“Ouch.” My head throbbed. Damn brute, just how much force did she put in that punch? I continued to step forward, staggering with every other step as my body screamed in pain while I concentrated on my spell.

At first, I was hindered by the soldiers, screaming at me that we should get away, that we shouldn’t let their sacrifice be in vain. ‘Let their sacrifice be in vain?’ Just who do they think they are? It was only because they wished for you to be saved that we are now in this situation. In the end I flung them away, turning around and crossing this path I made. A path for all of us.

I didn’t have to walk far till I heard the noises of the battle once more, the clashing of steel, the destruction of the surroundings. It were relieving noises. If they’re still fighting they’re alive. I continued onwards, forcing my body into motion.

But then everything changed. An explosion occurred, they gust of wind reaching all the way to me. That in itself wasn’t worrying. It was the scream that followed afterwards. I started to run, my muscles protesting as they felt like they were ripping, burning through the strain. Finally, I saw them again as the mist separated.

They were lying on the ground inside a puddle of their own blood, the goblin standing before them, spear raised up to stab down onto them. “As if I would let you.” Birds of fire came from above, crashing into the goblin and forcing him backwards. I felt his gaze on me as he let out an angry roar, but I only ran towards the two, falling beneath them.

“Hey Agni.” Her voice was feeble, her body weakened from the blood loss. Sarah on the other hand just stared at me, wondering why I came back.

“Don’t speak.” I looked over her wounds, her body was riddled with cuts and bruises but the only life-threatening one was the hole in her shoulder.

“Can you safe her?” She almost whispered, afraid of the answer.

“Bite your teeth together, this will hurt.” I spoke a short warning before I laid my hand on the wound, summoning my flames.

“Aaaarg!” She screamed, her body shuddering in pain. I’m sorry. Silence surrounded us once more as she passed out.

Steps resounded behind me, making me shot around, a circle forming before my hand. “[Flame Spear]!” A geyser of flames erupted, making the goblin distance itself once more. “I will take care of you in a moment.” My voice was cold, as freezing as the ice below us.

I turned around, facing the two once more. I looked at her wound, the bleeding stopped as I burned the veins. “I’ve done what I can for now, can you take her away?”

She nodded, trying to stand up, only to collapse as her legs gave out once more. She let out a hollow chuckle, “sorry, doesn’t seem like I can.” Then she frowned, realizing her own powerlessness.

This doesn’t make things easier. I turned around facing the goblin that now looked at me weary. I made up my mind to fight while protecting these two, only for my worries to disappear as voices came from behind. At least there’s some use for these guys.

“Are you really sure that we fight through with this, James?”

“How can we even call ourselves soldiers if we let civilians die for us?”

“Haaa, your wife’s gonna kill me for this.”

“And she will kill me if I don’t do anything.”

They stopped in their steps as they came out of the mist, staring for a moment before they rushed over.

“Leave this place to us.”

They took their stances, pulling out their knives, ready to pounce at the goblin.

“No.” I pulled them back, stepping in front of them. “You will just die against it. Make yourselves useful and take these two away.”

They looked back and forth, unwilling to throw their resolve away. I don’t have time for this. I grabbed their knives, the blades cutting into my hands as I pulled them away and threw them into the bog.

“I will only say this once more as I am quite angry at the moment. Take. Them. Away!”

Startled by my shout they set into motion, stepping over to the two to carry them away. When they tried to carry them the goblin screamed out, starting to run at us. “[Fireball; Modify: Explosive]!” A Fireball came into existence, crushing down on the goblin. But instead of dodging like before it just raised its hand before its face, enduring the attack as it continued onwards.

It made a curve around me, raising its speed once more as it continued towards the other, springing high to strike down with the spear. Fucker! One by one barrier appeared between them, only to break when the goblin landed on them, smashing the spear into them again and again. Realizing how this didn’t work I concentrated on another circle, continuing to create barriers as the soldiers run above the bridge.

It landed on the ground once more, its feet burrowing in the ice as it readied itself for another sprint. “Don’t you fucking ignore me!” The circle lit up, a golden snake rushing out of it and towards the goblin. The snake came crashing down on it, making it dodge to the side. It raised the spear, wanting to strike down at the snake when it attacked next, but instead of that the snake continued onwards, lifting its upper body and smashing into the bridge, after which it disappeared inside the bog.

“Giiiiiiiaaaaaaaaa!”

The goblin rushed forward, stopping at the broken end as it screamed in frustration. It turned around, flashing its stained teeth while panting heavily.

“You think you are angry?” I slowly stepped forward. I was angry at the two for trying to sacrifice themselves. Flames rushed from my flaming hair, crawling over my neck and upper body before settling on my arms. I was angry at myself for being to weak to keep them from harm. The water around the goblin started to sizzle.

“Because of you I nearly lost Alice and Sarah!” I started to scream at it. Of course, it wouldn’t understand my words, but that didn’t matter. I just wanted to release my anger. It’s a good thing they aren’t here right now. They shouldn’t see me like this.

“Now it’s time to pay the price for it!”

Behind the goblin the snake shot out once more, spreading a fountain of water as it stood proudly, darkening more and more till the fog around us reflected an eerily black light, resembling the flames my body spread once more.

At the change the goblin rushed at me, not waiting for another attack from me, instead trying to finish this fight as quickly as possible. Quickly it was in front of me, spear dashing forward to impale me.

I created another barrier, tilting it to make the spear slide above it, missing my body while I struck out, another flame spear flying towards the goblin. It twisted its body, but the proximity allowed me to still get a hit at it, making it roll backwards.

It slammed the spear into the ice, coming to an abrupt stop before it dodged sideways when the snake passed by its last position, mouth wide open to bite down at it. The goblin hissed at me, looking down at mis mangled arm, now completely burned as it used it to block my spear.

“Don’t worry about it, it won’t matter when you’re dead.”

It was breathing heavily, struggling to stay afoot, glaring at me. Meanwhile I didn’t take a step from where I stood at the beginning of the fight. Not because it wasn’t necessary but because I couldn’t. Slowly my body was breaking down. Have to finish this quickly. I squeezed out the little bit of mana I recovered while we ran away from them, putting it into my final spell. “[Flame Spear; Modify: Multiple, Homing].”

Three spears were the maximum I could do at them moment. They appear above me, glaring with their light as they aimed at the goblin. It rushed forward as I fired them. One after another they came crashing down on it, the first colliding the spear, breaking its stance as it was deflected. The second barely blocked by it as it shoved the shaft in the path of it, striking the spear and the goblin away. The last one hit it directly, tearing out a good chunk of its upper body.

It laid collapsed on the ice, twitching as it was still alive, even though only for a couple of minutes at most. Still its endurance let it stand up once more. Damn high-level ones are always hard to kill. It struggled to keep standing, stepping towards me to kill me with its hands if it had to. Finally, it stood before me, reaching out with its claw.

“I think you forgot something, asshole.”

Before it could even react a black shadow passed before me, a gaping mouth tearing the goblin in two. Then it came back, feasting on the lower half it missed in its first try. I staggered, holding my hand at my temple, my headache worsening.

With no other way I let myself fall towards the snake, grabbing onto it as best as I could.

“Go after them.”

It set in motion, dragging me behind it.