“What? What do you mean by that? She said she’s fine!” Viran said while shooting a glare towards the swordsman.

 

His hand reaches forward, and it rests only a few inches above her body. A pitch black mana is seen to emanate from his hand, a murky feeling is felt within Viran. The swordsman’s eyes close as his entire body holds completely still.

 

“Yeah that’s what she says, unfortunately she’s wrong. I can feel remnants of wind mana lodged within her mana roots, and she had just shot out a powerful enough spell that made the wind mana lodge itself deeper within her. If she had gotten treatment earlier she would have been fine… But now there’s a high chance she’ll die.” The swordsman says. His hand retreats from the woman as he turns towards Viran. “Considering how things are, she may still have a chance. It’s just… Time is of the essence and you’ll only slow me down.”

 

Viran’s eyes dim, yet he still agrees to what the swordsman was referring to. He picks Marianne up over his shoulder and begins to run farther into the forest. Viran only laid there for a few moments before picking himself up little by little, the pain bit into him. His wrists were a gruesome sight to behold, the cords that bind him were drenched through with his own blood.

 

‘I should’ve gotten him to at least cut these off first…’ Viran thought.

 

Viran’s feet stagger forward as he bends down to pick up a dagger next to a dead Knight. His hands grip the dagger and Viran sits against the tree once more, it had taken more time than he had expected but he was able to cut the binds completely off of him.

 

Suddenly light completely washed over Viran, and his head turned towards the ascending sun behind him.

 

“This is just too tiring…” Viran murmured.

 

Viran began to walk through the wreckage that laid around him. To his left were corpses, and to his right were more corpses. The gruff Knight was split almost completely in two, the smell was terrible to behold. Viran turned his gaze towards the carriages and laid out onto a table was the already decaying body of Embren.

 

His entire body was wrapped in bandages that had already bled through, the injuries that he had received from the spell was not enough to kill him nor the wound Viran gazed at him with the dagger. What instead had slain the foe that Viran hated so was a single arrow sticking directly out of his heart.

 

“!” Viran’s face was agape by the arrow, he was under the assumption that the swordsman was able to decimate the Knights by himself. Viran began to look closer at the gruesome bloodbath that was around him, realization came over him once he realized the injuries on the dead Knights varied heavily between different spells, arrows, and weapons.

“Was that swordsman a part of the research team sent here?” He thought aloud as he began to walk away from the corpse of Embren.

 

Still, Viran sent a single glance towards the dead body with hatred lining his eyes. Afterall it was Embren’s fault for putting Marianne in that state originally, Viran felt himself stupid for holding such anger towards an already dead man. But still, Viran held no reserve for the curses he threw at Embren within his mind.

 

He continued walking forward, he no longer paid his surroundings any heed. The longer he looked at the blood and guts the more his stomach began to heave, the more his brain registers just how grotesque it all is.

The black soil under Viran kicked up as he dragged his languid feet. The bloody smell had already dissipated, yet still stuck to his clothes and shoes. The refreshing smell of bark and dirt entered his nose, easing his inflamed senses. Contrary to the night before Tenus Forest was full of light and the entire area was devoid of shadows completely, Viran could even see small animals racing along the trees beside him.

 

Passing through the trees and bushes, Viran constantly looked towards the broken branches the swordsman had left behind for him. He was mulling over Marianne’s condition and how she was right now. But how far away did the swordsman run? It made no sense he had already walked for over an hour…

 

Occasionally Viran’s mind would wander to the battle that had been fought before, he had to use all of his might to suppress the urge to vomit. Just a simple glance at the brain matter and blood that clung to his shoes would make Viran vomit, this turned into Viran going through the confusing forest with his face eternally facing the sky in order to not even take a peek at the blood that still clung to him.

 

It would take Viran longer than it should have for him to realize he was completely lost…

 

Viran walked back into the direction he had already come from only to realize he had lost his path terribly.

 

“... Oh no.” Viran breathlessly said when realizing he was lost.

 

His chest tightens and his mind races. Anxiety washes over him as he began to randomly run around the forest, not giving mind to the possible dangers that inhabited the forest. He was terrified of being left behind, his mind panicked at the thought. He runs far, far until he realizes something.

 

“Eh?” Viran’s ears twitch when he hears the sound of running water not far away.

 

He closes his eyes to listen attentively and then goes into a run towards the water. He barely stops himself in time when he is met with a glistening blue river of water that ran downstream. Viran lays down next to the river and begins to scoop up water to clean the blood off of him. First his bleeding wrists, next the blood and dirt on his face, and then finally the blood that still stuck to his body.

