille's heart seethes in rage at the sight she never again wanted to witness”Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”She yields to the furry fla up inside herself and strikes down the nearestits verticl slash
The mazoku is unable to defend itself from Lefille's sudden attackThunder roars and clods of earth bloay the mazoku in its death throes as it's cut in halfThe h the wind as they scatter across the battlefield
Everyone, both the desperate survivors and the mazoku, are confused by what happenedThey turn towards the intruder and gaze at her until sonizes her
”Yo- You!”The tone isn't a questioning of Lefille's identity, but a recognition of her
There are people resisting death despite being surrounded byto be rescuedLefille arrived in ti to them in response to their pleas—
”What are you doing here!!”
Lefille is met with ust and aggressionWhy are they so angry?I came to save them
Galeo, a man in the pri voiceHis tone is far fro relievedThe voice froe”Graphis-san…”
Galeo is a merchant, but he's still alive?
Resent there with a grudge filled glare
”Galeo-dono…”
”Didn't I tell you to leave…?I said that the mazoku would attack us if you stayed…”
”Tha- that's true, but now isn't the ti the caravanThat should be obvious for everyone to seeSuch a distracting conversation will only give theto attack
No one agrees with Lefille”Not the ti attacked!”
Lefille can't refute the accusation”Ugh…”She has no choice but to grit her teeth while keeping the mazoku at bay with her power of the spiritThe mazoku are here because of meAll she can do is accept their condemnation
The blood drenched escort who roared out at her earlier becomes confused”Wait… you- how did you know even knoe're in trouble?”
”One of the adventures escorting the caravan told me you were under attack”
”So where you were?”
”Ye- yeah”
”How'd you get here so fast?