 

A deep sigh exits as he lays there feeling more refreshed. Viran can clearly feel the pain that swept through his entire body with every passing second. He wanted to stay and lay there still, but he knew he needed to leave now. His gaze turns up and down the river, and he randomly picks to go down stream. The soil underneath his feet is soft and moist and the weeds nip at his ankles as he continues to walk down. Occasionally Viran would find footprints within the soil, prompting him to keep careful consideration of his surroundings.

 

Minutes turn to hours and he continues to walk further down the river and his surroundings turn different as time goes on. As he walked deeper into the heart of the forest the trees became noticeably more thick and grass started to appear over the soil.

 

A noise echoes within Viran’s conscience once more, his mind spins out of control. The noise was the chopping of wood, a wave of relief washes over him after feeling alone for so long. He runs in the direction of the wood chopping, only to stop suddenly. He had to play it cool now, he didn’t know if the swordsman had really killed everyone.

 

Viran crawled on his stomach over the rocky ground further and pushed himself into a bush to hide. He lifts a branch to gain vision, and what he sees are numerous tents. The tents were small in size yet there were many of them. A smoke raised into the air from the middle of the camp, and the smokey smell entered his nose. It was tantalizing and only now did Viran realize just how hungry he was, how much he had suffered to get to this point. The source of the wood chopping was a thin woman with auburn hair cutting numerous wooden logs with a large axe to put into the fire. Despite the trees here having a solid and thick base the woman was still able to effortlessly cut through the thick logs with ease, Viran could see the blue mana wash over her. Next to her sat a short and stocky man with brown hair that ran down his face and head for considerable lengths. The stocky man could only be described as barbaric and well muscled. Farther ahead, near the entrance of the largest tent there, sat a little girl not much younger than Viran.

 

‘They brought a kid like that here?’ Viran thought.

 

The entire encampment was covered in a serene atmosphere in Viran’s perspective. He could hear the birds chirp not too far away from the camp and everyone there acted in a calming manner.

 

“Did I find the research team? But if that’s the case where is the swordsman?” Viran whispered to himself.

 

Maybe the swordsman wasn’t a part of the research team like Viran thought? But if that was the case then who was that man? If the swordsman wasn’t a part of the research team, then where did he take Marianne?

 

Viran jumps up at the thought impulsively only to be spotted by the lady and man. Viran begins to sweat bullets.

 

“Who’re you supposed to be brat?” The woman’s voice had a light melody to it yet still contained a harsh suspicious tone to it.

 

“Ease up on the hostility Junia, it’s just a kid.” The man quickly rebuked her.

 

“And? Kids are terrible creatures and you know it Rufus. Especially that brat over there.” The woman spits on the ground as she nods towards where the little girl sat alone.

 

“Ah, come on don’t be like that. You’re only like that towards kids because you always act like one, ain’t ya?” Rufus grins as the woman begins to hit him over the head.

 

Viran stood there stunned at the interesting duo that were merely laughing off his existence. Viran began to feel as though he wouldn’t be wanted here, he should just go look for the swordsman and Marianne elsewhere.

 

As he begins to exit the area, a familiar voice is heard far away.

 

“It’s you?”

 

Looking around Viran sees the familiar icy stare of the swordsman still dressed in the simple clothing as before. Contrary to Viran’s expectations, the swordsman only looked at him with sincere surprise and doubt.

 

“Hm? You know the kid, Marcus?” Rufus asked.

 

“Mister where is Marianne!” Viran yelled as he ran towards the encampment much to the surprise of Junia and Rufus.

 

“Wait didn’t you say the kid died Marcus?” Junia responds with shock.

 

With those words the icy glare of the swordsman named Marcus is broken and nervousness sprouts on his face while he sputters out a response.

 

“Ah, yeah, well. We don’t exactly need the kid do we? If anything we could do without the kid so we don’t have to go through any of the trouble!” He said enthusiastically while trying to convince Rufus and Junia.

 

“That’s a little…”

 

“You’re an asshole.”

 

Rufus and Junia rebut Marcus at the same time with a troubled expression and glaring eyes. They felt it was just wrong to leave a kid out in the forest all by himself, no matter the situation. They suddenly turn towards Viran who already has his crimson mana already excreting from his body. He feels the familiar feel of mana throughout his body as he tries to run into the tent and past Marcus… 

 

… Only to be stopped effortlessly with a single hand from Marcus sending him flying straight down to the ground.

 

“You can’t go in there. The magic he’s using in there is very complicated, if you bother him he may just end up killing Marianne.”

 

Viran’s dirt-covered face looks up towards Marcus with his anxiety showing clearly. The many worries he shouldered had already piled up, and yet another one had arrived just in time to plague his heart as well.